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^ PRINCETON, N. J. ^^
Presented by(lJT(S0X^(:f!S^0O\r^-50r>"^3.
Division .x!SD. d^\0 C—^ Section a\!^.L^\0 I
QioZ.
NOTES,
EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL.
ON THE
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.
DESIGNED FOR
BIBLE CLASSES AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS,
BY ALBERT BARNES.
TWENTIETH EDITION.
N E ^Y Y 0 Pu K •
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
329 & 331 PEARL STREET,
FRANKLIN SQUARE.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in tlie \'ear one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, by
ALBERT BARNES,
Ih flie Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
INTRODUCTION.
TheRjS is no evidence that the title " The Acts of the Apostles" affixe^l to this book, was given by divine authority, or by the writer himself. It is a title, however, which, with a little variation, has been given to it by the Christian church at all times. The term "Acts" is not used as it is sometimes with us to denote decrees or laws, but it denotes the doings of the apostles. It is a record of what the apostles did in found- ing and establishing the Christian church. It is worthy of remark, how- ever, that it contains chiefly a record of the doings of Peter and Paul. Peter was commissioned to open the doors of the Christian church to both Jews and Gentiles (see Note, Matt. xvi. 18, 19) ; and Paul was chosen to bear the gospel especially to the pagan world. As these two apostles were the most prominent and distinguished in founding and or- ganizing the Christian church, it was deemed proper that a special and permanent record should be made of their labours. At the same time, occasional notices are given of the other apostles ; but of their labours elsewhere than in Judea, and of their death, except that of James (Acta xii. 2), the sacred writers have given no information.
All antiquity is unanimous in ascribing this book to Luke, as its author. It is repeatedly mentioned and quoted by the early Christian writers, and without a dissenting voice is mentioned as the work of Luke. The same thing is clear from the book itself. It professes to have been written by the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke (ch. i. 1) ; was addressed to the same person (comp. ver. 1 with Luke i. 3) ; and bears manifest marks of being from the same pen. It is designed evi- dently as a continuation of his Gospel, as in this book he has taken up the history at the very time where he left it in the Gospel (ver. 1. 2).
Where, or at what time, this book was written is not certainly known. As the history however, is continued to the second year of the residence of Paul at Rome (Acts xxviii. 31), it was evidently written about as late as the year 62 ; and as it makes no mention of the further dealings with Paul, or of any other event of history, it seems clear that it was not written much after that time. It has been common, therefore, to fix the date of the book at about A. D. 63. It is also probable that it was writ- ten at Rome. In ch. xxviii. 16, Luke mentions his arrival at Rome with Paul. As he does not mention his departure from this city, it is to be presumed that it was written there. Some have supposed that it was written at Alexandria in Egypt, mit of that there is no sufficient evi' dence.
The canonica. authority of this book rests on the same foundation as that of the Gospel by the same author. Its authenticity has not been called in question at any time in the church.
This book has commonly been regarded as a history of the Christian church, and 'if «8oiii"Sft the first ecclesiastical history that was writtea
3
IV INTRODUCTION.
3ut it cannot have been designed as a general liistory of the church Vlany important transactions have been omitted. It gives no account of he church at Jerusalem after the conversion of Paul ; it omits his jour- aey into Arabia (Gal. i. 17) ; gives no account of the propagation of the rospel in Eo-ypt, or in Babylon (1 Pet. v. 13) ; of the foundation of the 3hurch at Rome ; of many of Paul's voyages and shipwrecks (2 Cor. xi. 25) ; and omits to record the labours of most of the apostles, and confines the narrative chiefly to the transactions of Peter and Paul.
The design and importance of this history may be learned from tha following particulars : . n., rri
1. It contains a record of the promised descent and operations oj tfie Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus promised that after he had departed to heaven, he would send the Holy Ghost to carry forward the great work of redemp- tion. John xiv. 16, 17 ; xv. 26 ; xvi. 7—14. The apostles were directed to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. Luke xxiv. 49. The four Gospels contained a record of the life, instruc- tions, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. But it is clear that he contemplated that the most signal triumphs of the gospel should take place after his ascension to heaven, and under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The descent of the Spirit, and his influence on the souls of men, was a most important part of the work of redemption. Without an au- thentic, an inspired record of that, the account of the operations of God the Father, Son, and Spirit, in the work of redemption, would not have been complete. The purposes of the Father in regard to that plan were made known clearly in the Old Testament; the record of what the Son did in accomplishing it, was contained in the Gospels ; and some book was needful that should contain a record of the doings of the Holy Spirit. As the Gospels, therefore, may be regarded as a record of the work of Christ to save men, so may the Acts of the Apostles be considered as a record of the doings of the Holy Spirit in the same great work. With- out that, the way in which the Spirit operates to renew and save would have been very imperfectly known. • , r
' 2. This book is an inspired account of the character of true remvals of -eli'gion. It records the first revivals that occurred in the Christian church. The scene on the day of Pentecost was one of the most re- markable displays of divine power and mercy that the world has ever known. It was the commencement of a series of stupendous move- ments in the world to recover men. It was the true model of a revival of relifiou, and a perpetual demonstration that such scenes as have cha- racterized our own age and nation especially, are strictly in accordance with the spirit of the New Testament. The entire book of the Acts of the Apostles records the effect of the gospel when it comes fauly in contact with the minds of men. The gospel was addressed to every class. It met the Jew and the Gentile, the bond and the Iree, the learned and the ignorant, the rich aad the poor; and showed Us power every where in subduing tlie mind^o itself. It was proper that some record should be preserved of the displays of that power ; and that record we have in this book. And it was especially proper that there should he given by an inspired man an account of the oescent ot the Holy Spi« rit a record of a true revival of religion. It was certain that the gospel would produce excitement. 'I'he human mind, as all experience shows, is prone to enthusiasm and fanaticism; and men might be disposed t#
INTRODUCTION. V
pervert the gosp&l to scenes of wild-fire, disorder, and tumult. Thai the gospel would produce excitement, was well known to its Author, li was well therefore that *here should be some record to which the church mig-ht always appeal as an infallible account of the proper effects of the gospel ; some inspired standard to which might be brought all excite- ments on the subject of religion. If they are in accordance with the first triumphs of the gospel, they are genuine ; if not, they are false.
3. It may be further remarked, that this book shows that revivals of religwn are to be expected in the church. If they existed in the best a-nd purest days of Christianity, they are to be expected now. If by means of revivals the Holy Spirit chose at first to bless the preaching of the truth, the same thing is to be expected still. If in this way the gospel was at first spread among the nations, then we are to infer that this will be the mode in which it will finally spread and triumph in the world.
4. The Acts of the Apostles contains a record of the organization of the Christian church. That church was founded simply by the preaching of the truth, and chiefly by a simple statement of the death and resur- rection of Jesus Christ. The " Acts of the Apostles" contains the high- est models of preaching, and the purest specimens of that simple, direct, and pungent manner of addressing men, which may be expected to be attended with the influences of the Holy Spirit. It contains some of the most tender, pov/erful, and eloquent appeals to be found in any language. If a man wishes to learn how to preach well, he can probably acquire it nowhere else so readily as by giving himself to the prayerful and pro- found study of the specimens contained in this book. At the same time we have here a view of the character of the true church of Christ. The simplicity of this church must strike every reader of " the Acts." Re- ligion is represented as a work of the heart; the pure- and proper effect of truth on the mind. It is free from pomp and splendour, and from costly and magnificent ceremonies. There is no apparatus to impress the senses, no splendour to dazzle, no external rite or parade adapted to draw the affections from the pure and spiritual worship of God. How unlike to the pomp and parade of pagan vorship ! How unlike the vain and pompous ceremonies which have since, alas ! crept into no small part of the Christian church !
5. In this book we have many striking and impressive illustrations ot what the gospel is fitted to produce, to make men self-denying and bene- volent. The apostles engaged in the great enterprise of converting the world. To secure that, they cheerfully forsook all. Paul became a eon- vert to the Christian faith, and cheerfully for that gave up all his hopes of preferment and honour, and welcomed toil and privation in foreign lands. The early converts had all things in common (ch. ii. 44) ; those "which had curious arts," and were gaining property by a course of ini- quity, forsook their schemes of ill-gotten gain, and burned their books publicly (ch. xix. 19) ; Ananias and Sapphira were punished for at- tempting to impose on the apostles by hypocritical professed self-denials fch. V. 1 — 10) ; and throughout the book there occur constant instances !>f sacrifices and toil to spread the gospel around the globe. Indeed, these great truths had manifestly seized upon the early Christians : tJiat the gospel luas to be preached to all 7iations ; and that whatever stood in the way of that was to be sacrificed ; whatever toils and dangers were necessary, were to be borne ,- and even death itself was cheerfully to be met, if it lunuld pro-
a2
fNTRODUCTION.
mote the spread of true religion. This was thsn genuine Ohrislianity ^ this is siill the spirit of the gospel of Christ.
6. This book throws important light on^the Epistles. It is a connect ing link between the Gospels and the other parts of the New Testament. Instances of this will be noticed in the Notes. One of the most clear and satisfactory evidences of the genuineness of the books of the New Tes- tament is to be found in the undesigned coincidences between the Acts and the Epistles. This argument was first clearly stated and illustrated by Dr. Paley. His little work illustrating it, the Horas Faulinae, is one of the most unanswerable proofs which have yet been furnished of the truth of the Christian religion.
7. This book contains unanswerable evidence of the truth of the Chris- tiau religion. It is a record of the early triumphs of Christianity.- Within the space of thirty years after the death of Christ, the gospel had been carried to all parts of the cirilized, and to no small portion of the unci- vilized world. Its progress and its triumphs were not concealed. Its great transactions were not "done in a corner." It had been preached in the most splendid, powerful, and corrupt cities ; churches were already founded in Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, and at Rome. The gospel had spread in Arabia, Asia Minor, Greece, Macedon, Italy, and Africa. It had assailed the most mighty existing institutions; it had made its v/ay over the most formidable barriers ; it had encountered the most deadly and malignant opposition ; it had travelled to the capital, and had secured such a hold even in the imperial city, as to make it cer- tain that it would finally overturn the established religion, and seat itself on the ruins of paganism. Within thirty years it had settled the point that it would overturn every bloody altar ; close every pagan temple ; bring under its influence the men of office, rank, and power; and that " the banners of the faith would soon stream from the palaces of the Csesars." All this would be accomplished by the instrumentality of Jews — of fishermen — of Nazarenes. They had neither wealth, armies, nor allies. With the exception of Paul, they were men without learn- ing. They were taught only by the Holy Ghost; armed only with the power of God ; victorious only because he was their captain ; and the world acknowledged the presence of the messengers of the Highest, and *»he power of the Christian religion. Its success never has been, and Qever can be accounted for by any other supposition than that God at- tended it. And if the Christian religion be not true, the change wrought by the twelve apostles is the most inexplicable, mysterious, and wonder- ful event that has ever been witnessed in this world. Their success to the end of time will stand as an argument of the truth of the scheme, that shall confound the infidel, and sustain the Christian with the assured belief that this is a religion which has proceeded from the alrtighty and itiiinitelj beBCTolent God.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.
CHAPTER I.
npHE former treatise °- have I -*• made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and leach,
a LU.1.W I, &c. b Lu.24.51. Ter.9. lTi.3.16.
1. The former treatise. The former hook The Gospel by Luke is here evi- denty intended. Greek, ' the former Lo- gos' meaning a discourse, or a narrative. IT O Theophilus. See Note, Luke i. 3. As tliis book was written to the same in- diviuual as the former, it was evidently .written with the same design — to furnish an authentic and full narrative of events concerning which there would be many imperfect and exaggerated accounts gi- ven. See Luke i. 1—4. As these events pertained to the descent of the Spirit, to the spread of the gospel, to the organiza- tion of the church by inspired authority, to the kind of preaching by which the church was collected and organized ; and as those events were a full proof of the truth and power of the Christian religion, and would be a model for ministers and the church in all future tim.js, it was of great importance that a fair and full nar- rative of them should be preseived. Luke was the companion of Paul in his travels, and was an eye-witness of no small part of the transactions recorded in this book. See Acts xvi. 10. 17 ; xx. 1-6 ; i xvii. xxviii. As an eye-witness, he was well qualified to make a record of the leading events of the primitive church. And as he was the companion of Paul, he had every oppor- tunity of obtaining information about the great events of the gospel of Christ. IT Of all. That is, of the principal, or most im- portant parts of the life and doctrines of Christ. It cannot mean that he recorded all that Jesus did, as he has omitted many things that have been preserved by the other Evangelists. The word all is fre- quently thus used to denote the most im- portant or material facts. Sea Acts xiii. 10. 1 Tim. i. 16. James i. 2. Matt. ii. 3 ; iii. 5. Acts ii. 5. Rom. xi. 26. Col. i. 6. In each of these places the word here trans- lated "all" occurs in the original, and means many, a large part the principal portion. It has the same use in all lan- guages. " This word often signifies, inde- finitely, a large portion or number, or a
2 Until ^ the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given com- mandments *= unto the apostles whom he had chosen :
cMatt,28.19. Mar.l6.1S-19.
4great part." Webater. IT That Jesus. The Syriac version adds, " Jesus our Messiah." I'his version was probably made in the second century ^ Began to do. This is a Hebrev^^ form of expression, meaning the same thing as, that Jesus did and taught. See Gen. ix. 20, " Noah began to be an husbandman," i. e. was an hus- bandman. Gen. ii. 3, in the Septuagint: " Which God began to create and make ;" in the Hebrew, " which God created and made." Mark vi. 7, " Began to send them forth by two and two," i. e. sent thera forth. See also Mark x. 32; xiv. 65, "And some began to spit on him;" in the parallel place in Matt. xxvi. 67, " they did spit in his face." II To do. This re- fers to his miracles and his acts of bene volence, including all that he did for man's salvation. It probably includes, therefore, h-s sufferings, death, and resur- rection, as a part of what he has done to save men. IT To teach. His doctrines. As he had given an account of what the Lord Jesus did, so he was now about to give a narrative of what his apostles did in the same cause, that thus the world might be in possession of an inspired re- cord respecting the redemption and esta- blishment of the Christian church. The history of these events is one of the great- est blessings that God has conferred on mankind ; and one of the hi/jhest privi- leges which men can enjoy is that which has been conferred so abundantly on this age in the possession and extension of the word of God.
2. Until the day. The fortieth day af- ter his resurrection, ver. 3. See LuKe xxiv. 51. ^ In which he was taken up. In which he ascended to heaven. He was taken up into a cloud, and is represented as having been borne or carried to hea- ven, ver. 9. IT After that, &c. lliis whole passage has been variously rendered The Syriac renders it, "After he haa given commandment unto the apostles whom he had chosen by the Holy Spirit." So also the Ethiopic version. Others rt
8
3 To whom also he showed him- Belf after his passion, by many " infallible proofs, being seen of them
aLu^4. Jno,c^.&21.
THE ACTS. [A. D. 33.
forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God ;
have joined the words "through the Holy Ghost" to the phrase " was taken up," making it mean that he was taken up by the Holy Ghost. But the most na- tural and correct translation seems to be that which is in our version. IT Through the Holy Ghost. To understand this it is necessary to call to mind the promise tliat Jesus made before his death, that afterl his departure, the Holy Ghost would de- scend to be a guide to his apostles. See John xvi. 7 — 11, and the Note on that place. It was to be his office to carry forward the work of redemption in ap- plyhig it to the hearts of men. Whatever was done, therefore, after the atonement and resurrection of Jesus, after' he had finished his great work, was to be regard- ed as under the peculiar influence and direction of the Holy Ghost. Even the mstructions of Jesus, his commission to the apostles &c. were to be regarded as com- ing within the department of the sacred Spirit, within the province of his peculiar work. The instructions were given by divine authority, by infallihle guidance, and as a part of the work which the Holy Spirit designed. Under that Spirit the apostles were to go forth ; by his aid they were to convert the world, to organize .the church, to establish its order and its doctrines. And hence the entire work was declared to be by his direction. Though in his larger and more mighty influences, the Spirit did not descend un- til the day of Pentecost (Luke xxiv. 49. comp. Acts ii.) yet m some measure his in- fluence was imparted to ihem before the ascension of Christ. John xx. 22. IT Had given commruidments. Particularly the command to preach the gospel to all na- tions. Matt, xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 15—19. It may be worthy of remark, that the word commandments, as a noun in the plural number, does not occur in the ori-
f final. The single word which is trans- ated "had given commandments" is a pdrliciple, and means simply having com- maruled. There is no need, therefore, of siipjiosiiig that there is reference here to any other command than to that great nnd glorious injunction to preach the gospel to every creature. That was a command of so much importance as to be worthy of a di.^tinct record, as constitut- ing the sum of all that the Saviour taught them after hia resurrection II Tht apos I
ties. The eleven that remained after tha treason and death of Judas. IT Whom h« had chosen. Matt. x. Luke vi. 12 — 16.
3. He shewed himself. The resurrection of Jesus was the great fact on which the truth of the gospel was to be established. Hence the sacred writers so often refer to it, and establish it by so many argu ments. As that truth lay at the founda- tion of all that Luke was about to record in his history, it was of importance that he should state clearly the sum of the evidence of it in the " beginning of hia work. IF After his passion. After he suffered, referring particularly to hia death, as the consummation of his suffer- ings. The word passion with us means commonly excitement, or agitation of mind, as love, hope, fear, anger, &c. In the original the word means to suffer The word passion, applied to the Sa- viour, denotes his last sufferings. Thus in the Litany of the Episcopal church, it is beautifully said, " by thine agony and bloody sweat ; by thy cross nnd passion, good Lord, deliver ns." The Greek word of the same derivation is rendered suffer- ij}gs in 1 Pet. i. 11; iv. 13. Col. i. 24. H Bi/ many infallible proofs. The word rendered here infallible proofs, does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. In Greek authoi*s it denotes an infallible sign or argument by which any thing can be certainly known. Schleusner. Hero it means the same — evidence that he wa alive which could not deceive, or in WliTch they could not be mi^Takeh. That evidence consisted in his eating with them, conversing with them, meeting them at various times and places, work- ing miracles (John xxi. G, 7) ; and uni- formly showing himself to be the same friend with whom they had been familial for more than three years. This evidence was infallible, (1. Because it was to them unexpected. They had manifestly not believed that he wouki rise again. John XX. 25. Luke xxiv. There was therefore no delusion resulting from any expertatton of seeing him, or from a design to impose on men. (2.) It was impossible that they could have been deceived in relation to one with whom they had been r-nniliar for more than three years. No men could be imix)8pd uikiu and made to believe mat they really saw, talked with, and ata with, a friend whom they had known so
B. C. 33.J
CHAPTER i.
4 And ' oeing assembled toge- ther with them, commanded ° them that they should not depart from Je- rusalem, but wait for the promise
1 or, eating togethtr. a Lu.24.49.
long and familiarly, unless it was real. (3.) There were enough of them to avoid the possibility of deception. Though it might be pretended that one man could be imposed on, yet it could not be that an imposition could be practised for forty days on eleven, who were all at first in- credulous. (4., He was with them suffi- cient time to give evidence. It might be pretended, if they had seen him but once, that they were deceived. But they saw him often, and for the space of more than a month. (5.) They saw him in va- "ious places and times where there could 6e no deception. If they had pretended that they saw him rise, or saw him at twi- ught in the morning when he rose, it might have been said that they were deluded by some remarkable appearance. Or it might have been said that, expecting to Bee hrni rise, their hopes and agitations would have deceived them, and they would easily have fancied that they saw him. Bat it is not pretended by the sa- cred writers that they saw him rise. An impostor would have affirmed this, and would not have omitted it. But the sacred v^-riters affirm.ed that they saw him after he wa-s risen ; when they were free from agitation ; when they could judge coolly ; in Jerusalem ; in their company when at worship ; when journeying to Emmaus ; when in Galilee; when he went with them to mount Olivet ; and when he as- cended to heaven. (5.) He appeared to them as he had always done ; as a friend, companion, and benefactor: he ate with them; wrought a miracle before them; was engaged in the same work as he was before he suffered ; renewed the same promise of the Holy Spirit; and gave them his commands respecting the work which he had died to establisl^nd pro- mote. In all these circumstances it was impossible that they should be deceived. ^ Being seen of them forty days. There are no less than thirtee:^ different ap- pearances of Jesus to his disciples re- corded. For an account of them see the Note at the end of the Gospel of Mat- thew. If Speaking to thern, &c. tie was not only seen by them, but he continued the same topics of discourse as before his Bufferings ; thus showing that he was the same person that had suflered, and that his heart was still intent on the same great
of the Father, which, saith he. Ye' have heard of me :
5 For John " truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized with
t Jno.c. 14,15, & 16. c Matt.3.i7.
workt Our Saviour's heart was filled with the same design in his life and deaih, and when he rose ; thus showing us that we should aim at tlie same great work in all the circumstances of our be- ing. Afflictions, persecutions, and death never turned Ami from this great plan, nor should they be allowed to divert our minds from the great work of redemption. IT The things pertaining to the kingdom oj God. For an explanation of this phrase, the kingdom of God, see the Note on Matt. iii. 2. The meaning is, Jesus gave them instructions about the organization, spread, and edification of his church.
4. And being assenibled together. Mar- gin, "or, eating together." This sense is given to this place in the Latin Vulgate, the Ethiopic, and the Syriac versions. But the Greek word has not properly this sense. It has the meaning of congregat- ing, or assembling. It should have been, however, translated in the active sense, "and having assembled them together." The apostles were scattered after liis death. But this passage denotes that he had assembled them together by his au thopty, for the_purpose of giving" them a cTiarge respectmg fiieif conduct when he sTToTild have left them. When this occur- red, does not appear from the narrative ,- but it is probable that it was not long be- fore his ascension : and it is clear that the place where they were assembled was Jerusalem. IF But wait for thepromise of the Father. For \\\e fulfdment of the pro- raise respecting the descent of the Holy Spirit, made by the Father. IT Which ye have heard of me. Which I have made to you. See John xiv. 16. 26 ; xv. 26 ; xvi. 7—13.
5. For John truly baptized, &c. These are the words of Jesus to his apostles, and he evidently has reference to what was said of John's baptism compared with his ownmMatt.iii.il. John i. 33. In those verses John is represented as baptizing with "vater, but the Messiah who was to com 5 as baptizing with the Holy Ghost ana with tire. This promise respecting tlie Messiah was now about to be ful- filled iiLA remarKable manner. See Acts ii. IT Wpt many days hence. This was probably spoken not long before his as- cension, and of course not many days be fore the day of Pentecost.
10
THE ACTS.
tA. D. 33
the Holy Ghost, " not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying. Lord, wilt * thou at this time re-
a c.2.4;10.45;n.l5, b Matt.24.3,4.
6. When they therefore were come toge- ther. At the mount ol" Olives. See ver. 9. 12 1 Wilt thou at this time, <Szc. The
»;x)stjes had entertained the common opi- nions of the Jews about the temporal do- minion of the Messiah. They expected tJiat he would reign as a prince anil con- queror, and free them from the bondage of the Romans. Many instances of tins expectation occur in the Gospels, not- witlistanding all the efif)rts wh. en me Lord Jesus made to explain to them tne true nature of his kingdom. This ex- pectation was checked, and almost de- stroyed by his death. Luke xxiv. 21. And it is clear that his death was the only means which could effectually check and change their opinions respect- ing the nature of his kingdom. Even Ids own instructions would not do it ; and only his being taken from them could di- rect their- minds effectually to the true nature of his kingdom. Yet, though his death checked their expectations, and appeared to thuart their plans, yet his return to life excited them again. They beheld him with them : they were assur- ed it was the same Saviour; they saw now that his enemies had no power over him; that a being who could rise from the dead, could easily accompli.sh all his plans. And as they did not doubt now that he woiM restore the kingdom to Ls- rael, they asked whether he would do it at this time ? They did not ask whether he would do it at all, or whether they had correct views of his kingdom ; but taking that for granted, they asked him whether that v;as the time in which he would do it. The emphasis of the inquiry lies in the expression, "at this time,'' and hence the answer of the Saviour refi>rs Bolely to the point of their inf/iiiri/, and not to the correctness or incorrcictncps of their opinions. From these expectations of the ajMislles we may learn, i 'IMkiI there is nothing so difTicnlt to be ren. ved from the mind as prrjudire iii firoii, <if frrorieoiis <)])iTilons. 2. That such pr('),i 'iir-e will survive the plainest |>«ta6 In the contrary, '.i. That it will oClei^fcinifcst itself even after ail proper riieans liiue boon taken to subdue it. I'rroneous oju-
.iiii.s thus maintain a secret aacemlencv
store '"again the kingdom to Israel 1 7 And he said unto them, It "^ is not for you to know the times oi the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power.
c Is.1.26. Da.7.27. d Matt.24.36. ITh 6.1^,
in a man's mind, and are revived by tho slightest circumstances, even long after we supposed they were ov.ercome ; ana ever, in the face of the plainest proofs of reason or of Scripture, 'a Restore Bring back; put into its former situation. Ju- dea was formerly governed by its own kings and laws ; now, it was subject to the Romans. This bondage was griev- ous, and the nation sighed for deliver nnre. The inquiry of the apostles evi dently was, whether he would now free them from the bondage of the Romans, and restore them to their former state of freedom and prosperity, as in the times of David and Solomon. Spee Isa. i. -2&. The word " restore" also may include more than a reducing it to its former state. It i.'iay mean, wilt thou now bestow the king- dom and dominion to Israel, according to the prediction in Dan. vii. 27. IT I'he kingdom. The dominion ; the empire : the reign. The expectation was that the Messiah — the king of Israel — would reign over men, and thus the nation of the Jews extend their empire over all the earth II To Israel. To the Jews, and particular- ly to the Jearish followers of the Messiah. Lightfbot thinlvs that this question was asked in indignation against the Jews. " Wilt thou confer dominion on a nation which has just put thee to death?" But the answer of the Saviour shows that {his was not the design of the question.
7. It is not for you to know. The qnes tion of the apostles respected the time oi the restoration ; it was not whether he immld do it. Accordingly his answer meets precisely their inquiry ; and he tells them in geiirral that the tiiiie of the great events (jf God's kingdom was not to be understood by them. A similar question they had asked in Matt. xxiv. 3, "Tell us when sliall these things be?" Jesus an- swered thera,/Ac7J by showing them cer tain signs which should precede his com ing, and by saying (ver. '.id), " But of tha* day and that hour knowelh no mnn, no, not the angels of lieavcn. Imt niy Father only." God has unilbrmiy reproved ■ vaiii ruriositv on such poinis. 1 Thofis. v 1.2. 2 Pel. ill. 10. Luke xii. '.19, AO. Tl Thi times, or the scason.t. The dillerence be tween these words is, that tlie furmnr .le
\ D. 33.]
CHAPTER 1.
8 But ye shall receive > power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
> or, tht povBtr of the Holy Ghort coming upon you.
notes any time or period indefinite, or un- certain ; the latter denotes a fixed, defi- nite, or appropriate time. They seem to be used here to denote the periods of all cksses of future events. ^The Father \alh put, &c. So much had the P'ather reserved the knowledge of these, that it is said that even the Son did not know them See Mark xiii. 32, and the Note on that place. IT In Ids own power. That is, he has fixed them by his own authority ; he will bring them about in his own time and way ; and therefore it is not proper for men anxiously to inquire into them. All prophecy is remarkably obscure in re- gard to the lime of its fulfilment. The reasons are, (1.) To excite men to watch for the events that are to come, as the time is uncertain, and they will come " like a thief in the night." (,2.) As they are to be brought about by human agen- cy, they are so arranged as to call forth that agency. If men knew just when an event was to come to pass, they might be remiss, and feel that their effort was not needed. (3.) The knowledge of future scenes — of the exact time, might alarm men, and absorb their thoughts entirely, and prevent attendance to the present duties of life. Duty is ours now ; God will provide for future scenes. (4.) Pro- mises sufUciently clear and full are there- fore given us to encourage us; but not fall enough to excite a vain and idle curi- osity. All this is eminently true of our own death, one of the most important fu- ture scenes through which we are to pass. It is certainly before us ; it is 7iear ; it cannot be long avoided ; it may come at any moment. God has fixed the time, but will not inform us when it shall be. He does not gratify a vain curiosity, or terrify us, by announcing to us the day or the hour when wo are to die, as we do a man that is to be executed. This would be to make our lives like that of a criminal sentenced to die, and w-e should through all our life through fear of death be subject to bond- Bge. Heb. ii. 15. He has made enough Rnown to excite us to prepare, and to be always ready, having our loins girt about, and our lamps trimmed and burning. Luke xii. 35.
8. But ye shall receive power, &c. Lite- rally, as ft is translated in the margin,
ve shall receive the power of the Holy
upon you : and ye '^ shall be wit- nesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria,
a Lu.24.47-49. M2t.28.19.
Ghost coming upon you." This was said to them to console them. Though they could not know the times which God re- served in his own appointment, yet they should receive the promised guide and comforter. The word power here refers to all the help or aid which the Holy Spirit would grant ,• the power of speak- ing with new tongues; of preaching the gospel with great effect; of enduring great trials, &c. See Mark xvi. 17, 18. The apostles had impatiently asked him if he was then about to restore the king- dom to Israel. Jesus by this answer re- buked their impatience ; taught them to repress their ill-timed ardour; and as- sured them again of the coming of the Holy Ghost, t' Ye shall be witnesses. For this purpose they were appointed ; and for this design they had been with him for more than three years. They had seen his manner of life, his miracles, his meekness, his sufferings ; they had listen- ed to his instructions, had conversed and eaten with him as a friend ; they had seen him after he was risen, and were about to see him ascend to heaven ; and they were qualified to bear witness to all these things m all parts of the earth. They were so numerous, that it could not be pretended that they were deceived ; they had been so intimate with him and his plans, that they could testify of him ; and there was no motive but (^nviction of the truth, that could lead them' to all these sacrifices in making known the Saviour. The ori- ginal word here is ^x^Ttyts;, martyrs. From this word the name martyrs haa been given to those who suffered in times of ^persecution. The reason why thig name was given to them was that they bore loilness to the life, instructions, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, even in the midst of persecution and death. It is commonly supposed that nearly all of the apostles thus bore witness to the Lord Jesus: of this, however, here is not clear proof See Mosheim's Ecclesiastical His- tory, vol. i. p. 55, 56. Still the word here does not necessarily mean that they should b« martyrs, or be pat to death in bearing witriess to the Lord Jesus; but that they should everv where testify to what they knew of him. The fact that this was the design of their appoint ment, and that they actually bore such testimony, is abundantly confirmed in thfi
I'J
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33.
•ina unto the utte.most part of the earth.
9 And when he had spoken these
Acts of the Apostles.ch. i. 22 ; v. 32; x.39. 42; xxii. 15. TT tn Jerusalem. In the capital of the nation. Soe Acts ii. The great work of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost occurred there. Most of the disciples remained in Jerusalem until the
gersecution tnat arose about the death of tephen. Acts \iii. J. 4. The apostles re- mained there till Herod put James to death. Comp. Acts viii. 1, with xii. 1. This was about eight years. During this tiipe, however, Paul was called to the apostle.ship, and Peter had preached the gospel to Cornelius, Philip to the eunuch, &c. TT In all Judea Judea was the southern division of the Holy Land, and included Jerusalem as the capital. See Note, Matt.ii. 22. See ch. viii. 1. IT And in Samaria. This was the middle portion of Palestine. Note, Matt.ii. 22. This was fulfilled by the disciples. See ch. viii. 1, "And they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Sa- maria (ver. 4), every w here preaching the word." viii. 5, "Then Philip went dowii to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them." ver. 14; ix. 31. "^ And unto the ullermoat parts of tlie earth. The word eartk, or land, is 'sometimes taken to denote only the land of Palestine. But here, there does pot &serri to l)e a neces- sity for limiting ii thus. If Christ had in- tended that, he vvouid have mentioned Galilee, as being the orJy remaining divi- sion. But as he had expressly directed them to preach the gosiwl to all nations, the expression here is clearly to be con- sidered as including the Gentile lands as well as the Jewish. The evidence that they did this, is found in the subsequent parts of this book, and in the history of the church. In this way Jesus replied to their question. Though he did not tell them the time when it was to be done, nor did he afHrm that he would restore the kingdom to Israel, yet he gave them nn answer tliat implied that the w<jrk dhould advance — sliould advance much farther than the land of Israel ; and that they would have much to do in promoting it. All the commands of God, and all his communications are such as to call tip our energy, and teach us that vx have much to do. The uttermost parts of the earth have been given to the Saviour (Ps. ii. H) ; and churches should not rest initil he whoeo right it is sliall come and reign. ezok.xu.27.
things, while they beh3ld, he was taken up ; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
9. While they beheld. While they sava him. It was of importance to state that circumstance, and to state it distinctly. It is not affirmed in the New Testament that they saw him rise from the dead ; be- cause the evidence of that fact could be better established by their seeing hira after he was risen. But the truth of hia ascension to heaven could not be confirmed in that manner. Hence it was so arranged as that he should ascend in open day ; in the presence of his apostles; and that not when they were asleep, or indifferent, but when they were engaged in a conversa- tion that should fix the attention, and when they were looking upon him. Had Jesus vanisfhed secretly, or in the night, the apostles would have been amazed and confounded ; perhaps they would even have doubted whether they had not been deceived. But when they sate him leave them in this manner, they could not doubt that he had risen; and when they saw him ascend to heaven, they could not doubt that his work was approved, and that God would carry it onward. This event was exceedingly iniportant (1.) It was a confirmation of the trulh of the Christian religion. (2.) It enabled the apostles to state distinctly mhere the Lord Jesus was, and at mice directed their af- fections and their thoughts away from the earth, and opened their eyes on the glory of the scheme of religion they were to es- tablish. If their Saviour was in heaven^ it settled the question about the nature of his kingdom. It was clear that it was not designed to be a temporal kingdom. The reasons why it was proper that the Lord Jesus should ascend to heaven rather than remain on earth, were, (1.) That he had finished the work which God gave him to do on the earth (John xvii. 4 ; xix. 30), and it was proper that he should be received back to the glory which he haa with tne Father before the world was. John xvii. 4, 5. Phil. ii. G. 9, 10. (2.) It was profier that he should ascend, that the Holy Spirit might come down and jierfbrm his part of the work of redemption. Jesna, by his personal minisir)', as a man, could be but ni one place; the Holy Spirit could be in all places, and be present at all times, and could apply the work to all men. Note, John xvi. 7. (3.) A part of the work of Christ was yet to be perfi)rmed in hea- ven. That was iJie work of intercession. Tne high-priest of the Jews not only inad«
h.D^^
UHAKrER I.
J3
10 And wk'ie they looked stead- festly tow-rtia heaven, as he went up, behold, two " men stood by them m white apparel ;
a Jix 20.12.
an alonemenl, but also presented the blood of sacrifice before the mercy-seat, as the priest of tne people. Lev. xvi. 11 — 14. This was done to typify the entrance of the great High-priest of our profession into the heavens. Heb. ix. 7, 8. 11, 12. The work which he performs there is the work of intercession. Heb. vii. 25. This IS properly the work which an advocate performs in a court of justice for his cli- ent. It means that Christ, our great High-priest, still pleads and manages our cause in heaven ; secures our interests ; obtains for us grace and mercy. It con- eists in his appearing in the presence of God for us (Heb. ix. 24) ; in his presenting the merits of his blood (Heb.ix.r2. 14) ; and in securing the continuance of the mercy which has been bestowed on us, and which is still needful for our welfare. The Lord Tesus also ascended that he might assume and exercise the office of King in the immediate seat of power. All worlds were subject to him for the welfare of the church ; and it was needful that he should be solemnly invested with that power in the presence of God, as the re- ward of his earthly toils. 1 Cor. xv. 25. " He must reign till he hath put all ene- mies under his feet.'' Eph. i. 20 — 22. Phil. ii. 6 — 11. IT A cloud received him. He entered into the region of the clouds, and was hid from their view. But two sthers of our race have been taken bodily from earth to heaven. Enoch was trans- lated (Gen. V. 24. Comp. Heb. xi. 5) ; and Elijah was taken by a whirlwind to hea- ven. 2 Kings ii. 11. It is remarkable that when the return of the Saviour is men- tioned, it is uniformly said that he will re- turn in the clouds, ver. 11. Matt, xxi v. 30 ; xxvi. 64. Mark xiii. 26. Rev. i. 7. Dan. vii. 13. The clouds are an emblem of sublimity and grandeur, and perhaps this is all that is intended by these expressions. Deut. iv. 11. 2 Sam. xxii. 12. Ps. xcvii. 2; civ. 3.
10. Lmkedsteadfiaetitf. They fixed their eyes, ~or gsffiga* mtefitly tovvarti heaven. Luke iv. 20, " And the eyes of all them in the synagogue were fastened (Greek, the same word as here) on him.'' It means the intense gaze when we are deeply in- terested, and wish to see clearly and dis- tincUv. Here they were amazed and B
11 Which also said, Ye men * of Galilee, w^hy stand ye gazing up into heaven 1 This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into
b c.2.7;13.31.
confounded ; the thing was unlooked-for: and they were even then inquiring whe- ther he would not restore the kingdom to Israel. With this mingled amazement, and disappointment, and curiosity ; and with the earnest desire to catch the last glimpse of their beloved master, they naturally continued to gaze on the distant clouds where he had mysteriously disappeared from their view. W ever was a scene more impressive, grand, and solemn than this. IF Toward heaven. Toward the distant clouds or sky which had received him. IT As he went up. Literally, " The ascend- ing, or going up." Doubtless they conti- nued to gaze after he had departed from their view. IF Two men. From the rai- ment of these " men" and the nature of their message, it seems clear that they were angelic beings, who were sent to meet and comfort the disciples on this occasion. They appeared in human form^ and Luke describes them as they appear ed. Angels are not unfrequently called men. Luke xxiv. 4, "Two men stood by them in shining garments," &c. Comp. John XX. 12. Matt, xxviii. 5. As two an- gels are mentioned only as addressing the apostles after the resurrection of Jesus (John XX. 12. Luke xxiv. 4), it is no un- natural supposition tliat these were the same who had been designated to the honourable office of bearing witness to his resurrection, and of giving them all the information about that resurrection, and of his ascension, which their circum- stances needed. IF In white apparel. An- gels are commonly represented as clothed in white. Note, John xx. 12. Matt, xxviii. 3. Mark xvi. 5. It is an emblem of purity; and the worshippers of heaven are repre- sented as clothed in this manner. Rev. iii. 4, " They shall walk with me in white." 5, "He that overoometh shall be clothed in white raiment." iv. 4; vii. 9. 13, 14.
11. Ye men fjf Galilee. Galilee was the place of their former residence; and this was the name by which they were com- monly known. There is no evidence that the angel intended this name in any way to reproach them. IF Why stand ye, &c. There is doubtless a slight degree of censure implied in this, as well as a design to call their attention away iwm a vain attempt to see the departed Sa*
14
THE ACTS.
A. D. 33
heax en, shall * so come in like man-
o Jno.U.3, lTh.4.16.
viour The impropriety ?nay have been, ;1.) In the feeling of (lisappointrnent, as if he would not restore the kingdom to Israel (2.) Possibly they were expecting that he would again soon appear ; though he had often foretold them that he would ascend to heaven. (3.) There might have been an impropriety in their earnest de- sire for the mere bodily presence of the Lord Jesus, when it was more important that it should be in heaven. We may see here also that it is our duty not to stand in idleness, and to gaze even towards hea- ven. We, as well as the apostles, have a great work to do, and we should actively engage in it without delay. IT Gazing vp. Looking up. IT This same Jesus. This was said to comfort them. The satne tried friend, who had been so faithful to them, kvould return. They ought not therefore ^o look with despondency at his depart- ure. II Into heaven. This expression de- notes into the immediate presence of God; or into the place of perpetual purity and happiness, where God peculiarly mani- fests his favour. The same thing is lire- quently designated by his sitting on the rignt hand of God, as emblematic of f)Ower, honour, and favour. Note, Mark xvi. 19,- xiv. G2. Ileb. i. 3; ^'iii. 1. Acts vii. 55. Rom. viii. 34. Eph. i. 20. TT Shall so come. At the day of judgment. John xiv. 3, " If go and prepare a place for you, 1 will Dome again," &c. H In like manner, &c. In clouds, as he ascended. See Note, ver. 9. 1 The.ss. iv. 16. This address was de- signed to comfort the disciples. Though their master and friend was taken from them, yet he was not removed for ever. He would come again with similar ma- jesty and glory, for the vindication of his people, and to tread all his enemies under nis feet. The design for which he will come, will be to judge the world. Matt. xxv. There will be an evi<lent fitness and propriety in his coming. (1.) Because his apitropriate work in heaven as medi- ator BJiall be accomplished ; his people shall have been saved; the enemy sub- dued; death shall have been conquered: and the gospel shall have shown its pow- ^r in Hiib.luing all forms of wickedness ; m removing the effects of sin ; in esta- hlishmg the law, in vindicating tlie ho- nour of God ; and shall thus have done all that will be need lid to be done to es- tablish the authority of God thn)ughout , Oie universe. It will be pr)pcr, there- 1
ner as^ ye have seen him go int< heaven.
fore, that this mysterious order of things shall be wound vp, and the results become a matter of record in the historj' of the universe. It will be better than it would be to suffer an eternal millennium on tne earth, while the saints should many of them slumber, and the wicked still be in their graves. (2.) It is proper 'Jiat he should come to vindicate his peojile, and raise them up to glory. Here they liave been persecuted, oppressed, put to death. Their character is assailed ; they are poor; and the world despises them. It is fit that God should show himself to be their friend, that he should do justice to their injured names and motives ; that he should bring out hidden and obscure virtue, and vindicate it; that he shoidd enter every grave and bring forth his fricrKls to life. (3.) It is prcjier that he should show his hatred of" sin. Here it triumphs. The wicked are rich, and honoured, and mighty, and say, Wliere is the promise of his coming? 2 Pet. iii. 4. It is right that he should defend his cause. Hence the Lord Jesus will come to guard the avenues to heaven, and to see that the universe suffers no wrong by the admission of an improj)er persoi* to the skies. (4.) The great transactions of redemption have been public, open, oi"ten grand. The apostacy was public, in the face of angels and of the univeree. Sin has been open, pubhc, high-handed. Misery has been public, and has rolled it8 deep and turbid waves in the face of the universe. Death has been public ; all worlds have seen the race cut down and moulder. The death of Jesus waa_4iul> lie ; the angels saw it; the heavens were clothed with nioucning; the earth shook; and the dead arose. The angels have desired to look into these things (1 PeL i. 12), and have felt an intense solicitude about men. Jesus was pHblicly whipped, cursed, cnu-ified ; nnd it is proper that he should publicly triumph, that nil heaven rejoicing, and all hell at length humbled, should see his jiublic victory. Hence he will come with clouds — with atigels- with lire — and ^^ill raise the dead, anc' exhibit to all the universe the amazing close of the scheme of redemiilion. (5.^ We are in these verses j)re.v(Miled with tlie most grnnd and wonderliil event* that lliis world has ever known — the bh- cension and return of the Lord Jesus. Hero is coiLsolation for the Christian anW
\. D. 33.]
CHAPTEii I.
15
12 Then ^ returned they unto Je- rusalem, from the mount called Oli- vet, which is from Jerusalem a sab- bath-day's journey.
13 And when they v»'ere come in, they went up into an upper room, wheie abode both Peter, * and
a Lu.24.52
i Lu.6.ia-1
iiere is a source- ot ceaseless alarm to the ainner
13. Then they returned to Jerusalem. fn Luke xxiv. 52, we are told that they worshipped Jesus before they relurnect. And it is probable that the act of wor- ship to which he refers, was that which •s mentioned in this chapter — their gazing jitently on their departing Lord. If From the mount called Olivet. From the mount :»f Olives. Note, Matt. xxi. 1. The part of the mountain irom which he ascended was the eastern declivity, where stood the little village of Bethany. Luke xxiv. 50. IT A sabbath-day's journey. As far as might be lawfully travelled by a Jew on the Sabbath. This was two thousand paces or cubits ; or seven furlongs and a half— not quite one mile. Note, Matt, xxiv. 20. The distance of a lawful jour- ney on the Sabbath was not determined by the laws of Moses, but the Jewish teachers had fixed it at two tliousand paces. This measure was determined on because it was a tradition, that in the camp of the Israelites v/hen coming from Egypt, no part of the camp was more than two thousand paces from the taber- nacle ; and over this space, therefore, they were permitted to travel for wor- ship. Perhaps, also, some countenance was given to this from the fact that this was the extent of the suburbs of the Le- vitical cities. Num. xxxv. 5. Mount Oli- vet was but^^we furlongs from Jerusalem, and Bethany was fifteen furlongs. But on the eastern declivity of the mountain the tract of country was called, for a con- siderable space, the region of Bethany ; and it was from this place that the Lord Jesus ascended.
1.3. Wereco7nein. To Jerusalem. ^ They went up into an upper room. The word Oj/£^ui3v, here translated upper room, oc- curs but four times in the New Testa- ment. Acts ix. 37, " She (Dorcas) w^as sick and died ; whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber." 39 ; ix. 8, " And there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were ga- thered together." The rot)m so desig- nated was an upper chamber used for
James, and Johi , and Andrew, Phi- lip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphe- us, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication,
devotion; or to place the dead before burial; or occasionally for conversation, &c. Here if evidently means the place where they were assembled for devotion. Luke (xxiv 53) says they were continu- ally 171 the temple praising and blessing God. And some have supposed that the upper room here designated, was one of the rooms in the temple. But there is no evidence of that ; and it is not very pro- bable. Such a room was a part of every house, especially in Jerusalem; and they probably selected one where they might be together, and yet so retired that they might he safe from the Jews, IT Where abode. Where were remaining. This does not mean that this was their perma- nent habitation ; but they remained there waiting for the descent of the Holy Spirit. ir Peter, &c. All the apostles were there which Jesus had at first chosen, except Judas. Luke vi. 13 — 16.
14. These all continued, &c. The won! continued denotes persevering and con- stant attention. The main business was devotion. Acts vi. 4, " We will give our- selves continually to the ministry of the word." Rom. xii. 12, " Continuing instant in prayer." xiii. 6, " Attending continually upon this very thing." It is their rnain and constant employment. Col. iv. 2. V Wtth one accord. With one mind; unitedly; unanimously. There were no schisms, no divided interests, no discordant pur- poses. This is a beautiful picture of de- votion, and a specimen of what social worship ought now to be, and a beautiful illustration of Ps. cxxxiii. The apostles felt that they had one great object ; and their deep grief at the loss of their mas- ter, their doubts and perplexities, led them, as all afflictions ought to lead us to the throne of grace- IF In prayer and supplication. These words are nearly synonymous, and are often interchanged. They express here petitions to frod for blessings, and prayer to avert impending evils. IT With the women. The women that hid followed the Lord Jesus from Galilee. Luke viii. 2 3 ; xxhi. 49. 55 ; xxiv 10. Matt, xxvii. 55. The women particu- larly mentioned are Mary Magdale'^ne
^6
THE ACTS.
A. D. ao
with the * women, and Mary the Siother of Jesus, and with his bre- thren.
15 A'ld in those days Peter stood ftp in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of the names to-
a Lu.23.49,55j24.10.
Mary the mother of James and Joses, the mother of Zebedee's children, Joanna the wife of Chuza, and Susanna. Besides fhese, there were others whose names are not mentioned. Most of them were relatives of the apostles or of our Sa- viour ; and it is not improbable that some of them were wives of tlie apos- tles. Peter is known to liave been mar- ried (Matt. viii. 14), and had his wife in attendance (1 Cor. ix. 5) ; and the same was doubtless true of some of the other apostles (1 Cor. ix. 5). Maiy is here par- ticularly mentioned, the mother of Jesus ; showing that she now cast in her lot with the apostles. She had besides been par- tirnljrly intrusted to the care of John (Jt.in xix. 26, 27), and had no other home. This is the last time she is mentioned in the New Testament. John xix. 27. IF And with his brethren. See Note. Matt. xji. 46. At first they had been unbelieving about the claims of Jesus (John vii. 5); but it seems that they had been subsequently converted.
15. In those days. On one of the days .ntervening between the ascension of Je- sus and the day of Pentecost. IT Peter stood tip. Peter standing up, or rising. This is a CTistomary expression in the Scriptures when one begins to do a thing. Luke XV. 18. The rea.son why Peter did this may be seen in the Note on Mall. xvi. 16, 17. It is not improbable, besides, that Peter was the most aged of the apos- tles; and from his uniform conduct we knovv that he was the most ardent. It was perfectly characteristic, therefore, (or him ♦o introduce the busincKS of the electicm of a new apostle. IT The disciples. Tlii« was the name which was given to them as being learners in the school of ('hrist. Note, Matt. v. 1. IT The number of the names. The number of the persons, or individuals. The word name is often used to denote the person. Rev. iii. 4. Acts iv. 12; xviii. 15. Eph. i. 21. In Syriac it is, *• the a.ssembly of men was about an Inin- ired and twenty." This was the first as- sembly ronvened to transact iho business of the church; and it is not a iitlle re- markable that the vote in so important a matter ai electing an apostle, was by the
gether were about an hundred and twenty,)
16 Men cnc? brethren : This scrip ture must needs have been fulfilled which* the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning
b Ps.41.?. Jno.13.18.
entire church It settles the question thai the election of a minister and pastor should be by the church, and not be im- posed on them by any right of presenta- tion by individuals, or by any ecclesias- tical body. If a case could ever occur where a minister should be chosen by the ministry only, sucii a case was here in the elecfion of another apostle. And yet in tiiis the entire church had a voice. WTie- iher this was all the true church at this time, does not appear from the history This expression cannot mean that there were no more Christians, but that these were all that had convened in the iippet room. It is almost certain that our Sa- viour had, by his own ministry, broughl many others to be his true followers.
16. Men and brethren This is a cus- tomary mode of address, implying affec fion and respect. Acts xiii. 26. The Sy riac has it more appropriately than by the introduction of the conjunction "and"— " Men, our brethren." IT This scripture This portion or prediction contained in tlie writings of the Old Testament. iScriplure, writing. Note, John v. 39. The passage to which Peter refers is commonly sup- posed to be that recorded in Ps. xli. 9. " Yea, mine own familiar friend. . . .hath lifted up his heel against me." This ia expressly applied to Judas by our Sa- viour, in John xiii. 18. But it seems clear that the reference is not to the 41st Psalm, but to the passage which Peter proceeds to quote iuTcr. 20. IT Must needs he fid filed. It would certainly happen that ii would be fulfilled. Not that there was any physical necessity, or any compul sion; but it could not but occur that a prediction of Gnd should be fulfilled. This makes no affirmation about ihe free- dom of Judas in doing it. A man will be just as free in wickedness if it he foretold (hat he will bo wicked, as if it had never been known to anv other being. IT 'J'ht Hohi (ihftst, &!C. This is t strong attesta- tion to Iho inspirttion of David, and ac- cords with the unifiirm trHiinumy of the New Testament, tliat the sni red writert spake as they were moved by the Hoy GhosL 2 Pot. i. 21. IT Coiwerning Jn das. In what respect this was cotic«nQ
4. D. 33.1
(mAPTER 1,
n
fudas, whicn was ^ide " to them .hat took Jesus.
1 7 For he ' was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 Now<^ this man purchased a field with the reward ** of iniquity ; and falling headlong, he burst asun-
a Matt.26.47. Jno.18.3. b Lu.6.1S.
mg Judas, see ver. 20. ^ Which was guide, &c. Matt. xxvi. 47. John xviii. 3. 17. He was numbered with us. Ke Avas chosen as an apostle by the Lord Jesus. Luke vi. 13 — 16. This does not mean that he was a true Christian, but that he was reckoned among the apostles. Jesus knew that he never loved him. Long before he betrayed him, he declared that he was a devil. John vi. 70. He knew his whole character when he chose him. John ii. 25. If it be asked why he chose such a man to be an apostle ; why he was made the treasurer of the apostles, and W'as admitted to the fullest confidence; we may reply, that a most important object was gained m having such a man — a spy — among them. It might be pretended when .'he apostles bore testimony to the purity of life, of doctrine, and of purpose, of the Lord Jesus, that they were inte- rested and partial friends; that they might be disp<:;sed to suppress some of his real sentiments, and represent him in a light more favourable than the truth. Hence the testimony of such a man as Judas, if favourable, must be invaluable. It would be free from the charge of par- tiality. If Judas kjiew any thing unfa- vourable to the character of Jesus, he would have communicated" it to the San- hedrim. If he knew of any secret plot against the government, or seditious pur- pose, he had every inducement to declare it. He had every opportunity to know it; he was with him ; heard him converse ; was a member of his family, and admit- ted to terms of familiarity. Yet even Ju- das could not be bought, or bribed, to tes- tify against the moral character of the Sa^^our. If he had done it, or could have done it, it would have preserved him from the charge of treason; entitled him to the reputation of a publi 2 benefactor in discovering secret seditior.; and have saved him from the pangs of remorse, and from self-murder. Judas would have done it if he could. But he alleged no such charge ; he did not even dare to lisp a word against tha pure designs of the Lord Jesus ; and his own pangs and death are b2
der in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19 And it was kncwn unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; inso- much as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20 For it is written in the book
c Matt.27.5-10. d 2Pet.2.15.
the highest proof that can be desired of his convichon that the betrayed Redeemer was innocent. Judas would have been just the witness which the Jews desired of the treasonable purposes of Jesus. But that could not be had, even by gold ; and they were compelled to suborn other men to testify against the Son of God. Matt. xxvi. 60. We may just add here, that the introduction of such a character as that of Judas Iscariot into the number of the apostles, and the use to be made of his testimony, would never have occurred to an impostor. An impostor would have said that they were a/Z^e true friends of the Lord Jesus. To have invented such a character as that of Judas, and to make him perform such a part in the plan as the sacred writers do, would have required too much art and cunning, was too refined and subtle a device to have been thought . of, unless it had actually occurred. ^
18. Now this man, &c. The money which was given for betraying the LorH Jesus was thrown down "in the temple; and the field was purchased with it' by the Jewish priests. See Matt, xxvii. 5, 10; and the Notes on that place. A man is said often to do a thing, when he fur- nishes means for doing it. ^ The reward of iniquiti/. ITie price which he had for that deed of stupendous wickedness — the betraying of the Lord Jesus. ^ And fall- ing headlong. He first hanged himself, and then fell and was burst asunder Matt, xxvii. 5.
19. It was known, &c. Matt, xxvii. 8. The scene in the temple ; the acts of the priests in purchasing the field, &c. would make it knowTi ; and the name of the field would preserve the memory of the guilt of Judas, IT Their proper tongue. The language spoken by the Jews — the Syro- chaldaic. ^ Acddama. This is composed of two Svro-chaldaic words, and meane hterally, the field of blood.
20. For it is written, &c. See Ps. Ixix. 25. This is the prediction doubtless to which Peter rei'ers in ver. 16. — The inter- mediate passage in ver. 18, 19, is probably a parenthesis ; the words of Luke, not o^
THE ACTS.
[A. D 33
of Psalms, Let " his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell
Peter. It is not probable that Peter would introduce a narrative like this, with which Ihey were all familiar, in an address to the disciples. The Hebrew in the Psalm is, 'lye: their habitation (Heb. fold, enrlo- surc for cattle ; tower, or palace), be deso- late, and let none dwell in their tents." — This quotation is not made literally from the Hebrew, nor from the Septuagint. The plural is changed to the singular, and there are some other slight varia- tions. The Hebrew says, " let no men dwell in their tents." The reference to the tents is omitted in the quotation. The term habitation, in the Psalm, means evi- dently the dwelling place of the enemies of the writer of the Psalm. It is an image expressive of their overthrow and defeat by a just God, ' let their families be scat- tered, and the places where they have dwelt be without an hihabitant, as a re- ward for their <^fcnes.' If the Psalm was originally composed with reference to the Messiah and his sufferings, the expres- sion here was not intended to denote Ju- das in particular, but one of Ids foes, who was to meet the just punishment of reject- ing, and betraying, and murdering him. The change, therefore, which Peter made from the plural to the singular; and the application to Judas especially, as one of those enemies, accords with the design of the Psalm, and is such a change as the circumstances of the case justified and required. It is an image, therefore, ex- pressive of judgment and desolation roming upon his betrayer — an image to be literally fulfilled in relation to his ha- bitation, drawn from the desolation when a man is discomfited, overthrown, and his dwelling place given up to desolation. It Ls not a little remarkable that this Psalm is repeatedly quoted as referring to the Mes- siah. Ver. 9, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up," expressly applied to Ctirisl in John ii. 1?. Ver. 21. " They gave pave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." 'The thing which was done to Jesus on the cross. Matt, xxvii. 31. The whole Psalm is expres.sive of deep sorrow — of persecution, contempt, weeping, being for- dakeii. and is throughout ai)plicnl)le to the Messiah ; willi wliat is remarkable, not a single expression to be, ol' necessity, li- mited to David. It is not easy to ascer- tain whether the ancient Jews referred this Psalm to iho Messiah. A part of
therein : and, * His bishopric ' let another take.
I Ps.109.8. » or, office, or, charge
the title to the Psalm in the Syriat ver- sion is, " It is called a prophecy concern- ing those things which Christ euflered, and concernmg the qasiing away of the Jews." The prophecy in ver. 25 is not to be understood of Judas aloiie, but of the enemies of the Messiah in general, of which Judas was one. On this princ pie the application to Judas of the passage by Peter is to be defended. IT And his bi- shopric let another take. This is quoted from Ps. cix. 8; "Let his daj-s be few, and let another take his office." This ia called " a Psalm of David," and is of the same class as Ps. vi. xxii. xxv. xxxviii. xlii. This class of Psalms is commonly supposed to have expressed David's feel- ings m the calamitous times of the perse- cution by Saul, the rebellion of Absalom^ &.C. They are all also expressive of the condition of a suffering and persecuted Messiah; and are many of them applied to him in the New Testament. The^erje- ral principle on which most of them are applicable is, not thatDa\-id personated oi typified the Messiah, which is nowhere affirmed, and which can be true in no in telligible sense ; but that he was placed in circumstances similar to the Messiah ; encompassed with like enemies ; perse- cuted in the same manner. They are expressive of high rank, office, dignity, and piety, cast down, waylaid, and en- compassed with enemies. In this way they express general sentiments as much applicable to the case of the Messiah a» to David. They were placed in similar circumstances. The same help was need- ed. The same expressions would convey their feelings. The same treatment was proper for their enemies. — On this princi- ple it was \hat David deemed his enemy whoever he was, unworthy of his office • and desired that it should t»e given to an- other. In like manner, Judas had ren dercd himself unworlhy of his office, and there was the same propricti/ thatit should be given to another. And as the office had now become vacant by the death of Judas, and according to o7ie declaration in the Psalms ; so according to another, il was projier that it should be conferred on some oilier person. The word rendered " office" in the Psalm, means the rare, charge, business, oversight of any thing. It is a word appli(;able lo magistrate^ who.so care il is to see Iho laws executed ; to military men who have charge ol" an
\ D. 33.]
CHAPTER 1.
n
21 Wherefore of these men " which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism
a Lu.lC.1,2. Jno.15.27.
army, or a part of an army. In Job x. 1 2, it is rendered " thy visitation" — thy care. fn Num. iv. 16,- "and to the office of Eleazer," &c. 2 Kings xi. 18. In the case of David it refers to those who were in- trusted with niiUtary or other offices, and who had treacherously perverted them to persecute and oppose him ; and thus shown themselves unworthy of the office. The Greek word which is used here, 4£i(r)c 0 77^1/. is taken from the-Septuagint, and~meahs the same thing as the Hebrew. It is well rendered in the margin " office, or charge." It means charge of any kindf or office, \\-ithout in itself specifying of what kind. It is the concrete of the noun (TT.o-xc-o,-, commonly translated " bisliop," ] and means ^is_ office, charge, or duty, i That word designates simply having the \ oversight of any thing, and as applied to ; the officers of flie New Testament, it de- notes merely their having charge of the af- j fairs of the chu'rcK, without specifying^the ] nature or tl« extent of tlieir juri.sdiction. I Hence it is often interchanged with pres- j byter, or elder, and expresses the dis- cbarge of the duties of the same office. Acts XX. 28. " Take heed (presbyters or elders, ver. 17) to yourselves, an^ to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers" — sVio-zo^rouc — bishops. Heb. xii. 15. "Looking dili- gently," &c. iTriT-t^arrzvvn:. Phil. i. 1, " \A"ith
the bishops and deacons." " Paul called presbyters, bishops ; for they had at that time the same name." — Theodoret, as quoted by Scheusner. 1 Pet. v. 2. " Feed the flock of God (i. e. you who are elders, or presbyters, v. 1) ; iakivs the oversight thereof irriTxaTrcvvTsc. These passages ehew that the term in the New Testament designates the supervision or care which was exercised over the chtnch, by whom- Boever performed, without specifying the nature or extent of the jurisdiction. It is scarcely necessary to add that Peter here did not intend to affirm that Judas sus- tained any office corresponding to what IS now commonly understood by the term " bishop."
21,22. Wherefore of these men. Of those who had witnessed the life and works of Christ, and who were therefore qualified to discharge the duties of the liffice from which Jadas fell Probably
of John, ur to -hat same day that he was taken up fr^m us, must one be ordained to be u witness with us of his resurrection.
23 And they appointed two, To
Peter refers to the seventy disciples Luke I. 1, 2. ^ Went in and out. A phrase signifying that he was their con- stant companion. It expresses in genera] all the actions of the life. Ps. cxxi 8. Deut xxviii. 19; xxxi. 2. 'a Beginning from the baptism of John. The words " beginning from" in the original refer to the Lord Jesus. The meaning may be thus expressed, ' during all the time in which the Lord Jesus beginning (his mi- nistry-) at the time when he was baptized by John, went in and out among us, until the time when he was taken up,' <tc. From those who had during that time been the constant companions of the Lord Jesus must one be taken, who would thus be a witness of his whoie ministry. ^ Must one be ordained. It is ft or proper that one should be ordained. The reason of this was, that Jesus had originally cho- sen the number twelve for this work, and as one of them had fallen, it was proper that the breach should be filled by some person equally- qualified for the office The reason why it was proper that be should be taken from the seventy disci- ples was, that they had been particularly distinguished by Jesus himself, and corn- manded to preach, and endowed with va- rious powers, and had been wimesses of most of his public life. Luke x. 1 — 16. The word ordained with us has a fixed and definite meaning. It denotes to set apart to a sacred office with the proper form and solemnities, commonly by the imposition of hands. But this is not, of ne- cessity, the meaning of this passage. The Greek word usually denoting ordination is not used here. The expression is hterally, "must one be,or become, yeviT^xi, a wit- ness with us of his resurrection." Tlie ex- pression does not imply that he must be set £.part in any particular manner, but sim- ply that one should be designated, or ap- pointed for this specific purpose, in,bji o witness of the resurrection of Christ.
23. And they appointed tiro. Thpv pro posed, or a-s we should say, nomijiatcd two. Literally they placed two, or m.ade them, to stand forth, as persons do who are candi- dates for office. These tv.o were prooa- hly more distinguished by prudence, wi» dom, piety, and age than the others ; and were sc nearh equal in qualific8i-»oiMi
^0
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 3:^
«eph called Barsabas, " who was Burnamed .)i.stas, and Matthias.
24 And thoy prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which ^ knowest the
b Je. 17.10. Re.2.23.
that they could not determine which was the best fitted for the office. IF Joseph called Barsabas, &c. It is not certainly known what the name Barsabas denotes. The Syriac w'ord Bar means Son, and the vrord Sabns has been translated an oath, rest, quieU or captivity. Why the name was given to Joseph is not known ; but probably it was the family name — Joseph son of Saba. Some have conjectured that this was the same man who, m ch. iv. 36, is called Barnabas. But of this there is no proof. Lightfoot supposes that he was the son of Alpheus, and brother of James the Less, and that he was chosen on account of his relationship to the fami- ly of the Lord Jesus. IT Was surnamed Jus- tus. Who was called Justus. This is a Latin name, meaning just, and was proba- bly given him on account of his distin- guished integrit}^ It was not uncommon among the Jews for a man to have seve- ral names. Matt. x. 3. IT A7td Matthias. Nothing is known of the family of this man, or of his character, further than that he was numbered with the apostles, and shared their lot in the toils, and persecu- tions, and honours of preaching the gospel to mankind.
24. A7id they prayed. As they could not agree on the individual, they invoked the direction of God in their choice — an example which should be followed in every selection of an individual to exer- cise the duties of the sacred office of the ministry. IT Which knowest the hearts of all men. 'This is often declared to be the po- cuhar prerogative of God. Jer. xvii. 10. " /, Jehovah, search the heart," &c. Ps. cxxxix. 1.23. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. Yet this attribute is also expre.ssly ascribed to Je- sus Christ. Rev. ii. 18. Com p. 23. " These things saith the Son of God — I am he which searcheth theremsand the hearts." John ii. 25 ; vi. 64 ; xvi. 19. There are itrong reasons for suppf>sing that the apos- tles on this occasion addressed this prayer to the ljm\ Jesus Christ. (1.) The name i^rd is the common appellation which they gave to him. Acts ii. 36 ; vii. 59, 60 ; X. 36. 1 Cor. ii.8. Phil. ii. 11. Rev. xi. 8, &c. (2.) Wo are told that they worshipped him, or rendered him divine honours afior his ascension. Luke xxiv. 52. (3.) The disciples were accustomed to address him »ftci hi* crucifixiou by the names Lord I
hearts of all meji, shew .whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from
or God indifferently. Acts i. 6. John xx 28. Acts vii. 59. (4.) This was a mattei pertainmg especially to the church which the Lord Jesus had redeemed, and to hit own arrangement in regard to it. He had chosen the apostles ; he had given them their commission ; he had fixed their num- ber; and what is worthy of special re- mark here, he had been the companion of the very men, and knew their qualifica' tions for their work. If the apostles evei called on the Lord Jesus after his ascen sion, this was the case in which they would be likely to do it. That it was Aone is clear from the account of the death of Stephen. Acts vii. 59. 60. And in this important matter of ordaining anew apos- tle to be a winiess for Jesus Christ, no thing was more natural than that they should address him, though bodily ab- sent, as they would assuredly have done if he were present. And if on this occa- sion they did actually address Christ, then two things clearly follow. First, that it is proper to render him divine ho- mage, agreeably to the uniform declara- tions of the Scripture. John v. 23, "That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father." Heb. i. 6, "And let all the angels of God worship him." Phil. ii. 10, 11. Rev. v. 8— 14. IThess. iii. 11,12. Secondly, he must be divine. Tc none other but God can religious homage be rendered ; and none other can be de- scribed as knowing the hearts of all men. The reason why they appealed to him on this occasion as the searcher of the heart, was- doubtless the great importance of the work to which the successor of Judas was to be called. One apostle of fair external character had proved a traitor; and with this fact full before them, they appealed to the Saviour himself, to select one who would be true to him, and net bring dis- honour on his cause. IT Sheto whether, Szc Shew which of them. IF Thou hast chosen. Not by any public declaration, but which of the two thou hast judged to be besf qualified for the work, and hast fitted for it 25. That he may take part of this minih try. The word rendered part, v-xn^iv, is the same which in the next verso is ren- dered lots. It properly means a lot, or ])ortion ; the jwrtion divided to a man, o»' assigned to him by casting lots; and also the instrument or means by which tlie lot
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTER I.
21
which Judas b}- transgression fell, that he might go to his own place,
rs made. The fbmier is its meaning here ; the oj^ce, or portion of apostolic work which would fall to him by talc ing the place of Judas. ^ Ministry and apostleship. This is an instance of the figure of speech ^ndladys, when two words are used to express one thing. It means the apostolic ministry. See in- stances in Gen. i. 14, " L^t them be for signs and for seasons," i. e. signs of seasons. Acts xxiii. 6, " Hope and resurrection of the dead," i. e. hope of the resurrection of the dead. Tf Thai he might go to his own place. These words by different interpreters have been referred both to Matthias and Ju- das. Those who refer them to IMatthi- E3 say that they mean, that Judas fell that Matthias might go to his own place, that is, to a place for which he was fitted, or well qualified. But to this there are many objections. 1 The apostolic office coulu with no propriety be called, in re- ference to Matthias, his own place, until it was actually conferred on him. 2. There is no instance in which the expression to go to his own place, is applied to a succes- sor in office. 3. It is not true that the design or reason why Judas fell was to make way for another. He fell by his crimes; his avarice, his voluntary and enormous wickedness. 4. The for- mer part of the sentence contains this sentiment: 'Another must be appointed to tliis office which the death of Judas has made vacant.' If this expression, " that he might go," &c., refers to the successor of Judas, it expresses the same sentiment, but more obscurely. 5. The obvious and natural meaning of the phrase is to refer it to Judas. But those who suppose it to refer to Judas differ greatly about its meaning. Some sup- pose it refers to his own house ; that he left the aj[X)stolic office to return to his own house ; and they appeal to Numbers xxiv. 25. But it is not true that Judas did this; nor is there the least proof that ifc was his design. Others refer it to the grave, as the place of man, where all must lie ; and particularly as an ignomi- nious place where Judas should lie. But there is no example of the word place being used in this sense ; nor is there an instance where a man by being bu- ried is said to return to his own, or pro- per place. Others have supposed that the manner of his death, by hanging, is referred to, as his own or his proper place. But this interpretation is evidently an un- natural and forced one. The word place eonnot be applied to an act of self-mur-
der. It denotes habitation, abode, situ ation in which to remain ; not an act. These are the only interpretations which can be suggested of the pas- sage, except the common and obvious one of refeiTing it to the future abode of Judas in the world of wo. This might be said to be his men, as it was adapted to him; as he had prepared himself for it ; and as it was proper that he who had betrayed his Lord shoxtld remain there. This interpretation may be defended by the following consid- erations: 1. It is the obvious and nat ural meaning of the words. It com mends itself by its simplicity and its ev ident connexion wuth the context. It has in aU ages been the common inter pretation ; nor has any other been adopted unless there was a theory to be defended about future punishment. Unless men had previously made up their minds not to believe in future punishment, no one would ever have thought of any other interpretation. This fact alone ihrowa strong light on the meaning of the pas- sage. 2. It accords with the crimes of Judas, and with all that we know of him. The future doom of Judas was not un- known to the apostles. Jesus Christ had expressly declared this; "it had been good for that man if he had not been born ;" a declaration which could not be true if, after any limited period of suffer- ing, he were at last admitted to eternal happiness. See Matt. xxvi. 24, and the Note on that place. This declaration was made in the presence of the eleven apostles, at the institution of the Lord's supper, at a time when their attention was absorbed with deep interest in what Christ said ; and it was therefore a de- claration which they would not be likely to forget. As they knew the fate of Judas, nothing was more natural for them than to speak of it familiarly as a thing which had actually occurred when he betrayed his Lord, hung himself, and went to his own place. 3. The expression " to go to his own place," is one which is used by the ancient writei-s to denote going to the eternal destiny. Thus the Jewisli Tract, Baal Turim, on Num. xxiv 25, says, "Balaam went to his own place, i. e. to Gehenna," to hell. Thus the Tar- gum, or Chaldee Paraphr:Jse on Eccl. vL 6, says, " Although tne days of a man' life were two thousand years, and he did not study the law, and do justice, in the day of his death his soul shall descend to hell, to the one place where all sinners go." Thus Ignatius in the Epistle to the
26 And they gave forth their ,ots : and the lot Tell upon Matthi-
THE ACTS. [A. D. Sa
as ; and he was numbered with lb* eleven apostles.
Magnesians says, " Because all things have an end, ihe two things death and life shall lie dawn together, arid each one shall go (a his own place." The phrase his own place, means the place or abode which is fitted for him, which is his ap- propriate home. Judas was not ic a place which befitted his character when he was an apostle; he was not in such a place in the church ; he would not be in heaven. Hell was the only place which was fitted to the man of avarice and of treason. And if this be the true inter- pretation of this passage, then it follows, 1. That there will be such a thing as fu- ture, eternal punishment. One such man there certainly is m hell, and ever will be. If there is one there, for the same reason there may be others. All objec- tions to the doctrine are removed by this single fact; and it cannot be true that all men will be saved. 2. Each individual in eternity will find his own proper place. Hell is not an arbitrary appointment. Every man will go to the place for which his character is fitted. The hypocrite is not fitted for heaven. The man of pride, and avarice, and pollution, and falsehood, is not fitted for heaven. The place adapt- ed to such men is hell ; and the design of the judgment will be to assign to each individual his proper abode in the eternal world. 3. The design of the judgment of the great day will be to assign to all the inhabitants of this world their proper place. It would not be fit that the holy and pure should dwell for ever in the same place with the unholy and impure ; and the Lord Jesus will come to assign to each his appropriate eternal habitation. 4. The sinner will have no cause of com- plaint. If he is assigned to his proper place, he cannot complain. If he is unjjl for heaven, he cannot complain that he is excluded. And if his character and feel- ings are such as make it proper that he should find his eternal abode among the^ enemies of God, then he must expect that aGo(J of justice and equity will assign nim such a doom. But, 5. This will not nlleviafe his pain; it will deepen his wo. He will have the eternal consciousness that that, and that only, is his place — the dof)m fi)r which he is fitted. The prison is no less dreadful because a man is con- Bcious that he deserves it. The gallows jR not the less terrible, because tlie man knows that he deserves to die. And the eternal conflciouanesa of the sinner (hat
he is unfit for heaven ; that there is not a solitary soul there with whom he could have sympathy or friendship ; that he is fit for hell, and hell only, will be an in gredient of etemal*fcitterness in the cup of wo that awaits him. Let not the sin- ner then hope to escape; for God wiU assuredly appoint his residence in that world lo which his character here ia adapted. %
The character and end of Judas is on*" of the most important and instructive iw history. It teaches us, 1. That Christ may employ wicked men for imix)rlant pur- poses in his kingdom. See Note on ver. 17. He does no violence to their frdfl- dom, suffers them to act as they pleaA*, but brings important ends outof their ft.« duct. One of the most conclusive argv- ments for the pure character of Jesu Christ is drawn from the silent testimony of Judas. 2. The character of Judas was eminently base and wicked. He was in- fluenced by one of the worst human pas- sions ; and yet he cloaked it from all the apostles. It was remarkable that any man should have thought of making mo- ney in such a band of n>en ; but avarice will show itself every where. 3. We see the effects of avarice in the church. I: led to the betraying of Jesus Christ, and to his death; and it has often betrayed the cause of pure religion since. There is no single human passion that has done so much evil in the church of God as this. It may be consistent with external decen- cy and order; it is that on which the world acts, and which it approves ; and it may therefore be indul-ged without dis- grace; while open and acknowledged vices would expose their possessors to shame and ruin. And yet it paralyzes and betrays religion probably more than any single propensity of man. 4. The character of an avaricious man in the church will be developed. Opportuni- ties will occur when it w'ill he seen and known by what principle the man is in- fluenced. So it was with Achan (.■ot-h. vii. 21); so it was with Judas; and .so it will be with all. Occasions will occur which will test the character, and show what manner of spirit a man is of Every appeal lo a man's benevolence, every call upon his charity, shows what spint infliiences him, and whether he is actn- ateil by the love of gold, or by the lev© of Jesus Chrint an<l his cause.
2G. And they gave forththetr lots. Some
A D. 33.J
CHAPTER i
2Z
Have sup|M3sed that this means they voted. But to this interpretation fliere are insu- porable objections. 1. The word lots, KKyj^ai>i/is not used to express votes, or suf- frage. 2. The expression " the lot fell upon" is not consistent with the notion of voting It is commonly expressive of cabt- jng lots. 3. Casting lots was common among the Jews on important and diffi- cult occasions, and it was natural that the apostles should resort to it in this. Thus David divided the priests by lot. 1 Chron. xxiv. 5. The land of Canaan was divided by lot. Num. xxvi. 55. Josh. xv. xvi. xvii. &c. Jonathan, son of Saul, was detected as having violated his father's command, and as bringing calamity on the Israelites, by lot. 1 Sam. xiv. 41, 42. Achan was de- tected by lot. Josh. vii. 16. 18. In these eases the use of the lot was regarded as a solemn appeal to God, for his direct inter- ference in cases which they could not themselves decide. Prov. xvi. 33, " The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole dis- posing thereof is of the Lord." The choice of an apostle was an event of the same liind, and was regarded as a solemn ap- peal to God for his direction and guidance in a case which the apostles could not determine. The manner in which this was done is not certainly known. The common mode of casting lots, was to write the names of the persons on pieces of stone, wood, &c. and put them in one urn ; and the name of the office, por- tion, &c. on others. These were then placed in an urn with other pieces of stone, &c. which were blank. The names were then drawn at random, and also the other pieces, and this determined the case. The castmg of a lot is determined by laws of nature, as regularly as any thing else. There is properly no chance m it. We do not know how a die may turn up; but this does not imply that it will turn up without any regard to pule, or at haphazard. We cannot trace the influences which may determine either this or that side to come up ; but Btill it is done by regular and proper laws, and according to the circumstances of position, force, &c. in which it is cast. Still although it does not imply any spe- cial or miraculous interposition of Provi- dence ; though it may not be absolutely wrong, in cases which cannot otherwise be determined, to use the lot, yet it doea not follow that it is proper often to make this appeal. Almost all cases of doubt can be determined more satisfactorily in •ome other way than by the lot. The ha- oit of appealing to it engenders the love »f hazards and of games ; leads to heart-
burnings, to jealousies, to envy, to strife and to dishonesty. Still less does the ex ample of the apostles authorize games of hazard, or lotteries, which are positively evil, and attended with ruinous eonse quences, apart" from any inquiry abcu the lawfulness of the lot. They eithei originate in, or promote, covetousness, n© gleet of regular industry envy, jealousy disappointment, dissipation, bankruptcy falsehood, and despair. What is gainec by one is lost by another, and both tbt gain and the loss promote some of the w'orst passions of man ,- boasting, triumph self-confidence, indolence, dissipation, on the one hand ; and envy, disappointment sullenness, desire of revenge, remorse and ruin, on the other. God intended tha man should live by sober toil. All de^ partures from this great law of our socia. existence lead to ruin. '^ Their lots. The lots which were to decide their case They are called theirs, because they were to determine which of them should be called to the apostolic office. IT The lot fell. This is an expression applicable tc casting lots, not to voting. IT He was num- bered. By the casting of the lot. o-uj-xaxa- ■^>)?iV3->). This word is from ^>)?o; — a cal- culus, or pebble, by which votes were given, or lots w-ere cost. It means, that by the result of the lot, he was reckoned as an apostle. Nothing further is related of Matthias in the New Testament. Where he laboured, and when and where he died, is unknown, nor is there any trarii- tion on which reliance is to be placed. The election of Matthias throws some light on the organization of the church. 1. He was chosen to fill the place vacated by Judas, and for a specific purpose, to be a witness of the resurrection of Christ, There is no mention of any other design. It was not to ordain men exclusively, or to rule over the churches, but to be a wit- ness to an important fact. 2. There is no intimation here that it was designed tha' there should be successors to the apostles in the peculiar duties of the apostolic of- fice. The election was for a definite ob- ject, and was therefore temporary. It was to fill up the number originally ap- pointed by Christ. When the purpose for which he was appointed was accom- plished, the peculiar part of the apostolic work ceased of course. 3 There could he no succession in our times to the pecu- liar apostolic office. They were to be toitnesses of the work of Christ. For this they were sent forth. And when the desired effect resulting from such a wit- nessing was accomplished, the office itself would cease. Hence there is no rei'-ord
24
THE ACTS.
CHAPTER Jl.
ND when the day of I'ente- • cost " waa fuliy come, they '
that after this the church even pretended ID appoint successors to the apostles to discliarge their /;erj/Ziar work. And hence i:o ministers of the gospel can now pre- tend to be their successors in the peculiar ftnd original design of the appointment of the apostles. 4. The only other apostle mentioned in the New Testament is the apostle Paul, not appointed as the succes- sor of the others, not with any peculiar design except to be an apostle to the Gen- tiles, as the others were to the Jews, and appointed for the same end, to testify that Jesus Christ was alive, and that he had seen him after he rose. 1 Cor. xv. 8 ; ix. 1. Acts xxu. 8, 9. 14, 15; ix. 15; xxvi. 17, 18. The ministers of religion, there- fore, are successors of the apostles, not in their peculiar office as witnesses, but as preachers of the word, and as appomted to establish, to organize, and to edu'y and rule the churches. The peculiar work of the apostleship ceased with their death. The ordinary work of the ministry, which khey held in common with all others who preach tlie gospel, will continue to the end of time.
CHAPTER II. 1. And when the day of Pentecost. The word Pentecost is a Greek word, signify- mg the fftieth part of a thing ; or the fiftieth in order. A.mong the Jews it was applied to one of their three great feasts which began on the fiftieth day after the Passover. This feast was reckoned from the sixteenth day of the month Abib, or April, or the second day of the Passover. The paschal lamb was slain on the four- teenth of the month at even (Lev. xxiii. 5). On the fifteenth of the month was a holy convocation — the proper beginning of the feast ; on the sixteenth was the offering of the first-fruits of harvest, and from that day they were to reckon seven rvecks, i. e. forty-nine days to the feast called the feast of Pentecost, so that 5*. occurred /?/"/?/ days after Lhe first day of tlie feast of the Pass- over. This feast was also caWcd the feast fif vDeeht, from the circumstance that it fc>!lov/ad a succession of weeks. Ex.xxxiv. S». Num. xxviii. 26. Deut xvi. 10. It WM also a harveitt festival, and was ac- cordingly called the feast of hawest. And It waa for this rcaaon that two loaves made yf new meal were offered on this occasion as first-fruits. Lev. xxiii. 17. 2(3. Num. xxviii. 27. 31. IT Was fully ctrmc. When the day had arrived. The word means
w eie place.
ail
[A. D. 3;^
with cno accord in oat
here simply, had come. Comp. Mark i. 15. Luke i. 57. This fact is »nentioned, that the time of the Pentecosi had come, oi fully arrived, to account for what is relate ed afterwards, that there were so many strangers and foreigners present. The promised influences of the Spirit were withheld until the greatest possible num- bers of Jews should be present at Jeru- salem at the same time, and thus an op- portunity be aflJbrded of preaching the gospel to vast multitudes in the very place where the Lord Jesus was crucified, and also an opportunity be afforded of sending the gospel by them into distant parts of the earth. H They were all. Pro- bably not only the apostles, but also the one hundred and twenty mentioned in ch. i. 15. II With one accord. See ch. i. 14. It is probable they had continued to- gether until this time, and given them* selves entirely to the business of devo- tion. IF In one place. Where this was cannot be known. Commentators have been much divided in their conjectures about it. Some have supposed it was in the upper room mentioned (ch. i. 13); others that it was a room m the temple ; others that it was in a synagogue ; others, that it was in the promiscuous multitude that assembled for devotion in the courts of the temple. See ver.2. It has by many been supposed that this took place on the first day of the week, that is on the Chris- tian Sabbath. But there is a diflliculty in establishing this. There was probably a difference among the Jews themselves on this subject. The law said that they should reckon seven Sabbaths, that is seven weeks from the morroiv after the Sabbath. Lev. xxiii. 15. By this Sabbath the Pharisees understood the secot^d day of the Passover, on whatever day of the week it occurred, which was kept as o holy assembly, and might be called a Sal)- bath. But the Caraite Jews, or those who insisted on a literal interpretation of the Scriptures, maintained that by the Sab- bath hero was meant the nsiial Sabhatk the seventh day of the week. Conse- quently with them the day of Pentecos always occurred on the first day of the week ; and if the apostles fell in with their views, the day wa."? fully come on what is now tlie Christian Sabbath. Bn. if the views of lhe Pharisees were fol- lowed, niid tlie Lf)rd Jesus had ^\ith then' kept the Pa.ssover on Thursdai/, as niaii\
%. 1). 33 j
CHAPTER 11.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rush- ing raijrhty wind, and it filled "
ri3ve suppased, then the day of Pentecost would have occurred on the Jewish Sab- bath, that is on Saturday. Kuindel. Lishi- foot Jt is impossible to determine the truth on this subject. Nor is it of much importance. The day of Pentecost was kept by the Jews also as a festivaWo commemorate the gi^'ing of the law on mount Sinai.
2. And suddenly. It burst upon them at once. Though they were waiting for the descent of the Spirit, yet it is not pro- bable that they expected it in this man- ner. As this was an important event, and one on which the welfare of the church depended, it was proper that the gift of the Holy Spirit should take place in some striking and sensible manner, so as to con- vince their own minds that the promise was fulfilled, and so as deeply to impress others with the greatness and importance »f the event. IF There came a sound, iix^g. This word is applied to any noise or report. Heb. xii. 19 " The sound of a ^umpet." Luke iv. 37, "The /a/ne of aim," &c. Comp. Mark i. 28. TT From heaven. Appearing to rush dowii from the sky. It was fitted therefore to attract their attention no less from the direction from which it came, than on account of its suddenness and violence. Tempests blow commonly horizontally. This ap- peared to come fro?n above ; and this is '1 that is meant by the expression "from eaven." *XAsofa rushing mighty wind. Literally, "as of a violent wind or gale," borne along (cpifjo^lv)",-), sweeping along like a tempest. Such a wind is sometimes borne along so violently, and with sucli a .noise, as to make it difficult even to hear the thunder m the gale. Such appears to have been the sound of this remarkable phenomenon. It does not appear that there was any wind ; all might have been still \ but the sudden sound was like such a sweeping tempest. It may be remarked, however, that the wind in the sacred Scriptures is often put as an embhjm of a divine influence. It is invisible, yet migh- ty ; and thus represents the agency of the Holy Spirit. The same word in Hebrew inn), and in Greek (^i£u,(i:4), is used to denote both. The mighty power of God may be denoted also by the \'iolence of a mighty tempest. 1 Kings xix. 11. Ps. vxir. civ. 3 ; xviii. 10. And thus Jesus W his breaUi indicated to tlie apostles the
all the house where they were sn ting.
3 And there appeared unto thenc
conferring of the Holy Ghost. John xx. 22. In this place the sound as of a gale was emblematic of the mighty power of the Spirit, and of the great effects which his coming would accomplish amcss^ men. M And it filed. Not the u/mtf filled, but the sound. This is evident, (1.) Be- cause there is no afRrmation that thoro v)as any wind. (2.) The grammatical structure of the sentence wdl admit no other construction. The word "filled" has no nominative case but " the sound," And suddenly there was a sound as o/" a wind, and (the sound) fdled the house. In the Greek, the word " wind" is in the genitive or possessive case. It may be remarked here, that this miracle was really far more striking than the common supposition makes it to have been. A tempest might have been terrific' A mighty wiiid might have alarmed them But there would have been nothing un- usual or remarkable in it. Such things often occurred ; and the thoughts would have been directed of course to the sform as an ordinary, though jierhaps alarming occurrence. But when all was still: when there was no storm, no wind, no rain, no thunder, such a rushing sound must have arrested their attention, and directed all minds to so unusual and un- accountable an occurrence. IT All the house. Some have sui)posed that this was a room in or near the temple. But as the temple is not expressly mentioned, this 13 itnprobable. It was probably the private dwelling mentioned in ch. i. 13 If It be said that such a dwelling could not coniain so large a multitude as soon as- sembled, it may be replied that their houses had large central courts (see Note, Matt ix. 2) ; and that it is not affirmed that the transaction recorded in this chapter oc- curred in the room which they occjipied. It is probable that it took place in the court and around tne house.
3. And there appeared unto them. There were .see/z by them, or they saw. They wer« first seen by them in the room beforo they rested on the heads of the disciples. Perhaps the fire appeared at first as scin tillations or corruscations, until" it became fixed on their heads. TT Tongues, yxzinr^t. The Vvord tongue occurs often in the Scriptures to denote the member which i;? the instrument of taste and speech, aftd also to denote >^ingvxige or spisech is<^
)St3
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 83
cloven tongues like as ol fire, and it sa^ upon each of them :
4 \nd they were all filled "with
a c.1.5.
It is also used, as wilh us, to denote that which ill shape resembles the tongue. Thus Josh. vii. 21. 24 (in Hebrew), "a tongue of golil," i- c. a wedge of gold. Josh. XV. 5 ; xviii. 19. Isa. xi. 15, " The tongue of the sea," i. e. a bay or gulf Thus also we say, a tongtie of lajid. The phrase " tongue of lire" occurs once, and once only, in the Old Testament (Isa. v. 24), "Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble {Ueh.tongue of fire), and the flame consumeth," Ac. In this place the 7iame tongue is given from the resemblance of a pointed flame to the human tongue. Any thing long, narrou', and tending to a point, is thus in the Hebrew called a iovgiie The word here means, therefore, slender and pointed appearances of flame ; per- haps at first moving irregularly around the room. IF Cloven. Divided, separated. "jitvai, from the verb to divide^ or itstrihuie into parts. Matt, xxvii. 35, *Thev parted his garments." Luke xxii, -.7, "Take this (llie cup), and divide it imong yourselves." Probably the com- non opinion is that those tongues or lames were, each one of them, spl.t, or 'brkcd, or cloven. But this is not the sense of the expression. It means that they were separated or divided one from another ; r^ot one great jlume, but broken up, or cU/ven into many parts ; and proba- bly moving without order in the room. In the Syriac it is, " And there appeared unto them tongues which divided them- selves, like lire, and sat upon each of them." The old Ethiopic version reads it, " And fire, as it were, aptpeared to ihem, and sat on them." IT AtuI sat upon each of them. Or rested, in the form of a lambent or gentle flame, upon the head of each one. This evinced that the pro- digy was directed to them, and was a very mgnificant omi)lem of the promised do- Bc<;nt of the Holy Spiri^. Alter the rush- ing sound, and the api)earance of the flames, they could not doubt that here was .some remarkable interposition of God. 'I'he apjjearance ol' fire, or JIainr, hm alv*ayH been regarded as a most Htrikirig emblem of the Divinity. Thus, KkmI. in. 2, ;{, fiod is said to have niani- i'oHU'x] him.«olf lo Moses in a bush which was Inirning, yet not eonsuincd. Thus, iCsod. xix. If) — 20, (Jod deseonded on mount Sinai in the iiiidst of thunderH, and (i^titninc. nn«) Kmoke, and fire, strikine
the Holy Ghost, and begrin ^ U. speak with other tongues, as th« Spirit gave them utterance.
b Mar.16.17. c.10.46.
emblems of his presence and })Ower See also Gen. xv. 17. Thus Deut. iv. 24 God is said to be " a consuming fire.'' Cornp. Heb. xii. 29. See Ezek. i. 4. P« xviii. 12 — 14. The classic reader will also instantly recall the beautiful descripi 4h in Virgil. (/Eniad, b. ii. G80— 691^ Other instances of a similar prodigy are also recorded in profane writers. Pliny II. N. 2. 37. Livy, i. 39. These appear anccs to the apostles were emblematic doubdcss, (1.) Of the promised Holy Spi rit, as a Spirit of purity and of power The prediction of John the Baptist, " He shall l)aptize with the Holy Ghost and tcithfire" (Matt.iii.ll), would probably be recalled at once to their memory. (2.) The peculiar appearance, that of tonguet, was an emblem of the diversity of^Za«- guages which they were about to be able to utter. Any form of fire would have denoted the presence and ix)vver of God ; but a form was adopted expressive oi' the case. Thus any appearance at the baptism of Jesus might have denoted the presence and approbation of God ; but the form chosen was that of a dove descend- ing; expressive of the mild and gentle virtues with which he was to be imbued. So in Ezek. i. 4, any form of flame might have expressed the presence of God; liul the appearance actually was emblematical of his providence. In the same way, the appearance here, expressed their peculiar endowments for entering on their great work — I he ability to speak powerfully with new tongues
4. 1\ t're all fillrd with the Holy Ghost. Were entirely under his sacred influence and power. See iNote, Luke i. 41. 07. To hejillid wilh any thing is a phrase denot- ing that all the liiculties are pervaded by it, engaged in it. or under its influence Acts ill. 10, "Wer*' /ilhd wilh wondei and amazement." 17. "Filled wift>
indignation." xiii. i.y, " Filled with envy " Ver. 52, "Filled with joy and the Holy (Jhost." IT lUgan to sjiea/c with other tongues. In other languages than their native tongue. The lancuages whick they s|ioke are specified in ver. 8 — 11 H yi.s l/if Sjiirit gave them utterance A» the Spirit gave thcin |)ower lo speak. This languiigo implies plainly tliat they were now endued wilh a ft^ulty of speaking lariRuages which they nacl no* b*>f<>re learn*Hl. Tfeir native toneue was
A.D. 33. j
CHAPTER 11.
27
Ihat of Galilee, a somewhat barbarous dialect of the common language used in Judea, the Syo-Chaldaic. It is possible that some of them might have been par- tially acquainted with the Greek and Latin, as both of them were spoken among the Jews to some extent; but theie is not the shghtest evidence that they were acquainted with the languages of the different nations afterwards speci- fied. Various attempts have been made to account for this remarkable phenome- non without supposing it to be a miracle. But the natural and obvious meaning of the passage is that they were endowed by the miraculous power of the Holy Ghost with ability to speak foreign lan- guages, and languages to them before unknown. It does not appear that each one had the power of speaking all the lan- guages which are specified (ver. 9 — 11), but that this ability was among them, and that together they could speak these lan- guages ; probably some one, and some an- other. The following remarks may per- haps throw some light on this remarkable occurrence. (1.) This ability was pre- dicted in the Old Testam.ent (Isa. xxviii. 11), " With .... another tongue will he speak unto this people." Comp. 1 Cor. xiv. 21, where this passage is expressly applied to the power of speaking foreign languages under the gospel. (2.) It was predicted by the Lord Jesus that they should have this power. Mark xvi. 17, "These signs shall follow ihem that beheve.. ..they shall speak with new tongues'' (3.) The ability to do it existed extensively and long in the church. I Cor. xii. 10, 11. "To another divers Kinds of tongues ; to another the inter- pretation of tongues : all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit." Ver. 28, " God hath set in the church di- versities of tongues." 30 ; xiv. 2. 4, 5, 6. 9. 13, 14. 18, 19. 22, 23. 27. 39. From this it appears that the power was well known in the church, and was not confmed to the apostles. This also may show that in the case in the Acts, the power was con- ferred on other members of the church as well as the apostles. (4.) It was very im- IX)rtant that they should be endowed with this power in their great work. They were going forth to ^preach to all nations ; and though the Greek and Ro- man tongues were extensively spoken, yet their use was not universal ; nor is it known that the apostles were sldlled in those languages. To preach to all na- t'ons, it was indispensable that they
should be able to understand their language. And it was necessary that they should be endowed with abdity te speak them without the slow process of being compelled to learn them. (5.) One design was to establish the gospel by means of miracles. Yet no miracle could be more striking than the power of con veying their sentiments at once into all the languages of the earth. When it is remembered what a slow and toilsome process it is to learn a foreign tongue this would be regarded by the heathen as one of the most striking miracle* W'liich were ever wrought in the esta- blishment of the Christian faith. 1 Cor. xiv. 22. 24, 25. (6.) The^rTrt/tVy aiid_cet tainty o[ tliis miracle is strongly attested By the early triumphs of tlie gospel. Thai the gospel was early spread over all the world, and that too by the apostles of Je- sus Christ, by men of Galilee, is the clear testimony of all history. They preached it in Arabia, Greece, Syria, Asia, Persia, Africa, and Rome. Yet how could this have been effected without a miraculous power of speaking the languages used in all those places ? Now, it requires the toil of many years t6~""speak in foreign languages ; and the recorded success of the gospel is one of the most striking at- testations to the fact of the miracle that could be conceived. (7.) The corruption of language was one of the most decided effects of sin, of pride and ambition, and the source of endless embarrassments ana difficulties. Gen. xi. It is not to be re- garded as wonderful if one of the effects' of the plan of recovering men should be to show the power of God over all evil; and thus to furnish striking evidence that the gospel coidd meet all the crimes and calamities of men. And we may add, (8.) That from this v^-e see the necessity now of trainijig men who are to be mis- sionaries to otlier lands. The gift of mi- racles is withdrawn. The apostles, by tha miracle, simp >ly were empowered to speak other languages. That power must still be had if the gospel is to be preached. But it is now to be obtained, not by mi- racle, but by slow and careful study and toil. If possessed, men must be taught it. They must labour for it. And as the church is bound (Matt, xxviii. 19) to send the gospel to all nations, so it is bound t« provide that the teachers who shall be sent forth shall be qualified for thei' wcrk. Hence one of the reasons of th* importance of training men for the hoW ministry.
28
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
5 And thera were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now ' when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together,
I IVhtn this voice was made.
5. There were dwelling at Jerusalem. The word rendered dwelling, xaroixoJvTE;, properly means to have a yixed and per- manent habitation, in distinction from tnotlier word, n^aeo<y.o.vT£;, which means uj have a temporan/ and transient resi- •lence in a plate. But it is not always confined to this signification; and it is not I m. probable that many weauhy foreign 'ews had a permanent residence in Jeru- salem for the convenience of being near i.he temple 'i'his was the more probable, as ahout that time the Messiah was ex- pected to appaftr, Watt. ii. IT Jews. Jews by birth ; of Jewish descent, and religion. Si Devout men, ivJe-'s iuxa/Ssi,-. Literally men of cautious and circumspect lives, who lived in a prudent manner. The term is applied to men who were cautious alxjut ofleiiding God ; who were care- ful to observe his commandments. It hence is a general expression to denote pious or religions men. Actsviii. 2, "And devout men carried Stephen to his burial." Luke ii. 25, " And the same man (Simeon) was just, and devout." The word devout means, " yielding a solemn and reveren- tial attention to God in religious exer- cises, particularly in piayer, pious, sin- cere, solemn" {Webster), and very well expresses the force of the original. IT Out of every nation under heaven. A general expression meaning from all parts of the earth. The countries from which they came are more particularly specified in ver. 9 — 11. The Jews at that time were ■scattered into almost all nations, and in all places had synagogues. See Note, John vii. 35. Still they would naturally desire to be present as often as possible at the K.oat feasts of the nation in Jerusalem. Nhuiy would seek a residence there for the convenience of being present at the religions solemnities. Many who came u)i to the feast of the Pa.ssover would re- main to the foa-st of the Pentecost. And the (onsefjuenco w;is, that on such occa- «ion.H, the city wouhl be full of strangers. We are tolil, that when Titus besieged Jerusalem at al)out the (bast of the Pa.«8- 3ver, there were no less than three mil- lions of peoplo in the city, and this great multitude greatly depponed the calami- fir.s arisinj? f''om the siege. Josephns also
and were confounded, ^because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed, and marvelled, saying one to ancther,
5 or, troubUd in mind.
mentions an instance where great multi- tudes of Jews from other nations were present at the feast of Pentecost. Jewish War, b. ii. ch. hi. $ 1.
6. Wheii this was noised abroad. When the rumour of this remarkable transaction was sjiread, as it naturally would be without delay. If Were confoimded. o-uit- x\)by,. Were violently moved and agi tated ; were amazed, and astonished al the remarkable occurrence. ^ Every man heard thern spcah, &.c. Though the mul- titude spoke different tongues, yet they now heard Galileans use the language which thei/ had learned in foreign na- tions. IT His own language. His own dialect, SiaXiy-ru. His own idiom, whether it was a foreign language, or w helher it was a modification of the nebrevv. The word may mean either ; but it is probable that the foreign Jews would greatly mo- dify the Hebrew, or conform almost en- tirely to the language spoken in the coun- try where they lived. — We may remark here, that this effect on the first descent of the Holy Ghost was not peculiar to that time. A work of grace on the hearts of men in a revival of religion will alway& be noised abroad. A muUitude will conic together, and God often, as he did here, makes use of this motive to bring then, under the influence of religion. Curiosit" was the motive here, and it was the occa- sion of their being brought under the ir fluence of the truth, and of the conver- sion. In thousands of cases, this has oc- curred since. The effect of what the* saw was to confound them. They mado no comjjlaint at first of the irrrgularityoi what was done, but were all amazed and overwhelmed. So the cflTect of a revival of religion is oAen to convince the mulli- tudo that it is indeed a Avork of the Holy One ; to amaze them by the display of Ijih jxivver; and to silence opposition and cavil by the manifii^st presence and the |)Ower of Gody A few afterwards began to cavil (ver. 13), as some will always do in a revival ; but the mass were con- vinced, as will bo the ca-se always, that this was a mighty display of the power of (iod.
7. Galileans ? Inhabitants of Ga'ilee. It was remarkable that thi i/ should uneak
A.. D. 33.1
CHAPTER 11.
Behold, are not all these which speak, Galileans 1 <*
8 And how hear we every man in
• c.l.U.
in this manner^ because, (1 ^ They were proverbially ignorant, rude, and uncivil- zed. John i. 46. Hence the term Galilean was used as an expression of the deepest reproacli and contempt. Mark xiv. 70. John vii. 52. (2.) Their dialect was pro- verbially barbarous and corrupt. Mark xiv. 70. Matt. xxvi. 73. They were re- garded as an outlandish people, unac- quainted with other nations and lan- guage3, and hence the amazement that they could address them in the refined lan- guage of other people. Their native ig- norance was the occasion of making the miracle more striking. The native weak- ness and inability of Christian ministers makes the grace and glory of God more remarkable in the success of the gospel. " We have this treasure in earthen ves- sels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." 2 Cor. iv. 7. The success which God often grants to those who are of slender endowments and of little learning, though blessed with a humble and pious heart, is often amaz- ing to the men of the world. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. 1 Cor. i. 27. This should teach us that no talent or attain- ment is too hmnble to be employed for mighty purposes, in its proper sphere, in the kingdom of Christ, and that pious ef- fort may accompHsh much, may awe and amaze the world, and then burn in hea- ven with increasing lustre for ever ; while pride, and learning, and talent may blaze uselessly among men, or kindle up the worst passions of our nature, and then be extinguished m eternal night.
8. Wherein we were born ? That is, as we say, m our native language ; that which is spoken where we were born.
9. Part/dans, &c. To show the surpri- sing extent and power of this miracle, Luke enumerates the different nations that were represented then at Jerusalem. In this way the number of languages which the apostles spoke, and the extent of the miracle, can be ascertained. The enumeration of these nations begins at the eaat, and proceeds to the west. Par- thians mean those Jews, or proselytes, who dwelt in Partliia. This country was a part of Persia, and was situated be- tween the Persian gulf and the Tigris on the west, and the river Indus on the •ast. To the south it was biunded by
c2
our own tongue, v/herein wt wen born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and
the desert of Caramania, and it had Me dia on the north. Their empire lasted about four hundred year=\ nvA they were much disnnguished for their mamicr o/ fighting. They usually fought on horse back, and when appearing to retreat, dis charged their arrows with great executioii behind them. They were a part of the vast Scythian horde of Asia, and cjisputec the empire of the east with the Romans The language spoken there was that oi Persia, and in ancient writers, Parthio and Persia often mean the same country % Medes. Inhabitants of Media. Thi* country was situated north of Parthia and south of the Caspian sea. It wae about the size of Spain, and was one of the ricliest parts of Asia. In the Scrip tures it is called Madai. Gen. x. 2. The Medes are often mentioned, frequently ir connexion with the Persians,\\\lh. whon> they were often connected under the same government. 2 Kings xvii. 6 ; xviu 11. Esther i. 19. Jer. xxv. 25. Dan. v. 28 VI. 8; ix. 1. Esther i. 3. 14. 18. Dan. vhi 20. The language spoken here was aisc that of Persia. In this whole region many Jews remained after the Babylonish cap tivity, who chose not to return with their brethren to the land of their fathers From the descendants of these probably were those who were now assembled from those places at Jerusalem. IT Elam ites. Elam is often mentioned in the Old Testament. The nation was descended from Elam, the son of Shem. Gen. x. 22 It is mentioned as being in alliance with Amraphel, the king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar, and Tidal, king of nations, Gen. xiv. 1. Of these nations in alliance. Chedorlaom.er, king of Elam, was the. chief ver. 4. See also Ezra ii. 7 ; viii. 7. Neh. vii. 12. 34. Isa. xi. 11 ; xxi. 2; xxii, 6, &c. They are mentioned as a part of the Persian empire, and Daniel is said to have resided at Shushan, which is in the province of Elam. Dan. viii. 2. The Greeks and Romans gave to this country the i*ame of Elymais. It is now called Kusistan. It was Iwunded by Persia on the east ; by Media on the north ; by Ba bylonia on the west ; and by the Persian gulf on the scdth. The Elamites were a w-arlike people, and celebrated for the use of the bow. Isa. xxii. 6. Jer. xlix. 35 The language of this people was of course the Persian. Its capital Shusan, ca.U**
30
THE ACTS.
[A D. 33
Elamites, and the dwellers in Meso- potamia, and in Judea, and Cappa-
ov the Greeks Susa, was much celebrat- eil. It is said to have been lilteen rniles in circiimferencc ; and was adorned with the celebrated palace of Ahasuerus. The inhabitants still pretend to show there the tomb of the prophet Daniel. IT Mesopota- mia. This name, which is Greek, signi- fies between the rhcrs ; that is, the region lying between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. In Hebrew it was called Aram- Naharaim ; that is, Aram, or Syria of the two rivers. It was also called "adan Aram, the plain of Syria. In this region were situated some important places mentioned in the Bible: — Ur oj the Chal- iees, the birth-i)lace of Abraham (Gen. xi. 27 28) ; Haran, where Terah stopped on his journey and died (Gen. xi. 31. 32); Carchemish (2 Chron. xxxv. 20); /iewa (2 Kings xix. 13); Sepharvaim (2 Kings xvii. 24). This region, known as Meso- potamia, extended between the two rivei-s from their sources to Babylon on the south. It had on the north Armenia, on the west Syria, on the east Persia, and on the south Babylonia. It was an extensive, level, and fertile country. The language Bpoken here was probably the Sj/riac, with perhaps a mixture of the Chaldee. IT In Judea. This expression has greatly perplexed commentators. It has been thought difficult to see why Judea should be mentioned, as if it were a matter of surprise that they could speak m this lan- guage. Some have supposed an error in the manuscripts, and have proposed to read Armenia, or India, or Lydia, or Idu- mea, &c. But all this nas been without any authority. Others have supposed that the language of Galilee was so different from that of the other parts of Judea, as to render it remarkable that they could Bpeak that dialect. But this is an idle Bup{X)sition. This is one of the many in- stances in which commentators have ])er- ^ilexed themselves to very lillle purpose, juke recorded this as any other historian would have done. In running over the languages which they siMjke, he enimie- rated this as a matter of course, not that it was remarkable simplv that they shouM •[►oak the language of Jj/r/ra, but thaHhey ulionld sjAnk soniarn/, meaning about ibe eamo Ity it as if he had said fhei/ sjmh' ei:rry Uinnua<;<' in the leorld. Just as if a similar miracle were to o(;cur nt this time among an assembly of native Kng- lishmen and li)reigners. Indeficribing it, nothing would l)e more natural than to Kay. they fiiioko Frcncli, and German, and
locia, in Pontus, and Aaia, 10 Phrycria, and Pamphylia,
Spanish, and English, and Itdiian, &c. Jn this there would be nothing remarka- ble, except that they spoke so many lan- guages. ^ Cappadocia. This was a region of Asia Minor, and was bounded on the east by Armenia, on the north by Pontus and the Euxine sea, west by Lycaonia, and south by Cilicia. The language which was sjwken here is not certainly known. It was probably, howjver, a mixed dialect made up of Greek and Sy riac, perhaps the same as their neigh hours, the Lycaonians. Acts xiv. 11. This place was formerly celebrated for mi quit}', and is mentioned in Greek writers* as one of the three eminently wicked places, whose name began with C. The others were Crete (Comp. Titus i. 12), and Cilicia. After its conversion to the Chris- tian religion, however, it produced many eminent men, among whom were Gregory Ny.ssen, and Basil the Great It was one of the places to which Peter directed an epistle. 1 Pet i. 1. IT In Pontus. This was another province of Asia Minor, and was situated north of Cappadocia, and was bounded west by Paphlagonia. Pon lus and Cappadocia under the Romans constituted one province. This was one of (he places to which the apostle Peter directed his epistle. 1 Peff i. 1. This was the birth-place of Aquila, one of the companions of Paul. Acts xviii. 2. 18. 26. Rom. xvi. 3. 1 Cor. xvi. 19. 2 Tim. iv. 19. IT And Asia. Pontus, and Cajipadocia, &c. were parts of Asia. But the word Asia is doubtless used here to denote the regions or provinces west of these, which are not particularly enumerated. Thus it is used Acts vi. 9 ; xvi. 6 ; xx. 16. The capital of this region was Ejihesus. See also 1 Pet. i. 1. This region was fre- quently called Ionia, and was afterward* the seat of the seven churches in Asia. Rev. i. 4.
10. Phrygia and Pmnphylia. Iliese were also two provinces of Asia Minor Phrygia was surrounded by Galatia, Cap- padocia, and Pisidia. Pamphylia was on the Mediterranean, and was bounded north by Pisidia. The language of all these places was doubtless the Grtek, more or less ])ure. IT In Egifjtt. This was that extensive country, well known, on \\\o. Hoiith of the Medllernincan, wa- tered by the Nile. It extenrls (i(U) miles from north to so\ith, and f'om lOO to 120 east and west. Tlie language used there was the Coj)tic. At ])rr.sent the Arabi is feiKjkcn. Vast numbers of Jews dwelt
\. D. 33.]
CHAPTER II.
3i
Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
ffi Egypt; and many from that country Aould be present at the great feasts at Jerusalem. In this country the first trans- ation of the Old Testament was made, ivhich is now called the Septuagint. •J" In the parts of Libya. Libya ia a gene- ral name for Africa. It properly denoted the region which was near to Egypt ; but the Greeks gave the name to all Africa. IT About Cyrene. This was a region about 500 miles west of Alexandria m Egypt. ft was also called PentapoUs, because there were in it five celebrated cities. This country now belongs to Tripoli. Great numbers of Jews resided here. A Jew of this place, Simon by name, was compelled to bear our Saviour's cross after him to the place of crucifixion. Matt, xxvii. 32. Luke xxiii. 26. Some of the Cyrenians are mentioned among the earliest Christians. Acts xi. 20; xiii. 1. The language which they spoke is not certainly known. IT Strangers of Rome. This literally means "Romans dwelling, or tarrying," i. e. at Jerusalem. It may mean either that they were permanently fixed, or only tarrying at Jerusalem, ol ittiS^. iii5ui/T£,- Pjo.uaiai. They were doubtless Jews who had taken up their residence in ^tal'/, and had come to Jerusalem to at- tend the great feasts. The language which they spoke was the Latin. Great numbers of Jews were at that time dwell- ing at Rome. Josephus says that there were eight synagogues there. The Jews are often mentioned by the Roman wri- ters. There was a Jewish colony across the Tiber from Rome. When Judea was conquered, about sixty years before Christ, vast numbers of Jews were taken cap- tive and carried to Rome. But they had much difficulty in managing them as elaves. They pertinaciously adhered to their religion, observed the Sabbath, and refused to join in the idolatrous rites of the Romans. Hence they were freed, and lived by themselves across the Tiber. IT Jews. Native born Jews, or descend- ants of Jewish families. IF Proselytes. Those who had been converted to the Jewish religion from among the Gentiles. The great zeal of the Jews to make pro- lelytes is mentioned by o-.ir Saviour as one of the peculiar characteristics of the Pharisees. Matt, xxiii. 15. Some have supposed that the expression Jews arid pioseli/if's refers to the Romans ordy.
11 Cretes and Arabians, we d-) hear them speak in our tongues ' tlu3 wonderful works of God.
But it is more probable that reference la made to all those that are mentioned. It has the appearance of a hurried enume ration ; and the writer evidently me> tioned them as they occurred to his mind, just as we would in giving a rapid ac- count of so many different nations.
11. Cretes. Crete, now called Candia, is an island in the Mediterranean, about 200 miles in length and 50 in breadth, about 500 miles southvvest of Constanti nople, and about the same distance west of Syria or Palestine. The climate ia mild and delightful, the sky unclouded and serene. By some this island is sua posed to be the Caphtor of the Hehrev\s. Gen. X. 14. It is mentioned in the Acts as the place touched at by Paul. Acts xxvii. 7, 8. 13. This was the residence of Titus, who was left there by Paul to set in order the things that were wanting, &c. Titus i. 5. The Cretans among the Greeks were famous for deceit and false- hood. Titus i. 12, 13. The language spoken there was probably the Greek. IF Arabians. Arabia is the great penin- sula which is bounded north by part of Syria, east by the Euphrates and the Per- sian gulf, south by the Indian ocean, and west by the Red sea. It is often men- tioned m the Scriptures ; and there were doubtless there many Jews. The lan- guage spoken there was the Arabic. IT In our tongues. The languages spoken by the apostles could not have been less than seven or eight, besides different dia- lects of the same languages. It is not certain that the Jews present from foreign nations spoke those languages perfectly ; but they had doubtless so used them as to make them the common tongue in which they conversed. No miracle could be more decided than this. There was no way in which the apostles could impose on them, and make them suppose they spoke foreign languages, if they really did not; for these foreigners were abun- dantly able to determine that. It may be remarked that this miracle had most im- portant effects besides that witnessed on the day of Pentecost The gospel would be carried by those who were converted to all these places; and the way would be prepared for the lal)Ours of the apos- tles there. Accordingly, most of these places became afterwards celebrated bv the establishment of Christian churche««
3-2
THE ACT8
[A. D. 3S
1*2 Ana they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saj'ing- one to another, Wliat *» meaneth this 1
a c.17.20.
13 Others, mocking-, said, The* men are full of hew wine.
14 But Peter, standincr up witl
and the conversion of great muhitudes to the Christian faith. Y The wonderful works of God. Ti f^iyxtJix too esju. Tlie great thitigs of God ; that is, tlie great things that God had done in the gift of his Son ; in his raising him from the dead ; in his miracles, ascension, &c. Com p. Luke i. 49. Ps. Ixxi. 19; xxvi. 7; Ixvi. 3; xcii. 5 ; civ. 21, &c.
12. Were in doubt. This expression, ^«.)rr:^ouv, denotes a state of ^esj.'ancy or anxiety about an event It is applied to those who are travelling, and are ignorant of the way, or v.lo hesitate about the road. They were ail ac*onished at this ; they did not know how lu understand it or explann it,untn some of them supposed It was merely the effect of new wine.
13. Others moching, said. The word rendered "mocking" means to cavil, to deride. It occurs in the Kew Testament but in one other place. Acts xvii. 32. "And when they heard of the resurrec- tion of the dead, some mocked." This was an effect that was not confined to the day of Pentecost. There has bpen seldom a revival of religion, a remarkable rnanifcstation of the power of the Holy Spirit, that has not given occasion for pro- fane mockery and merriment. One cha- racteristic of^ wicked men is to deride tiiose things which are done to promote their own welfare. Hence the Saviour nimselfwas mocked; and the efforts of Christians to save others have been the subject of derision. Derision, awd mock- ery, and a jeer, have been far more ef 5cctual in deterring men from becoming Christians than any attempts at sober argument. God will treat men as they treat him. Ps. xviii. 2G. And hence he Bays to the wicked, " Because I have
called and ye refused but ye have
set nt nought my counsel, I also will J'.-.ugh at your calamity, 1 will mock when your fear cometh." Prov. i. 21 — 20 iT These men are full of neii) wine. These men are dnuik. In such times men will have some way of accounting for the effects of the gospel ; and the way is rommonly alwut um wise and rational as thia. "To escape the nbsMirdity of ac- knowledging their own ignorance, they *f](»pted the thf^nry tfiut sirorig drink can icarh langnaisrs." — Dr. McLcIland. In mfxleni times it has hern u.-sual lo deno- 'ninato sncli scenes lanJilicisiii, or wild-
fire, or enthusiasm. When men fail in argument, it is common to attempt to con- fute a doctrine or bring reproach upon a transaction by "giving it an ill name." Hence the names Puritan, Quaker, M(h thodist, &'C. were at first given in den- sion, to account for some remarkable ef- fect of religion on the world. Comp Matt. xi. 19. John vu. 20, viii. 48. And thus men endeavour to trace revivals to ungoverned and heated passions ; and they are regarcied by many as the mere offspring of fanaticism. The friends of revivals should not be discouraged by this ; but should remember that the very first revival of religion was by many sup- posed to be the effect of a drunken frolic ir New Wine, j-xiuzoi;;. This word pro- perly means the juice of the grape which distila before a pressure is applied, and called must. It was sweet wine ; and hence the word in Greek meaning sweet wa.s given to it. The ancic?^.(s, it is said, had the art of preserving tlieir new wino with the pec uliar flavour before fermen- tation for a considerable time, and were in the habit of drinking it in the morning. See Horace, Sat. b. ii. iv. Sweet wine, which was probably the same as thai mentioned here, is also mentioned in the Old Testament. Isa. xhx. 2G. Amos ix. 13. 11. But Peter. This w as in accordance with the natural temperament of Peter. He was bold, forward, ardent; and hc rose now to defend the apostles of Jesui Christ, and Christ himself, from an inju- rious charge. Not daunted by ridicule (>r opposition, he felt that now was the time for preaching the gospel to the crowd that had been assembled by curi osity. IS'o ridicule should deter Chris tians from an honest avowal of their opi- nions, and a defence of the operations of the Holy S|)irit. If With the eleven. Mat- thias was now one of the ajiogtles, and now api)cared as one of the witnesses for the truth. They probably all arose, and took part in the discourse. Possibly Petoi began to discourse, and either all sjioke together in different languages, or one succeeded another. If Ye men of Judea Men w ho are Jews ; that is, icws by birth. 'I'he original does not mean that they were |)ernianont dwellers in Judea, but that ihcy were Jews, of Jewish fn- milicH. liiternlly, " men, Jews." IF Ana all »/c that dwell, &.<:. All others le«i»lef
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTER 11.
s?.
the eleven, lifted up his voice, and 6aid unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at .Jerusalem, be this kcown unto you, and hear- ken to my words :
native-born Jews, whether proselytes or strangers, who were abiding at Jerusa- Jem. This comprised, of course, the whole issenibly, and was a respGctful and con- ciliatory introduction to his discourse, riiough they had mocked them, yet he treated them with respect, and did not render railing for railing (1 Pet. iii. 9), but sought to convince them of their error. IT Be this known, &c. Peter did not mti- mate that this was a doubtful matter, or one that coild not be explained. His ad- dress was respectful, yet firm. He pro- ceeded calmly to show them their error. When the enemies of religion deride us or the gospel, we should answer them kindly and respectfully, yet firmly. We should reason with them coolly, and con- vince them of their error. Prov. xv. 1. In this case Peter acted on the principle which he afterwards enjoined on all. 1 Pet. iii. 15, ''Be ready always to give an answer to every man that,aslveth you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meelmess and fear." The design of Pe- ter was to vindicate the conduct of the apostles from the reproach of intoxicai ;on. to show that this could be no other than the work of God ; and to make an appli- cation of tlie truth to his hearers. This he did, (1.) By showing that this could not be reasonably supposed to be the effect of new wine, ver. 15. (2.) That it had been expressly predicted in the writings of the Jewish prophets, ver. 15 — 21. (3.) By a calm argument, jjroving the resur- rection and ascension of Christ, and show- ing that this also was in accordance with the Jewish Scriptures, ver. 22 — 35. We are not to suppose that this was the whole of Peter's discourse, but that these were the topics on which he insisted, and the main points of his argument.
1 5. For these are not drunken, &c. The Tvord these here includes Peter himself, a.s well as the others. The charge doubt- less extended to al ., TT The third hour of Ihe day. The Jew* Jivided their day into twelve equal parts, reckoning from sun- rise to sunset. Of course the hours were longer in the summer than in the winter. The third hour would answer to our nine o'clock in the mornings The reasons why i. was so improbable that they should be firunk at that time were the following.
15 For these are not drunkei , a? ye suppose, seeing ^ it is bui di< third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which v>as » spoken by the prophet Joel :
a 1 Th.5.7. J Joel 2.2F,32.
(1.) It was the hour of morning Vv^orship or sacrifice. It was highly improbable »liat at that early hour they would be in toxicated. (2.) It was not usual for ever drunkards to become drunk in the day time. 1 Thess. v. 7. " Tiiey that be drunk en, are drunken m the night." (3.) The charge was, that they had become drunk with wine. Ardent spirits, or alcohol, that curse of our times, was unknowni. It was very improbable that so much of the weak wine commonly used in Judea, should have been taken at that early hour as to produce intoxication. (4.) It was a regular practice with the Jews, not to eat or drink any thing until after the third hour of the day, especially on the Sab- bath, and on all festival occasions. Some- times this abstinence was maintained un- til noon. So universal was this custom, that the apostle could appeal to it vvith confidence, as a full refutation of the charge of drunkenness at that hour. Even the intemperate were not accustomed to drink before that hour. The following testimonies on this subject from Jewish writers, are from Lightfoot. " This was the custom of pious people in ancient times, that each one should offer his morning prayers with additions in the sy nagogue, and then return home and take refreshment." Maimonides, Shabb.ch.30. " They remained in the synagogue until the sixth hour and a half, and then each one offered the prayer of the Mincha, be- fore he returned home, and then he ate." " The fourth is the hour of repast, when all eat." One of the Jewish writers says, that the difference between thieves and honest men might be known by the fact that the former might be seen in the morning at the fourth hour, eating and sleeping, and holding a cup in his hand. But for those who made pretensions to re ligion, as the apostles did, such a thinji was altogether improbable.
16. This is that. This is the fvlfilmen of that, or this was predicted. This was the second part of Peter's argument, to show that this uas in accordance with the predictions in their own Scriptures H By the prophet Joel. Joel ii. 2S~32. This is not qutited literally, either froro the Hebrew or the Septuagint The auJ- stance however is DreaerveiJ.
34
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, (saith God,) 1 will
17. It .''hall come to pass It shall hap- pen, or shall occur. IT In the last dai/s. Heb. Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, a/ter these (hut":s, or afterwards. The ^pres- Bion the last days, however, occurs fre- quently in the old Testament. Gen. xlix. 1. Jacob called his sons, that he might tell them what should happen to them in (he last days, i. c. in future times. Heb. in after tirnes. Micah iv. 1. "In the last days (Heb. in after times) the mountain of the Lord's house," &c. Isa. ii. 2, " hi the last dai/s tlie moimtain of the Lord's house shall bo established in the tops of the mountains," &c. The expression then properly denoted the future times in gene- ral. But, as the coming of the Messiah was to the eye of a Jew the most important event in the coming ages, the great, glo- rious, and crowning scene in all that vast futurity, the phrase «ame to be regarded as properly expressive of that. And they spoke of future times, and of the last times, as the glad period which should be crowTied and honoured with the pre- sence and trium[)hs of the Messiah. It stood in opposition to the usual denomi- nation of earlier times. It was a phrase in contrast with the days of the patriarch, the kings, the prophets, &c. The last days, or the closing period of the world, were the days of the Messiah. It does not appear from this, and it certainly is not implied in the expression, that they sup- posed the world would then corne to an end. Their views were just the contrary. They anticipated a long and glorious lime, imdcrthe dominion of the RTossiah, nnd to this expectation they were led by the promise that his kingdom should be for ever ; that of the increase of his govern- ment there should be no end, &c. This expression was understood by the writers of the New Testament as referring un- doubtedly to the times of the gosjjel. And hence they often used it as denoting that the time of the expected Messiah had come, but not to imply that the world was drawing near to an end. Ileb. i. 2, *• God hath s{V)ken in these last days l)y hi» Son. ' 1 Pot. i. 20, "Was manifested m these last times for you." 2 Pel. iii. 3. I Pot. i f). 1 John ii. 18. " Little children It is the last time," »lc. Jude IM. The ex- pression the last day, is applied by our Sa- viour to the resurrection and the day of judtrment. John vi. 39, 40. 41, 45; xi.24 ; li. 48. Hero the expre.s.sion means simply
those future limes, when 'he Messiah
THE ACTS. [A.D. 3S
pour out " of my Spirit upon al.
a Is.44.3. Eze.36.27
shall have come. IT 1 tcUl pour out of my Sjiirit. The expression in Hebrew is, "1 will pour out my Spirit." 'i'he word pour is commonly applied to water, or to olood, to pour it out, or to shed it, I«a. Ivii. 6 ; to tears, to j)our them out, i. o. to weep, &c. Ps, xlii. 4. 1 Sam. i. 15. It in applied to water, to wine, or to blood, in the New Testament. Matt. ix. 17. Key. xvi. 1. Acts xxii. 20. " The blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed." It conveys also the idea of communicating largely, or freely, as water is poured free.Y ^roni a fountain. Titus iii. 5, C, " The renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly." Thus Job xxxvi. 27, "They (the clouds) pour down rain according ic the vapour thereof" Isa. xliv. 3, " I will pour water on him that is thirsty." xlv. 8, " Let the skies pour down righteousness. ' Mai. iii. 10, "I will pour you out a bless- ing." It is also api»liocl to fury and anger, when God intends to say that he will not spare, but will signally punish. Ps. Ixix. 24 Jer. x. 25. It is not unfre quently applied tothe i>pirit.Pro\: i. 23. Isa- xliv. 3. Zacb. xii. 10. And then it means that he will bestow large measures of spi- ritual influences. As the Spirit renew-s and sanctifies men, so to pour out the Spi- rit is to grant freely his influences to re- new and sanctify the soul. IT M)/ Spi-'-it. The Spirit here denotes the third persor of the Trinity, promised by the Saviour, and sent to finish his work, and apply it to men. The Holy Spirit is regarded iis the source, or conveyer of all the blessings which Christians experience. Hence lie renews the heart. John iii. 5, G. He is the source of all proper feelings and princi- ples in Christians, or he produces the Christian graces. Gal. v. 22-— 25. Titus iii. 5 — 7. The spread and success of the gos- pel is attributed to him. Isa. xxxii. 15, UV Miraculous gifts are traced to him ; espe- cially the various gifts wilh which the early Christiana were endowed. 1 Cor. xii. 4—10. The promise that he would I)Ourout his Spirit, means that he would in the time of the Messiah, impart a large measure of those inlluonces, which it was his peculiar province to cominunicato to men. A jiarl of I hem were cominuni- cnled on tlio day of Ponlecnst, in the mi- raciilouH endowniont of iho jMivver of speaking fi»reign languages, in the wis- dom of the n|)ostlos, and in the conver- sion of the three thousand. H Upon all flesh. The word flesh here means persona
4,D.33.J
CHAPTER II.
33
flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your
or7«e?i. See Note, Rom. i. 3. The word all liere does n:t mean every individual, but every clasa or rank of men. It is to be li- mited to the cases specified immediately. The influences were not to be confined to any class, but to be communicated to all kinds of persons, old men, youth, servants, &c. Comp. 1 Tim. ii. 1 — 4. IT And your sons and ijour daughters. Your children. It would seem, however, that females shared in the remarltable influences of the Holy Spirit. Philip, the Evangelist, had four daughters which did prophesy. Acts xxi. 9. It is probable also that the females of the church of Corinth partook of this gift, though they were forbidden to exercise it m public. ICor. xiv. 34. The office of prophesying, whatever was meant by that, was not confmed to the 7nen among the Jews. Ex. XV. 20 "Miriam, the pro- phetess, took a timbrel," &c. Judg. iv. 4, " Deborah, a prophetess, judged Israel." 2 Kings xxii. 14. See also Luke ii. 36, 'There w'as one Anna, a prophetess," &:c. TT Shall prophesy. The word pro- phesy is used in a great variety of senses. (1.) it means to predict, or foretel future events. Matt. xi. 13 ; xv. 7. (2.) To divine, to conjecture, to declare as a prophet might. Matt. xxvi. 68, " Prophesy who smote thee." (3.) To celebrate the praises of God, being under a divine influence. Luke i. 67. This seems to have been a considerable part of the employment in the tincient schools of the prophets. 1 Sam. X. 6; xix. 20 f xxx. 15. (4.) To teach — as no email part of the office of the prophets was to teach the doctrines of religion. Matt, vii. 22, " Have we not prophesied in thy name ?" (5.) It denotes then, in general, "!o speak under a divine influence, whether m foretelling future events ; in celebrat- mg the praises of God ; in instructing others in the duties of religion, or in speaking foreign languages under that in- fluence. In this last sense, the word is "used in the New Testament, to denote those who were miraculously endowed with the power of speaking foreign lan- guages. Acts xix. 6. The word is also used to denote teaching, or speaking in in- telligible language, in opposition to speak- ing a foreign tongue. 1 Cor. xiv. 1 — 5. In this place it means that they should speak under a divine influence, and is spe- cially applied to the power of speaking in a foreign t->iigne. ^Your young men shall seety-"^ ..<. The will of God in former tnr .-, was communicated to the prophets
young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams ;
in various ways. One was by visions, and hence one of the most usual names of the prophets was seers. Tiie name seer was first given to that class of men, and was superseded by the name prophet. 1 Sam. ix. y. " He that is now called a prophet was before time called a Seer." ix. 11. 18 19. 2 Sam. xxiv, 11 ; xxix. 29 &c. This name was given from the manner in which the divine will was communi- cated, which seems to have been by throwing the prophet into an ecstacy, and then by causing the vision, or the appear- ance of the objects or events to pass before the mind. The prophet looked up|on the passing scene, the often splendid diorama as it actually occurred, and recorded it aa it appeared to his mind. Hence he re- corded rather the succession of images than the times iix which they would oc- cur. These visions occurred sometimes when they were asleep, and sometimes during a prophetic ecstacy. Dan. ii. 28 , vii. 1, 2. 15 ; viii. 2. Ezek. xi. 24. Gen. xv.
1. Num. xii. 6. Job iv. 13 ; vii. 14. Ezek. i. 1 ; viii. 3. Often the prophet seemed to be transferred, or translated to another place from where he was ; and the scene in a distant land or age passed before the mind. Ezek. viii. 3 ; xl. 2 ; xi. 24. Dan. viii.
2. In this case the distant scene or time passed before the prophet, and he record- ed it as it appeared to him. That this did not cease before the times of the gospel is evident. Acts ix. 10, " To Ananias said the Lord in a vision," &c 12, " And hath seen (i. e. Paul) in a vision, a man named Ananias," &c. i. e. Paul hath seen Ana- nias represented to him, though absent ; he has had an image of him coming in to him. Acts x. 3, Cornelius " saw in a vk sion evidently an angel of God coming to him," &c. This was one of the modes by which in former times God made known his will ; and the language of the Jews came to express a revelation in this man- ner. Though there were strictly no vi-^ sions on the day of Pentecost, yet that was one scene under the great economy of the Messiah, under which God would make known his will in a manner as clear as he did to the ancient Jews. IT Your old men. shall dream dreams. The will of God in former times was made know-n often in this manner ; and there a?e several in- stances recorded in whiclr. it was done under the gospel. God informed Abime- lech in a dream, that Sarah was the wife of Abraham. Gen. xx. 3. He spoke to
35
THE ACTS
[A. D. 33
18 And on my servants and on tny handmaidens 1 will pour out, in those days, of my Sj)irit ; and " they shall prophesy :
oc.21.4,9,10. ICo-.lZ-lO
Jacob in a dream, Gen. xxx:.. 11 ; to La- ban, xxxi. 24; to Joseph, xxxvii. 5; to the biitler and baker, xl. 5 ; to Pharaoh, xH. 1 -—7; to Solomon, 1 Kings iii. 5; to Daiiif4, Dan. ii. 3; vii. 1. It was prophesied by Moseri that in this way God would make known his will. Num. xii. 6. It occurred pven in the times of the gospel. Matt. i. 20. Joseph was warned in a dream, ii. 12, 13. 19. 22. Pilate's wife was also trou- bled in this manner about the conduct of the Jews to Christ. JMatt. xxvii. 19. As this was one way in which the will of G "d was made known formerly to men, so the expression here denotes simply that his will should be made known ; that it should be one characteristic of the times of the gospel that God would reveal him- self to man. The ancients probably liad some mode of determining whether their dreams were divine communications, or whether they were, as they are now, the mere erratic wanderings of the mind when. unrestrained and unchecked by the will. At present no confidence is to be put in dreams.
18. And on my servants. The Hebrew in Joel is " u[x)n the servants." The Sej> tuagint and the Latin Vulgate, however, render it " on mij servants." In Joel, the prophet would seem to be enumerating the different conditions and ranks of soci- ety. The influences of the Spirit would be confined to no class; they would de- scend on old and young, and even on ser- vants and handmaids. So the Chaldee Paraphrase understood it. But the Sep- tuagint and Peter evidently understood it in the sense of servants of G(xl ; as the worship[)ers of God are often called ser- mnis in the Scriptures. See Kom. i. 1. It is fKjssible, however, that the Hebrew intended to refer to the S(rvanls of God. It is not " ujxm your servants," &c. OH in the former expression, "your sons," &c. ; ^TJt the form is changed, " ufK)n ser- vants Wid handmaids." The language, ihereftic, will admit the conslruclion of the Sej)tuagint and of Peter; and it was lliiH variation in the Hebrew which sug- gested, doublles«, the mention of " 7nt/ servants," <\,r. instead of your servants. \ And hand maids. Female servants. The «iamo is several times given to jiious wo- men. Ps. Ixxxvi. 10; cxvi. 10. Luke i. 38. 4H Tho meaning of this vortie does not
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath ; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke :
materially differ from tlie former. In the times of the gospel, those who were brought under its influence should be re- markably endowed with abihty to de- clare the will of God.
19, 20. / will show wonders. Literally, "I will give signs." S'^vm r'i^xzx. The word in the Hebrew. D^nciD, viopheOiim, means properly ^rotZ/^ies ; wonderful oc- currences ; miracles wrought by God or his messengers. Exod. iv. 21; vii. 3. 9, xi. 9. Deut. IV. 34, &c. It is the common word to denote a miracle, in the Old Tes- tament. Here it means, hq^ever, a por- ttJitous appearance, a prodigy, a rtviarka- hie occurrence. It is commonly joined in the New Testament with the word sigiis, "signs and wonders." Watt. xxiv. 24. Mark xiii. 22. John iv. 48. In these places it does not of necessity mean miracles^^ but unusual and remarkable appearances. Here it is fixed to rriean great and striking changes in iJie sky, the sun, moon, &o The Hebrew is, " I will give signs in ihe heaven, and upon the earth." Peter has quoted it according to the sense, and not according to the letter. The Septuagint is here a literal translation of the He- brew; and this is one of the instances where the JVew Testament writers did not quote from either.
Much of the difliculty of interpreting these verses consists in fixing the proper meaning to the expression " tliat great and notable dai/ oi' ihe Lord." If it' bo limited to the day of Pentecost, it is cer- tain that no such events occurred at that time. But there is, it is believed, no pro- priety in confining it to that time. The description here i)erlains to "the last days" (ver. 17), i. e. to the vliole of that period of duration, however long, which was known by the jirophets as the last times. That period might be extended through many centuries; and during that period all these events would take pface. The day of the Lord is the day when CkxJ shall manifest himself in a peculiar man- ner; a day when he shall so strikingly (>« seen in his wonders and liis judgment* that it may be called his dny. Thus it is applied to tlie day of judgment, as the day cf the Son (f man ; the day in which he will be the great attractive object, and will bo signally glorified. Luke xvii 24 1 TliCSB. v. 2 Phil i « *^ Pet. iii. 12. if
k. L). 33.J
CHaPTEK li.
J7
20 The » sun shall be turned into flarkness, and the moon into blood,
o Mar.13.24. 2Pet.3.7,10.
a.8 i suppose, "that notable day of the Lord" here denotes that future time when God shall manifest hinLself in judg- ment, then we are not to suppose that Pete.' meant to say that these " wonders" should take place on the day of Pente- cost, CT had their fulfilment then, but >eo\dd occur under that indefinite period called " the last days," the days of the Mes- siah, and BEFORE that period was closed by ihe great day of the Lord. The gift of tongues was a partial fulfilment of the general prophecy pertaining to those iimes. And as the prophecy was thus partially fulfilled, it was' a pledge that it would be entirely; and thus there was laid a foundation for the necessity of re- pentance, and for calling on the Lord in (»r{ler to be saved. U Blood. Blood is commonly used as an emblem of slaugh- ter, or of battle. IT Fire. Fire is also an image of war, or the conflagration of towns and dwelhngs in time of war. IT Vapour of smoke. The word vapour, ciT,u.i;, means commonly an exhalation from the earth, &c. easily moved from one place to another. Here it means (Heb. Joel) rising columns, or pillars of smoke ; and is another image of the cala- mities of war, the smoke rising from burn- ing tovvns. It has almost always been customary in war to burn the towiis of an enemy, and to render him as helpless as possible. Hence the calamities de- noted here are those represented by such scenes. To what particular scenes there is reference here, it may be impossible now to say. It may be remarked, how- ever, that scenes of this kind occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem, and there is a striking resemblance between the description in Joel, and that by which our Saviour foretels the destruction of Jerusalem. See Notes on Matt. xxiv. 21 —24.
20. The sun shall be turned into dark- ness. See Note, Matt. xxiv. 29. The same mages used here with reference to the sun and moon, are used also there. They cx^cur not unfrequently. Mark xiii. 24. 8 Pet iii. 7 — 10. The shining of the sun » an emblem of prosperity ; the with- diawing, or eclipse, or settmg of the sun ts an emblem of calamity, and is often fhvia used in the Scriptures. Isa. Ix. 20. Jer. XV 9. Ezek. xxxii. 7. Amos viii. 9. Rev. vi. 12 ; viii 12 : ix. 2 ; xvi. 8. To »av that the sun is darkened, or turned 1)
before that great and notaale daif of the Lord come :
into darkness, is an image of calamity, and especially of the calaraUies of war when the smoke of burning cities rises to heaven, and obscures his light. This i8 not, therefore, to be taken literally, nor does it afford any indication of what will be at the end of the world in regard to the sun. IT The moon into blood. The word blood here means that obscure, sanguinary colour which the moon has when the atmosphere is filled with smoke and vapour ; and especially the lurid and alarming appearance which it assumes when smoke and flames are thrown up by earthquakes and fiery eruptions. Rev. vi. 12, "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became as blood." Rev. viii. 8. In this place it denotes great ca- lamities. The figures used are indicative of wars, and conflagrations, and unusual prodigies of earthquakes. As these things are (Slatt. xxiv.) applied to the destruc- tion of Jerusalem; as they actually oc curred previous to that event (see Notes, Matt, xxiv.) ; it may be supposed that the prophecy in Joel liad an immediate re ference to that. The meaning of the quo tntion by Peter in this place, therefore is, that what occurred on the day of Pen- tecost, v)as the beginning of the series of wonders that vms to take place dufing the times of ihe Messiah. It is not intimated that those scenes were to close, or to be exhausted -in that age. They may pre- cede that great day of the Lord which is yet to come in view of the w'hole earth. ^ That great and notable day of the laord. This is called the great day of the Lord because on tnat ds/ he will be signally manifested, more impressively and strik- ingly tlan on other times. The ^*jTd notable, l-t-xv^, means signal, illustrioiis, distinguished. In Joel the W'Ord is terri- ble, or fearful; a word applicable to days of calamity, and trial, and judgment. The Greek word here rendered notable, is also in the Septuagint frequently used to de- note calamity, or times of judgment. Deut X. 21. 2 Sam. vii. 23. This will apply to any day in which God signally manifests himself; but particularly to a day when he shall come forth to pimish men, as at the destruction of Jerusalem, Or at the day of judgment. The meaning is. that thos« nonders should take place before iha/
St*
THL ACTS.
[A. I). t<8
Ab d it shall come -o pass, that
• I's.JG $. Ko.10.13. lCor.I.2. He.4.16.
distinguished day should arrive when God should come' forth in judgment.
21. Whosoever shall call. lu the midst of these wonders and dangers, whosoever should call on the Lord should be deli- vered (Joel). The name of the Lord is the same as the Lord himself. It is a Hebraism, signifying to call on the Lord. Ps. Ixxix. 6. Zech. xui. 9. IT Shall be saved. In Hebrew, shall be delivered, i. e. from impending calamities. When they threaten, and God is coming forth to judge them, it shall be that those who are characterized as those who call on the Lord, shall be delivered. This is eqiially true at all times. It is remarka- ble that no Christians perished in the siege of Jerusalem. Though more than a million of Jews perished, yet the fol- lowers of Christ who were there, having been v\'amed by him, when they saw the signs of the Romans approaching, withdrew to j^lia, and were preserved. S. it shall be in the day of judgment. All whose character it has been that they called on God, will then be saved. While the wicked shall then call on the rocks and the mountains to shelter them from the Lord, those who have invoked his favour and mercy shall then faid deli- verance. The use which Peter makes of this passage is this: Calamities were about to come ; the day of judgment was approaching ; they were passing through the last days of the earth's history; and theref()re it became them to call on the name of the Iv^rd, and to obtain deliver ance from the dangers which impended over the guilty. There can be little doubt that Peter intended to ai)ply this to the Messiah, and that by the name of the I^ird he meant the Lord Jesus. See 1 Cor. i. 2. Paul makes the same use of the pas.'^age, expressly applying it to the Ltrd Jesus Christ. Rom. x. ¥3, 14. In Jool, the word translated Lord is Jkho- VAH, the incommunicable and peculiar namf! of God ; and the use of the passage hcihrn us in the New Testament, shows how the apostles rogar(le<l the Lord Jesus Clirist ; and proves that they had no hesi- mtion in applying to him names and attri- butes which could belong to no one but fiod.
This verse teaches us, 1. That in pros- pect of the judgments of God which are U) come, we should make preparation. Wo shall be railed to pass through the closing scene of this earth; the t!mc when
whosoever " sha 1 call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.
the sun shall be turned into darkness, ana the moon into blood, and when the great day of the Lord shall come. 2. It is easy to be saved. All that God requires of us is to call tipdn hun, to pray to him, to a*k him, and he will answer and save. If men will not do so easy a thing as to call on God, and ask him fur salvation, it is obviously proper that they should be cast ofl' 1'he terms of salvation could not be made plainer or easier. The offer is wide, free, universal, and there is no obstacle but what exists in the heart of the sinner. And from this part of Peter's vindication of the scene on the day of Pentecost, we may learn also, 1. That revivals of reli- gion are to be expected as a part of the history of the Christian church. He speaks of God's pouring out his Spirit, <fec. as w hat was to take place ?>t the last days. i. e. in the indehnite and large tract of tiu.e which was to come under the ad- ministration of the Messiah. His remarks are by no means limited to the day of Pentecost. They are as applicable to future periods as to that time ; and we are to expect it as a part of Christian his- tory, that the Holy Spirit will be sen! down to awaken and convert men 2. This will also vindicate revivals fi-om all the charges which have ever been brought against them. All the objections of irregularity, extravagance, wildfire, enthusiasm, disorder, «kc. which have been alleged against revivals in modern times, might have been brought with equal propriety against the scene on the day of Pentecost. Yet an ajK)stle showed that that was in accordance with the pre- dictions of the Old Testament, and waa an undoubted work of the Holy Spirit. If that work could be vindicated, then modern revivals may be If that waa really liable to no objections on these ac- counts, then modern works of grace should not be objected to for the same things. And if that excited deep interest in the apostles; if thev felt dee|) concern to vindicate it from the charge brought against it, then Christians and Christiap ministers now .«hould feel similar solici- tude to defend revivals, and not be Ibund among their revilcrs. their calumniator*, or their i<tcs. There will be eiir^niei enough of the work of the \hAy SpirU without the aid of ])rofes8ed Clirifitinns; and thill man |M)SPesse8 no enviable feel ings or character who is found with tn^ enenjies nf CJod and his CnrUt mi op,>o*
A.. D. 33.J
CHAPTER 11.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these v\'ords; Jesus of Nazaieih, a man approved of God among you by miracles " and wonders and signs,
a Jno.U.lO.n. He.2.4.
mg the mighty work of the Holy Spirit on tne human heart.
22. Ve men of Israel. Descendants of [srael or Jacob, i. e. Jews. Peter pro- ceeds now to the third part of his argu- ment, to show that Jesus Christ had been raised up; and that the scene which liad occurred was in accordance with his promise, was proof of his resurrection, and of his exaltation to be the Messiah ; and that, therefore, they should repent for their great sin in having put their own Messiah to death. IT A man approved of God^t A man who was shown or de- monslrated to have the approbation of God, or to have been sent by him. TT By miracles, and wonders, and signs. The first of these words properly means the displays of pov)er which Jesus made ; the second, the unusual or remarkable events which attended him; the third, the signs or proofs that he was from God. Toge- ther, they denote the array or series of remarkable works — raising the dead, heal- ing the sick, &c. w-hich showed that Jesus was sent from God. The proof which they furnished that he was from God w^as this, that God would not confer such pow'er on an impostor, and that therefore he w^as w^hat he pretended to be. TT Which God did by him. The Lord Jesus him- self often traced his power to do these thing* to his commission from the Father ; but he did it in such a w'ay as to show that he was closely united to him. John V. 19. 30. Peter here says that God did these works by Jesus Christ, to show that Jesus was truly sent by him, and that thereforejie had the seal and attestation of God. The same thing Jesus himself said. John v. 36, "The work which the Father hath given me to finish, the same >\'orks that 1 do, bear witness of me, that he Father hath sent me." The great works whicn God has wrought in crea- tion, as well as in redemption, he is re- presented as having done by his Son. Heb. i. 2, " By whom also he made the worlds." John i. 3. Col. i. 15—19. IT In th? midst of you. In your owTi land. It is al.so probable that many of the persons pre.-ent had been witnesses of his mira- jle^'. IT As ye yourselves also know. They ^ew it either by having witnessed them, or oy the evidence which every where Rb.>undpd of the truth *hat ne had .
which God did, by him, in the midst of yo I, as ye * yourselves also know :
23 Him, being ' delivered by the
b Jno.15.24. c Lu.22.22:24.44. c.3.18.
wrought them. The Jews, even in the tirne of Christ, did not dare to call hia miracles in question. John xv. 24. While they admitted the miracle, they attempted to trace it to the influence of Beelzebub. Matt. ix. 34. Mark iii. 22. So decided and numerous were the miracles of Jesu.s that Peter here appeals to them as hav- ing been knowTi by the Jews themselves to have been performed, and with a con- fidence that even they could not deny it Oft this he proceeds to rear his argument for the truth of his Messiahship.
23. Hiin, being delivered. VxJotci-. This word, delivered, is used commonly of those who are surrendered or delivered into the hands of enemies or adversaries It means that Jesus was surrendered, or given up to his enemies by those who should have been his protectors. Thus he was delivered to the chiefpriests. Mark x. 33. Pilate released Barabbas, and delivered Jesus to their will, Mark XV. 15. Luke xxiii. 25 ; he was delivered unto the Gentiles, Luke xviii. 32; the chiefpriests delivered him to Pilate, Matt, xxvii. 2 ; and Pilate delivered him to be crucified, Matt, xxvii. 26. John xis. 16. In this manner was the death of Jesus accomplished, by being surrendered from one tribunal to another, and one de- mand of his countrymen to another, until they succeeded in procuring his death. It may also be implied here that he was given or surrendered by God to the hands of men. Thus he is represented to have been given by God. John iii. 16. 1 John iv. 9, 10. The Syriac tianslates this, " Him, who was destined to this by the foreknowledge and will of God, you deli vered into the hands of wicked men," &c. The Arabic, " Him, delivered to you by the hands of the wicked, you receivedf, and after you had mocked him, you slew him." IT By the determinate counsel. The word translated determinate, ryi d,(iTf^iv»i, means, properly, that which is defined, marked out, or bounded; as, to mark out or define the boundary of a field, &c. See Kom. i. 1. 4. In Acts x. 42, it is translated ordained of God ; denoling liis purpose thai it should be so, i. e. that Jesus should be the judge of quick and deau. Luke xxii.22, " The Son of man goeth as it is determin- ed of him," i. e. as God has purposed w determined beforehand that he should to
JO THE ACT«.
determinate counsel ana foreknow- ledge of God, ye " have taken, and
a c.5.30.
TA. D. 3.
Acts xi. 29, " The disciples determined
to eend relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea," i. e. they resolved or pur- posed beforehand to do it. Acts xvii. 26, "God .... hath delennined the times before appointed and fixed," &c. In all these Dlaces there is the idea of a -purpose, or intention, or plan imjilying intention, and marking out or fixing the boundaries to some future action or event. The word implies that the c 3ath cf Jesus was re- solved on by God before it took j)lace. And this truth is established by all the predictions made in the Old Tostami||t, and by the Saviour himself God was not compelled to give up his Son. There was no claim on him for it. And he had a right, therefore, to determine when and how it should be done. The fact, more- over, that this was predicted, shows that it was fixed or resolved on. No event can be foretold, evidently, unless it be certain that it will take place. The event, therefore, must in some way be fixed or resolved on beforehand. II Counsel. <Soux;;. This word properly denotes pur- pose, decree, will. It expresses the act of the mind in willing, or the purp^of^e or de- sign which is fornied. Here it means the purpose or will of God ; it was his plan or decree that Jesus should be delivered. Acts iv. 28, " For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel (h ^ovKy, o-tu) deter- mined before to be done." Eph. i. 11, ■' Who worketh all things after the coun- sel of liis own will." Ileb. vi. 17, " God,
willing to show the immutability
of his counsel." See Acts xx. 27. 1 Cor. iv. 5. Luke xxiii. 51. The word here, therefore, proves that Jesus was deliver- ed by the deliberate purpose o^ God ; that it was according to his previous in- tention and design. The reason why this was insisted on by Peter, was, that he might convince the Jews that Jcsiis was not delivered by weakness, or because he was unable to rescue himself Such an opinion would have been inconsistent with the belief that he was the Messiah. It was important, then, to assert the dig- nity of Jesus, and to show that his death was in accordance with the fixed design of God ; and therefore, that it did not interfere in the least with his claims to be the Messinh. The same thing our Sa- vio\ir lins himsolfexpresslvnnirmed. John iix. 10, 11 ; x. Id Matt. xxvi. b\l H Vore- hmwlfitlge. This word denotes the seeing
* by wicked hands have crucifitiv and slain :
b Matt.2''.
beforehand of an event yet to take place It implies, 1. Omniscience; and 2. Thai the event is fixed and certain. To fore- see a conUngent event, that is, to foresee that an event will take place, when i\ may or may not take place, is an alv surdity. Foreknowledge, therefore, im- plies that for some reason the event wili certainly take place. What tliat reason is, the word itself does not determine. As, however. God is represented in the Scrip- tures as purposing or determinnig future events , as they could not be foreseen by him unless he had so deterniuied, so the \vord sometimes is used in the sense of determining beforehand, or as synony- mous with decreeing, llom. viii. 159; xi. 2. In this place the word is used to denote that the delivering up of Jesus was some- thing more than a bare or naked decree. It implies that God did it according to his foresight of what would be the best time, and place, and manner of its being done. It was not the result merely of will ; it was will directed by a wise foreknow- ledge of what would be best. And this is the case with all the decrees of God. It follows from this, that the conduct of the Jews was foreknown. God was not disai)pointed in any thing respecting their treatment of his Son. Nor will he be disappointed in any of the doings of men Notwilhstanding the wickedness of the world, his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure. Isa. xlvi. 10. IF Ye have taken. See Matt. xxvi. 57. Ye Jeit)s have taken. It is possible that some were i)rescnt on this occasion who had been personally concerned in taking Je- sus; and m;my who had joined in the cry, "Cruciiy Iiim." Luke xxiii. 18 — 21. It was, at any rate, the act of the Jeuish people by which this had been done. This was a striking instance of the fidelity of that i)reaching which says, as Nadian did to David, "Thou art the man!" Peter, once so timid that he denied his Lord now charged this atrocious rrinie on hia countrymen, regardless of their anger and his own danger. lie did not deal in gene ral accusations, but brought the charge* home, and declared that they were the men who had been concerned i'.i this amazing crime. No jircaching can be siiccossrul that does not charge on men their personal guilt; and that does not lcar!(>ssly proclaim their ruin and danger ir W'iih virkrd hands, (ireek, " through
A. D. 33
CHAPTER II.
41
or by the hands of the lawless, or wick- ed."' This refers, doubtless, to Pilate and the Roman soldiers, through whose in- etrumentality this had been done. The reasons for supposing that this is the true interpretation of the passage are these: (1.) The Jews had not the power of in- flicting death themselves. (2.) The term used here, wicked, 'xvifi-j^v, is not appUca- l.le to the Jews, but to the Romans. It properly means lawless, or those who had not the law, and is often applied to the iaeathen. Rom. ii. 12. 14. 1 Cor. ix. 21. (3.) The punishment which was inllicted was a Roman punishment. (4.) It was a matter of fact, that the Jews, though they had condemned him, yet had not put him to death thems<^lves, but had demanded it of the Romaas. But though they had em- ployed the Romans to do it, still they were the prime movers in the deed ; thev had plotted, and compassed, and demand- ed his death,- and they were therefore not the less guilty. The maxim of the ■common law, and of common sense, is, ' he who does a deed by the instrumen- tality of at.other, is responsible for it." It was from no merit of- the Jews that they had not put him to death themselves. It was simply because the power was taken away from them. ^ Have crucified. Greek, '.' having affixed him to the cross, ye have put him to death." Peter here charges the crime fully on them. Their guilt was not diminished because they had employed others to do it. — From this we may remark, 1. That this was one of the most amazing and aw-ful crimes that could be charged on any men. It was •analice, and treason, and hatred, and mur- der combined. Nor was it any common murder. It was their own Messiah whom they had put to death ; the hope of their fathers ,• he who had been long promised by God, and the prospect of whose com- ing had so long cheered and animated the nation They had now imbrued their nands in his blood, and stood charged with the awful crime of having murdered the Prince of Peace. 2. It is no mitiga- tion of guilt that we do it by the instru- mentality of others. It is often, if not elways, a deepening and extending of the crime. 3. We have here a striking and glear instance of the doctrine that the de- crees of God do not interfere with the free agency of men. This event was certainly determined beforehand. Nothing is clearer than this. It is here expressly asserted ; and it had been foretold with undeviating certainty by the prophets. God had, for wise and gracious purposes, purposed or decreed in his own muid that
B 2
I his Son should die at the tmie, and in the manner in which he did • for all the cir- cumstances of his death, as well as of his birth and his life, were foretold. And yet, in this the Jews and the RomajM never supposed or alleged that they w^ore compelled or cramped in what they did. They did what they chose. If in this case the decrees of God were not inconsistent with human freedom, neither can they be in any case. Between those decrees and the freedom of man there is no inconsis- tency, unless it could be shown — what never can be — that God compels men to act contrary to their own will. In that case there could be no freedom. But that is not the case with regard to the decrees of God. An act is what it is in itself ; it can be contemplated and measured by itself That it v,as foreseen, forehiown, or purposed, does not alter its nature and more than it does that it be remembered after it is performed. The memory of what we have done does not destroy our Ireedom. Our own purposes in relation to our conduct do not destroy our free- dom ,• nor can the purposes or designs of any other being violate one free moral action, unless he compels us to do a thing against our will. 4. VVe have here a proof that the decree of God does not take away the moral character of an ac- tion. It does not prove that an acnon is innocent if it is shown that it is a part of the wise plan of God to permit it. Never was there a more atrocious crime than the crucifixion of the Son of God. And yet it was determined on in the divine coun- sels. So with all the deeds of human guilt. The purpose of God \o permit them does not destroy their nature or make them innocent. They are what they are in themselves. The purpose of God does not change their character; and if it is right to punish them in fact, they will be punished. If it is right for God to punish them, it was right to resolve to do it And the sinner must answer for his sins, not for the plans of his Maker ; nor can he take shelter in the day of wrath against what he deserves in the plea that God haa determined future events. If any men could have done it, it would have been those whcm Peter addressed ; yet neither he nor they felt that their guilt was in the least diminished by the fact that Jesua was " delivered by the determinate coun sel and foreknowledge of God." 5. If this event was predetermined ; if that act ot amazing wickedness, when the Son of God was put to death, was fixed by tlie deter- minate counsel of God, then all the eventa leadinar to it. and the circumstances afr
13
THE ACTS.
[A. I). 33
24. ^^hoiii " («od hath raised up, fiaving loosed the pains of death : because it was not possible '' that
oLu.24. c.13.30 34. lCor.6.14. Ep.l.aO. Col.2.12. ITh.1.10. neb.13.20. llV.t.1.2!. b Jno-lO-lS.
tending it, were also a partof tlie decree. Tlie one coulil not be determined without the other. 0. If that event was deter- mined, then otlicrs may be also consist- ently with liumaa freedom and responsi- oiUly. There can be no deed of wicked- ness that shall surpass that of crucifying the Son of God. And if the acts of his murderers were a part of the wise coun- sel of God, then on the same pruiciple are we to suppose that all events are under his direction, and ordered by a purpose infinitely wise and good. 7. If the Jews could not take shelter from the charge of wickedness under the plea that it was foreordained, then no sinners can do it. This was as clear a case as can ever oc- cur; and yet the apostle did not intimate that an excuse or mitigation lor their sin could be plead from tliis cause. This tase, therefore, meets all the excuses of einners from this plea, and proves that those excuses will not avail them or save them in the day of judgment.
24. Whom Gofl hath raised up. This was the main pohit, in this part of his ar- ?iiment, which Peter wished to establish. fie could not but admit that the Messiah lad been in an ignominious manner put ,o death. But he now shows them that Gixl had also raised him up; had thus (^iven his attestation to his doctrine; and rtad sent down his Spirit according to the promise which the Lord Jesus made be- fore his death. ^ Having loosed the pains of death. The word loosed, kWx;, is op- posed to bind, and is properly applied to a cord, or to any thing whic-h is bound. See Matt. xxi. 2. Mark i. 7. Hence it means to free, or lo liberate. Luke xiii. 16. 1 Cor. vil. 27. It is used in this sense liero; though the idea oCunti/ing or loos- ing a band is retained, because the word translated pains often means a cord or band. If The pains of death. coJi.*? toO ^at/iruu. The word translated pains de- notes properly the extreme sufferings of parturition, and then any severe or excru- ciating pangs. Hence it is applied also to death, as being a state of extreme suffer- ing. A very frecpient meaning of the He- Brew word, of vvliich this is llie transla- tion, is cord, or band. Tiiis perhajw was Iho original idea of the word ; and the Hebrews expressed any extreme agony under the idea of bands or curds closely trawn .linding and constricting the
he should he holden of it.
25 For David speaketh*^ concern ing him, I foresaw the Lord always
cPs. 16.8-11.
limbs, and producing severe pain. Thus death was represented under this image of a band that confined men ; diat pressed closely on them ; that prevented escape ; and produced severe suffering. For thia use of the word hy^, sec Ps. cxi.x. 61 Isa. Ixvi. 7. Jer. xxii. 23. Hos. xiii. 13. It is ap- plied to death (Ps. xviii. 5), "The snarea of death prevented me ;" answering to the word sorrows in the previous part of the Averse. Ps. cxvi. 3, " The sorrows of death compa.ssed me, and the pains of hell {hades, or sheol, the cords or pains that were binding me down to the grave) gal hold on me." We are not to infer from this that our Lord suffered any thing after death. It means simply that he could not be held by the grave, but that God loosed the bonds which had held him there, ana that he now set him free w ho had been encompa-ssed by these pains or bonds, until they had brought him down to the grave Pain, mighty pain, will encompass us all like the constrictions and bindings of a cord which we cannot loose, and will fasten our limbs and Ixxlies in the grave Those bands begin to be thrown around us in early life, and they are drav\Ti clo.ser and closer, until we lie panting under the stricture on a bed of pain, and then are still and immoveable in the grave; sub- dued in a manner not a little resembling the mortal agonies of the tiger in the con- volutions of the boa constrictor; or like Laocoon and his sons in the folds of the serpents from the island of Tenedoa 1l II was not ])0ssible. This does not refei to any nainral impossibility, or to any in- herent cflkacy or iwwer in the body of Jesus itself; but simply means that in the circumstances of the case such an evenl could not he. U'Aj/ it coulil not be, he proceeds at once to show. It could not be consistently with the promises of the Scrijitures. Jesus was the Prince of life (Acts iii. 15), and had life in himself (John i. 4 ; V. 26), and had power to lay dowii his life, and to take it again (John x. 18) ; and it wa.s indispensable that he shoidd rise. He came, also, that through death he might dcRtroy liim that had the jwwer of dcaih. that is,, the devil (Hcb. ii. 14); and as it was his purix)se to pain this vie* tory, ho could not bo defeated in it by beini: confined to the grave.
25—28. For David sprahcth, &c. Thi« doctrine vhat the Messiah must rise from
*.. D. 33.J
CHAPTER n.
rs
i^efore ray face ; for he is on my fight hand, that 1 should not be moved :
the dead, Peter pioceeds to prove by a quotation from the Old Testament. This passage is taken from Psalm xvi. 8 — 11. it is made from the Greek version of the Septuagint, with only one slight and un- important change. Nor is there any ma- terial change, as will be seen, from the Hebrew. In what sense this Psalm can be applied to Christ will be seen after we have examined the expressions which Peter alleges. IF I foresaw the Lord. This is an unhappy translation. To foresee the Lord always" before us conveys no idea, though it may be a literal translation of the passage. The word ipeans to foresee, and then to see before zis, that is, as pre- sent, with us, to regard as being near. It thus implies to put confidence in one ,• to rely on him, or expect assistdnce from him. This is its meaning here. The He- brew is, I expected, or waited for. It thus expresses the petition of one who is help- less and dependent, who waits for help from God. It is often thus used in the Old Testament. IT Always before my face. As being always present to help me, and to deliver me out of all my troubles. V He is on my right hand. To be at hand is to be near to afford help. The right hand is mentioned because that was the place of dignity and honour. And David did not design simply to say that he was near to help him, but that he had the place of honour, the highest place in his affections. Ps. cix. 31. In our depend- ence on God we should exalt him. We should not merely regard him as our help, but should at the same time give him the highest place in our affections. T That I should not be moved. That is, that no great evil or calamity should happen to me, that I may stand firm. The phrase denotes to sink into calamities, or to fall into the power of enemies. Ps. Ixii. 2. 6 ; xlvi. 6. This expresses the confidence of one who is in danger of great calamities and who puts his trust in the help of God alone
26. Therefore Peter ascribes these expressions "to the Messiah. The reason why he would exult or rejoice was, that he woujd be preserved amidst the sor- rows that were coming on him, and could look forward to the triumph that awaited him. Thus Paul says (Heb. xii. 2), that 'Jesus . . . .for the joy that was set before kim, endured the cross, despising the ihame." &c And throughout the New
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tong-ue was glad ; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope :
Testament, the shame and sorrow of His sufferings were regarded as cormected with his glory and his triumph. Lukfl xxiv. 26. Phil. ii. 6—9. Eph. i. 20, 21. In this, our Saviour has left us an example, that Vve should walk in his steps. Th« prospect of future glory and triumph should sustain us amid all afPiictions, and make us ready, like him, to lie down amid even the corruptions of the grave. ^ Did my heart rejoice. In the Hebrew this is in the preserit tense, " my heart rejoices." The word heart here expresses the person, and is the same as saying I rejoice. The Hebrew's used the diflerent members to express the person. And thus we say, " every sotd perished ; the vessel had forty hands ; wise heads do not think so : hearts of steel will not flinch," &c. Frof. Stuart on the xvith Psalm. The meaning is, because God is near me in time of ca- lamity, and will support and deliver me I will not be agitated or fear, but wil^ exult in the prospect of the future, in view of the "joy that is set before me." ^ My tongue was glad. Hebrew, My glory, or my honour exults. The word is used to denote majesty, splendour, dig- nity, honour. It is also used to express the heart or soma, either flicause that ia the chief source of man's dignity, or be- cause the word is also expressive of the liver, regarded by the Hebrews as the seat of the affections. Gen. xlix. 6, " Unto their assembly, m,ine honour,'' i. e. my soul, or myself " be not thou united." Ps Ivii. 8, " Awake up, my glory," &c. Ps,
cviii. 1, "I wiU sing even W"ith my
glory." This word the Septuagint trans- lated tongue. The Arabic and Latin Vul- gate have also done the same. Why they thus use the word is not clear. It may be because the tongue, or the gift of speech, was that which chiefly contributes to the honour of man, or distinguishes him from the brutal creation. The word glory is flred expressly for tongue in Ps. xxx. 12 ; " To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent." IT More- over also. Truly ; m addition to this. IT My flesh. My body. See ver 31. 1 Cor V. 5. It means here properly the body separate from the soul ; the dead body. TT Shall rest. Shall rest or repose m the grave, free from corruption. ir In hope. In confident expectation of a resurrecUon. The Hebrew word rather expresses con- fidence th£^n hope The passage mean*
44
•ITK ACTS.
A. D. 33
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou
My body will I commit to the grave, ^itn a confident expectation of the fu- ture, that is, with a firm behef that it will not see corruption, but will be raised up.' It thus expresses the feelings of the dying Messiah; the assured confidence which he had that his repose in the grave would not be long, and would certainly come to an end. The death of Christians is also in the New Testament represented as a sleep, and as repose (Acts vii. GO. 1 Cor. XV. 6. 18. 1 Thess. iv. 13. 15. 2 Pet. iii. 4); and they may also, after the example of their Lord, commit their bodies to the dust, in hope. They shall lie in the grave under the assurance of a happ^ resurrec- tion ; and though their bodies, unlike his, shall moulder to their native dust, yet this corruptible shall put on incorruplion, and this mortal shall put on immortality, i Cor. XV. 53.
27. Thou wilt not leave my sotd. The word soul, with us, means the thinking, the immortal part of man, and is applied to it whether existing in connexion with the body, or whether separate from it. I'he Hebrew word translated soul, here, ^CDJ, naphshi, however, may mean. My spirit, my mind, my life ; and may denote here nothing more than me, or myself. It means, pr(^rly, breath; then life, or the vital principle, a living being; then the soul, the spirit, the thinking part. Instances where it is put l()r the indivi- dual himself, meaning " me," or " myself," may be seen in Ps. xi. 1 ; xxxv. 3. 7. Job
x. 21. There is no clear instance in which it is applied to the soul in its sepa- rate state, or disjoined from the body. In this place it must be explained in jiart by the meaning of the word ML If that means grave, then this word probably means "me;" thou wilt not leave me in the grave. The meaning probably is, 'Thou wilt not leave me in Sheol, nei- ther,' &c. The word leave here means, •Thou wilt not resign me to, or wilt not give mo over to it, trn bo held und# it.s pf.wer.' In hell. «/; -^'v. The word t-ell, in English, now commonly denotes the place of the future eternal punish- ment of the wicked. Tliis sense it has ac(|uired by long usage. It is a Saxon word, derived from Ar/a/j, to cover; and denotOH lilorally, a covered or deep place {Wrhsler); tlicn the dark and dismal al)odo of doparlod spirilH ; and then the place of tomieiU. As the word is used nniD bv VIS. it bv no means expresses the
suffer thine Holy One to see coi ruption.
force of the original ; and if with thit idea we read a passage like the one be fore us, it would convey an erroneous meiining altogether; although /orr«er/j the luiglish word perhaps expressed no more than the original. The Greek word Hades means literally a place devoid of light; a dark, obscure abode; and in Greek writers was applied to the dark and obscure regions where disembodied spirits were supposed to dwell. It occurs but eleven times in the New Testament. In this place it is the translation of the Hebrew, ^heol. In Rev. xx. 13, 14, it is connected with rfea^A. "And death and hell (Hades) d^vered up the dead which were in them. "And death and hell (Hades) were cast into the lake of fire." See also Rev. vi. 8. i. 18, "I have the keys of h«ll and of death." In 1 Cor. xv 55, it means the grave. "O grave (Hades\ where is thy victory ?" In Alatt. xi. 23, it means a deep, profound place, opposed to an exalted one ; a condition of calamity and degradation opposed to former great prosperity. "Thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to helV (Hades). In Luke xvi. 23, it is applied to the place where the rich man was after death, in a state of punish- ment. " In hell (Hades) he lifted up hia eyes, being in tormerits." In this place it is connected with the idea of suffering; and undoubtedly denotes a place of pu nishment. TheSeptuagint has used this word commonly to translate the word Sheol. Once it is used as a translation of the phrase "the stones of the pit" (Isa. xiv. i'J) ; twice to express silence, particii larly tlie silence of the grave (Ps. xciv. 17 ; cxv. 17) ; once to express the Hebrew f<)r "the shadow of death" (Job xxxviii. 17); and sixti/ times to translate the word Sheol. It is" remarkable that it is vevcr used in the Old Testament to denote the word kcber, nap, which properly denotes a grave or sepulchre. The idea which was conveyed by the word Sheol, or Hades, was not projicrly a grave or sepid chrr, but that dark, iniknown state, ?«• chiding the grair, which conslitul.ed tlie dominioiiH of the dead. What idea the Hebrews had of the future world, it is now difficult to explain, and is not neces- sary in the case i)of()ro us. The word originally denoting simivly the slate of the dea<I,the insatiable demands »yf Ilie grave, cnme at last to lie extended in it3 mean- ing. Ill pn)i)ortion as they received new
A. D. 3d. i
CHAPTER ii.
15
revelations or formed new opinions about the future world. Perhaps the following may be the process of thought by which the word came to have the peculiar meanings which it is found to have in the Old Testament. (1.) The word deatli, and the grave (^kiber), would express the abode of a deceased body in the earth. (2.) Man hfis a soul, a thinking principle ; and the inquiry iiiust arise, w'hat will be its state ? Will it die also? The Hebrews never appear to have believed that. Will it as- cend to heaven at once i On that subject they had at first no knowledge. Will it go at once to a place of torment ? Of that also they had no information at first. Yet they supposed it would live ; and tlie word Sheol expressed just this state — the dark, unknown regions of the dead ; the abode of spirits, whether good or bad ; the residence of departed men, whether fixed in a permanent habitation, or whe- ther wandering about. As they were ignorant of the size and spherical struc- ture of the earth, they seem to have sup- posed this region to be situated in the earth, far below us ; and hence it is put in opposition to heaven. Ps. cxxxix. 8, " If I ascend to heaven, thou art there ; if I make my bed in hell (Sheol), thou art there." Amos ix. 2. The most com- mon meaning of the word is, therefore, to express those dark regions, the lower world, the region of ghosts, &c. Iiostances of this, almost without number, might be given. See a most strildng and sublime instance of this in Isa. xiv. 9. " Hell from beneath is moved to meet thee," &c. ; where the assembled dead are repre- sented as being agitated in all their vast regions at the death of the king of Baby- lon. (3.) The inquiry could not but arise, whether all these beings were happy ? This point revelation decided ; and it was decided in the Old Testament. Yet this \vord would better express the state of the wicked dead, than the righteous. It conveyed the idea of darkness, gloom, wandering ; the idea of a sad and unfixed abode, unlike heaven. Hence the word sometimes expresses the idea of a place of punishment. Ps. ix. 17, " The wicked shall be turned into hell,'' &c. Prov. xv. II; xxiii. 14; xxvii. 20. Job xxvi. 6.— While, therefore, the word does not mean properly a grave or a sepulchre, yet it loes mean often the slate of the dead, vithout designating whether in happi- ness or wo, but implying the continued ,«istence of the soul. In this sense it is ften used in the Old Testament, where ^e Hebrew word is Sheol, and the Greek Hades. Gen xxxvii. 35, " I will go dovvio.
into the grave, unto my son, mourning. I will go downi to the dead, to death, ta ray son, still there existing, xlii. 38 ; xliv. 29, " He shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave." Num. xvi. 30 33. 1 Kings ii. 6. 9, &c. &c. In the place before us, therefore, the meaning is sim ply, thou will, not leave me among thk DEAD. This conveys all the idea. It does not mean literally the grave or the »epul chre ; that relates only to the body. This expression refers to the deceased Messiah Thou wilt not leave him among tlie dead ; thou wilt raise him up. It is from thia passage, perhaps, aided by two others (Rom. X. 7, and 1 Pet. iii. 19), that the doctrine originated, that Christ " descend- ed," as it is expressed in the creed, " hitc hell ;" and many have invented strange opinions about his going among lost spi- rits. The doctrine of the Roman Catholic church has been, that he went to jjurga tory, to deliver the spirits confined there. But if the interpretation now given be correct, then it will follow, (1.) That no- thing IS affirmed here about the destina- tion of the human soul of Christ after his death. That he went to the region of the dead is implied, but nothing further. (2.) It may be remarked that the Scriptures affirm nothing about the state of his soul in that time which intervened between his death and resurrection. The only in- timation which occurs on the subject is such as to leave us to suppose thai he was in a state of happiness. To the dying thief Jesus said, " This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Luke xxiii. 43. When Jesus died he said, " It is fmished ;" and he doubtless meant by that, that his sufferings and toils for man's redemption were at an end. All suppositions of any toils or pams after his death are fables, and without the slightest warrant in the New Testament, 'l^ Thine holy One. The word in the Hebrew which is translated here holy one, properly denotes one who is tenderly and piously devoted to ano- ther ; and answers to the expression used in the New Testament, " my beloved Son." It is also used as it is here by the Septua gint, and by Peter, to denote one that is holy, that is set apart to God. In this senne it is applied to Christ, either as being set apart to this oflice, or as so pure as to make it pioper to designate him by w^ay of eminence the holy One, or the holy One of God. It is several times used as the well-known designation of the Messiah. Mark i. 24, " I know thee, who thou art, the holy One of God." Luke iv. 34. Aft« iii. 14, "But ye denied the hcly One, ann the just," &f'. See also Luke •. 3r>, "Thai
J6
VU\: ACTS.
[A D. a
'2S Thou hast made known to me the ways of life ; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, ' let me
» or, I may.
holy thing that is born of thee shall be railed the Son of God." II To see corrup- tion. To see corruption is to experience it, to be made partakers of it. The He- brews often expressed the idea of experi- encing any thing by the use of words pertaining to the senses ; as, to taste of death, to see death, &c. Corruption here means putrefaction in the grave. The word which is used in the Psalm, nnB', g/iahath, is thus used in Job xvii. 14, "I have said to corruption, thou art my fa- ther," &c. The Greek word thus used projjerly denotes this. Thus it is used in Acts xiii. 34, 35, 3G, 37. This meaning would be properly suggested by the He- brew word ; and thus the ancient ver- sions understood it. The meaning implied in the expression is, that he of whom the Psalm was written should be restored to life again; and this meaning Peter pro- ceeds to show that the words must have. 28. Thou hast made known, &c. The Hebrew is, " Thou wilt make known to ine," &c. In relation to the Messiah, it means. Thou wilt restore me to life. IT The vxiy of life. This properly means the path to life ; as we say, the road to preferment or honour; X\\q path to happi- ness ; the highway to ruin, <ic. See Prov. vii. 26, 27. It means, thou wilt make Known to me life itself, i. e. thou wilt restore me to lifb. Tlie expressions in the Psalm are capable of this interpreta- tion without doing any violence to the text; and if the preceding verses refer to the death and burial of the Messiah, then the natural and proper meaniag of this is, that he would be restored to life again. IT Thou hast made me full of joy. This expresses the feelings of the Messiah in view of the favour that would thus be showed him ; the resurrection from the dead, and the elevation to the right hand of God. It was this which is represented us sustaining him — the prosj)cct of the joy that was bcflire him, in heaven. Hob. lii. 2. K|)h. i. 20—22. IT With thjf coun- tenance. Literally, " with thy face," that IB, in thy presence. The words cnnnte- nancc and jtresence mean the same thing; and (IcikJo favour, or the honour and haj»[»in('ss [trovided by [ifiiig admitted to Jhe |ircscnce of Goil. 'J'ho prospect of the honour that would Ik- bestowed on *4i9 IVie««iah, wa» that which f<u8tained
freely speak unto you of the patri* arch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
him. And this proves that the person contemplated in the Psalm expected to be raised from the dead, and exalted to the presence oi Goil. Tliat expectation is new fulfilled ; and the Messiah is now filled with joy in his exaltation to the throne of the universe. He has " ascended to his Father and our Father;" he is "seated at the right hand of God ;" he has entered on that "joy w'hich was set before him ;" he is "crowned with glory and honour;" and " all things are put under his feet." In view of this, we may remark, (1.) That the Messiah had full and confident ex- pectation that he would rise from the dead. This the Lord Jesus always evinced, and often declared it to his dis- ciples. (2.) If the Saviour rejoiced in view of the glories before him, we should also. We should anticipate with joy an everlasting dwelling in the presence of God, and the high honour of sitting " with him on his throne, as he overcame, and is set down with the Father on his throne." (3.) The prospect of this should sustain us, as it did him, in the midst of persecu- tion, calamity, and trials. They will soon be ended ; and if we are his friends, we shall "overcome," as he did, and be ad- mitted to " the fulness of joy" above, and to the "right hand" of God, "where are pleasures for evermore."
29. Men and brethren. This passage of the Psalms Peter now proves could not relate to David, but must have reference to the Messiah. He begins his argument in a resjieclful manner, addressing thera as his brethren, though they had just charged him and the others with intoxi- cation. Christians should use the usiia respectful forms of salutation, whateve contempt and reproaches they may meet with from ojijwsers. ir Let me freely s/k^ak. That is, 'It is lawful or proper to s pea !• wilii boldness, or openly, respecting Da vid.' Though ho was eminently a pioua man ; tliough venerated by us all as a king ; vet it is ])roper to say of han, tnal he is (load, and has returned to corrup lion. Tins was a delicate way of expreK*. ing high respect for the monarch whom they all honoured; and yet evincing bold- ness in examining a jmssage of Scripture which proliiibly many t^up|iosrd to have rfforence solely to him. IT Of the pa'ri arch David The word patriarch pre per' v
A. J). 33.
CHAPTER 11.
47
30 Therefore being " a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn * with an oath *= to him, that of the
a2Sa.23.2. 6 2,Sa.7.12,I3. P8.132.ll c He.5.17.
means the head or ruler of a family ; and ihen the founder of a family, or an illus- trious ancestor. It was commonly applied to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, &c. by way of eminence; the illustrious founders of the Jewish nation. Heb. vii. 4. Acts vii. 8, 9. It was also applied to the heads of the families, or the chief men of the tribes of Israel. 1 Chron. xxiv. 31. 2 Chron. xix. 8, &c. It was thus a title of honour, denot- ing high respect. Applied to David, it means that he was the illustrious head or founder of the royal family, and implies Peter's intention not to say any thing dis- respectful of such a king ; at the same time that he freely canvassed a passage of Scripture which had been supposed to refer to him. IT Dead and buried. The record of that fact they had in the Old Testament. There had been no pretence that he had risen, and therefore the Psalm ©ould not apply to him. IT His sepulchre is with us. Is in the city of Jerusalem. Sepulchres were commonly situated with- out the walls of cities and the limits of villages. The custom of burying in towns was not commonly practised. This was true of other ancient nations as well as the Hebrews, and is still in eastern coun- tries, except in the case of kings and very distinguished men, whose ashes are permitted to repose within the walls of a city. 1 Sam. xxviii. 3, " Samuel was dead .... and Israel .... buried him in Ramah, in his own city." 2 Kings xxi. 18, " Ma- nasseh . . . . was buried in the garden of his own house.'' 2 Chron. xvi. 14, " Asa was buried in the city of David." 2 Kings xiv. 20. The sepulchres of the Hebrew kings were on mount Zion. 2 Chron. xxi. 20 , xxiv 25 ; xxviii. 27 ; xxxii. 33 ; xxiv. 16 2 Kings xiv. 20. David was buried in the city of David (1 Kings ii. 10), with nis fathers, i. e. on mount Zion, where he built a city called after his name. 2 Sam. V . 7. Of what form the tombs of the kings weT'i made is not certainly known. It is alni'jst certain, however, that they would he constructed in a magnificent manner. The tombs were commonly excavations fi^m rocks, or natural caves ; and sepul- chres cut out of the solid rock, of vast ex- tent, are known to have existed. The tbllowing account of the tomb called " the Bepulohre of the kings," is abridged from Maundrell. " The approach is through in c-r.irance cut out of a solid rock, which
fruit of his loins, according to tha flesh, he would raise up Christ tu sit on his throne -
admits you into an open court aliout fortj paces square, cut dcwn into the rock. On the south side is a portiio nine paces long and four broad, hewn li tewise out of the solid rock. At the end of the portico is the descent to the sepu chres. The de scent is into a room aboi.t seven or eight yards square, cut out of he natural rock From this room there a e passages into six more, all of the same fibric with the^ first. In every one of thes ? rooms, except the first, were coffins placBd in niches in the sides of the chamber ' &:c. (Maun- drell's Travels, p. 76.) It the tombs of the kings were of this fo m, 1t is clear that they were works of gr^-at labour and expense. Probably also there were, as there are now, costly and splendid monu- ments erected to the mer.ory of the mighty dead. IF Unto this day. 'That the sepulchre of David was well known and honoured, is clear from Josephus. A;Vii|.
b. vii. c, XV. $ 3. " He (David) was buried by his son Solomon in Jerusalem with great magnificence, and with all the other funeral pomps with which kings used to be buried. Moreover, he had im- mense w^ealth buried with him: for a thousand and three hundred years after- wards, Hyrcanus the high-priest, when ho was besieged by Antiochus, and was de- sirous of giving him money to raise the siege, opened one room of David's sepul- chre, and took out three thousand talents Herod, many years afterward, opened an other room, and took away a great deal of money," &c. See also Antiq. b. xiii
c. viii. $ 4. The tomb of a monarch like David would be well known and had in reverence. Poter m.ight, then, confidently appeal to their own belief and knowledge, that David had not been raised from the dead. No Jew believed or supposed it. All, by their care of his sepulchre, and by the honour with which they regarded his grave, believed that he had retumet* to corruption. The Psalm, therefor©, could not apply to him.
30. Therefore. As David was dead and buried, it was clear that he could not have referred to himself in this re- markable declaration. It followed that he must have had reference to some other one. IT Being a prophet. One who foretold future events. That Dav id wait inspired, is clear. 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. Many of the prophecies relating (o the Messiai
iJ?
THE ACTS:
!A. JJ ;J3.
aic found m the Psalms of David. Ps. xxii. I. Comp. Matt, xxvii. 46. Luke xxiv. 44 — Ps. xxii. 18. Comp. Matt, xxvii. 35.— Ps. Ixix. 21. Comp. Matt, xxvii. 34. 48.— Ps. Ixix. 25 Comp. Acts i. 20 ir And knowing. Knowing by what God had said to him respecting his posterity. IT Had sworn with an oath. The places which speak of God as having sworn to David arc found in Ps. Ixxxix. 3, 4. "I have made a covenant with my cliosen, [ have sworn unto David my servant, Tiiy seed will I establish,"' &c. And Ps. cxxxii. 11, "The Lord hath sworn in truth ^^into David, he will not turn from it. Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon my throne." Ps. Ixxxix. 35, 36. The promise to which reference is made in all these places is in 2 Sam. vii. 11 — 16. IF 0/ the fruit of his loins. Of his descendants. See 2 Sam. vii. 12. Gen. xxxv. 11 ; xlvi. 26. 1 Kings viii. 19, &c. IT According to the flesh. That is, so far as the human nature of the Messiah was concerned, he would be descended from David. Ex-
firessions like these are very remarkable, f the Messiah was only a man, they would be unmeaning. They are never used in relation to a mere man ; and they imply that the speaker or writer supposed that there pertained to the Messiah a na- ture which was not according to the flesh. See Rom. i. 3, 4 IF He would raise up Christ. I'hat is, the Messiah. To raise up seed, or descendants, is to give them to him. The promises made to David in all tlicse |)laces had immediate reference to Solomon, and to his descendants. But it is dear that the New Testament wri- ters uiidcrslood them as referring to the Messiah. And it is no less clear that the Jews understood that the Messiah was to be descended from David. Matt. xii. 23 ; xxi. 9-; xxii. 42. 45. Mark xi. 10. John vii. 42, <fcc. In what way these promises that were made to David were understood as applying to the Messiah, it may not be easy to determine. The fact, liowever, is clear. The following remarks may throw some light on the sul)joct. The kingdom which was promised to David was to have no end ; it was to be esta- blished for ever. Yet his descendants died, and all other Idrigdoms changed. The j)romii-e likewise stood Ini itself; it was not made to any other of the Jewish kings; nor were similar deciaralicjns made of surrounding kingdoms and nations. It eame, therefi^ro, gradually to lie applied lo that fiiCjrc King and kingdom which was the hope of the nation , and their I'yes were anxiously fixed on the long- exriecled Messiah. At he t:n\t) that, he
came, it had become the settled doctnne of the Jews that he was to descend from David, and that his kingdom was to be perpetual. On this belief of the prophecy the aix)stles argued ; and the opinions of the Jews furnished a strong point by which they could convince them that Jesus was the Messiah. Peter affirms that David was aware of this, and that he so understood the promise as referring not only to Solomon, but in a far more im- portant sense to the Mes,^iah. Happily» we have a commentary of David himself also, as expressing his own views of thai promise. That comment is Ibund particu larly in the iid, xxiid, Ixixth, and xvith Psalms. In these Psalms there can be no doubt that David looked forward to the coming of tlie Messiah; and there can be as little that he regarded the promise made to him as extending to his coming and his reign.
It may be remarked, that there are some important variations in the manu scrij)ts in regard to this verse. The ex pression "according to the fle-sh" is omi> led in many MSS. and is now left out by Griesbach in his New Testament. It is omitted also by the ancient Syriac and Ethiopia versions, and by the Latin Vul- gate. IT To sit on his throne. To be his successor in his kingdom. Saul was the first of the kings of Israel. The kingdom was taken away from him and his poste- rity, and conferred on David and his de- scendants. It was determined that it should be continued in the famihj of Da- vid, and no more go out of his family, as it had from the family of Saul. The pe- culiar characteristic of David as king, oi that which distinguished him from the other kings of the earth, was, that hs reigned over the people of God. Israel was his chosen people ; and the kingdom was over that nation. Hence he that should reign over the people of God, though in a manner somewnat different from David, would be regarded as occu pying his throne, and as being his succes sor. The form of the administration might be varied, but it would still retain ita prime characteristic, as being a reign over the people of God. In this sense tlie Messiah sits on the throne of Da-^id. He is his descendant and successor. He has an empire over all the friends if the Most High. And as that kingdom is destined to (ill the earth, and to he eternal in the heavens, so it may be said that it is a kingdom which shall have no end. It i8 spiritual, but not the less real; defei«led not with carnal weawns, but not the les^ really defended ; advanced not bv tho
A. U 33.
CHAPTER 11.
-19
31 He, seeing this before, • spake I jt 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 "^ we all are witnesses.
o lPe.l.11,12. iver.24.' c Lu.24.48
sword and the din of arms, but not the less really advanced against principaUties and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places ; not under a visible head and earthly monarch, but yot less really undei the Captain of salvation, and the King of kings.
31. He, seeing this before, &c. By the spirit of prophecy. From this it appears that David had distinct views of the great doctrines pertaining to the Messiah. IF Spake, &c. See Ps. xvi. IT That his noul, &c. See Note on ver. 27.
32. This Jesus. Peter, having showTi that it was' predicted that the Messiah would rise, now affirms that it was done in the case of Jesus. If it was a matter of prophecy, all objection to the truth of the doctrine was taken away, and the only question was, whether there was evidence that this had been done. The proof of this Peter now alleges, and offers his ouTi testimony, and that of his bre- thren to the truth of this great and glori- ous fact. TT We all are witnesses. It seems probable that Peter refers here to the whole one hundred and twenty who were present, and who were ready to attest it in any manner. The matter which was to be proved was, that Jesus was seen alive after he had been put to death. The apostles were appomted to bear wit- ness of this. And we are told by Paul (1 Cor. XV. 6), that he was seen by more than five hundred brethren, i. e. Chris- tiana, at one time. The hundred and twenty assembled on this occasion were doubtless part of the number, and were ready to attest this. This was the proof that Peter alleged ; and the strength of this proof was, and should have been, perfectly irresistible. (1.) They had seen him themselves. They did not conjecture It, or reason about it ; but they had the evidence on which men act every day, and Avhich must be regarded as satisfac- tory— the evidence of their own senses. (2.) The number was such they could not be imposed on. If one hundred and twenty persons could not prove a plain matter of fact, nothing could be esta- blished by testimony ; there could be no W"uv of arriving at anv facts. S.) The
R
33 Therefore, '^ being by the right hand of God exalted, and having '' received of the Father the premise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shod forth this f which ye now see ana hear.
d c.5.31. Pb.2.9. e Jn3.1€.T,13. c.1.4, /C-IO.IE
Ep 4.8.
thing to be established was a plain mat ter. It was not tliat thoy saw him rise. That they never pretended. Impostors would have done thus. But it was that thoy saw him, talked, walked, ate, drank with him, being alive after, he had been crucified. The fa"* of his death was matter of Jewish record; and no one called it in question. The only fact for Christianity to make out was that he waa seen alive afterwards; and this was at- tested by many witnesses. (4.) They had no interest in deceiving the world in this thing. There was no prospect of plea sure, wealth, or honour in doing it. (5.* They offered themselves now as ready to endure any sufferings, or to die, hi attesta tion of the truth of this event.
33. Therefore, being by the rigid hand. The right hand among the Hebrews was often used to denote power ; and the ex- pression here means, not that he was ex alted to the right hand of God, but by his power. He was raised from the dead by his power, and borne to heaven, triumph- ant over all his enemies. The use of the word right hand to denote power is com mon in the Scriptures. Job xl. 14, " Thine own right hand can save thee." Ps. xvii. 7, " Thou savest by thy right hand them that trust in thee." Ps. xviii. 35; xx. G; xxi. 8; xliv. 3; Ix. 5, &c. IT Exalted. Con- stituted King and Messiah in heaven. Raised up from his condition of humilia- tion to the glory which he bad with the Father before the world was. John xvii. 5. And having received, &c. The Holy Ghost was promised to the disciples be- fore his death. John xiv. 26 ; xv. 26 ; xvi. 13 — ]5. It vvas expressly declared, (1.) That the Holy Ghost would not be given except the Liord Jesus should return ta heaven (John xvi. 7)i and (2.) That this gift was in the power of the Father, and that he would send him. John xiv. 26; XV. 26. This promise was now fulfilled, and those who witnessed the extraordi nary scene before them could not doubt that it was the effect of divine power IT Hath shed forth this, &c. This power of speaking different languages, and de daring the truth of the gospel. In this way Petep accounts for the remarkable
«0
THE ACTS.
3i For Uavid is not ascended Into the heavens : but he saith him- self, The Lord " said unto my Lord, iSit Ihou on my right hand,
o r».110.1. MaU.22.44.
events before them. It could not be pro- duced by new wine, ver. 15. It was ex- pressly loretold, ver. IG — 21. It was pre- dicted that Jesus would rise, ver. 22 — 31. The aix)stles were witnesses that he had risen, and that he had promised that the Holy Spirit should descend ; and the ful- filment of this promise was a rational way 'of accounting for the scene before them. It was unanswerable ; and the effect on those who witnessed it was surch as might be expected.
34, 35. For David is not ascended into tlie heavens. That is, David has not "jsen Ih)m the dead, and ascended to heaven. This further shows that Ps. xvi. could not refer to David, but must refer to the Messiah. Great as they esteemed David, and much as they were accus- tomed to apply these expressions of the Scripture to him, yet they could not be applicable to him. They must refer to Borae other being; and especially that passage which Peter now proceeds to quote. It was of great importance to show that these expressions could not ap- ply to David, and also that David bore tes^ timony to the exalted character and dig- nity of the Messiah. Hence Peter hero adduces David himself as aflirming tiiat the Messiah was to be exalted to a dig- nity far above his own. This does not afTirm that David was not saved, or that his spirit had not ascended to heaven, but that he had not been exalted in the hea- vens in the sense in which Peter was speaking of the Messiah. IT But he saith hiim^elf. Ps. ex. 1. IT The Lord. The small capitals used in translating the word Lord in the Bible, denote that the original word is Jthovah. The Hebrews regarded this as \\ie peculiar name of God, a name incommunicable to any other being. It is not applied to any being but God in the Scriptures. The Jews had such a reverence for it that they never pronounced it; but when it occurred in the Scriptures they pronounced another name, Adoui Here it means, Jehovah Raid, &c. ^ Mil Lord. This is a differ- ent word in the Hebrew: it is Adoni. ^3*1H. It jjroporly is apfilied by a servant JO his master, or a siilijrct lo his sovereign, or is used a.s n title oi' respect by an infe- rior lo a superior. It means here, ' Jeho- vah said to him whom I, David, acknow-
j_A. L>. 33 make thy foes
thj
35 Until I footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that <= God
ledge to be my superior and sovereign. Thus, though he regarded him as his de scendant according to the flesh, yet he regarded him also as his superior ano Lord. By reference to this passage oui Saviour confounded the Pharisees. Matt xxu. 42 — 46. That tlie passage m this Psalm refers to the Messiah is clear. Ou. Saviour, in Matt. xxii. 42, expressly ap- plied it thus, and in such a manner as to show that this was the well-understood doctrine of the Jews. See ]\otes on Matt, xxii. 42, &c.
36. Therefore, let all, &c. ' Convinced by the prophecies ; by our testimony, and by the remarkable scene exhibited on the day of Pentecost ; let all be convinced that the true Messiah has come, and has been exalted to heaven.' tr House of Is- rael. The word house often means famili/; let all the family of Israel, i. e. all the na- tion of the Jews, know this. IT Know as- suredly. Be assured, or know without any hesitation, or possibility of mistake This is the sum of his argument, or his discourse. He had established the pointa which he purposed to prove ; and he now applies it to his hearers. U God hath made. God hath appointed, or constituted. See ch. V. 31. IT That same Jesus. The very person who had suffered. He was raised with the same body, and had the same soul ; was the same being, as distinguished from all others. So Christians, in the re- surrection, will be the satne beings that they were before they died. TT ]Vhom ye crucified. See ver, 23. There was no- thing better fitted to show them the guilt of having done this, than the argument which Peter used. He showed them tliat God had sent him; that he was the Mes- siah ; that God had showed his love fbj him, in raising him from the dead The Son of God. and the hope of their nation, they had put to death. He was not an imjwstor; nor a man sowing sedition; nor a blasphemer ; but the Alessiah of Cjod; and they had inihrued their haJirtn in his blood.— There is nothing better fI^ ted to make sinners f(>ar and tremble, than to i-liow them that in rejecting (-hrist, they iiiive rejected God; in refus- ing to serve liim, they have refuped to serve (Jod. The crime of sinnerh lias o double malignity, as committed ngaiuPt o kinc aixl lovely "Sa\'our. aiid against thu
A. D. 33.] CHAPTER 11.
hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord " and Christ. * 37 Now when they heard tkis^
a Jno.3.35, 6 Pi.2.2,6-S.
51
God who loved him, and appointed him to save men. Comp. eh. iii. 14, 15. IT Both liO^d. The word lord properly denotes proprietor master, or sovereign. Here it moans clearly that God had exalted him to be the king so long expected ; and that he had given him dominion in the hea- vens ; or as we should say, ruler of all things. The extent of this dominion may be seen in John xvii. 2. Eph. i. 21, &c. fn the exercise of this office, he now rules m heaven and on earth ; and will yet come to judge the world. This truth was particularly fitted to excite their fear. They had rtTlirdered their Sovereign, now shown to be raised from the dead, and in- trusted with infinite power. They had reason, therefore, to fear that he would come forth in vengeance, and punish them for their crimes. Sinners, in oppos- ing the Saviour, are at war with their living and mighty Sovereign and Lord. He has all power ; and it is not. safe to contend against the Judge of the living and the dead. IT And Christ. Messiah. They had thus crucified the hope of their nation; imbrued their hands in the blood of him to whom the prophets had looked ; and put to death that Holy One, the pros- pect of whose coming had sustained the most holy men of the world in affliction, and cheered them when they looked on to future years. That hope of their fa- thers had come, and they had put him to death ; and it is no wonder that the con- sciousness of this, that a sense of guilt, and shame, and confusion, should over- whelm their minds, and lead them to ask in deep distress what they should do ?
37. Now when they heard this. When they heard this declaration of Peter, and this proof that Jesus was the Messiah. There was no fanaticism in his discourse; it was cool, close, pungent reasoning. He proved to them the truth of what he was saying, and thus prepared the way for this effect. IT They were pricked in their heart. The word translated were pricked, KXTev\jyy,<r3iv, is not used else- where in the New Testament. It pro- perly denotes to pierce or penetrate with a needle, lancet, or sharp instrument ; and then to pierce with grief, or acute pain of any kind. It answers precisely to our word compunction. It implies also the idea of sudden as well as acute grief In
they were pricked * in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles. Men and brethren, what ^ sliall we do?
c Eze.7.16. Zoc.12.10. d c.9.6;16.30.
this case it means that they were sud- denly and deeply affected with anguish and alarm at what Peter had said. Tho causes of their grief may have been these : (1.) Their sorrow that the Messiah had been put to death by his own coun- trymen. (2.) Their deep sense of guilt in having done this. There would be min- gled here a remembrance of ingratitude, and a consciousness that they had been guilty of murder of the most aggravated and horrid kind, that of having killed their own Messiah. (3.) The fear of his wrath. He was still alive, exalted to be their Lord, and intrusted with all power. They were'afraid of his vengeance ; they w ere conscious that they deserved it ; and they supposed that they were exposed to it. (4.) VVhat they had done could not be undone. The guilt remained ; they could not wash it out. They had imbrued their hands in the blood of innocence; and tho guilt of that oppressed their souls. Thi& expresses the usual feelings which sin ners have when they are convicted of sin. IT Men and brethren. This was an expression denoting affectionate earnest ness. Just before this they iTwcked the disciples, and charged them with being filled with new wine. ver. 13. They now treated them with respect and con- fidence. The views which sinners have of Christians and Christian ministers are greatly changed when they are under conviction for sin. Before that, they may deride and oppose them : then, they are glad to be taught by the obscurest Chris- tian ; and even cling to a minister of the gospel as if he could save them by his own power. T What shall we do ? VVhal shall we do to avoid the wrath of thi» crucified and exalted Messiah? They were apprehensive of his vengeance, and they wished to know how to avoid if Never was a more important question asked than this. It is the question which all convicted sinners ask. It implies an apprehension of danger; a sense of guilt, and a readiness to yield the will to the claims of God. This was the sarte question asked by Paul (Acts ix. 6) ; " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" and by the jailer (Acts xvi. 30) ; " He. . . . came trem bling.... and said. Sirs, what must t dc to be saved ?"' The state of mind in ttiis case— the case of a convicted sinner — coD
tl2
THE ACTiS.
[A. D- 3?
eists in. (1.) A ccep eence cf the evil of the f.ast life ; rpinernhrance of a lhou.saiul '-•riraes perhaj^ before forgotten ; a per- vading anj deepening conviction that the heart, and conversation, and li(e has been evil, and deserves condemnation. (2.) Ap- prehension alx)ut tlie justice of G(id; alarm when the mind looks upward to him, or anward to the day of death and judgment. '3.) An earnest wish, amounting some- times to agony, to be delivered from this sense of condemnation, and this appre- oension of the future- (4.) A readiness to sacrifice all to the vvill of God, to sur- render the governing purpose of the mind, and to do what he requires. In this state the soul is prepared to receive the offers of eternal lift ; and when the sinner comes to this, the offers of mercy meet his case, and he yields himself to the Lord Jesus, and finds peace.
In regaru to this discours-e yf Peter, and this romarkable result, we may observe, (1.) That this is the first dijcourse which was preached after the ascension of Christ, and is a model which the minis- ters of religion should imitate. (2.) It is a clear and close argument There is no ranting, no declamation, nothing but truth presented in a clear and striking manner. h abounds with proof of his main point ; and siipix>ses that his hearers were ra- tional i)eings, and capable of being influ- enced by truth. Ministers have no right to address men as incapable of reason and thought ; nor to imagine that because they are speaking on religious subjects, that therefore thev are at liberty to speak non- sense. (3.) Though these were eminent sinners, and had added to the crime of murdering the Messiah that of deriding the Holy Ghost and the ministers of the gospel, yet Peter reasoned with them <oolly, and endeavoured to convince them of their guilt. Men Khould be treated as endowed with reason, and as capable of seeing the force and beauty of the groat truths of religion. (4.) The arguments of Peter were adapted to make this im- pression on their minds, and -to imjjrew thtm deeply with the sense of their guilt. He proved to them that thev had been guilty of putting the Me.ssiati to death ; that G(xl had raised him up; aild that they were now in the midst of the scenes whi(h established one strong prootofth(; Sriith of what ho was sayirvg. No class jf truths could have been ho well adapted to make an impre.«sion of their guilt as these. {•)■) Conviction for sin is a rational process on a sinner's mind. It is the pro- per stale produced by n view of the jiast »(m<» It ifl suffering truth to make an ni>-
j)ropnate nnpression ; suffermg the mind to fuel as it ought to feel. The man who is guilty, ought to be willing to see and confess it. It is no disgrace to confess an error, or to feel deeply when we know we are guilty. Disgrace consists in u hy- pocritical desire to conceal crune; in the pride that is unwilling to uvovv it; in tno Jabehdod which denies it. To feel it, and to acknowledge it, is the mark of an open and ingenuous mind. (6.) These earn* truths are adapted still to produce con viction for sin. The sinner's ireatmeni . of the Messiah should produce grief ano alarm. He did not murder him; but he has rejected him : he did not crown hirr with thorns; but he has despised him he did not insult him when hanging on the cross; but he has a thousand times insulted him since : he did not pierce iiis side with the spear ; but he has pierced his heart by rejecting him, and contemn- ing his mercy. For these things he should weep. In the Sa\iour'3 resurrection he has also a deep interest. He rose as the pledge that we may rise : and when the .'•inner looks 'forward, he should remem ber that he must meet the a.scended Son of God. The Saviour reigns; he lives, Lord of all. The sinner's deeds now are aimed at his throne, and his heart, and his crown. All his crimes are seen by his Sovereign ; and it is not safe to mock the Son of God on his throne; or to despi.se him who will soon come to judgment When the sinner feels these truths, he should tremble, and cry out, What shall 1 do? (7.) We see -here hoto the Spirit ope- rates in producing conviction of sin. It ier not in an arbitrary manner; it is in ac cordance with truth, and by tiie truth. Nor have we a right to expect that he will convict and convert men, except as the truth is presented to their fninds. They who desire success in the gospel should present clear, striking, and im- pressive truth; for such only God is ac- customed to bless. (8.) We have in the conduct of Peter and the other apofitloH. a striking instance of the jiower of the gos- pel. Just before, Peter, trembling and afraid, had denied h^ master with an oath. Now, in the presence of the mur derers of the Son of God, he boldly charji cd them with their crime, and dared thcit fiirv. Just befi)ro, all the disciples Pt sook the I^)rd Jesus, and Jlod. Now in the presence of his nuirderers, iliey lified their voice, and proclain'.ed their guilt and danger, even in the city where he had been just arraigned and rut to death What eoL'ld have produced this chango but the power of (■i<vl ' And is thovo not
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTER II.
53
38 Then Peter said unto them, * Repent, and be baptized every one cf Tou in the name of Jesus Christ,
o Lu.24.47. C.3.
proof here that a religion which produces such changes came from heaven ?
38. Tken Peter said unlo them. Peter liad been the chief speaker, though others had also addressed them. He now, in ihe name of all, directed the multitude what to do. IT Repent See Note, Matt, iii. 2 Repentance implies sorrow for sin as committed against God, with a purpose to forsake it. It is not merely a fear of the consequences, or of the wrath of God in hell. It is such a view of sin as evil in itself, as to lead the mind to hate it and forsake it. laying aside all view of the punishment of sin, the true penitent hates t. Even if sin was the means of procur- .^ng him happiness ; if it w'ould promote bis gratification, and be unattended w ith any future punishment, he would hate it and turn from it. The mere fact that it is evil., and that God hates it, is a sufficient reason why those who are truly penitent should hate it and forsake it. False re- pentance dreads the consequences of sin; true repentance dreads sin itself. These persons whom Peter addressed had been merely alarmed ; they were afraid of wrath, and especially of the wrath of the Messiah. They had no true sense of sin as an evil, but were simply afraid of punishment. This alarm Peter did not regard as by any means genuine repent- ance. Such conviction for sin would soon wear off, unless repentance became thorough and complete. Hence he told them to repent, to turn from sin, to exer- cise sorrow for it as an evil and bitter thing, and to express their sorrow in the proper manner. We may learn here, 1.) That there is no safety in mere con- viction for sin : it may soon pass off, and .eave the soul as thoughtless as before. (2.) There is no goodness or holiness in mere alarm or conviction. The devils
tremble. A man may fear, who yet
has a firm purpose to do evil if he can do it with impunity. (3.) Many are great- ly troubled and alarmed who yet never repent. There is no situation where souls are so easily deceived as here. Alarm is taken for repentance ; trembling for godly eorrow ; and the fear of wrath is taken to be the true fear of God. (4.) True re- pentance is the only thing in such a state of mind that can give any relief An in- genuous confession of sin, a solemn pur- Gse to forsake it, and a tru3 haired of it, i:2
for the remission of sins , aiid ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoet.
is the only thing that can give the raind true composure. Such is the constitution of the mind, that nothing else will furnish relief But the moment we are willing to make an open confession of guilt, the mind is delivered of its burden, and the convicted soul finds peace. Till this is done, and the hold on sin is broken, there can be no peace. (5.) We see here wha direction is to be given to a convictec sinner. We are not to direct him to wait; nor to suppose that he is in a good way ; nor to continue to seek ; nor to call him a mourner ; nor to take sides with him, as if God were wrong and harsh; nor to tell him to read, and search, and postpone the subject to a future time. We are to direct him to repent ; to mourn over his sins, and to forsake them. Religion de- mands that he should at once surrender himself to God by genuine repentance , by confession that God is right, and that he'was wrong; and by a fiim purpose to live a life of holiness. II Be baptized. See Note, Matt. hi. 6. The direction which Christ gave to his apostles was, that they should baptize all who believed Matt, xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 16. The Jews had not been baptized ; and a baptism now vvould be a profession of the religion of Christ, or a declaration made before the world that they embraced Jesus as their Messiah. It was equivalent to say ing that they should publicly and profess- edly embrace Jesus Christ as their Sa viour. The gospel requires such a pro fession ; and no one is at liberty to with hold it. And a similar declaration is to be made to all who are inquiring the way to life. They are to exercise repentance ; and then, without any unnecessary de- lay, to evince it in the ordinances of the gospel. If men are unwilling to profess religion, they have none. If they will not, in the proper way, show that they are truly attached to Christ, it is proof that they have no such attachment. Baptism is the application of water, as expressive of the need of purification, and as emblem- atic of the influences from God that can alone cleanse the soul. It is also a form of dedication to the service of God. H In the name of Jesus Christ. Not mc, but sv;. The usual form of baptism is intc the name of the Father, &c. si;. Here it does not mean to be baptized by the au thority of Jesus Christ. r>"t it means IG b*
54
39 For th e promise « is unto you, and to your children, and ^ to all a Joel 2.28. 6 Ep.2.13.17.
THE ACTS. [A. D. 33.
that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
baptized for him and his service ; to be consecrated in this way, and by this pub- lic profession, to him, and to his cause. The ?ia>neoC .}e?'as Christ means the same as Jesus CIn-ist himself. To be baptized to his navie is to be devoted to him. The word name is often thus used. And the profession which they were to make amounted to this : a confession of sins ; a hearty purpose to turn from them ; a re- ci'ption of Jesus as the Messiah, and as their Saviour ; and a determination to be- come his followers, and to be devoted to his service. Thus (1 Cor. x. 2). to be baptizedunto Moses means to take him as the leader and guide. It does not follow that in administering the ordinance of baptism they used only the name of Jesus Christ. It is much more probable that they used the form prescribed by the Sa- viour himself (Matt, xxviii. 19) ; though as the peculiar mark of a Christian is that he receives and honours Jesus Christ, this name is used here as implying the whole. The same thing occurs in Acts xix. 5. ^ For the remission oj sins. Not merely the sin of crucifying the Messiah, but o'i nil sins. There is nothing in bap- tism itself ibat can wash away sin. That can be done only by the pardoning mercy of God through the atonement of Christ. But baptism is expressive of a willingness to be pardoned in that way; and a solemn declaration of our conviction that there is no other way of remission. He who comes to be baptized, comes with a professed conviction that he is a sinner, that there is no other way of mercy but in the gos- pel, and with a professed willingness to comidy with the terms of salvation, and receive it as it is offered through Jesus Christ. ^ And 7/e shall receive, ice. The gift of the Holy Ghost here does not mean his extraordinary gifts, or the power of working miracles. But it simply means, you shall partake of the influences of the Holy Gho.st as far as they may be adapted to your case, as far as may be needful for your comfort, and peace, and sanctifica- lion. There is no evidence that they were all end<)\v(;d with the power of working miracles : nor does the connex- ion of the pasHUL'c rofiuire us thus to un- derstand It. Nor docs it mean that they had not been awakcuied by his injlitences. All true conviction is from him. Johnxvi. 8-10. But it is also the oilice of the Spi- rit to comfort, to enlighten, to give peace,
and thus to give evidence that the soul is born again. To this, probably, Peter re- fers; and tliis all who are born again, and profess faith in Christ, possess. There ii peace, calmness, joy; there is evidence of piety, and that evidence is the product of the influences of the Spirit. " The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace," &c. Gal. V. 22. 2i.
39. For the promise. That is, the pro- mise respecting the particular thing of which he was speaking — the influences of the Holy Ghost. This promise he had adduced in the beginning of his discourse (ver. 17), and he now applies it to them. As the Spirit was promised to descend on Jews and their sons and daughters, it was applicable to them in the circum- stances in which they then were. The only hope of lost sinners is in the promises of God; and the only thing that can give comfort to a sCul that is convicted of sin is the hope that God will pardon and save. IF To yon. To you Jews, even though you have crucilied the Messiah. The promise had especial reference to tho Jewish people. 11 To your children. In Joel, to their sons and daughters, who should, nevertheless, be old enough to prophesy. Similar promises occur in Isa. xliv. .3, " I will pour my Spirit on thy seed, and my blessing on thine offspring," and Isa. lix. 21. In these and similar places, their descendants or posterity are denoted. It does not refer to children as children, and should not be adduced to establish the propriety of infant baptism, or as ap- plicable particularly to infants. It is a promise, indeed, to parents that the bless- ings of salvation shall not be confined to parents, but shall be extended also to their posterity. Under this jjromise pa- rents may be encouraged to train up their children for God ; to devote them to his service ; believing that it is the gracious purpose of God to perpetuate the bless- ings of salvation from age to age. U To all. To the whole race ; not limited to Jews. ^ Afar off. To those in other lands. It is probable that Pcler here re- ferred lo the Jews who were scattered in other nations ; for he does not seem yet to have understood that the gospel wa« to be preached to tho Gentiles. Sec ch. x. Yet the promi.<o was ecpially applicable to the Gentiles as the Jews ; and the apos- tleswereafterwardsbrought to understand it. Actsx. llom. X. 12. 14— 20; xi. Tb*
A. D. 33. J
40 And with many olhei words did he testify and exhort, saying,
CHAPTER IL f,6
Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Gentiles are sometimes clearly indicated Dy the expression "afar ctT," (Eph. ii. 13. ] i) ; and they are represented as ha, ing been brought nigh by the blood of Christ. The phrase is equally applicable to those u'ho have been far off from God by their sins and their evU affections. To them tlso the promise is extended if they will return. IT Even as many, &c. The pro- mise is not to those who do not hear the pfospel, nor to those who do not obey it ; but it is to those to whom God in his gra- cious providence shall send it. He has the power and right to pardon. The meaning of Peter is, that the promisa is ample, full, free ; that it is fitted to all, and may be applied to all ; that there is no de- fect or want in the provisions or promises; but that God may extend it to whomso- ever he pleases. We see here how ample and full are the offers of mercy. God is not limited in the provisions of his grace ; but the plan is applicable to all mankind. It is also the purpose of God to send it to all men ; and he has given a solemn charge to his church to do it. We cannot ^ reflect but with deep pain on the fact that iP^'these provisions have been made, fully made; that they are adapted toallmen; and yet that by his people they have been ex- tended to so small a portion of the human family. If the promise of life is to all, it is the duty of the church to send to all the message of eternal mercy.
40. Many other words. This discourse, though one of the longest in the New Testament, is but an outline. It contains, however, "the substance of the plan of mercy ; and is admirably arranged to ob- tain its object. IT Testify. Bear witness to. He bore witness to the promises of Chris- tianity, to the truths pertaining to the danger of sinners ; and to the truth re- specting the character of th&t generation. If Exhort. Ho entreated them by argu- ments and promises. IT Save yourselves. This expression here denotes, preserve yourselves from the influence, opinions, and fate, of this generation. It implies | that they were to use diligence and effort to deliver themselves. God deals with men as free agents. He calls upon them to put forth their own power and effort to be saved. Unless men put forth their own strength and exertion, they will ne- ver i/i saved. When they are saved, ^ey will ascribe to God the praise for h;iving inclined them to seek him, p.nd hr the grace wl'^^'eby they are saved
IT This generation. This age or race of men, the Jews then living^ They were not to apprehend danger from them from which they were to deUver themselves, but they were to apprehend danger froir. being with them, united in their plans designs, and feelings. From the influence of their opinions, &c. they were to escape^. That generation was signally corrupt and wicked. See Matt, xxiii. xii. 39; xvi. ^> Mark viii. 38. They had crucified the Messiah ; and they were for their sins soon to be destroyed, IF Untoward. " Pn verse, refractory, not easily guided or taught." (Webster.) The same characte. our Saviour had given of that generaticr- in Matt. xi. 16—19. This character th?y had shov\-n uniformly. They were smooth cunning, plausible; but they were cor- rupt in principle, and wicked in conduct The Pharisees had a vast hold on the people. To break away from then, was to set at defiance all their power and doc trines ; to alienate themselves from tneir teachers and friends ; to brave the power of those in office, and those who had long claimed the right of teaching and guiding the nation. The chief danger of those who were now awakened was from this generation; that they would deride, or denounce, or persecute them, and induce them to abandon their seriousness, and turn back to their sins. And hence Peter exhorted them at once to break off from them, and give themselves to Christ. We may hence learn, (1.) That if sinners will be saved they must make an effort. There is no promise to any unless they will exert themselves. (2.) The principal danger which besets those who are awakened arises from tneir former companions. They are often wicked, cunning, rich and mighty. They may be their kindred, and will seek to drive off their serioua impressions by derision, or argument, or persecution. "They have a mighty hold on the affections ; and they will seek to use it to prevent those who are awakened from becoming Christians. (3.) Those who are awakened should resolve at once to break off from their evil companions, and unite themselves to Christ and his people. There may be no other way in which this can be done than by resolving to for- sake the society of those who are infidels, and scoffers, and profane. They should forsake the world, and give themselves up to God, and resolve to have only sc much intercourse with the world as may
5(5
THE ACTS.
[A D. 33
41 I hen they that gladly receiv- ed hie word were baptized : and the same day there were added tmto Iher.i about three thousand souls.
be required b/ duty, and as may be con- sistent with a supreme purpose to Uve to the honour of God.
41. Tliey that gladlij received. The word rendered gladly means freely, cheerfully, joyfully. It implies that they did it with- out compulsion, and with joy. Religion is not compulsion. They who become Christians do it cheerfully; and do it re- joicing in the privilege of becoming re- conciled to God through Jesus Christ. Though so many received his word and were baptized, yet it is implied that there were others who did not. It is probable tliat there were multitudes assembled who were alarmed, but who did not receive the word with joy. In all revivals there are many who become alarmed, who are anxious about their souls, but who refuse the gospel, and again become thoughtless, and are ruined. IT His word. The mes- sage which Peter had spokon respecting the pardon of sins through Jesus Christ, f Were baptized. That is, those who pro- fessed a readiness to embrace the otlers of salvation. The narrative plainly im- plies that this was done the same day. I'heir conversion was instantaneous. The demand on them was to yield themselves at once to God. And their profession was made, and the ordinance which sealed their profession administered without de- lay. IT And the same day. The discourse of Peter commenced at nine o'clock in the morning, ver. 15. How long it con- tinued it is not said ; but the ceremony of admitting them to the chTirch and of bajitizing them was evidently performed on the .same day. The mode in which this is done is not mentioned ; but it is highly improbable that in the midst of the city of Jerusalem three thousand persons were wholly immersed in one day. The whole narrative supposes that it was all done ill the city ; and yet there is no pro- bability that there were conveniences there lor immersing so many persons in a uingle day. Hesidee, in the ordinary way of administering baptism by immersion, it IH difficult to conceive that so many per- ftms could have been immersed in so »hort a time. There >«, indeed, here no \)OfM\.i\c proof \\\n.\ they were not immers- ed ; but the narrative is one of those in- cidental circiimslanres often much more iatisfactory than phihilogical discussion,
42 And <* they continued stead* fastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
a lCor.11.2. He.10.25.
that show the extreme improbability that all this was done by wholly immersing them in water. It may be further re- marked that here is an example of ver)' quick admission to the church. It was the first great work of grace under the gospel. It was the model of all revivals of religion. And it was doubtless intend- ed that this should be a specimen of the manner in which the ministers of religion should conduct in regard to admissions to the Christian church. Prudence i6 indeed required; but this exanaple furnishes no warrant for advising persons who profess their willingness to obey Jesus Christ, to delay uniting with the church. If per- sons give evidence of piety, of true haired of sin, and of attachment to the Lord Je- sus, they shouM unite themselves to his people without delay. H There were added. To the company of disciples, or to the Ibl lowers of Christ. ^ Soids. Persons. Comp. 1 Pet. iii. 20. Gen. xii. 5. It is not affirmed that all t' :■; took place in one part of Je- rutiulem, wr that it was all done at once J but it is probable that this was what was afterwards ascertained to be the fruit of this diiy's labour, the result of this revi- val of religion. This was the first effusion of the Holy Spirit under the preaching of the gospel ; and it shows that such scenes are to be expected in the church, and that the gospel is fitted to work a rapid and mighty change in the hearts of men.
42. A7)d they coiitinued stead facily. They persevered in, or they adhered to. This is the inspired record of the result. That any of these apostatized is nowhere recorded, and is not to be presumed. Though they had been suddenly con- verted, though suddenly admitted to the church, though exposed to much perse- cution and contempt, and many trials, yet the record is that they adhered to the doctrines and duties of the Christian religion. The word rendered cnntinited steadfastly, rr^txry-ueT-eovvTi;, means at- tending one, remaining by his sid?, not leaving or forsaking him. If 7'Afl aposllis' doctrine. This does not mean tliat they held or believed the dortrinea of the a|)ostlcs, though that wns true; but it means that theyndhered to, orattuiided on, their teaching or instruction. TlkC word doctrine has now a technical sense, and nr'jans a collection and urrangcinerii j*
A D 33.] (J H AFTER II.
43 And fear caiiie upon every soul : and many " wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
• Mar. IS. 17
attftract views supposed trc be contained in the liible. In the Scriptures the word moans simply teaddng ; and the expres eifkn here denotes that they continued to attend on tneir inslructions. On i evidence ■)f conversion is a desire to be instructed xi the doctrines and duties of religiou, and a willingness to attend on the preach- ing of the gospel. % And fellowship. The word rendered fellowship, xofcci/Za, is often rendered communion. It properly denotes having things in common, or participation, society, friendship. It may apply to any thing which may be possessed in oom- mcn, or in which all may partake. Thus all Christians have the sam.e hope of hea- ven ; the same joys; the same hatred of sin ; the same enemies to contend with. Thus they have the same subjects of con- versation, of feeling, and of prayer; or they have communion in these things. An9 thus the early Christians had their property in common. The word here may apply to either or to all, to their con- versation, their prayers, their dangers, or their property ; and means that they were united to the apostles, and participated with them in whatever befel them. It may be added that the effect of a revival of religion is to unite Christians more and more, and to bring those who were before ^epajated to union and love. Christians feel that they are a band of brethren, and that however much they were separated before they became Christians, now they nave great and important interests in com- mon; united in feelings, in interest, in dangers, in conflicts, in opinions, and in the hopes of a blessed immortality. IF Breaking of bread. The Syriac ren- ders this nhe eucharist,' or the Lord's supper. It cannot, however, be deter- mined whether this refers to their par- taking of their ordinary food together; or to feasts of charity ; or to the Lord's sup- per. The bread of the Hebrews was made commonly into cakes, thin, hard and brittle, so that it was broken instead of being CLt. Hence, to denote intimacy or iHendship, the phrase to break bread toge- ther would be very expressive, in the same way as the Greeks denoted it by drinking together, cruy.;r'>iov. From the expression used in ver. 44, cnmp. with ver. 46, that they had all things common, it would rather seem to be implied that this, referred to the participation of their j
s;
44 And all tnat believed v. ere together, and * had all thincrs com- mon ;
b c.4.32,34.
ordinary meals. The action of breaking bread was commonly perfcnned by the master or head of a family, immediately after asking a blessing. {Lightfoot.) H In prayers. This was one ejfect of the infiu ence of the Spirit, and an evidence of their change. A genuine revival will be always followed by a love of prayer.
43. And fear came. That is, there was great reverence or awe. The multitude had just before derided thorn (ver. 13); but so striking and manifest Avas the power of God on this occasion, that it silenced all clamours, and produced a general veneration and awe. The effect of a great work of God's grace is com- monly to produce an unusual seriousness and solemnity in a community, even among those who are not convicted. Il restrains, subdues, and silences opposi- tion. ^ Every soul. Every person, oi individual; that is, upon the peojjle ge nerally; not only on those who became Christians, but upon the multitudes v.'ho witnessed these things. All things wer« fitted to produce this fear: the recent crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth ; the wonders that attended that event; the events of the day of Pentecost ; and the miracles performed by the apostles, were all fiued to diffuse solemnity, and thought, and anxiety through the community H Many wonders and signs. See Note, ver. 22. This was promised by the Sa. viour. Mark xvi. 17. Some of the mira cles which they wrought are specified in the following chapters.
44. All that believed. That is, that be lieved that Jesus was the Messiah ; foi that was the distinguishing point bv which they were known from others. "!F Were together, e-rrlwdavrd. Were united, were joined in the same thing. It does not mean tliat they lived in the same house but they were united in the same comma nily ; or engaged in u\o same thing. They were doubtless often together in the same place for prayer and praise One of the best means for strengthening the faith of young converts is for the^n often to meet together for prayer, conver- sation, and praise. IT Had all things com' man. That is, all their propertrj or pos' sessions. See ch. iv. 32 — 37; v. I — 10- Tlie apostles, in the time of the Saviour, evidently had all their property in com- mon stock, and Judas was made Uteil
w
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
45 And sold iheir possessions and goods, and • parted them to ail
„„ -,,„_ 1 1 J
a U.58.7. 2Coi 9.1,9. lJno.3.17.
treasurer. They regarded themselves as one family, having common wants ; and there \va.s no use or propriety in their p,^ssessing extensive property by them- selves. Yet even then it is probable that j-omeof them retained an interest in their property which was not supposed to be necessary to be devoted to the common use. It is evident that John thus possessed property which he retained. John xix. 27. And It is clear that the Saviour did not command them to give up their property into a common stock ; nor did the apx)s- ties enjoin it. Acts v. 4, " While it re- mained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own pow- er?" It was therefore perfectly volun- tary ; and was evidently adapted to the peculiar circumstances of the early con- verts. Many of them came from abroad. They were from Parthia, and Media, and Arabia, and Rome, and Africa, &c. It is
Erobable, also, that they now remained )nger in Jerusalem than they had at first g reposed. And it is not at all improbable lat they would be denied now the usual hospitalities of the Jews, and excluded from their customary kindness, because they had embraced Jesus of IVazareth, who had been just put to death. In these circumstances, it was natural and proper that they should share together their pro- perty while tiiey remained together.
45. And sold. That is, they sold as much as was necessary in order to pro- cure tlie means of providing for the wants of each other. II Possessions. Property, particularly real estate. This word, KTyt/uxTx, refers properly to their Jixed pro- perty, as lands, houses, vineyards, «S^c. The word rendered poods, u^rxfjE.;, re- fers to their "personal or moveable pro- perty. H And parted them to all. They distributed them to supply the wants of their poorer brethren, according to their necessities. IT vis every man had need. This expreftsion limits and fixes the mean- ing of wliat is said before. The passage does not mean that they sold all their pos- Bossions, or that lliey relinquished their title to fl/Z their pr)perty; but that they «o far regarded all as common as to be W'.IIing to part with it if it was needful to supply the wants f)f the others. Hence Ihc pro|)f rty was laid at the disposal of the afiostles, and thoy were desired to diHlril)iifc it freely to meet the wants of Iho |K>or. ch. iv. '.U, '.]:>. This wna an important incident in the
men, as eve>ry man had need.
early propagation of religion ; ana il may suggest many useful reflections.
1. We see the effect of religion. The love of property is one of the strongest affections which men have There is nothing that will overcome it but reli- gion. That will ; and one of the Jirst ef- f iscts of the gospel was to loosen the hold of Christians on property.
2. It is the duty of the church to pro- vide for the wants of its poor and needy members. There can be no doubt that property should now be regarded as so far common as that the wants of the poor should be supplied by those who are rich. Comp. Matt. xxvi. 11.
3. If it be asked why the early disciples evinced this readiness to part with their property in this manner, it may be repli ed, (1.) That the apostles had done it be- fore them. The family of the Saviour had all things common. (2.) It was the naturo of religion to do it. (3.) The circum- stances of the persons assembled on thit* occasion were such as to require it. They were many of them from distant regions; and probably many of them of the poore? class of the people in Jerusalem. In thb they evinced what should be done in be half of the poor in the church at all times.
4. If it be asked whether this was done commonly among the early Christians, it may be replied, that there is no evidence that it was. It is mentioned here, and in ch. iv. 32—37, and ch. v. 1—7. It does not appear that it was done even by all who were afterwards converted in Ju- dea ; and there is no evidence that it was done in Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth. Phi lippi, Rome, &c. That the effect of reli- gion was to make men liberal, and willing to provide for the poor, there can be no doubt. See 2 Cor. viii. 19; ix. 2. 1 Cor. xvi. 2. Gal. ii. 10. But there is not proof that it was common to part with their jkw sessions, and to lay it at the feet of the apostles. Religion does not contemplate, evidently, that men should break up all the arrangements in society ; but it con- templates that those who have property should be ready and willing to part with it (i)r the help of the jvjor and needy.
5. If it be asked whether a!l the ar rangements of property should he broken up now, and l)elievers have all things in roriimon, wo are j)repare(i to answer, No. For, l.Tliis was nn extraordinary case. 2 It was not even enjoined by the apos- tles on them. 3. It was jv^rtibed nowhera
A. D
33.]
46 And they,
CHAPTER II
5S
continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking ' bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
else. 4. It would be impracticable. No community where all things were in common has long prospered. It has been attempted often, by pagans, by infidels, and by fanatical sects of Christians. It ends soon in anarchy, and licentiousness, and dleness, and profligacy ; or the more cunning secure the mass of the property, and control the whole. Till all men are made alike, there could be no hope of such a community ; and if there could be, I would not be desirable. God evidently intended that men should be excited to industry by the hope of gain; and then he demands that their gains should be de- voted to his service. Still, this was a noble instance of Christian generosity, and evinces the power of religion in loos- ing the hold which men commonly have on the world. It rebukes also those pro- fessors of religion, of whom, alas, there are many, who give nothing to benefit either the souls or bodies of their fellow- men.
4G With one accord. Comp. ch. i. 14 ; 11. 1. IF In ihe temple. This was the pub- ic place of worship; and the disciples were not disposed to leave the place where their fathers had so long worship- ped God. This does not mean that they were constantly in the temple, but only at the customary hours of prayer ; at 9 o'clock in the morning, and at 3 in the afternoon. V And breaking bread. See Note, ver. 42. i From house to house. In the margin, " at home." So the Syriac and Arabic. The common interpretation, however, is, that they did it in their vari- ous houses, now in this and now in that, as might be convenient. If it refers to their ordinary meals, then it means that «hey partook in common of what they pos- fcessed. And the expression in this verse, " aid eat taeu' meat," seems to imply that this refers to their common meals, and not to the Lord's supper. IT Did eat their meat. Did partake of their food. The vs'ord meat with us is applied to flesh. In the Bible, and in old English authors, it is applied to provision of any kind. Here it means all kinds of sustenance; that which nourished them— . 'e'^iir — and the nse of this word proves that it does not refer to the Lord's supper; for that ordi- D.inf 0 Is nowheia represented as designei
47 Praising God, and having fa- vour « with all the people. And * the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
o Lu.2.52. Bo.14.18. b c.5.14jll.24.
for an ordinary meal, or to nourish the bodv. Comp. 1 Cor. xi. 33, 34. IT With glad- jiess. With rejoicing. This is one of the effects of religion. It is far from gloom ; il diffuses jo3r over the mind ; and it bestowa additional joy in the participation of even our ordinary pleasures. H Singleness of heart. This means with a sincere and pure heart. They were satisfied end thankful. They were not perplexed or anxious ; nor were they solicitous for the luxurious living, or aspiring after the vain objects of the men of the world. Comp Rom. xii. 8. 2 Cor. i. 12. Col. iii. 22. Eph. vi. 5.
47. Praising God. See Luke xxiv. 53. T And having favour. See Luke ii. 52. IT With all the people. That is, with the great mass of the people ; with the peo- ple generally. It does not mean that all the people had become reconciled to Christianity; but their humble, serious and devoted lives won the favour of the great mass of the community, and silenced opposition and cavil. This was a remark able effect, but God has power to silence opposition ; and there is nolhing so well fitted to do this as the humble and con sistent lives of his friends. IF And the Lord added. See ch. v. 14 ; xi. 24, &c. It was the Lord who did this. There was no power in man to do it ; and the Chris- tian loves to trace all increase of the church to the grace of God. IT Added Caused, or inclined them to be joined to the church. IT The church. To the assembly of the followers of Christ, r U^KytTia. The word church properly means those who are called out, and is applied to Christians as being called out, or separated from the world. It is used but three times in the Gospels. Matt, xvi 18; xviu. 17. It occurs frequently in other parts of the New Testament, and usually as applied to the followers of Christ. Comp. Acts v. 11; vii. 38 ; viii. 1.3; ix. 31 ; xi. 22. 26 ; xii. 1. 5, &c. It is used in classic writers to denote an assem bly of anv kind, and is twice thus used in the New Testament (Acts xix. 39. 41), where it is translated " assembly-" IT Such as should be saved. This whole phrase is a translation of a participle, rovj doi,Ojxivovs It does not express anv purpose that they should be saved, hul simply the fact that
Hi
THE ACTS.
A. D. 33
CHAPTER .H.
IVi OW Peter and John went up to-
^^ gether into the temple at " the
houT of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man, lame from
a Ps.55.n. Da.6.10.
they were those who would be, or who were about to be saved. It is clear, how- ever, from this expression, that those who became members of the church were those who continued to adorn their pro- fcBsion, or who gave proof that they were BUicere Christians. It is impUed here, also, that those who are to be saved will ioin themselves to the church of God. This is every where required; and it constitutes one evidence of piety when they are willing to face the world, and give themselves at once to the service of the Lord Jesus. — Two remarks may be made on the last verse of this chapter ; one is, that the effect of a consistent Christian life will be to command the re- el of the w^orld ; and the other is, that
e effect will be continually to increase the number of those who shall be saved. In this case they were daily added to it ; the church was constantly increasing: and the same result may be expected in all cases where there is similar zeal self denial, consistency, and prayer.
We have now contemplateil the foun- dation of the Christian church ; and the first glorious revival of religion. This chapter deserves to be profoundly studied by all the ministers of the gospel, and by all who pray for the prosperity of tlie
spe the
kingdom of God. It should excite our fervent gratitude that God has left this record of the first great work of grace ; and our fervent prayers that he would multiply and cxterid such scenes until the earth shall bo fillcfi with his glory. CIIAI*TER III. 1. Peicr and John went vp, &c. In Luke xxiv. 53, it is said that the apostles wore oontinually in the temple, praising and blessing God. From Acts ii. 40, it is clear that all the di.?cipies were accustomed daily to resort to the temple for devotion. Whether they joined in the sacrifices of the temple-service is not said \ but itie thing is not improbable. This was the place and the rn.anner in which they and *h<}ir fathers had worship{)ed. They came slowly to the conclusion that they wore lo leave the temple; and they would na- turally resort there with their (ounfry- men to vvonshi[) thn God of their liilhers. Fn the previous rliaj)ler ^i. 4;}), we are •old in general that many wonders and
his mother's womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the i^ate of the temp e which is called Beau- tiful, to ask alms of them that en- tered into the temple ;
b Jno.g.S.
signs were done by the hands of tlw apostles. From the many miracles wliich were performed, Luke selects one, of w hich he gives a more full accotmt \ and especially as it gives him occasion to re- cord another of the addresses of Peter to the Jews. An impostor would have been satisfied with the gerieral statement that many miracles were performed. The sa- cred writers descend to particulars, and tell us where, and in relation to whom, they were performed. This is a proof that they were honest men, and did not intend to deceive. IT Into the temple. ]\ot into the edifice properly called the tem- ple, but into the court of the temple, where prayer was accustomed to bo made. See Note, Matt. xxi. 12. ^ Al thf hour of prayer, &c. The Jewish day wa' divided into twelve equal parts ; o^ course, the ninth hour would be abou three o'clock, P. M. This was the hour of evening prayer. Morning prayer was offered at nine o'clock. Comp. Ps. Iv. 17. Dan. vi. 10.
2. Ijamc, &c. The mention of this shows that there was no deception in the case. The man had been always lame ; he was obliged to be carried ; and he was well known to the Jews. IF Wliom they laid daily. That is, his friends laid him there daily. lie would therefore be well known to those who were in the habit of entering the temple. Among the ancients there were no hospitals for the afflicted : and no alms-houses for the }X)or. The poor were dependent, therefore, on the cliarity of those who were in better cir- cumstances. It became an iiniHjrtanI matter for them to be placed where they would see many ])Cople. Hence it wai customary to place them at the gates of rich men (Luke xvi. 20) ; and they Jilso sat by the side of the highway lo beg where many persons would pass. Marl. X. 40. Luke xviii. Sf). John ix. 1 — 8. The entrance to the temple \\o\i\il be R favour- able place for begging; for, (1.) great nv.ihitudes were accustomed to enter there; and (2.) when going up for the purposes of religion, they would be more inclined to give alms than at other times and especially was this true of the Phari sees, who we«e particularly desirous of publiciti/ in be«towinjf chanty is «*
A. D. 33 ]
CHAPTER m.
61
3 Who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temffc, asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes apon liim, with John, said. Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them.
KTied by Martial (i. 112.), that this cus- g?rc prevailed among the Romans of plac- J3g ,he poor by the gales of the temples ; isid the custom was also observed a long time 'n the Christian churches. IF At the S^ate oj the temple which is called Beautiful. In regard to this gate there have been two opinions, one of which supposes that this was the gate commonly called Nica- nor, which led from the court of the Gen- tdes to the court of the women (see Plan in Notes on Matt. xxi. 12/ , and the other, that it was the gate at the eastern entrance of the temple, commonly called Susa7i. U is not easy to determine which is in- tended ; though from the fact that it oc- curred near Solomon's porch (ver. 11, comp. Plan of the temple, Matt. xxi. 12), it seems pi-obable that the latter was in- tended. This gate was large and splen- did. It was made of Corinthian bra.ss, a most valuable metal, and made a magni- ficent appearance. Josephus, Jewish ]Var, b V. ch. V. $ 3. IF To ask alms. Charity.
3. Who, seeing Peter, &c. There is no evidence that he was acquainted with them, or knew who they were. lie asked of them as he was accustomed to do of the multitude that entered the temple.
4. Fastening his eyes. The word used liere denotes to look intently, or with fixed attention. It is one of the peculiar words which Luke uses. Luke iv. 20 ; xxii. 56 ; Acts i. 10 ; iii. 12 ; vi. 15 ; vii. 55 ; x. 4, &c in all twelve times. It is used by no other writer in the New Testament, ex- cept by Paul twice, 2 Cor. iii. 7. 13. IT Look on us. All this was done to fix the atten- tion. He wished to call the attention of tiie man distinctly to himself, and to what he ^vas about to do. It was also done tliat the man might be fully apprised that his restoration to health came from him.
6. Silver and gold have I none. The man had asked for money ; Peter assures mm that he had not that to give ; it was done, however, in such a way as to show fiis willingness to aid him, if he Jiad pos- sessed it. IT Such as I have. Such as is in my power. It is not to be supposed that he meant to say that 1|6 originated this power himself, but only that it was tnirusCsd to him. He immediately adds
expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silvei an(i gold have I none : but such as 1 have give I thee : In " the name of Jesus Chiist of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
o c.4.ia
ihat it was derived solely from the Lord Jesus Christ. IT Li the name. Comp. ch|| iv. 10. In Mark xvi. 17, 18, it is said; " These signs shall follow them that be- lieve; in my name shall they cast out
devils, &c they shall lay hands on
the sick, and they shall recover." The expression means by his authority, or in virtue of power derived from Jam. We are here struck with a remarkable differ ence between the manner in which the Lord Jesus wrought miracles, end that m which it was done by his apostles. He did it in his own name, and by virtue of his own power. He claimed dominion over disease and death The apostles never attempted to perform a miracle by their own power. It was only in the name of Jesus ; and this circumstance alone shows that there was a radical difference between Christ and ail other prophets and teachers. ^ Of Nazareth. This was the name by which he was commonly known. By this name he had been desig nated among the Jews, and on the cross It is by no means improbable that the man had heard of him by this name; and it was important that he should understand that it was by the authority of him who had been crucified as an impostor. IF Rise and walk. To do this would be evidence of signal power. It is remarkable that in cases like this, they were commanded to do the thing at once. See similar cases in John v. 8. Matt. ix. 6 ; xii. 13. It would have been easy to allege that they had no power, that they were lame, or sick, or palsied, and could do nothing until God should give them strength. But the com- mand was to do the thing; nor did the Saviour or the apostles stop to convince them that they could do nothing. They did not doubt that if it were done, they would ascribe the power to God. Pre- cisely like this is the condition of the sin- ner. God commands him to do the thing : to repent, and believe, and lead a holy life. It is not merely to attempt to do it; to make use of means ; or to wait on him; but it is actually to repent and believe the gospel. Where he may obtain power to do it is another question. It is easy fot him t-: involve himself in difficulty, ae iS
fi2
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
7 And he took him by the right hand, and hfted him up: and im- mediately hio feet and ankle-bones received strength.
8 And he, leaping « up, stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leap- ing, and praising God.
o Is.35.6
™ould ha\3 been in these cases. But the command of God is positive, and must be obeyed. If not obeyed, men must perish ; just as this man would have been always lame if he had put forth no effort of iiis own. When done, a convicted sinner will do just as this man did, in- ilinclively give all Uie praise to God. ver. 8.
7. And he took him. He took hold of his hand. To take hold of the hand in Biich a case was an offer of aid, an indi- cation that Peter was sincere, and was an inducement to him to make an edbrt. This may be employed as a beautiful illustration of the manner of God when he commands men to repent and believe. He does not leave them alone ; he ex- tends help, and aids their eflorts. If they tremble, and feel that they are weak, and needy, and helpless, his hand is stretched out, and his power exerted to impart 8trengtli and grace. ^ His feel and ankle- bmes. The fact that strength was imme- diately imparted ; that the feet, long lame, were now made strong, was a full and dear proof of miraculous power.
8. And he, leaping up. This was a natural expression of^joy; and it was a striking fulfilment of the prophecy in Isa. rxxv. 6: "Then shall the lame man leap us an hart." The account here given is one that is perfectly natural. The man would be fdled with joy, and would ex-
f)ress it in this manner. He had been ame from a child ; he had never walked ; and there was more in the miracle than merely giving strength. The act oCvxilk- ing is one that is acquired by long prac- tice. Children learn slowly. Casper Hau- $er, lately discovered in one of the cities of Germany, who had been confined in prison from a child, was unable to walk in an easy way when released, but stum- bled in a very awkward manner. (See hi.s Life.) When, therefore, this man was ttble at once to walk, it was clear proof of a miracle. H Praising God. This was the natural arul appropriate expression of his feelings on tliis occasion. His heart v\-()uld lif! lull ; and he could have no j(t»}r.t that lliiH l»lo<^sintr Imtl roiiie from
9 And all the people saw hint walkingiand praising God :
10 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 untc him.
God alone. It is remarkable that he did not even express his gratitude to Peter and John. They had not pretended to restore him in their own name ; and he would feel that man could not do it. It is remarkable that he praised God with out being taught or entreated to do it. It was instinctive — the natural feeling of the heart. So a sinner. His first feelings when renewed, will be to ascribe the praise to God. While he may and will feel regard for the ministry by whose instrumentality he has received the bless- ing, yet his main expression of gratitude will be to God. And this he will do in- stinctively ; he needs no prompter ; he knows that no power of man is equal to the work of converting the soul, and will rejoice, and give all the praise to the God of grace.
9, 10. And all the people, <tc. The peo pie who had been accustomed to see hitn sit in a public place. IT And they kneuK &c. In this they could not be deceived ; they had seen him a long time, and now they saw the same man expressing his praise to God for complete recovery. The particulars in this miracle are the follow- ing ; and they are as far as possible from any appearance of imposture. 1. The man had been afflicted from a child This was known to all the people. At this time he was forty years of age. ch. iv. 22, 2. He was not an impostor. If he had pretended lameness, it is wonderful that ne had not been detected before, and not have been suffered to occupy a place thus in the temple. 3. The apostles had no agency in placing him there. They had not seen him before. There was mani- festly no colhision or agreement with him to attem|)f to imix)se on the people. 4. Th« man himself was convinced of the mini- cle \ and bd not doubt that the jxjwer by which he had been healed was of God 5. T\\c perride were (convinced of the .same thing. They saw the effects; ttiey had known him well; tlicy had had every oi)i)ortunity^ know that he was dis- eased; and TOey were now satisfied t*'a. he was reslored 'I'liero was r.o posaj
A. D. 33.]
11 And, as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto thera, in the porch " that is called Solomon's, greatly woitdering.
12 And when Peter* saw z7, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this 1
oJno.lC.i3. C5.I2.
CHAPTER III.
63
bility of deception in the case. It was not merely the friends of Jesus that saw this ; not those who had an interest in the miracle, but those who had been his ene- mies, and who had just before been en- gaged in putting him to death. Let this miracle be compared, in these particulars, with those pretended vaxraiCleB which have been affirmed to have been wrought in defence of other systems of religion, and it will be seen at once that here is every appearance of sincerity, honesty, and ruth; and in them every mark of decep- tion, fraud, and imposition. (See Paley's Evidences of Christianity, Proposition ii. ch ii.)
11. Held Peter and John. The word held means he adhered to them ; he joined himself to them ; he was desirous of re- maining with them, and participating with them. IT AU the people, &c. Excited by curiosity, they came together. The fact of the cure, and the conduct of the man, would soon draw together a crowd, and thus furnish a favourable opportunity for preaching to them the gospel. IT In the porch, &c. This porch was a covered way or passage on the east side of the temple. It was distinguished for its mag- aificence. See the Plan and description of the temple. Notes on Matt. xxi. 12.
ly. When Peter saw it. Saw the peo- ple assembling in such multitudes and wondering at the miracle. IT He ansu)ered. The word answer, with us, implies that a question had been asked, or that some subject had been proposed for considera- tion. But the word is used in a different sense in the Bible. It is often used when no question was asked, but when an oc- xysion was offered for remarks, or where an opportunity was presented to make a '.tdtement. It is the same as replying to a thing, or making a statement in regard to some subject. Dan. ii. 26. Acts v. 8. 1 Ye men of Israel. Jews. Comp. ch. ii. 1 4. IT Why marvel ye at this? The par- ticidar thing which he intended to re- prove here, was not that they v)07idered, for that was nroner ; but that they looked
or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own '' powei oi holiness we had made this man to walk ]
13 The God ' of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, ''hath glojified * his Son Jesus ; whom ye delivered up, and
i2Cor.3.5. cMaU.22.32. . dc 5.30,31.
e Jno.17.1. Ep.1.20-22. Ph.2.9-11. Ee.2.9. Re.l.5,lS
a>i Peter and John as if they had been the authors of this heahng. They ought to have understood' it. The Jews were sufficiently acquainted with miracles to interpret them, and to know whence they proceeded ; and they ought not, therefore, to ascribe them to man, but to inquire why they had been wrought by God. IT Why look ye, &c. Why do ye fix the eyes vvith amazement on us, as though we could do this ? Why not look at once to God? ^ By our own power. By any ar< of healing, or by any medicine, we had done this. ^ Or holiness. Piety. As if God had bestowed this on us on account of our personal and eminent pierj'. It may be remarked, that here was ample oppor- tunity for them to establish a reputation of their own. The people were disposed to pay them honours ; they might at once have laid claim to vast authority over them ; but they refused all such personal honours, and ascribed all to the Lord Jesus. Whatever success may attend the ministers of the gospel ; or however much the world may be disf)osed to do them honour; they should disclaim all power in themselves, and ascribe it to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not by the talents or personal holiness of ministers, valuable as these are, that men are saved ; it is only by the power of God, designed to honour his Sen. See 2 Cor. iii. 5, 6.
13. The God of Abraham. He is called the God of Abraham because Abraham acknowledged him as his God, and because God showed himself to be his friend Comp. Matt. xxii. 32. Ex. iii. 6. 15. Gen xxviii. 13; xxvi. 24. It was important to show that it was the same God who had done this that had been acknowledged by their fathers; and that they were not about to introduce the worship of anjf other God. And it was especially impor- tant, because the promise had been made to Abraham, that in his seed should all the families of the earth be blessed. Gen xii. 3. Comp. Gal. iii. 16. IT Hath glorified Has honoured. You denied, despised and murdered him : bu* God has exalted
54
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 3.1
denied * him in the presence of Pi- lute, when he '' was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy "^ One and the Just, '' and desired a mur- derer to be granted unto you ;
a Jno.19.15. i Matt.27. 17-25. Lu.23.16-23.
c P».16.10. Lu.1.35. d c.7.52;22.14.
and honoured him. This miracle was done hi the name of Jesus, ver. 6. It was tlio power of God that had restored him ,* aiid by putting forth this power God had shown that he approved the work of his Son, and was disposed to honour him in the view of men. Comp. John xvii. 1. Eph. i. 20-22. Phil. ii. 9—11. Ileb. ii. 9. Rev. i. 5—18. ^ Ye delivered vp. That IS, you delivered him to the Romans to be put to death. See Note, eh. ii. 2.3. IT Avd denied him in Ike presence of Pilale. De- nied that he was the Messiah. Were unwilling to own him as your long-ex- pected King. John xix. 15. IT Wlien he was determined, &c. Matt. xxvu. 17 — 25. Luke xxiii. 16—23. Pilate was satisfied of his innocence ; but he was weak, and timid, and irresolute, and yielded to their wishes. The fact that Pilate regarded him as innocent was a strong aggravation of their crime. They should have re- garded him as innocent; but they urged on his condemnation, against the delibe- rate judgment of him before whom they
.had arraigned him ; and thus showed how obstinately they were resolved on his death.
14. T/ie hob/ One, <i'c. See Ps. xvi. 10. Comp. Note, Acts ii. 27. IT And the just. The word just here denotes imwcent, or one who was free from crime. It properly is used in reference to Zr/w, and denoles one who stands upright in the view of the law, or vvho is not chargeable with crime. In this sense the Lord Jesus was not only j>ersonalli/ innocent, but even before his judges he stood unconvicted of any crime The crime charged on liim at first was Jilasphcmy (Matt. xxvi. 6.5); and on this charge the Sanhedrim had con- demned him, without proof But of this charge Pilale would not take cogni/anre, and hence before him they charged him
^ith sedition. Luke xxiii. 2. Neither of these charges were made out; and, of course, in the eye «)f the law he was in- nocent and just. It greatly aggravated their crime tliat they demanded liisdealli ■till, even after u was ascertained thp.t ^hey could prove nothing agamst him • thus showing that it was mere hatred and iiinl»f;o that led lliem to sc ek his death
15 And killed the ' Prince ot life, whom God hath raised ' from the dead ; whereof f we are witnesses,
16 And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this mar strong, whom ye see and know;
J or, autlior. Jno.1.4. IJno.S.ll. e M»tt 9A3-1.
Ep.1.20. /c.2.32.
IT And desired a murderer. Matt. xx\ ii. 21.
15. And hilled the Pnni^ of Life. The word rendered prince dcotes properly a military leader or comrrinder. Hence, in Heb ii. 10, it is transla'eu captain ; " It
became him to mak»» the Captain of
their salvation perfect through sufferings.' As a captain or commander lead« on to victory, and is said to obtain it, so the word comes to denote one who is the cause, the author, the procurer, &c. In this sense it is used. Acts v. 31, "Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, /or to give repentance to Israel," &c. In Heb. xii. 2, it is properly rendered author ; " Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." The word author, or giver, would express the mean- ing of the word here. It also implies that he has dominion over life; an idea, in- deed, which is essentially connecled with that of his being the author of it. The word life here is used in a large sense, as denoting all manner of life. In this sense it is used in reference to Christ in John i. 4, "In him was life," &c. Comp. John v. 26. 1 John v. 11. 1 Cor. xv. 45. Jesus is here called the Prince of life in contrast with him whom the Jews demanded in his place, Barabhas. He was a murderer (Luke xxiii. 19. Mark xv. 7), one who had destroyed life ; and yet they demanded that he whose character it was to destroy life should be released, and the Author of life to lie put to death. IT Whom God hath raised. Arc. ch. ii 24. 32.
16. And his name. The name of Jesus is here put for Jesus himself; and it is the same as saying, " and he," Arc' In thia way the word jiame is often used by tlic Hebrews, .-'specially when speaking of God. Acts i. 15; iv. 12. Eph. i. 21. Rev iii. 4. It does not mean that there was any efTicacv in the mere name of Jesus that should heal the man, Imt that it was done by his aulhorily and |.ower. 1i 'Phrnurrh ftifh in his uninr. Bv means of fiilh III him; that is, by tlie faiih which IN'Ier and John had in Jesus. It does not refer to any faiih that the mar had himself, fiir there i.-s no evidence that he behoved iii him. But it was bv mram
I. D. 33.J CHAPTER 111,
yea, the faith which is by him hath ' given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
85
of the faith which the apostles exercised m him that the miracle was wrought, and was thus a fulfilment of the declaration
■•n Matt. xvii. 20, " If ye have faith ye
shall say to this mountain, remove hence," &c. This truth Peter repeats two or three timefj in the verse to impress it more dis- tinctly on the minds of his hearers. IT Whom ye see and know. There could therefore be no mistake. He was well known to them. There was no doubt about the truth of the miracle (ch. iv. 16), and the only inquiry was in what way it had been done. This Peter affirms to have been accomplished only by the power of the Lord Jesus. "IT Perfect soundness. sko-kkv,^::(v. This Avord is not used elsewhere in the New Testament. It denotes integrity of parts, freedom from any defect ; and .t here means that the cure was perfect and entire, or that he was completely restored to the use of his limbs. IT In the presence of you all. You are all witnesses of it, and can judge for yourselves. This shows how confident the apostles were that a real miracle had been performed. They were willing that it should be examined ; and this is con- clusive proof that there was no attempt at imposture. A deceiver, or one who pretended to work miracles, would have been cautious of exposing the subject to the danger of detection.
17. And now, brethren. Though they had been guilty of a crime so enormous, yet Peter shows the tenderness of his neart in addressing them still as his bre- thren. He regarded them as of the same nation with himself, as having the same !aopes, and as being entitled to the same privileges. The expression also shows that he was not disposed to exalt himself as being by nature more holy than they. This verse is a remarkable instance of tenderness in appealing to sinners. It would have been easy to have reproach- ed them for their enormous crimes ; but t vvas not the way to reach the heart. Viie had indeed stated and proved their \ wickedness. The object now was to I bring them to repentance for it ; and this ; was to be done by tenderness, and kind- ; ness, and love Men are melted to con- ■^trition, not by reproaches, but by love. IF / voot I know : I am Vv'ell apprized of it. I know yo J will affirm it ; and I admit iVit it was so Still the enormous d ?e(^ f2
17 And row, brethien, I wet that through ig-norauce " ye did zY, asrf/o also your rulers.
a Lu.23.34. Jao.16.3. lCor.2.8
has been done. It cannot be recalled and it cannot be innocent. It remain?, therefore, that you should repent of it, and seek for pardon. H That through ig^ norance, &c. Peter does iiot mean to affirm that they were innocent in having put him to death, for he had just proved • the contrary ; and he immediately pro ^-* ceeds to exhort them to repentance. But'] he means to say that their offence v.a-s I mitigated by the fact that they were igno- 1 rant that he was the Messiah. The same I thing the Saviour himself affirmed when dying. Lu^'e xxiii. 34. " Father, forgive them, for tney know not what they do." Comp. Acts xiii. 27 1 Cor. ii. 8. The same thing the apostle Paul affirmed m relation to himself, as one of the reasons why he obtained pardon from the enor- mous crime of persecution. 1 Tim. i. 13 In cases like these, though crime might be mitigated, yet it was not taken entirely away. They were guilty of demanding a man to be murdered who was declared innocent ; they were urged on with un governable fury; they did it from con tempt and malice ; and the crime oi mur- der remained, though they were ignoranS that he was the Messiah. It is plainly implied that if they had put him to death knoiving that he was the Messiah, and as the Messiah, there would have been no forgireness. Comp. Heb. x. 26 — 29. Igno- rance, therefore, is a circumstance which must always be taken into view in an estimate of crime. It is at the same time true, that they had opportunity to know that he Vi-as the Messiah; but the mere fact that they were ignorant of it, was still a mitigat-ng circumstance in the estimate of their crime. There can be no doubt that the mass of the people had no fixed belief that he was t!le Messiah. IT As did also your riders. Comp. 1 Cor. ii. 8, where the apostle says that none of the princes of thia world knew the wisdom of the gospel, for had they known it, they would no! ha\e crucified the Lord of glor}'. Is is certain that the leading Scribes and Pharisees were urged on by the most un- governable fury and rage to put Jesus to death, even when they had abundanl oppoi-tunity. to know his true character This was particularly the case with the high-priest. But yet it was true that they did n:t believe that he wa.=! the Mop-
66
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 3a.
18 But those • thinga which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ stoild sulTer, he hath so fulfilled.
a Lu.24.44. C.26.22J23.
Bfah. Their minds had been prejudiced. They had expected a prince and a con- queror. All tiheir views of the Messiah were different from the character which Jesus manifested. And though they might have known that he was the Messiah ,• though he had given abundant proof oC the lact, yet it is clear that they did not believe it. It is not credible that they would have put to death one whom they really believed to be the Christ. He was the hope, the only hope of their nation ; and they would not have dared to imbrue heir hands in the blood of him whom they really bebeved to be the illustrious personage so long promised, and expected by their fathers. It was also probably true that no small part of the Sanhedrim was urged on by the zeal and fury of the chief-priests. They had not courage to resist them ; and yet they might not hav# entered heartily mto this work of perse- cution and death. Comp. John vii.50 — 53. The speech of Peter, however, is not in- tended to free them entirely from blame ; nor should it be pressed to show that they were innocent. It is a mitigating circum- stance thrown in to show them that there was still hoj)e of mercy.
18. JJut those things. To wit, those things that did actually occur, pertaining lo the life and death of the Messiah. ^ Had showed. Had announced, or fore- told. IT Bi/ the mouth of all his prophets. That is, by the prophets in general, with- out affirming that each individual pro- phet had a distinct prediction respecting this. The prophets taken together, or the prophecies as a V}hole, had declared this. The word all is not unfrequently used in this somewiiat limited sense. Mark i. 37. John iii. 26. In regard to the prophecies respecting Christ, see Note, Luke xkiv. 27. IT Ihjh 80 fulfilled. He has caused to be fuflilled in this manner ; that is, by the rejection, denial, and wickedness of Ihe rulers. It has turned out to be in strict accordance with the prcphecy. This fact Peter incs in exhorting tnem to re|)entancc; but it is rtot to he regarded as an excuse for ttiojr sins. The mere fact that nil this was (i)relold, that it was in acconlance with llio purposes and pre- dictions of God, docK not take qwov the
19 Repent * ye therefore, and be converted, "^ that your sins may be ** blotted out, when the times of re- fresliing * shall come from the pre- sence of the Lord ;
b c.2.38. c Is.l. 16-20. Joel 2.13. d I8.43.S6.
( Jer.3l.23-25. Zep.3.14-20. Re.21.4.
gu
In regard to this, we may remark, (1.) The prediction did not change the nature of the act. The mere fact that it was fore- told, or foreknown, did not change its character. See Note, ch. i 23. (2.) Peter^ still regarded them as guihy. He did not' urge the fact that this was foreknown as an excuse for their sin, but to show them that since all this happened according to the prediction and the purpose of God, they had hope in his mercy. The plan' was that the Messiah should die to make a way for pardon; and, therefore, they might have hope in his mercy. (3.) Thia-^ was a signal instance of the power and mercy of God in overruling the wicked conduct of men to further his purposes and plans. (4.) All the other sins of men may thus be overruled, and thus the wrath of man may be made to praise him. But, (5.) This will constitute no ex cuse for the sinner. It is no part of liis intention to honour God, or to advance his purposes; and there is no direct ten- dency in his crimes to advance his glory The direct tendency of his deeds is coun- teracted and overruled ; and God brings good out of the evil. But this surely con- stitutes no excuse for the sinner.
If it be asked why Peter insisted on this, if he did not mean that it should be regarded as an excuse for their sin ; I re- ply, that it was his design to prove thai Jesus was Ihe Messiah, and having proved this, he could assure them that there was mercy. Not because they had not been guilty; not because ihey deserved favour; but because the fact that the Messiah haft come was an argument that any finnera might obtain mercy, as he immediately proceeds to show them. ^
10. Repent ye. Note, Matt, iii 2 , IT Therefore. Because of your sin in ]»ut i ting Jesus to death ; and because he is the Messiah, and God Uirough him is willing to show mercy to the chief of sinners, j IT And be converted. This expression con- voys an idea not at all to lie found in the original. It conveys the idea oi'pas.tivity BV: nmvertrd, as if they wore to yield tc some lltroign influence that they were nov^ resisting. But the idea of being pas- sive, in this, is not conveyed by the origi-
K. D. 33. J
CHAPTER 111.
67
■ f lal word. The word means properly to j i-ir7i ; to return to a path fr jm which one ' nas gone astray ; and then to turn away
from sins, or to forsake them. It is a word used in a general sense to denote the whole turning to God. That the form of the word here (i^io-T^i^^rs) does not de- note passivity may'be clearly seen by re- ferring to the following places, where the same form of the word is used. Matt. x\iv 18. Mark xiii. 16. Luke xvii. 31. 1 Thess. i. 9. The expression, therefore, would have been more appropriately rendered "repent, and turn, that your sins," &c. To be converted cannot be a matter of obligation ; but to turn to God IS the duty of every sinner. The crimes of which he exhorted them to repent 'vere those pertaining to the death of the Lord Jesus, as well as all the past sins of their life. They were to turn from the course of wickedness in which they and the nation had been so long walking.
[IT That your sins, «fec. In order that your sins 7nay be forgiven. Sin cannot be par- doned before man repents of it. In the j order of the work of grace, repentance
■ must always precede pardon. Of course, ' no man can have evidence that his sin is
pardoned until he repents. Comp. Isa.
i. 16—20. Joel ii. 13. IT May be blotted out.
May be forgiven, or pardoned. The ex-
>*pression, to blot out sins, occurs also in
I Isa. xliii. 25. Ps, li. 1. 9. Jer. xviii. 23. Neh.
t iv. 5. Isa. xliv. 22. The expression, to blot
^ out a 7iame, is applied to expunging it from
a roll, or catalogue, or lint, as of an army,
&c. Ex. xxxii. 32, 3.3. Deut. ix. 14; xxv.
/ 19 ; ixix. 29, &c. The expression, to olot
\ out sins, is taken from the practice of cre-
•: ditors charging their debtors, and when
; the debt was paid, cancelling it, or wholly
' removing the record. The word used
here properly refers to the practice of
writing on tables covered with wax, and
then by inverting the stylus, or instrument
ot writing, smoothing the wax again, and
rhus removing every trace of the record.
'This more entirely expresses the idea of
pardoning, than blotting does. It means
vvliolly to remove the record, the charge,
and every trace of the account against us.
In this way God forgives sins. H When
the times, &c. The word 'i-^,-, rendered
"when," is commonly rendered that, and
denotes the ^naZ caitse, or the reason why
a thing is done. Matt. ii.23;v. 16. 45, &c.
By many it has been supposed to have
this sense here, and tc mean " repent
i?i order that the times of refreshing may ccine," <S:c. Thus Kuinoel, Grotius, Light- foot, the Syriac version, &c. If used in his sense, it means that their repentance
^ortb.-^ it ia I
and forgiveness would be the means ot introducing peace and joy. Others have rendered it in accordance with our trans- lation, " when," meaning that they might find peace in the day when Christ should return to judgment; which return would be to them a day of res?, though of terroi to the wicked. Thus Calvin, Beza, the Latin Vulgate, Schleusner, &c. The grammatical construction will admit of either, though the former is more in ao cordance with the usual use of the worth" The objection to the former is, that not easy to see how their repenting, should be the means of introducing the I times of refreshing. And this, also, cor- responds very little with the desigii of Peter in this discourse. That was to e/i- courage them to repentance; to adduce arguments why they should repent ; and why they might hope in his mercy. To do ihis, it was needful only to assure thenj that they were living under the times i graciously promised by God, the times of | refreshing, when pardon might be obtain^ ed. The main inquiry, therefore, is, what did Peter refer to hy the times of refresh^ ing, and by the restitution of all things'. Did he refer to any particular manifesta- tion to be made then ; or to the influence of the gospel on the earth ; or to the future state, when the Lord Jesus shall '^ome to judgment ? The idea which I suppose Peter intended to convey was this: ' Repent, and be converted. You have been great sinners, and are in danger. Turn from your ways, that your sins may be forgiven.' But then, what encourage, ment would there be for this? or vWiy should it be done? Answer. 'You are hving under the times of the gospel, the reign of the Messiah, the times of refresh- ing. This happy, glorious period has been long anticipated, and is to continue to the close of the world, the period including the restitution of all things, and the re- turn of Christ to judgment, has come , and is, therefore, the period when you may find mercy, and when you shnu/d seek it, to be prepared for his return.' In this sense the passage refers to the fact that this time, this dispensation, this eco- nomy, including all this, had come, and thev were livirig under it, and might and should seek for mercy. It expresses, therefore, the common . belief of the Jews that such a time should come, and the comment of Feier about it? nature and continuance. The belief of the Jews was that such times should come. Peter afllrms that the belief of such a period was well-founded — a time ^\hen merj mav be obtained. That tir- » has
lerot r.oa^m.
THE ACT«.
fA. D. 33
20 And he " shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you :
ac.l.n. He.9.28.
The doctrine that it should come Avas well- founded, and has been fulfilled. This was a reason why they should repent, and hope in tiie mercy of God. Peter goes on, then, to state further cliaracierisiics of that period. It should include the restitu- tion of all things, the return of Christ to judgment, &c. And all this was an addi- tional consideration why they should re- pent, and turn Irom their sins, and seek for forgiveness. The meaning of the pas- sage may, therefore, be thus summed up : ' Repent, since such times shall come ; they are clearly predicted; they were to be expected ; and you are now living under them. In these times; in this dispensa- t'on, also, God shall send his Son again to judge the world ; and all thhigs sliall be etosed and settled for ever. Since you live under this period, you may .seek for mercy ; and you should seek to avoid the vengeance due to the wicked, and to be admitted to heaven when the Lord Jesus y*hall return.' IT Times of refreshing. [The word rendered refreshing, y.vu,-\ijlti, means properly the breathing, or refresh- ment, after being heated with labour, run- ning, &.C. It hence denotes any kind of refreshment, as rest, or deliverance from evils of any kind. It is used nowhere j_else in the New Testament, except that the verb is used in 2 Tim. i. 16, "Onesi- phorus. . . .oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain." lie administered comfort to me in my trials. It is u.sed by the LXX. in the Old Testament nine times. Ex. viii. 15, "But when Pharaoh bBvv that there was respite," i. e. cessation iT rest from the plagues. IIos. xii. 8. Jer. xlix. 31, Ps. Ixix. 11, &c. In no place in J.he Old Testament is the 7i'ord ai)plied to ('^ the terms of the gospel. The idea, hovv- \ I ver, that the times of the Messiah would be times of rest, and ease, and prosperity, \\:^s^ a favourite one among the Jews, and WtLS countenanced in the Old Testament. Soo Isa. xxviii. 12, "To whom he said, ThL«; is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest ; and this is the refresh- \ tng," &c. They anticipated the times of *^he gospel ns a period when ihoy sliould have rest from ihoir enemies; a rcsjiite from the evils of ojipression and \\ar ami a period of great r>nti<>nal prosperity and pciK o. Under the idea that the iia/ij)}/ lip" >' (f the Messiah had come, Peter now -^^rt'8.sr« them, and assures them that
21 Whorii the heav^ens must re ceive until the times * of restitutior of all things, which God hath b Matin.n.
they might obtain pardon and peace IT ISluill come. This does not mean that this period was still future, for it had come; but that the expectation of the Jews that such a Messiah should come was well-founded. A remarkably similai construction we have concerning Elijah (Matt. xvii. 11), "And Jesus answered and said, Elias truly shall first come, and restore," &c. ; that is, the doctrine that Elijah should come was true; though he immediately adds that it had already taken place, ver. 12. See Note on the place Tl From the presence of the Lord. Greek. " from the face of the Lord." The expres- sion means that God was its author. From the face of the Lord means from the Lord himself. Mark i. 2, " I send thy messen- ger before thy face," i. e, before thee, Comp. Mai. hi. 1. Luke i. 76; ii. 31.
20. And he shall send, &c. ch. i. 11. Under this economy of things, he shall send Jesus Christ, i. e. the Messiah, to teach men; to redeem them; to save them ; to judge the world ; to gather his people to himself; and to condemn the wicked. Under this economy they were then. This, therefore, was an argument why they should repent and turn to God. that they might escape in the day of judg ment. IT Which before was preached, «kc. Who has been proclaimed as the Me.ssiah. The name Jesus C'hrist is equivalent here to the Messiah. The Messiah had been proclaimed to the Jews as about to come In his time was to be the period of re freshing. He had come ; and they were under the economy in which the blessings of the Messiah were to be enjoyed. This does not refer to his personal ministry, or to the preaching of the ajK)stlcs ; but tc the fact that the Messiah had been a long time annoujtced to them by the proj)hets as about to come. All the proplicts had preached him, as the hope of the nation. It may bo remarked, however, that there is here a diflerence in the manuscripts- A large majority of them read :TfCK.x£«. piir.uei 01 , w ho was designated or appointed instead of vviio was preached. This read ing is approved liy Gricsliach, Knapp Bengc!, tVc. It was followed in the nn cirnt Sy-iac. the Arabic, &c. and is un- doubtedlv the true reading.
21. \V}i(im Ihe heaven ?nust receive. The common i)elicf of the Jews was, that the Messiah would reign '•«» /he earth foi
Al.D. 33.J
CHAPTER .11.
j9
spoken " by the mouth of all his "aoly prophets since the world began.
ever. John xii. 34. On this account they would object that Jesus could not be the Messiah , and hence it became so impor- tant for Vae apostles to establish the fact that he had ascended to heaven. The "evidence which they adduced was the fact that they saw him ascend. Acts i. 9. The meaning of the expression " w hom the heaven must receive," is that it was fit or proper (Su) that he should ascend. One reason of that fitness or propriety he himself stated in John xvi. 7, corap. xvii.
2. It w^as also ft or expedient that he should do it, to direct the affairs of the universe for the welfare of the church (Eph, i. 20—22), and that he should exer- cise there his office as a priest in inter- ceding for his people. 1 John ii. 1, 2. Heb. vii. 25; ix. 24. Rom. viii. 34, &c. It is remarkable that Peter did not adduce any passage of Scripture on this subject; but it was one of the points on which there was no clear revelation. Obscure intimations of it might be found in Ps. ex. xvi. &c. but the fact that he should as- ".end to heaven was not made prominent in the Old Testament. The words "whom the heaven must receive," also convey the idea of exaltation and power ; and Pe- ter doubtless intended to say that he was clothed with power, and exalted to ho- nour in the presence of God. See Ps. cxv.
3, comp. 1 Pet. iii. 22, " Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God ; angels and authoruies and powers being made subject unto him." Note, Acts ii. 33. IF Until. This word implies that he would then retui n to the earth ; but it does not imply that he would not again ascend to heaven. IT The times of the restitution of all things. The noun ren- dered restitution {k7rox:irx(rr:i!rs.og) doCS
not elsewhere occur in the New Testa- ment. The verb from which it is derived occurs eight times. It moans properly to "esfore a thing to its farmer situation, as restoring a sprained or dislocated limb to ts former soundness Hence it is used to restore, or to h:al, in the New Testament, "^latt. xii. 13, 'And it (the hand) was re- nored whole as (he other." Mark iii. 5. Luke vi. 10. And hence it is apphed to the preparation jf fitness for the coming cf the Messiah which was to attend the preaching of John in the character of Klias. Matt. xvii. 11. Mark ix. 12. Thus in Josophus (Antiq. li. 3. 8), the word is used to denote the return of the Jews from the caotivitv of Babylon, and their restoration
22 For IMoses truiy said unto the fathers, A * Prophet shall the Lord
to their former state and privileges. The word has also the idea of consuvLmation, completion, or filling up. Thus it is used in Philo, Hesychius, Phavorinus, and by the Greek classics. (See Lightfoot anrt Kuinoel.) Thus it is used here by the Syriac. " Until the complement or filling wpof the times;" that is, of all the events foretold by the prophets, &c. Thus the Arabic. " Until the times which shall esta- blish the perfection or completion of all the predictions of the prophets," &c. In this sense the passage means that the heavens must receive the Lord Jesus until all things spoken by the prophets in relation to his work, his reign, the spread of the gospel, the triumph of religion, &c. shall have been fulfilled. It also conveys the idea of the predicted recovery of the world from sin, and the restoration of peace and order; the consummation of the work of the Messiah, now begun, but not yet complete ; slow it may be in its advc~ces, but triumphant and certain in its progress, and its close. IT All things. All things which have been foretold by the prophets The expression is limited by the connex- ion to this ; and of course it does not mean that all men shall be saved, or that all the evils of sin can be repaired or reme- died. This can never be, for the mis- chief is done, and cannot be undone; but every thing which the prophets have foretold shall receive their comple- tion and fulfilment. ^ Which God hath spoken. Which have been revealed, and are recorded in the Old Testament. T Of all his holy prophets. This does not mean that each one of the prophets had spoken of these things ; but that all which had been spoken should be fulfilled. IT Since the world began. This is an expression denoting the same as from the beginning meaning to affirm with emphasis that all the prophecies should be fulfilled. The apostles were desirous to show that they, as well as the Jews, held entirely to the prophets, and taught no doctrine which they had not taught before them.
22. For Moses truly said. The autho- rity of Moses among the Jews was abso- lute and final. It was of great importance, therefore, to show not only that they wera not departing from his law, but that he had actually foretold these very things. The object of the passage is not to prove that the heavens must receive him, but that he was truly the Messiah. ^ Untc the fathers. To "their ancestoi-s, tir thg
THE ACTS.
[A.D. 53
your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall
founders of the nation. See Deut. xviii, 15 — 19 '^ A prophet. Literally, one who fbretels future events. But it is also used to denote a religious teacher in general. See Rom. xii. 6. In. Deut. it is evi- dently used in a large sense, to denote one who should infallibly guide and di- rect the nation in its religious affairs ; one who should be commissioned by God to do this, in opposition to the divijters (ver. 14; on which other nations relied. The meaning of this passage in Deuteronomy is apparent from the connexion. Moses is stating to them (ver. 1—8) the duty and office of the priests and Levites. He then cautions them against conforming to the surrounding nations, particularly on the Bubject of religious instruction and gui- dance. They, said he, consult, in times of perplexity, with enchanters,and charmers, and necromancers, and wizards, &c. (ver. 11 — 14), but it shall not be so with you. You shall not be left to this false and un- certam guidance in times of perplexity and danger; for the Lord will raise up, from time to time, a prfjphet, a man di- rectly commissioned in an extraordinary manner from heaven, like me, who shall direct and counsel you. The promise, therefore, pertains to the series of jyrophets which God would raise up; or it is a pro- mise that God would send his prophets, as occa-sion might demand, to instruct and counsel the nation. The design was to keep them from consulting with diviners, &c. and to preserve them from following the pretended and false religious teachers of surrounding idolatrous people. In this mterpretation most commentators agree. See particularly Calvin on this place. Thus explained, the prophecy had no cx- dusive or even direct reference to the Messiah, and there is no evidence that the Jews understood it to have any such reference, except as one of the series of projmets that God would rai.se up and send to instruct the nation. If then it be a'^ked on what principle Peter appealed to (his, wo may reply, (I.) That the Messiah was to sustain the character of a prophet, and the prophecy had reference to him as vne of the teachers that God would raise uji to instruct the nation. (2.) It would upi»ly to him iy ivay of eminence, as the greates' of t]ic messengers that God would send to instruct llio peof)le. In this sen.se it i« probable that the Jews would urider- fitand it. (3.) This was one of those emergencies in the history of the nation
ye hear in all things, whatsoevei he shall say unti you.
when they might expect such an inter vention. The prophecy implied that in times of perplexity and danger, God would raise up such a prophet Such a time then existed. The nation was corrupt, distracted, subjected to a foreign power, and needed such a teacher and guide. If it be asked why Peter appealed to this, rather than to explicit piophecies of the Messiah, we may remark, (1.) That his main object was to show their guilt in having rejected him and put him to death ver. 14, 15. (2.) That in order to do this, he sets before them clearly the obligation to obey him ; and in doing this, appeals to the express command of Moses. He shows them that, according to Moses, whoever would not obey such a prophet should be cut off from among the people. In refusing, therefore, to hear this great prophet, and putting him to death, they had violated the express command of their own lawgiver. But it was possible stiU to obey him, for he still lived in heaven ; and all the authority of Moses, therefore, made it a matter of obligation for them still to hear and obey him. The Jews were accustomed to apply the name pro- phet to the Messiah (John i. 21; vi. 14; yii. 40. Matt. xxi. 11. Luke iv, 24), and it has been shown from the writings of the Jewish Rabbins, that they believed the Messiah would be the greatest of the prophets, even greater than Moses. See Note, John i. 21. IT The Lord your God In the Hebrew, " Jehovah, thy God.' IT Raise up unto you. Appoint, or com mission to come to you. H Of your hre thren. Among yourselves ; of your own countrymen ; so that you shall not be de- pendent on foreigners, or on teachers of other nations. AH the prophets were native-born Jews. And it was particu- larly true of the Messiah that he was to be a Jew, descended from Abraham, and raised up from the midst of lus brethren Heb. ii. 11. IG, 17. On this account was to be presumed that they would feei a deeper interest in him, and listen more attentively to his instructions. IT Likt unto me. Not in all things, but only ir the ix)int which was under discussion He was to resemble him in being able to make known to them the will of God, and thus preventing the necessity of look'iii to other teachers. The idea of re.Hm blance between Moses and the prophet u not very strictly expressed in the Greek except in the mere circumstar.ee of bein|
\. D. 33.]
CHAPTER in.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from amon^ the people.
raised up. God shall raise up to you a prophet as he has raised up me — <i,- t/^L The resemblance between Moses and the Messiah should not be pressed too far. The Scriptures have not traced it farther Ihan to the fact that both were raised up by God to communicate his will to the Jewish people ; and therefore one should he heard as well as the other. H Him shall ye hear. That is, him shall you obey, or you shall receive his instructions as a communication from God. IT In all things whatsoever, &c. These words are not quoted literally from the Hebrew, but they express the se?ise of what is said in Deut. xviii. 15. 18.
23. Ajid it shall come to pass. It shall be or shall occur. This is not the usual word rendered " it shall come to pass." It is a word commonly expressing futu- rity, but here it conveys the notion of o6- ligation. In this verse Peter has not quoted the passage in Deuteronomy literally, but he has given the sense. '^ Every soul, '^.very person, or individual. Soul is often put for the whole man by the Hebrews. Acts vii. 14. Josh. x. 28. IT Hear that pro- phet. That is, obey his instructions. He shall have authority to declare the will of God ; and he that does not obey him refuses to obey God. Comp. Luke x. 16. John xiii. 20. IF Shall be destroyed. Tliis quotation is made according to the sense, and not literally. In the Hebrew the ex- pression is (Deut. xviii. 19), "I will require it of him," i. e. I will hold him answer- able, or responsible for it ; I will punish him. This expression the LXX. have rendered by " I will take vengeance on him." The idea of the passage is, there- fore, that God would punish the man that would not hear the prophet, without spe- cifying the particular way in which it should be done. The usual mode of punishing such offenceo was by cutting the offender off from among the people. Ex. XXX. 33; xii. 15 ; xix. 31. Num. xv. 31 ; six. 13. Lev. vii. 20, 21. 25. 27, &c The sense is, that he should be punished in the usual manner ; i. e. by excision, or by being destroyed from among the people. The word translated shall be destroyed means properly to exterminate ; wholly to devote to ruin, as of a wicked people, a wicked man whos<? life is taken, &c. To be destroyed/row among the people means, owever, to be excommunicated, or to be
24 Yea, and all the \ rophets from Samuel, and th .se that follow after, as many as have spoken, have like- wise foretold of these days.
deprived of the privileges of a people. Among the Jews this was probably the most severe punishment that could be in- flicted. It involved the idea of behig cul off from the privileges of sacrifice and worship in the temple and in the syna- gogue, &c. and of being regarded as a heathen and an outcast. The idea which Peter expressed here was, that the Jewa had exposed themselves to the severest punishment in rejecting and crucifying the Lord Jesus, and that they should, therefore, repent of this great sin, and seek for mercy. The same remark is ap plicable still to men. The Scriptures abundantly declare the truth, that if ; a- ners will not hear the Lord Jesus, they shall be destroyed. And it becomes each individual to inquire w-ith honesty wlie- ther he listens to his instructions, and obeys his law, or whether he is rejecting him and following the devices and de- sires of his own heart. It will be a solemn day when the sinner shall be called to render a reason w hy he has rejected the teachings and laws of the Son of God!
24. All the prophets. That is, the jtro- phets in general. It may be said of t!ie prophets generally, or of all of them, that they have foretold these things. This expression is not to be pressed as if wo were to look for distinct predictions of the Messiah in each one of the prophets. Ths use of language does not require so strict an interpretation. ^ From Samuel. In the previous verse (22) Moses was men- tioned as the first in order. The next in order was Samuel. The same mention of Moses and Samuel occurs in Ps. xcix. 6. The reason why Samuel is me itioned here is, probably, that he was the first prophet after Moses who recorded a pre- diction respecting the times of the Mes- siah. The Jews, in their divisions of the books of the Old Testament, reckoned the book of Joshua as the first of the prophets. But in Joshua and Judges there does no» occur any distinct prediction of the Mes- siah. The prophecy in Samuel, to which Peter probably had reference, is in 2 Saw vii. 16. From the fime of Moses to S*. muel, also, it is probable that no prophel arose. God was consulted by Urim and Tliummim (Ex. xxviii. 30. Num.xxvii 21), and consequently no extraordinary mes- senger was sent to instruct the nation % As many «.« have sjmken. Whosf)evoi
T2
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
25 ife • aie the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And * in thy seed
aRo.9.4:15.8. 2i Ge.83.1S.
has declared the will of God. This is to I>e taken in o. general sense. The mean- ing is!, that the prophets had concurred in foretelling these days. They not merely concurred in Icretelling a happy future period, but they foretold dislinclly the very things which had actually occurred respecting Jesus of Nazareth ; and the Jews, therefore, should listen to the voice of their own prophets.
25. Ye are the children of the prophets. Greek, " Ye are the sons of the prophets." The meaning is, not that they were lite- rally the descendants of the prophets, but that they were their disciples, pupils, fol- lowers. Tliey professed to follow the pro- pliets as their teachers and guides. Teach- ers among the Jews, were often spoken of under the appellation of fathers, and disciples as sons. Matt. xii. 27. Note, Malt. i. 1. As they were the professed disciples of the prophet-s, they should lis- ten to them. As they lived among the people to whom the prophets were sent, and to whom the promises were made, they should avail themselves of the offer of mercy, and embrace the Messiah. V And of the covenant. Ye are the sons of the covenant ; that is, you are of tho posterity of Abraham, with whom tho covenant was made. The word " sons' was often thus used to denote those to whom any favour appertained, whether by inheritance or in any other way. Thus Matt. viii. 12, " the children (sons) of the kingdom." John xvii. 12, " The son of perdition." The word covenant denotes properly a compact or agreement between equals, or those who have a right to make such a compact and to choose or refuse «he terms. When applied to God and man, it denotes ajirm promise on the part bfGod; a pledge to be regarded with all the sacredness of a compact, that he will do certain things on certain conditions. It IS called a covenant only to designate Its sacredness and the certainty of its ful- filment, not that mnji had any right to re- ject any of (ho tonus or stipulations. As man has no such right, ns he is bound to receive all that hm Maker proposes, so, Btrictly and litPially, there has been no compact or cdvnant between God and man. The premise to which Peter refers \xi the nassr.go before us, ii in Gen. xxii.
shall all the kindreds of the earin be blessed.
26 Unto " you first, God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him
c Matt.10.5. Lu.24,47.
]8;xii. 3. *f, In thy seed. Thy pofetenty See ]{om. iv. 13. 16. This promise th(? apustle Paul affirms had express relerence to the Messiah. Gal. iii. 16. The word seed is used sometimes to denote an indi- vidual (Gen. iv. 25) ; and the apostle (Gal. iii. 10) affirms that there was special re- ference to Christ in the promise made to Abraham. IT All the kindreds. The word translated kindreds (-^rf <a.) denotes those who have a common father or ancestor and is applied to families. It is also re- ferred to those larger communities which descended from the same ancestor, and thus refers to nations. Eph. in. 15 Here it evidenlly refers to all nations. % Be blessed. Be made happy.
26. Unto you first. To you who are Jews. This was the direction, that the gospel should be first preached to the Jews, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke xxiv. 47. Jesus himself also confined his ministry entirely to the Jews. IT Having raised up This expression does not refer to his hav ing raised him from the dead, but is used in the same sense as in verse 22, where God promised that he would raise up a prophet, and send him to teach the peo- ple. Peter means that God had appointed his Son Jesus, or had commissioned b'm to go and preach to the people to tun/ them away from their sins. 'J To Uess you. To make you liapi)y,- to fulfil the promise made to Abraham. IT In turning aioay. That is, by his preaching, exam- ple, death, &c. The highest blessing thaf can be conferred on men is to be turnec' ft Dm sin. It is the source of all woes, anc if men are turned from that, they will bo happy. Christ blesses no one in sin, or while loving sin, but by turning them from v\n. This was the object which he had '\i\ view in coming, l.sa. lix. 20. Matt, i. 21. Ihc design of Peter in these re- marks was to ehow them that the Messiah had come, and that now they might look for hapi>iness, pardon, and mercy through him. As tlio Jews might, so may all , and as Jesus while living sought to turn away men from their sins, so he does still, ana still (b'siirns to bleat all nations by the pn."|)el which \ie had himself preached, and to establish whi >h, he c.'.ed. All may therefore come anJ 'xj t-Jevt.xl ; and afi may rejoice in the |rii>|x)ol Uiat *hfiM
A.. D. 33. 1
CHAPTER IV.
73
BO bless you, in turning; away * every one of you from his iniquities. CHAPTER IV.
A ND as they spake unto the peo- •^ pie, the priests, and the ' cap-
ft Is.59.20. Matt.1.21. Tit.2.1l-U.
blessings shall yet be bestowed on all the Kindreds of the earth. May the happy day soon come !
CHAPTER IV. 1. The priests. It is probable that these priests were a part of the sanhedrim, or great council of the nation. It is evident that they claimed some authorily for pre- venting the preaching of the apostles. And the whole transaction seems to show hat they did not come upon them in a tumultuous manner, but as keepers of the peace. IT The captain of the temple. See Notes, Matt. xxvi. 47. Luke xxii. 4. This was tlie commander of the guard station- ed chiefly in the tower Anionia, espe- cially during the great feasts ; and it was their duty to preserve order, and prevent any tumult. The captain of the temple came at this time to prevent a tumult or suppress a riot, as it was supposed that the teaching of the apostles and the crowd collected by the healing of the lame man would lead to a tumult. IT And the Sad- ducees. See Note, Matt. iii. 7. One of the doctrines which the Sadducees main- tained was, that there was no resurrec- tion of the dead. Hence they were par- ticularly opposed to the aposUes for preaching it, and because they gave so clear proof that Jesus had risen, and were thus spreading the doctrine of the resur- rection among the people. IT Came upon them. This expresswn implies that they came in a sudden and violent manner. See Luke xx. 1.
2. Being grieved. The word thus trans- lated occurs but in one other place in the New Testament, Acts xvi. 18. It implies more than simple sorrow ; it was a min- gled emotion of indignation and anger. They did not grieve because they thought it a public caiajnity, but because it inter- ■ fered with their authority, and opposed their doctrine. It means triat it was pain- fid to them, or they could not hear it. It IS often the case that bigots, and men in authority, have this kind of grief at the leaX of men in spreading the truth, and thu3 undermining their influence and au- thority. IT 'That they taught the people. The ground of their grief was as much the fact that they should presume to in- struct the people, as the matter which they taugtit them. They were offended
tain of the temple, and the Saddu- cees, ^ came upon them,
2 Being grieved that the} taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead,
b Matt. 22.23. c.23.8,
that unlearned Galileans, in no way con- nected with the priestly oliice, and unau- thorized by them, should presume to set themselves up as religious teachers. They claimed the right to watch over the in- terests of the people, and to declare who was authorized to instruct the nation. Il has been no unusual thing for men in ecclesiastical stations to take exceptions to the minisliy of those who have not been commissioned by themselves. Men easily fancy that all power to instruct others is lodged in their hands ; and they oppose others simply from the fact that they have not derived their authority from them. The true question in this case was, whether these Galileans gave proof that they were sent by God. The fact of the miracle in this case should have been satisfactory. We have here, also, a striking instance of the fact that men may turn away frOm evidence, and from most important points, and fix on something that opposes their prejudices, and which may be a matter of very little moment. No inquiry was made whether the miracle had been really wrought ; but the only inquiry was whether they had conformed to their views of doctrine and order, "ir And preached through Jesus, &c- The Sadducees would be particularly op- posed to this. They denied the doctrine of the resurrection, and they were trou- bled that the apostles adduced proof of it so strong as the resurrection of Jesus. It was perceived that this doctrine was be- coming established among the people; multitudes believed that he had risen, and xf he had been raised up, it followed also that others uould rise. The Saddu- cees, therefore, felt that their cause was in danger-, and they joined w^ith the priests in endeavouring to arrest its spread among the people. This is the account of the first opposition that was made to the gospel as it was preached by the apostles. It is worthy of remark that it excited so much and so speedily tive enmity of those in power ; and that the apostles were so soon called to test the sincerity of their attachment to their Mas- ter. They who but a few days before had fied at tlie approach of danger, were called to n.eet this opposition, and to show their attachment to a risen Re
•4
nil: Ad\s.
[A. I), jn
S And ihey laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day : for it was now even-tide.
4 Ilowbeit many " of them which heard the word believed ; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
o C.2S.24.
doemcr ; and they did it without shriiik- uig. They showed now liiat they were indeed the tiue friends of the crucified Saviour : and this remarkable change in their conduct is one among the many proofs that they were influenced from above.
3. Put them in hold. That is, they took them into cusfodij, or into safe keeping. Probably they committed them to the care of a guard. H Even-lide. Evening. It was not convenient to assemble the coun- cil at night This was moreover the time for the evening prayer or sacrifice, and it \\ as not usual to assemble tiie sanhedrim at that hour.
4. Howbeit. But ; notwithstanding. IT Many of them, &c. This was one of the instances which has since been so ollen repeated, in which jiersecution has only had a tendency to extend and esta- blish the faith which it was designed to destroy. It finally came to be a proverb that " the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church;" and there is no lesson which men have been so slow to learn as that U) oppose and j/ersecutc men is the very way to confirm them in their opi- nions, ard to spread their doctrines. It was su|)[Oised here that the disciples were few, that they were without power, wealth, and infiuence, and that it was ea.sy to crush them at once. But God made their persecution the means of ex- lending, in a signal manner, the truths of tiio gospel and the triumphs of his word. Anil so in all ages it has l)€en, and so it ever will be. H And the manber. Ac. It •eems probable thn.t in this number of five thousand ther were included the one hundred and twenty who are men- tioned in ch. i. 15, and the three thousand who were converted on the day of Pente- cost, ch ii. 41. It does not api)ear proba- ble that five thousand should iiave been a.ssembled and c<jnvertcd in Solomon's porch (ch. iii. II), on occasion of the cure of the lame man. Luke doubtless means to say that, up to this lime, the number of persons who bad joiiicd themselves to the afJO«ll(!S wasaix)ut five tliousan<l. On lliis supftOBiUon, the work of religion must
5 And it came to pass on th.' morrow, that their rulers and elders, and scribes,
6 And Annas * the high-priest and Caiaphas, and John, anc Alex- ander, and as many as were ; f the kindred of the hitrh-priest, were
I Jno.18.13.
have made a very rapid advance. How long this was after the day of Pentecos! is not mentioned ; but it is clear that it was at no very distant period ; and the accession of near two thousand to the number of believers was a very striking proof of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit IT 0/ the men. Of the per sons. The word rneyi is often used wilh out refereiicp to se.x. Luke xi. 31. Rom. IV. 8; XI. 4.
5, G. Their rulers. The rulers of the Jews; doubdess the members of the san- hedrim, or great conned of the nation. L'omp. V. 15. Note, Matt. ii. 4 ; v. 22. The expression their rulers, looks as if this book was written for tlie Gentiles, or Luke would have said our rulers. IT El- ders. Presbyters; or those who were chosen from among the people to sit in the sanhedrim. It is probable that the rulers were those who held also some other office, but were also authorized to sit in the great council. II Scribes. See JVote, Malt. ii. 4 f And Annas, &c.. JVote, John xviii. 13. It is by no meant certain that^4/(?ias was at that time the high-priest, but he had been, and doubt- less retained the title. He was father-in- law to Caiaphas the high-priest; and from this fact, together with his former dignity he is mentioned first. H Caiaphas. Son- in-law of Annas, and now exercising the office of the hiuh-priest. John xviii. 13 H John and Alexander, &c. Of these per- sons nothing more is known. It is clear that they were members of the great coun- cil, and the mention of their names shows that the men of chief authority and infiu- ence were assembled (o silence the apos- tles. Annas and Caiaplias had been con ccrned in the condemnation of Jesus, and they would now feel a special interest in arresting the progress of the gospel among the people. All the success of the pes- pel reflected back light iijion the wicked ncss of the a(;t of condemning the Lon Jesus. And this fad may serve, in pari, to account for their strong desire to »ilcn ^o the apostles. ^ At Jn-utalem. lU l*liis was tilt usual jilace of assembling ihc sanhedrim. But the Jewi.-^h writers 'ihh
\. D. 33. J
CHAPTER IV.
IS
g-athered together at Jerusalem.
7 And when they had set them m the midst, they asked, By "what power, or by what name, have ye •lone this ?
o Matt^l.23.
Lightlbot on this place) say that forty years before the destruction of the city, an account of the great uicrease of crime, &.C. the sanhedrim was removed from place to place. The declaration of Luke that they were now assembled in Jerusa- lem, seems to imply that they sometimes met in other places. It is probable that the members of the sanhedrim were not in the city at the time mentioned in ver. 3, and this was the reason why the trial was deferred to the next day.
7. Ill the midst. In the presence of the great council. ^ By what power, &zc. A similar question was put to Christ in the temple Matt. xxi. 23. ^ Ihj what name. That is, by whose authority. It is verj' urobable that they expected to intimidate the apostles by this question. They claim.- ed th 1 right of regulating the religious affairs of the nation. They had vast power with the people. Tliey assumed that all power to instruct the people should originate with them : and they expected that the apostles would be con- founded, as having violated the establish- ed usage of the nation. It did not seem to occur to them to enter into an investi- gation of the question, whether this ac- knowledged miracle did r;ot prOve that they were sent by God ,• but ihey assumed that they were impostor?, r.nd attempted to silence them by authority. It has been usual with the enemies of reli- gion to attempt to inthnidate its friends, and when argument fails, to attempt to silence Christians by appealing to their fears.
8. Filled with the Holy Ghost. Note, ch. ii.4. ^ Ye rulers, &c. Peter addressed .lie sanhedrim with perfect respect. He did not call hi question their authority to ^rL>pose this question. He seemed to re- gard this as a favourable opportunity to declare the truth and state the evidence of the Christian religion. In this he acted on the principle of the injunction which he himself afterwards gave (1 Pet. iii 1.5), ' Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Innocence is willing to be questioned ; and a believer in the truth will rejoice in any opportunity to state fjjfi evidence of wha". is believed. It is
8 Then Peter, filled ^ with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ve rulers of the people, and elders o! Israel,
9 If v/e this day be examined of
remarkable, also, that this was before the great council of the nation; the body thai was clothed with the highest authority. And Peter could not have forgotten that before this very council, and these very men, his blaster had been arraigned anii condemned. Nor could he have forgot- ten that in the very room where This same council was convened to try his Lord, he had himself shrunk from an honest avowal of attachment to him, an I shamefully and profanely denied him That he was now able to stand boldly before this same tribunal, evinced a re- markable change in his feelings, and was a most clear and impressive proof of the genuineness of his repentance when he went out and wept bitterly. Comp. Luke xxii. 54 — 62. And we may remark here, that one of the most clear evidences of the sincerity of repefttance is when it leads to a result like this. So deeply was the heart of Peter affected by his sin (Luke xxii. 62), and so genuine was his sorrow, that he doubtless remembered his crime on this occasion ; and the me- mory of it inspired him with boldness. It may be further remarked, that one evi- dence of the genuineness of repentance is a desire to repair the evil which is done by crime. Peter had done dishonour to his Master and his cause, in the presence of the great council of the nation. No thing, on such an occasion, would b more likely to do injury to the cause, than lor one of the discipies of the Sa- viour to deny him — one of his fbllowera to be guilty of profarieness and falsehood. But hers was an opportunity, in some degree, at least, to repair the evil. Be- fore the same council and the same men, in the same city, and in the presence of the same people, it is not an unnatural supposition that Peter icjoiced that he might have opportunity to bear kis testi- mony to the divine mission of the Saviour whom he had before denied. By using the customary language of respect ap- plied to the great council, Peter also has shown us that it is proper to eviiice re* spect for office, and for those in powe Religion requires us to render ffiis ho- mage, and lo treat men iu of^i '? with deference. Matt, xxii '^■} Rom %n''. '? IPet. ii. ]?,— \7.
76
the g(/oJ deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole ;
10 Bo it known unto you al'., ant to all the people of Israel, that" by the name of Jesus Christ of Naza- reth, whom ye crucified, whom God
a c.3.6,16.
THE ACTS. [A. O. 33
raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand hpre before you whole.
1 1 This is the stone '' which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
b Ps.118.22. Is.28.16. MaU.21.42.
10. Ue it known, &c. Peter might have evaded the question, or he miglit have resorted to many excuses and subterfuges Calvin), if he had been desirous of avoid- big this inquiry. But it was a noble op- oortuuity for vindicating the honour of nis Lord and master. Jt was a noble op- .lortunity also for repairing the evil which fie had done by his guilty denial of his Lord. Although, therefore, this frank and open avowal was attended with dan- ger, and although it was in the j)resence of the great and the mighty, yet lie chose to state fully and clearly his conviction of the truth. Never was there an instance of greater boldness ; and never could there be a more striking illustration of the fitness of the name which the Lord Jesus gave him, that of a rock. John i. 42. Matt. svi. 17, 18. The timid, trembling, yield- ing, and vacillating Simon he wiio just before was terrified by a servant girl, and who on the lake was afraid of sinking, is now transformed into the manly, decided, and firm Cephas, fearless before the great council of the nation, and in an unwaver- ing lone a.sserting the authority of him whom he had just before denied, and whom thejf had just before put to death. ft is not possible to account for this change except on the supposition that this religion is true. Peter had no world- ly motive to actuate him. He had no prospect of wealth or fame by this. Even the hopes of honour and preferment which they had cherished before the dealh of Jesus, and which might have been supposed to influence them then, were now abandoned by the apostles, rticir Master had died ; and all their hopes of himian honour and power had bfren buried in his grave. Nothing ])ut the conviction of the truth could have wrought this change, and transformed this timid disciple to a l)old and uncom- prorniiiing aj^jstle. IT By the name. By the authority or ]x)wer. ch. iii. G. If Of Jesus Christ: The union of these two names would bo particularly oiTensive lo the sanlirflrim. TJicy 'Imird that Jesus was the (,'hrist, or the Messiah; Peter, by the use of the word ('hrist. nfTirniPd
that he was. In the language then used, it would be, " By the name of Jesus, the Messiah." IT Of Nazareth. Lest there should be any mistake about his mean- ing, he sfjecified that he referred to the despised Nazarene ; to liim who had just been put death, as they supposed, covered with infamy. Christians little regard the epithets of opprobrium which may be affixed to themselves or to their religion. IT Whom ye crucified. There is emphasis in ah the expressions that Peter uses. He had before charged the people with the crime of having })ut him to death, ch. ii. 23; lii. 14, 15. But he now had the o\\- jjorlunity, contrary to all expectation, of urging the charge with still greater force on the rulers themselves, on the very council which had condemned him anii delivered him to Pilate. If xvns n r(^. marKable providence that an opportunity was thus affordetl of urging this charge in the presence of the sanhedrim, and of proclaiming to them the necessity of re- pentance. Little did they imagine when they condemned the Lord Jesus, that this charge would be so soon urged. This is one of the instances in which God takes the wise in their own craftiness. Job\. 13. They had arraigned the apostles, they demanded their authority for what they had done ; and thus they liad d^^-ectly opened the way, and invited them to the serious and solemn charge which Peter here urges against them.
11. This is the sto7ie. This passage is found in Ps. cxviii. 22. It is quoted, also, by our Saviour as applicable to himself See Note on Matt, xxi 42. The ancient Jews applied this to David. In the Tar gum on Ps. cxviii. 22, this passage is rei; dered, "The child who was among ihv. sons of Jesse, and was worthy to be con- stituted King, the builders rejected." The New Testament writers, however, apply it without any doubt to the Mes- siah. Comp. Isa. xx\iii. K't. Kom. Lx. 33. Kjth. ii. 20. And from this jiaj'sage we may learn, that Ciod will overrule the devi< PS luid plana of wicked men. to ac c-onu>li»"h his own purposes. What men defpisn and set at nought, he Ciiieems of
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTER IV
77
1'2 Neither is there salvation in any other : for " there is none other
a c. 10.43. lTim.2.5,S.
inestimable value in his kingdom. What the great and the mighty contemn, he re- gards as the very foundation and corner- stone of the edifice which he designs to rear. Nothing has been more remarkable than this in the history of man ; and in nothing is more contempt thrown on the proud i)rojects of men, than that what Uiey have rejected he has made the very basis of his schemes.
12. Neither is there salvation. The word mlvation properly denotes any preserva- Uon, or keeping any thing in a safe state ; a preserving it from harm. It signifies, also, deliverance from any evil of body or mind ; from pain, sickness, danger, &c. Acts vii. 25. But it is in the New Testa- mpnt applied particularly to the w'ork which the Messiah came to do, "to seek and to save those which were lost." This work refers primarily to a deliverance of the soul from sin. Matt. i. 21. Acts v. 3i. Luke iv. 18. Rom. viii. 21. Gal. v. 1. It then denotes, as a consequence of freedom from sin, freedom from all the ills to which sin exposes man, and the attain- ment of that perfect peace and joy which shall be bestowed on the children of God m the heavens. The reasons why Peter introduces this subject here seem to be these : (1.) He was discoursing of the de- Umrance of the man that was healed, his salvafion from a long and painful calami- ty. This deliverance had been accom- plished by the power of Jesus. The men- tion of this suggested that greater and more important salvation from sin and death which it was the object of the Lord Jesus to effect. As it was by his power that this man had been healed, so it was by his power only that men could bo saved from death and hell. Deliver- ince from any temporal calamity should lead the thoughts to that higher redemption which the Lord Jesus contemplates in re- gard to the soul. (2.) This was a favourable opportunity to introduce the doctrines of the gospel to the notice of the great council of the nation. The occasion invited to it; the mention of a part of the work of Je- giis invited ^ a contemplation of his whole work. Peter would not have done jus- tice to the character and work of Christ, if he had not introduced that great de- sign which he had in view to save men from death and hell. It is probable, also, that he advanced a sentiment in which
expected they would immediately f07i
A Q
''name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
.45.17.
ciir, and which accorded with their well known opinions, that salvation vvas to b« obtained only by the Messiah. Thus PaiV (Acts xxvi. 22, 23) says that he taught no thing else than what was delivered b) Moses and the prophets, &c. Comp. Acts xxiii. 6; xxvi. 6. The apostles did noj pretend to proclaim any doclrine which was not delivered by Moses and the pro- phets, and which did not in fact consti- tute a part of the creed of the Jewish na tion. IT In any other. Any other person. He does not mean to say that God is no able to save, but that the salvation of th€ human family is intrusted to the hands of Jesus the Messiah. "^ For there is none other name. This is an explanation of what he had said in the previous part of the vei-55. The woid name here is used to denote the person himself; there is no other being, or person. As we should say, there is no one who can save but Je- sus Christ. The word 7iame is often used in this sense. See Note on iii. 6. IG. That there is no other Saviour, or mediator be- tween God and man, is abundantly taught in the New Testament; and it is indeed the main design of revelation to prove this. See 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. Acts x. 43. IT Un- der heaven. This expression does not ma- terially differ from the one immediately following, " among men." They are de- signed to express with emphasis the senti- ment that salvation is to be obtained in Christ alone, and not in any patriarch, or prophet, or teacher, or king, or in any false Messiah. *a Given. In this word it is implied that salvation has its origin in God ; that a Saviour for men must be given bv him ; and that salvation cannot be originated by any power among men. The Lord Jesus is thus uniftjrmly represented as given, or appoiitted by God for this great purpose (John iii. 16; xvii. 4. 1 Cor, iii. 5 Gal. i. 4 ; ii. 20. Eph. i. 22 ; v. 25. 1 1'im. ii. 6. Rom. v. 15—18. 23); and hence Christ IS called the " unspeakable gift' of God. 2 Cor. i.x. 15. IT Whereby uje musi be saved. By v/hich it is ft, or proper (?iV), that we should be saved. There ia no other way of salvation that is adapted to the great object contemplated ; and flierefore, if saved, it must be in this way, and by this plan. All other schemes by mei'.'s own devices n'-'^'nol adapted to the purpose, and therefore cannot save. The doctrine that men can be saved only by Jesus Christ is abundantly taiight in tha
7H
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33.
S<rij>turc?>. To snow the faiture of all other schemes of religion was the great design of the first part of the epistle to the Komars. Hy a lahourod argument Paul there shows (ch. i.) that the Ut/itilcs had failed in their attempt to justity them- selves; and in ch. ii. iii. that the same thing was true also of the Jews. If both these schenu'b (ailed, then there was need of some ol/ifr plan ; and that plan was that of salvation by Jesus Christ. If it be asked, tlien, wiiether this aliirmation of Peter is to be understood as having re- spect to infants and the heathen, we may remark, (1.) That his design was primarily It) address the Jews, " Whereby we must be saved." But (2.) The same thing is doubtless true of others. If, as Christians generally believe,infants are saved, there is no absurdity in supposing that it is by the meritsof the atonement, i?;/^ for that, there would have been no premise of sal- vation. J\o offer has been made except by the Mediator; and to him doubtless is to be ascribed all the glory of raising up I even those in infancy to eternal life. W any of the heathen are to be saved, as | most Christians suppose, and as seems in accordance with the mercy of God, it is no less certain that it will be in conse- quence of the intervention of Christ. Those who will be brought to heaven will sing one song (Rev. v. 9), and will be prepared for eternal union in the service of God in the skies. Still, the Scriptures have not declared that great numbers of the heathen will be saved, who have not the gospel. The contrary is more than implied in the New Testament. Kom. ii. P2. Neither has the Scripture affirmed that all the heathen shall certainly be cut offi It has been discovered by mis- eionaries among the heathen that indivi- duals have, in a remarkable way, been convinced of the folly of idolatry, and were seeking a better religion ; that their minds were in a serious, thoughtful, in- quiring stale, and that they at (nice em- braced the gospel when it wao offered to them, as exarthj adapted to their stale of mind, and meeling tlicir iiu|uiries. Such was extensively the case in the Sandwich Islands; and ilie following instance re- cently occurred in this country. "The Flat-nead Indians, living west of the Kof'ky mountains, recently sent a dejju- tatlon to the while settlements to incjuire nflcr the Hible. The circnmstapce that led to this siiifrular movement i.s as f »1- lows : It appears that a white man (Mr. Callin) had peiiet'.»le(l inlo their country, and happened to be a sjier talor af one of "heir rchgio js ceremonies. Ho inlijrmed
them that their mode of worshipping the Supreme Being was radically wrong, and that the jieople away towards the rising • of the sun had been put in po.ssession of the true mode of worshipping the Great Spirit. On receiving this inibrmafion, they called a national council to take this sub- ject into consideration. Some said, if ihia be true, it is certainly high lime we were put in possession of this mode. 'I'hey ac- cordingly dei>uted four £)f the chiels to proceed to St. Louis, to see their great lather, general Clark, to in<iuire of him the truth of this matter. They were cor- dially received by the general, who gave them a succinct history of Revelation, and the necessary instruction relative to their important mission. Two of them sunk under the severe toils attending a journey of three thousand miles. The remaining two, after acquiring what knowledge tb.ey could of the Bible, its institutions and 'precepts, returned, tc carry back those few rays of divine light to their benighted countrymen." In what way their minds were led to this state we cannot say; or how this jirejiaradon lor the gospel was connected with the agency, and merits of Christ, we perhaps cannot understand. But we know that the affiiin^ of this entire world are placed under the control of Christ (John xvii. 2. Eph. i. 21. 22), and that the arrangements of events by which they were brought to this state of mind are in his hands. Another remark may here be made : it is, that it often oc- curs that blessings come upon us fr^i\ btnefactms v^hom we do not see, and J'r(i)/i sources which uc cannot trace. On this- principle we receive ;«</«// of the nu'rcic.> of life; and from any thing that appears in Uiis way manv blessings of salvation may be conferred on the world, and pos sibly many of the heathen be saved Still, this view does not interfere with the command of Christ to preach the gos- pel. Mark xvi. LO. The great mass of tht heathen are not in this slate : and this liut 80 far as it goes, is an encouragemenl in preach the gospel to the entire world. If Christ riius prepares the way ; if he ex- tensively fits the minds of the heathen for lli(! reception of the f;ospel ; if he shows them the evil and folly of their o ah sy.s- tein, and leads them to desire a belter, then this should operate noUlo produce indolence, but activity, and zeal, and encouragement to enter into the field white lor the harvest, and to toil tha« all who seek the truth, and are prrp<jre'i to embrace the gospel, may bo broug)ji to the light of the Sun of righleou»- ness.
\ D. 33.]
CHAPTER IV.
■ 13 Now when they »aw the bold- aess of Peter and John, and per- ceived that they were unlearned °
oMatt U.25. 1 Cor. 1.27.
13 Boldness. This word properly de- notes oj^nness or conjidejice in speaking. [t stands opposed to hesilancy, and to equivoca'.ion m declaring our sentiments. Here it means, that in spite of danger and opposition, they avowed their doctrines without any attempt to conceal or di=- puiie them. ^ yeter and JohK It was they only who had been concerned in the healing of the lamo man. ch. iii. 1. H And perceived. When they knew that they were unlearned. This might have been ascertained either by report, or by the manner of their speaking. ^ Unlearned. This w'»rd properly denotes those who were not acquainted with letters, or v.ho had not had the benefit of an education. '\ Ignorant men. iJfira.. This word pro- perly denotes those who live in private, in contradistinction from those who are engaged in public life, or in office. As this class of persons is commonly also supposed to be less learned, talented, and refined than those in office, it comes to. denote those who are rude and illiterate. The idea intended to be conveyed here is, that these men had not had opportu- nities of education (comp. Matt. iv. 18 — 2-1), and had not-been accustomc-a to pub- lic speaking, arid hence rhey were sur- prised at their boldness. This same cha- racter is uniformly attributed to the early preachers of Christianity. Comp. 1 Cor. i. 11. Matt. xi. 25. The Galileans were re- Ejarded by the Jews as particularly rude and uncultivated. Matt. xxvi. 73. Mark iciv. 17. IT They marvelled. They won- dered that men who had not been edu- cated in the schoiils of ths Rabbins, and accustomed to speak, should declare their sentiments with so much boldness. ^ And they took knowledge. This expression means simply that they knew, or that they obtained evidence, or proof, that they had Deen with Jesus. It is not said in ivhat way they obtained this evidence ; but the ronnexion leads us to suppose it was by the miracle which they had wrought ; by Iheir firm and bold declaration of the doc- trines of Jesus ; and perhaps by the irre- sistible conviction that none would be thus x)ld who had not been personally with lim, and who had not the firmest convic- .lon that he was the Messiah. They had lot been trained in their schools, and their coldness could not be attributed to the arts ^f rhetor/^ L'^-'^v as the nat fe, ingenuous
and ignorant men, they marvelled ; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
and manly exhibition of deep conviction of the truth of what they spoke ; and that conviction could have been obtained only by their having been with him, and having been satisfied that he was the Messiah. Such conviction is of far more value in preaching than all the mere teachings ot the schools ; and without such a convic tion, all preaching will be frigid, hypocri- tical, and useless. H Had been with Jesus. Had been his followers, and had attended personally on his ministry. They gave evidence that they had seen him, been with him, heard him, and were convinced that he was Vau Messiah. We may learn here, (1.) That if men wish to be success- ful in preachin-j;, it must be based on deep and thorougii (onviction of the truth of that which fhey deliver. (2.) They wiio preach should. give evidence that they are acquaiBted with the Lord Jesus Christ; that they have imbibed his spirit, pondered his instructions, studied the evidences of his divine mission, and are thoroughly convinced that he was from God. (3.) Boldness and success in the ministry', as well as in every thing else, will depend far more on honest, genuine, thorough conviction of the truth, than on all the endowments of talent and learn- ing, and all the arts and skill of eloquence No man should attempt to preach with- out such a thorough conviction of truth, and no man who has it will preach in vain. (4.) God often employs the igno- rant and unlearned to confound the wise 1 Cor. i. 27, 28. But it is not by their ig norance. It W"as not the ignorance of Peter and John that convinced the san- hedrim. It was done in spite of their ig- norance. It was their boldness, and then honest conviction of truth. Besides, though not learned in the schools of the Jews, they had been under a far more imjx)r- tant training, under the personal direction o\' Christ himself for three years; and now they were directly endowed by the Holy Ghost with the power of speaking with tongues. Though not taught in tha schools, yet there was an important sense in which they were not unlearned and ignorant men. Their example should not, therefore, be pleaded in favour of an un- learned ministry. Christ himself expressed his opposition to an unlearned ministry by teaching ihem himself, and then by be stowing or them miraculous endovvm^'nta
THE ACTS.
[A, D. 3i
14 And beholding the man which vas healed standing with them, 'hey could say nothing " against it.
15 But when they had command- ed them to go aside out of the coun- m1, they conferred among them- selves,
16 Saying, What * shall we do 0 these men ■? for that indeed a
ac.l9.3C, fcJDo.11.47
<A hich no learning at present can furnish. [t may be remarked, furlher, that in the suigle selection which he made of an apostle after his ascension to heaven, when he came to choose one who had nol been under his personal teaching, he chose a learned man, the apostle Paul, and thus evinced his purpose that there should be training, or education m those who are invested with the sacred office. (5.) Yet in the case before us, there is a striking proof of the truth and power of religion. These men had not acquired their boldness in the schools; they were not trained for argument among the Jews; they .did not meet them by cun- ning sophistry; but they came with the honest conviction that what they were saying was true. Were they deceived ? Were they not competent to bear wit- ness ? Had they any motive to attempt to palm a falsehood on men ? Infidelity must answer many such questions as these before the apostles can be convict- ed of imposture.
11. Tkey could say nothing, &c. The presence of the man that was healed was an unanswerable fact in proof of the truth of what the apostles alleged. The mira- cle waa so public, clear, and decisive ; the man that was healed was so well known, that there was no evasion or sub- terfuge by which they could escape the conchision to which the apostles were conducting them. It evinced no little gratitude in the man that was healed that he was present on this occasion, and showed that he was deeply interested in what befell his benefactors. The miracles of Jesus and his aj)ostlcs were such that they could not be denied ; and hence the Jews did not attempt to deny that they wrought them. Comp. Matt xii. 21. John ii. 45, 4r.. Ar'is xix. 36.
15 — 18. Whnt shall v)e do to these men ? The ol)iect which they had in view was evidently to j)revent their preaching. The miracle was wrought ; and was be- lieved by the people to have been wrought. This Ihey could n«t expect to
notable miracle hath been done bj . them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem ; and we canno^ deny it.
17 But that it spread nc furthei among the people, let us straitiy threaten them, that *= they speak henceforth to no man in this name-
IS And they called them, and
be able succes.sfully to deny. Their only object, therefore, was to prevent the apos- tles from making the use which they saw they would, to convince the people that Jesus was the Messiah. The question therefore, was, in what way they should prevent this ; whether by putting them to death, by imprisoning them, or by scourg- ing them ; or whether by simply exerting their authority and tbrbidding them From the former they were deterred, doubtless by fear of the multitude. And they therefore adopted the latter, and seemed to suppose that the mere ex ertion of their authority would be suffi- cient to deter them from this in future T The cr-vcil. Greek, The sanhedrim This hoc! . was composed of seventy-one or seveiiiy-two persons, and was intrusted with the principal afihirs of the nation. It was a body of vast influence and pow- er; and hence they supposed that theii command might be sufficient to restrain ignorant Galileans from speaking. Before this same body, and probably the same men, our Saviour was arraigned ; and by them condemned before he was delivered to the Roman governor. Matt. xxvi. 59, '&c. And before this same bod v. and in the presence of the same men, l*eter had just before denied his Lord. Matt, xxvi 70, &c. The fact that the disciples had fled on a former occasion, and that Peter had denied his Saviour, may have ope- rated to induce them to believe that they would be terrified by their threats, and de'erred from preaching publicly in the name of Jesus. IT A notable miracle. A known, undeniable miracle. IT That il spread. That the hnowhdge of it may not spread among them any further IT Let vs slraiili/ threaten (hem. Greek Let ns threaten them vith a threat. Thi» is a Ihhraism, cxjiressing intensity, ter tainty, &c. The threat was a command (ver. 18) not to teach, implying their tii* pleasure if they did do it. 'J'hi« ihrcut, however, was not cilh tual. On the ^-exl occasion, which occurred soon after (ch. V. 40) they added heatinc to their LhreaLs
\.D. 33.] CHAFFER IV.
commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be •'ijcrht in the sight of God to " hearken
a c.5.23.
81
r oirjer to deter them from preaching in ii:i name of Jesus.
19 Whether it be right, &c. The apos- -ies abated nothing of their boldness when threatened. They openly appealed to their judges whether their command could be right. And in doing this, they expressed their full conviction of the truth of what they had said, and their deliberate purpose not to regard their command, but still to proclaim to the people the truth that Jesus was the Mes- siah. IT In the sight of God. That is, whether God will judge this to be right. The grand question was, how God would regard it. If he disapproved it, it was wrong. It was not merely a question pertaining to their reputation, safety, or life ,• but it was a question of conscience before God. And we have here a strik- ing instance of the principle on which Ciiristians act. It is, to lay their safety, reputation, and life out of'^ view, and to bring every thing to this test, whether IT WILL PLEASE GoD. If it will, it is right; if it will not, it is wrong. IF To hearken. To hear and to hearken are often used to denote to obey. John v. 2i; viii. 47, &c. IF Judge ye. This was an appeal to them directly as judges, and as men. And it may be presumed that it was an appeal which they could not re- sist. The sanhedrim acknow'ledged itself to have been appointed by God ; and to have no authority which was not derived from his appointment. Of course, God could modify, supersede, or repeal their authority; and the abstract principle, that it was better to obey'God than man, they could not call in question. The only in- quiry was, whether they had evidence that God had issued any command in the case. Of that, the apostles were satisfied ; 2nd that, the rulei-s could not deny. It may be remarked, that this is one of the first and most bold appeals on record, in favour of the right of private judgment and the liberty of conscience. That . liberty Vvas supposed in all the Jewish religion. It was admitted that the autho- rity of G^d in all matters was superior to that of man. And the same spirit mani- fested itself thus early in the Christian oimrch against all dominion over the
unto you ii.ore than unto God. judgo
ye.
20 For ^ we cannot but speck the. things which *= we have seen and heard.
iJe.20.9. cc.22.15. l.Jno.1.1,3.
conscience, and in favour of the right to follow the dictates of the conscience and the will of God. As a mere historical fact, therefore, it is interesting to contem- plate this; and still more interesiug in its important bearings on human liberty and human happiness. The doctrine is still more explicitly staled in ch. v. 29. " We ought to obey God rather than man."
20. For, &c. This is given as a reason why they should obey God rather than man. They had had so clear evidence that God had sent the Messiah; and tht^ had received so direct and solemn a com- mand (Mark xvi. 15) to preach the gospel that they could not be restrained. There was a necessity laid on them to preach the gospel. See 1 Cor. ix. 16, comp Jer. XX. 9. Acts xviii. 5. Job xxxii. 18, 19. I^. xxxix. 1 — 3.
It has already been remarked, that these two verses contain an important principle in favour of religious liberty — the liberty of conscience, and of private judgment. They contain the great prin- ciple of the Christian, and of the Prolest- ant religion, that the responsibility of men flir their religious opinions is direct to God, and that other men have no power of control. The opposite of this is tyranny and oppression. It may be proper, in ad- dition, to present some further remarks, involved in the principle here stated. (1.) Religion, from the commencement, has been favourable to liberty. There vvas no principle more sacred among the Jews, itian that they were to be inde- pendent of other nations. Perhaps no people have ever been so restive under a foreign yoke, so prone to rebel, and so difficult to be broken down by oppression and by arms, as were the Jews. So true was this, that it appeared to other nahons to be mere obstinacy. They were often subdued, but they rose igainst their op- pressors, and threw off the yoke. No people has been found who vi'ere so iifli- cult to be reduced to slavery. It is vvei] known that the Romans were accustomed to subject the «aptives taken in war to ' perpetual servitude; and commonly the spirit of the captive was broken, and he remained quietly lu l<ondage Rut not a
S3
i'HE ACTS.
LA. 1). 33.
the Je«v Noihuig ever lanied his spirit. No bribes, or fiireats, or cliains could in- duce him lo violate the laws of his reli- *gion. Even in captivity, we are told, that liie Jewis.h slaves at Rome would observe the Sabbath, would keep the leasts of the-r ration, and never would conform lo the customs of an idolatrous people. I'o ihe Koinans this appeared to be mere obstinacy. But it was the genius of their religion. The right of liberty of thought "^^as one which they would not surrender. The spirit of the patriarchs was favour- able to liberty, and implied responsibility only to God. Familiarity with the sacred books h ' taught them these lessons ; and neiliier time nor distance could obliterate them In the time of Christ, the great ma.ssof the nation were evidently op/jose/i to the tax paid to the Roman nation, and sighed under this burden, until they rose and attempted to assert their rights; and their city, and temple, and land were sa- crificed rather than ijield this great prin- ciple. (2.) This same principle was evinced by the apostles and by the early Christians. With this doctrine'fresh upon tjjeir hearts, they went forth to other lands. They mauitained it at the expense of their blood ; and thousands fell as mar- tyrs in the cause of liberty and of private jiidgment in religion, fio men ever more firmly defended liberty than the early martyrs; and each one that died, died in defence of a principle which is now the acknowledged right of all men. (3.) The designs of tyranny and superstition have been to destroy this principle. This was the aim of the sanhedrim; and yet, when Peter and John appealed to their con- sciences, they did not dare to avow their purpjse. Tliia has been tho aim of all tyrants; and this the elFect of all super- stition, llenco the church of Rome has taken away the Scriptures from the peo- ple ; and has thus furnished incontestable evidence that in its view the Bible is fa- vourable to liberty. F(jr centuries, tyran- ny reigned in one black night over Ku- rrjpe ; nor was the darkness dispelled until the Bible, that taught men the prin- ciples of freedom, was restored to them. (4 ) The effect of" the ])rinciple avowed by the apostles has been uniHjrm. Luther ivegan tlie Reformation by finding in a nnonaBtery a copy of the Bible, when himnelf more than twenty years of age — a l)ook which till that time he had never s«.'cn. 'I'lie eflecl on the liberticfl of Kii- rope was immediately seen. Hume ad- mitted, that whatever liboity J-rigland poHsessed was to bo traced to the Puri- uviR. Our avvn land iK a siriUina instance
of the efTectcf this gnat principle, and of its influence on the rij^hls of man. Ami just in proportion as the j\ew Testament is spread abroad, will men seek for free- dom, and break the chains of oppression The best way to promote universal liber- ty, is to spread the Bible to the ends oi the earth. There is not a precept in it that is not favourable to freedom. It tendf to enlarge and liberalize tho mind : to teach men their rights; to put an end to ignorance, the universal stronghold of superstition and tyranny; and to diffuse the love of justice, truth, and order. It shows man that he is responsible to God and that no one has a right to ordain any thing which contravenes the liberty of his fellow.
If it be asked here what the principle is, I answer, (1.) That men have a right to their private judgment in matters of religion, subjeo' only to God. The only restraint whici:. it is i.ow sett'ed, can be imposed on this, is, that no man has a right, under pretence of conscience, to injure or molest his fellow-men, or to dis- turb the peace and harmony of society (2.) No magistrate, church, council, cr parent has a right to impose a creed on others, and to demand subscription to it by mere authority. (3.) IVo magistrate, church, or parent has a right to conlrol the free exercise of private judgment in this case. The jtower of a parent is to teach, advise, and entreat. The duty of a child is to listen with respect, lo exa- mine with cnndour, to pray over the si;b- ject, and to be deliberate and calm, not rash, hasty, impetuous, and self-willed. But when the child is thus convinced that his duty to God requires a particular course, then here is a higher obligation than any earthly law, and he must obey God rather than man, even a father or ii mother. Matt. x. 37, 38. (4.) Kvery man is responsfble to God for his opinions aiio his conduct. Man may not control him but God may and will. The great que.s^ lion before every man is, What is right ir the si^ht (if God? It is not what is expe dient, or safe, or pleasurable, or homuir- a-bfe among men ; but what is right ir. the sight of God. Neither in their opi- nions nor their conduct are men free fnim resjKmsibility. — From this whole subject we see the duty of spreading the Bible. If we love liberty; if' we hale tyinnny and superstition; if we wish to extend tno knowledge of the rights of man. and brenk evcrv anil of oppression, let ns spread fiit and wide the Hook of (Jou, and pliire ir every palace and every cottage on th« globe a cony of the nacred Scripture,-'.
A.. D. SS.
CHAPTER IV.
t<3
21 So wheh they had further ihreatened the.m, they let them go, 'inding nothing how they migtit punish them, because " of the peo- ple: for all men glorified God for lltat which was done.
22 For the man was above forty
n Matt.21.26. c.5.26.
21. Finding nothing, &c. That is, not being able to devise any way of punisli- uig them, without exciting a tumult among the people, and endangering their own authority. The sanhe<lrim was fre- quency inliiienced by this fear ; and it sliowa that their own authority was much dependent on the caprice of the multi- tude. Comp. Matt. xxi. 26. IF A.U men. riiat is, the great mass or body of the people. If Glorified God. Praised God f()r the miracle. This innplies, (1.) That they believed tliat the miracle was genu- ine. (2.) That diey were grateful to God
for so signal a mercy in conferring health and comfort on a man who had been long afflicted. We may add further, that here is the highest evidence of the reality of the miracle. Even the sanhedrim, with all their prejudice and opposition, did not call it in question. And the common peo- ple, who had doubtless been acquainted with this man for years, were convinced that it was real. It would have been im- liossible to impose on keen-sighted and jealous adversaries in this maimer, if this \m\ been an imposture.
22. For the man, &c. The age of the man is mentioned to show the certaiiity and greatness of the miracle. If it had been a man who had been lame but a few years ; or if it hsd been a child or a very young man; the case would not have been so remarkable. But after a 'continuance of forty years, all hope of tiealing him by any ordinary means must have been abandoned; and all pretence that this was jugg'ery or deception must have been absurd.
23. Their own company. Thev jonied the other apostles and Christians, ch. li. 44, 45. IT And reported, &c. It doubtless became a subject of hiteresting inquiry, what they should do in this case. They liad been threatened by the highest autho- rity of the nation, and commanded not to preach again in the name of Jesus. Whe- ther they should obey them and be silent ; or whether they should leave Jerusalem and preach elsewhere, could not but he an interesting subject of inquiry ; and ihov very prope \ 'ought the counsel of
years old on v.hom this mirac'e of healing was shewed.
23 And being let go, they went* to their own company, and reporter all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24 And when they heard tha ,
b c.2.4-t-46.
their brethren, and looked to God for di- rection ; an example which all should fol- low who are exposed to persecution, of who are in any perplexity about the pafli of d uty.
21. They lift v.p their voice. Tolifitp the voice, among the Hebrews, was a phrase denoting either an address to the people (Judg. ix. 7), or a phrase expressive of iveeping (Gen. xxix. 11. Judg. ii. 4. Ruth i. 9. 1 Sam. xxiv. IG), or was expressive of prayer. To lift up the voice to God, means sim.ply they prai/ed to him. H With one accord. Unitedly. Properly with one mind, or purpose. See ]\ote, ch. i. 14. The union oi\hc early Christians is often noticed in the Acts of the Apo.^tles. Thus lar there was no jar or dissension in their society, and every thing has the fippear- ance of the most entire affection and con- fidence. IT Lord. Greek, Aio-^rora. FroiTi this word is derived the word despot. This is not the nsual v\ord employed by which to address God. The word com monly translated Lord is Ku^.o,-. The word here used deiwtes one who rules over others, and was applied to the high est magistrate or officer. It denotes au- thority ; power; absoluteness in ruling It is a word denoting more authority in ruling than the other. That more com- monly denotes a. property in a thing; tliis denotes absolute rule. It is applied tc God, in Luke ii. 29. Rev. vi. 10. Jude 4; to Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. ii. 1 ; to masters 1 Tim. vi. 1. Titus ii. 9. 1 Pet. ii. 18; tc husbands, 1 Pet. iii. 6 ; and to a possessor, or owner, 2 Tim. ii. 21. 11 Thou art God. This ascription of praise seeir.s to have been designed to denote their sense of his power to dehver them ; and his righi to dispose of them. They vvcre employed in his service; they were encompassed with dangers; and diey acknowledged him as tJieir God, who had made all things, and who had an entire right tc direct, and to dispose of them for his own glory. In times of danger and perplexity we should remember that God has a rjgh» to do with us as he pleases ; and we i.hould go cheerfully and commit ourselves into his li.'inds. ^ Whir h hast tride.^^o. Gon.'
e4
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
they lift up their voi-^e to God with one accord, and said, Lord, * thou art God, which hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that •n them is :
riiis passage is taken directly from Ps. r dvi 6. Cornp. Rev. xiv. 7.
'25. Who by the mouth, &c. Ps. ii. 1 2. This is a strong, solemn testimony to the inspiration of David. It is a declaration of the apostles made in solemn ])rayer, ■.hat God epake himself by the mouth of David. This is the second part of their prayer. In the first, they acknowledge the right of God to rule; in this, they ap- peal to a prophecy ; they plead that this wf'-s a thing foretold ; and as God had (oroseen it and foretold it, they appealed to him to protect them. The times of tu- mult and opposition which had been fore- :^een, as about to attend the introduction of the gospel, had now come. They in- terred, therefore, that Jesus was the Mes- siah; and as God had designed to esta- blish his kingdom, they appealed to him to aid and protect them in this great work. This passage is taken from Ps. ii. 1, 2, and is an exact quotation from the Septuagmt. This proves that the Psalm had relerence to the Messiah. Thus it was manifestly understood by the Jews ; and the authority of the apostles settles the question. The Psalm was composed by David ; on what occasion is not known; nor is it material to our present purpose. It lias been a matter of inquiry whether it referred to the Messiah />;i/Ha- rily, or only in a secondary sense, (iro- tius supposes that it was composed by David when exposed to the hostility of the Assyrians, tlie Moabites, Phihslines, Amalekites, <tc. ; and that in the midst of his dangers, he sought consolation in the purjiose of God to establish him and his kingdom. But the more probable opi- nion is, that it referred directly and solely U) the Messiah. IT Why did the heathen. I'he nations which were not Jews. This rofers, doubtless, to the opposition which would be made to the spread of Chris- lianity; and not mereh/ to the op^msition made to the Merasiah himself, and to the act of jiutting him to death. IT liage. This word rotors Ui the excitement and tumuh of a multitude; not a setlk'd plan, but rather the heated and disorderly con- durt of a mofi. Il moans tiiat tho progress oftho gospel would onoountor tiiiniilluous ')p|)o.'^ition ; and that the exoiled nations vuuM rush violently to put it down and
95 Who by the mouth of thy ser^ vant David hast said, Why * did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things ?
2G The kings of the earth stood
b P8.2.1,2.
destroy it. IT And the people. The ex pression " the people" does not refer to o class of men difierent essentially from the heathen. The "heathen," Ileb. and Greek, "the nalic-ns,^' refer to men as or^ g^a?a2C(i into communities ; the expression the people is used to deiwte the same per- sons without respect to their being so or- ganized. The Hebrews were in the habit, in their poetry, Df expressing the same idea essentially in parallel members of a sentence ; or the last member of a sen- tence or verse expressed the same idea, with some slight variation, as the former. (See Lowth on the sacred poetry of the Hebrews.) IT Imagine. The word ima- gine does not express quite the force of# Ihe original. The Hebrew and the Greek both convey the idea o[ meditating, think- ing, purposing. It means that they em- ployed thought, plan, purpose, in opposing the Messiah. 11 Vain things. The word here used {^sv«.) is a literal translation of the Hebrew (pn), and means usuallj empty, as a vessel which is not filled, then useless, or that which amounts to nothing, «S:c. Here it means that they devised a plan which turned out to be vain, or ineffectual. They attempted ar. opposition to the Messiah which could not succeed. God would establish his kingdom in spite of their plans to oppose it. Their efforts were vain, because they were not strong enough to oppose God , because he had purposed to establish the kingdom of his Son ; and he could over- rule even their opposition to advance his cause.
26. The Jdngs of the earth. The Psalm- ist specifics more particularly that hings and rulers would be opposed to the Mes siah. This had occurred already by the opposition made to the Messiah by the rulers of the Jewish people ; and it would be still more evinced by princes and kings, as the gospel should spread among the nation-s. 1^ Stood up. The word here used (^xf .o-Tjjjui) commonly means to pre- sent one's self, or to stand forth, liir the purpose of aiding, connseHing, S:c. FJnl bore il moans that ihoy rose, or presented themselves, to evince thoir opposition Tlioy stood opposed to the Mossiah, and otli'Tod ro>istanoe ti> him. II The rul'vs 'j'liis is another instance of the flaliraw
A I) 33
CHAPTKR IV.
C5
ap, and the ni.ers were gathered together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.
•J7 For of a truth against thy fioly child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod " and Pontius
a Lu.23.1-8,&c.
TKjraUelisin. The \Aord does not denote ii.«3iher class of men from kngs, but ex- presses the same idea in another form, jr in a more general manner, meaning that all classes of persons in authority would be opposed to the gospel. IF Were gathered together. Hebrew, consulted to- gether ; were united in a consultation. The Greek implies that they wert; as- sembled for the purpose of consultation. M Against the Lord. In the Hebrew, • against Jehovah." This is the peculiar name which is given in the Scriptures to God. They rose against his plan of ap- pointing a Messiah, and against the Mes- siah whom he had chosen. 'J Against his Christ. Hebrew, against his Messiah, oralis Anointed. Note, Matt. i. 1. This is one of the places where the word Messiah is used in the Old Testament. The word occurs in about forty places, and is commonly translated his anointed, and is applied to kings. The direct refer- ence of the word to the Messiah in the Old Testament is not frequent. This pas- sage implies that opposition to the Mes- siah is opposition to Jehovah. And this is uniformly supposed in the sacred Scrip- tures. He that is opposed to Christ is opposed to God. He that neglects him neglects God. He that despises him de- apises God. Matt. X. 40 ; xviii. 5. John xii. 44, 45. Luke x. 16. " He that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me." The reasons of this are, (1.) That the Messiah 13 " the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his subsistence." Heb. i. 3. (2.) He is equal with the Fa- ther, possessing the same attributes, and the same power. John i. 1. Phil. ii. 6, &c. To despise him, therefore, is to despise God. (3.) He is appointed by God to this great work of saving men. To despise him, or to oppose him, is to despise and oppose him who appointed him to this work, to contemn his counsels, and to set him at nought. (4.) His work is dear to God It has engaged his thoughts. It has been approved by him. His mission has been confirmed by the miraculous power of the Father, and by every possibie ma- nifestation of his approbation and love. To appose the Messiah, is, there lore, to oppose
Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered to- gether,
28 For '' to do whatsoever th^ Land and thv '•/^^)nsel determined' before to be don
i C.3.1S. c Pr.21.30. I3.46.10;53.10.
that which is dear to the heart of God, and which lias long been the object of his tender .solicitude. It follows from this, that they who neglect the Christian reli- gion are exposing themselves to the sore displeasure of God, and endangering their everlasting interests. No man is safe who opposes God ; and no man can have evidence that God will approve him, who does not embrace tne Messiah whom He has appyointed to redeem the world.
27. For of a truth. Truly ;reahty IT Thy holy child Jesus. The word child is commonly applied to infants, or to sons and daughters in very early life. The word which is used here (-»V;) is differ- ent from that which is commonly applied to the Lord Jesus (id,-). The latter ex- presses sonship without respect to age. The word which is here used also some- times expresses sonship without any re- gard to age ; and the word son would have been a more happy translation. Thus the same word is translated in Acts iii. 13. 26. In Acts xx. 12, it is trans- lated " young man." ^ Both Herod, &.c Luke xxiii. 1 — 12. IT With the Gentiles The Romans, to whom he was delivered to be crucified IF The people of Israel, The Jews, who were excited to this by the rulers. Matt, xxvii. 20.
23. For to do, &c. See Notes, ch. ii 23; iii. 18. The facts which are brought to view in these verses are among the most remarkable on record. They are briefly these : (1.) That the Jewish rulers were opposed to the Messiah, and slew him. (2.) That the very people to v.-honi he came, and for whose benefit he la- boured, joined in the opposition, so that it became the act of a united people (3.) That the Romans who were there, as a sort of representation of all pagan na tions, were easily prevailed on to join in the persecution, and to become the exe cutioners. (4.) That thus opposite fac- tions, and dissimilar and prejudiced peo pie became united in oppo.sing the Mes- s;an. ^5.) That the ruiers o| the Roman people, tho emperors, and statesmen and philosophers, and the rulers of olhoi na- tions un'ted to oppose the gospel, and*
8h
THE ACTS.
I A. 1) ,U
Drought 'il; ihe po Af?r of perhecution to Btav Its progress (6.) That ihe people of liie empire, the mass of men, were erisily prevailed upon to join in llie persecution, and endeavour to arrest its progress. And (7.)'i'hal the gos]iel has encountered tJirailar dilHcuhies and opi^sition wher- ever it has been faithfully presented to Ihe attention of men. It has become a very serious question v;hy this has been ; or on what pretence this opposition has been vindicated ; or how it can be ac- jounted for. A question which it is of as t.uch importance for the infidel as for the Christian to settle. We know that accu- «ations of the corrupt lives of the early Christians were freely circulated, and the snost gross accounts given of their scan- dalous conduct were propagated by those who chose to persecute them. (See Lard- ner's Credibility.) But such accounts are not nowjjelieved ; and it is not certain that they were ever seriously believed by the rulers of the pagan people. It is cer- tain that it was not on this account that the first opposition arose to Christ and his religion.
It is not proper here to enter into an examination of the causes of this opposi- tion. We may stale the outlines, how- ever, in few words. (I.) The Jewish rulers were mortified, humbled, and moved with envy, that one so poor and despised should claim to be the Messiah. They had expected a different monarch ; and all their prejudices rose at once against his claims to this high ofllce. Matt. xxYii. 18 Mark xv. 10. (2.) The common people, disposed extensively to iicknowledge his claims, were urged on by the enraged and vindictive priests to demand his death. Malt, xxvii. 20. (3.) Pi- late was j)rossed on against his will by the impetuous and enraged multitude to deliver one vvhom he regarded as inno- ccrit. (4.) 'J ho (Jhrislian religion in its advances siru* k at once at the whole 'abric of superstition in the Roman em- pire, and throughout the world. It did not, like other religions, ask a place faiiii'Jst the religions already existing. It was exclusive in its clamas. It denounced ail other systems as i lolafry or supersti- Mon, and sought to overthrow them, 'i'^ioee religions were interwoven with bU the habits of the people; they we.'e connected with all the depanments of the slate; they gave occii|>ation to a vast numl)er ofprins'.s and other officers, who obtained ilioir livoliliood by the existing •iipersfitions, and who brouglit, of course, ill the s'lnpospil sr/cn^ lacss of their clia- *oclor I') K>iii;M)ri ihciu \ n-li^ion which I
attempted to (^iverthrow the whole fabrif; therefore, at once excited all their malice The monarchs, whose thronee were b.oscd on the existing state of diings ; and il^io people, who venerated the religion of their ancestors, would be opposed to the new system. (5.) Christianity was de- s{)ised. It was regarded as one form of the superstition of the Jews. And lliere was no peojile who were regarded with so much contempt by all other n-itioas as the Jews. The wriiings of the Romans, on this point, are full proof (6.) The new religion was opposed to all the crimen of the world. It began its career in a time of eminent wickedness. It plunged at once into the midst of this wickcdne:>s ; sought the great cities where crimes and pollutions were condensed ; and boldly reproved every fijrm of prevailing im- piety. At Athens, at Corinth, at Ephe- sus, at Rome itself, it denounced the judg- ment of God against every form of guilt Whatever may be charged on the apos- tles, it will not be alleged tiiat they were timid in denouncing the sins of the world. From all these causes it is not wonder ful that the early ChrisUans were per secuted. If it l>e asked, (7.) Why the same religion meets with oppo.sition now in lands that are nominally Christian, it may be remarked, (a) that the human heart is the same that it always was, op- posed to truth and righteousness ; {h) that religion encounters still a host of sins thai are opixjsed to it — pride, envy, malice, passion, the love of the world, and shame of acknowledging God ; (c) that there has always been a peculiar opposition in the human heart to receiving salvation as the gift of God through a crucified Redeemer ; and {(I) that all the forms of vice, and hisf, and profanene.ss that exist in the world, are opposed, and ever will be, to a reli- gion of ])uritv, and selfdenial, and love. On the whole, we may remark here, (1.) That the fact that Ch.nstianity has been thus opposed, and has triumphed, is no small proof of its divine origin. It has been fairly tried, and still survives and fiourishes. It was well to put it to the test, and to bring to bear on it every tiling which had a tendency to crush it, and thus to furnish the highest proof that it is from God. (2.) This religion cannot he destroyed; it w-ill triumph; opiK)«iition to it is vain ; it will make its way throughout the world ; and the ]>alh of safely is not tr) o;)|)ose ihaf which (J(»d is iiiloiidinp to estaolish in the earth. Sinuf-rs whoslund op|)Osed l<» the gospel, should Iremble a:^d be afraid; for sooner or later they must fail before its friiiiiinhant advances If i»
\. I) 13. j
CHAPTER IV
SV
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings : and grant unto thy geivants, that with all " boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal : and that signs '' and won- ders may be done by the name of
h/ holy child Jesus.
c v«r.l3,31. c.!4.3;28.31. Ep.6.19. i c.2.43;3.12
not SAFE to oppose that which has already been opf-osed by kings and rulers in every fbrni, and yet has triumphed. It is not WISE to risli one's eternal welfare on the question of successful opposition to that which God has, in so many ages and ways, pledged himself to protect; and when God has solemnly declared that the Son, the Messiah, whom ne would set on his holy hill of Zion, should " break" his enemies " with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's ves- sel." Ps. ii. 9.
29. Behold their threatening s. So look iifx)n them as to grant us deliverance. They did not purpose to abandon their undertaking; they resolved to persevere ; end they expected that this purpose would involve them in danger. With this pur- pose they implored the protection of God ; they asked that he would not suffer them to be deterred from speaking boldly ; and they sought that constant additional proof might be granted of the presence and power of God to confirm the truth of their message. IT And grant, &c. This is an instance of heroic boldness, and a determination to persevere in doing their, duty to God. VVlien we are aseaifed by ihose in power, when we are persecuted and in danger, we should commit our way unto God, and seek his aid, that we may not be deterred from the path of duty,
30. By stretching forth thine hand, &c. The apostles not only desired boldness to speak, but they asked that God would continue to work miracles, and thus fur- nish to them, and to the people, evidence of the truth of what they delivered. They did not even ask that he would preserve tlieir lives, or keep them from danger. They were intent on their work, and they confidently committed their way to God, making it their gfeat object to pro- mote the knowledge of the truth, and seeking that God would glorify himself by establishing his kingdom among men. T Signs a-^d vlowWs. Miracles Notes, ch ii. 42
31 And when they bad y rayed, 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.
32 And the multitude of them that believed w^ere of one ' heart
c c.2.2,4; 16.26. d ver.S
13.11. Phil.2.2. lPet.3.8.
eRo. 15.5,5. 2C.«
31. And when they had prayed. Th* event which followed was regarded by them as an evidence that God heard their prayer. IT The place was shaken The word which is translated "was shaken," commonly denotes violent agi- tation, as the raging of the sea, the con vulsion of an earlhcjuake, or trees shakei by the wind. Matt. xi. 7. Acts xvi. 26 Heb. xii. 2G. The language here is fitted lo express the idea of an earthquake Whether the motion was confined to the liou^e where they were, is not said. They probably regarded this as an answer to their prayer, or as an evidence that God would be with them, (1.) Because it was sudden and violent, and was not produced by any natural causes ; (2.) Because it occurred immediately, while they were seeking divine direction; (3.) Because i; was an exhibition of great power,- and was an evidence that God could protect them ; and (4.) Because a convulsion so great, sudden, and mighty, was fitted at that time to awe them with a proof of the presence and power of God. A similai instance of an answer to prayer by ar. earthquake is recorded in Acts xvi. 25 26. Comp. ch. ii. 1, 2. It may be added that among the Jews an earlhqualce was very properly regarded as a striking and impressive proof of the presence of Jeho- vah. Isa. xxix. 6. Ps. Ixviii. 8. " The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God ; even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel." See also the sublime descrip- tion in Habakkuk iii. particularly ver. 6 — 11. •Com.p. Matt, xxvii. 54. Among the heathen, an earthquake was regarded iia proof of the presence and favour of the Deity. (See Virgil, /Eniad iii. 89.) TT They mere all filled, &c. Notes, ch. ii. 4. Thoir being filled with the Holy Ghost here rather denotes their being inspired with confidence or boldness, than being endowiKl with new powers, as m Acts ii. 4.
32. And the multitude. The numbci of believers at this time had become 'ar«e. In ch. iv. 4. it is said tl\dt it waa
88
rati ACTS.
1 A. D. 33
and of one soul : neitker said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own ; but ° they had all things common. 33 And with great power * gave
fi\e thousand ; and the number was con- stantly increasing. H One heart. This ex- pression denotes tender union. They fell tiike, or were attached to the same things, ind this preserved them from jars and iissensions. IT One soul. This phra.se alse denotes close and tender union. JNo expression could denote it more strikingly than to say of iViends they have one soul. Fiutarch cites an ancient verse in his life of Cato of Utica, with this very expres- sion— " Two friends, one soul." {Grolius.) Thus Diogenes Laertius also (5. i. 11.) says respecting Aristotle, that " being asked what was a friend ; answered, that it was one soul dwelling in two bodies." (Kui7wel.) The Hebrews spake of two friends as being "one man." There can be no more striking demonstration of union and love than to say of more than five thousand suddenly drawn together, that ttiey had one soul ! And this union fiey evinced in every way possible ; in 'heir conduct, in their prayers, and in their property. How different would have been the aspect of the church, if the union had continued to the present time. IT Neither said, &c. That is, they did not regard it as their own, but to be used for tlie benefit of the whole society. See Notes, ch. ii. 44.
33. A7id with great power. See ch. i. 8. The word power here denotes effimcy, and means ihat they had ahility given them to bear witne.ss of the resurrection of the Saviour. It refers therefore rather to their preaching, than to their miracles. IT Gave the apostles zvitness. The apostles bore testimony to, IT the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This was the main }X)int to he established. If it was proved that the Lord Jesus came to life again after having been put to death, it established all that ho taught, and was a demoiiatraiiomthat he was sent from God. They exerted, (herefijre, all their |)Owers to prove this; and their success was such as might have been expected. Multitudes were convert- ed to tlieChristian faith. % An.l great grace, Si/1. Thn \\on\ grace mcana favour. Note, John i. ]C\ Atirl the expression here may mean oiiher that the favour <f doil was remarkably shown to them; or that they had great favour in the sight of the people. It does not rt fer as the exnre.ssion now
the apostles witness * of the resur rection of the Lord Jesus • and greai grace ^ was upon them all
34 Neither was there any amorvg them that lacked : for as many as
c Lu.l. 48,49. c.1.22. d inc 1 16.
does commonly, to the internal blessing! of religion on a man's own soul to theii personal advancement in the Christian graces of humility, &c. ; but to Xhe favour or success that attended their i)reaching The meaning probably is, that x\\e favour of the people towards them was great ; or that great success attended their ministry among them. Thus the same word grace (Greek) is used in ch. ii. 47. If this is its meaning, then here is an instance of the power of the testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus to impress the minds of men. But this is not all, nor probably is it the main idea. It is that their union their benevolence, their liberality in sup- 1 lying the wants of the needy, was a means of opening the hearts of the peo- j)le, and of winning them to the Saviour If we wish to incline others to our opi- nions, or to bring them to be Christians, nothing is belter adapted to it, than to show them kindness, and even to minis- ter to their temporal wants. Benevolence towards them softens the heart, and in- clines them to listen to us. It disarms their prejudices, and disposes them to the exercise of the mild and amiable feelings of religion. Hence our Saviour was en- gaged in healing the diseases, and supply- ing the wants of the j:)eople. He drew around him the poor, the needy, and the diseased, and supjuied their necessities, and thus prepared them to receive his message of truth. Thus God is love, and is constantly doing good, that his goab:esn may lead men to repentance. Rom. ii 4. And henre no persons have better or;.or- tunities to sj)read the true sentiments of religion,or are clothed with higher res|)on- sibilities, than those who have it in their power to do good ; or than those who are habitually engaged in bes1o"'ing favours. Thus physiriaus have access, to.the hearts of men whirh other jjcrsons have not. Thus parents have an easy access to the minds of children, lor they are constantly doing them good. And thus Sunday- school teachers, whose whole work is a work of i)enevol^n<e, have dire:'t and most etncicnt access to the hearts of the childreu committed to iheir < are.
31. Thai lacked. That was in want, or whoso wauls were not su|iiilie(l hy thf others. ^ As tnani/ as, ikv. Tho wortl
A i). 33.]
CHAPTER IV.
85
were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices cf the things that were sold,
?5 And ** laid them down at the apostles' feet, and ' distribution
a Ter.37. c.5.2. h c.2.45;6.1.
Wi2d here is employed in a large, indefi- aaie sense ; but it would be improper to ^ross it so as to suppijse, that every indi- ridual that became a Christian sold at jnee all his property. The sense doubt- .f 3s is, that this was done when it was ne- cessary-; they parted with whatever pro- perty Was needful to supply the wants of their poor brethren. That it was by no means considered a matter of obligation, or enjoined by the apostles, is apparent from the case of Ananias, eh. v. 4. The fact that Joses is particularly mentioned (ver. 3G), shows that it was by no means a universal practice thus to part with all their possessions. He v/as one instance in vviaich it was done. Perhaps there were many other similar instances ; but all that the passage requires us to believe IS, that they parted with whatever was needfid to supply the wants of the poor. ' This was an eminent and instructive in- stance of Christian liberality, and of the power of the gospel in overcoming one of the strongest passions that ever exist in the human bosom — the love of money. Many of the early Christians were poor. They were collected from the lower or- ders of the people. But all were not so. Some of them, it seems, were men of af- fluence. The effect of religion was to bring them all, in regard to feeling at least, on a level. They felt that they were members of one family ; belonging to the same Redeemer ; and they there- fore imparted their property cheerfully to their brethren. Besides this, they were about to go to other lands to preach the gospel. They were to leave their native country; and they cheerfully parted with their lands, that they might go and pro- claim the unsearchable riches of Christ. See Notes, ch. ii. 44.
35. And laid them down, &c That is, they committed the money received for their property to the disposal of the apos- tles, to distribute it as was necessai^y among the poor. This soon became a bur- densome and inconvenient ofKce,and they therefore appointed men who had espe- cial charge of it. ch. vi. 1, 2, &c.
36. Atid Joses. Many manuscripts in- stead of Joses here read Joseph. The reasons why this individual is selected •nd specified particularlj' were, dcutt-
n2
was made untc every man accord ing as he had reed.
36 And Joses, wiao by the apos- tles was surhamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted. The son of
Jess, because he was a foreigner ; because It was a remarkable instance of libeiality ; and because he subsequently distinguish- j ed himself in the work of the ministry He gave himself, his property, his all, to ! the service of the Lord Jesus, and went { forth to the self-denying labours of the j gospel. He is elsewhere mentioned with j honour in the New Testament (Acts xi, I 24. 30) , and usually as the companion of [ the apostle Paul. The occasion on which he became connected with Paul in the ministry was, when he him.self was seal ! forth by the church at Jerusalem to Anti- och. There, it seems, he heard of the I fame of Paul, and went to Tarsus to seek j him, and brought him with him to Anti- ' och. Acts xi. 22 — 26. Before this, he had : been acquainted with him, and had intro- i duced him to the other apostles at a time i when they were afraid of Paul, and un- j willing to acknowledge him as an apostle. ! Acts ix. 26, 27. At Antioch, Barnabas was led into dissimulation by Peter in regard to the Gentiles, and was reproved by his friend and companion, Paul. Gal. ii. 13. He and Paul continued to travel in fel- lo^vship until a dispute arose at Antioch about Mark, and they separated, Pau'J going with Silas through Syria and Ciii cia, and Barnabas with Mark sailing for his native place, Cyprus. Acts xv. 35 — 41 See the following places for particulara of his history : Acts xi. 22. 25. 30 ; xii. 25 , xiii. 1, 2. 50; xiv. 12; xv.12. 1 Cor. ix. 6 Gal. ii. 1. 9. IT Who by the apostles v:a surnamed, &c. This name was doubtless given by the apostles. The practice of giving surnames, as expressive of charac- ter, was not uncommon. Thus Simon was called Peter, or Cephas, John i. 44 ; and thus James and John were surname(5 Boanerges, Mark iii. 17. ^ Barnabas which is, &:c. . This word properly de notes the son of prophecy. It is com pounded of two Syriac words, the one meaning son, and the other prophecy The Greek word which is used to inter pret this (n-ajax^-vic-is), translated consola- tion, means properly also. exhortatioUj entreaty, petition, or advocacy. It also means consolation, or solace ; and from this meaning the inter[)retation has been given to the word Bar/h;has, but v.it.h evident impi jpriety. I daos not a^«Deai
JO
THE ACTS.
wd of the
consolaiioa,) a l.evite. country of Cjprus,
37 Having land, soli it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
tixat the name was bestowed on account ol" this, though it is probable that he pos- sessed it in an eminent degree, but on account of his talent fur speaking, or ex- hoTting the people to holiness, and his success in preaching. Comp. Acts xi. 23. ^ A Levite. One of the descendants of liCvi employed in the lower services of the temple." The whole tribe oi Levi was set apart to the service of religion. It was divided into Priests and Levites. The three sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Of the famUy of Kohath Aarc?i was descended, who was the first high-priest. His eldest son succeeded him, and the remainder of his sons were priests. All the others of the tribe of Levi were called Levites, and were em- ployed in the work of the temple, in as- sisting the priests in performing sacred music, &c. Num. iii. Deut. xii. 18, 19; xviii. 6—8. 1 Chron. xxiii. 21. IT Of the country of Cyprus. Cyprus is the largest island in the Mediterranean; an island extremely fertile, abounding in wine, honey, oil, wool, &c. It is mentioned in Acts xiii. 4 ; xv. 39. The island is near to Cilicia, and is not far from the Jewish coast. It is mentioned by Dion Cassius (lib. 68, 69) that the Jews were very nu- merous in that island. {Clark.)
Barnabas afterwards became, with Paul, a distinguished preacher to the Gentiles. It is worthy of remark, that both were born in heathen countries, though by descent Jews; and as they were trained in heathen lands, they were better titled for their jieculiar work. The case of Barnabas is that of a man who had properly, who entered the ministry, and gave up all for the Lord Jesus. The great mass of ministers, like very many who have been distinguished in Dtller professions, nave tjeen taken from the f)<M>r, and from humble ranks in life. But all have not been. Many have been wealthy, and have devoted all to Christ; nnd in regard to others, it is to be remark- ed, that a very considerable proportion of them could have gained more wealth in wme other profession than they do in the ministry, 'i'iie minisiry is a work of self denial ; and none sliould enter it who are not prepared to devote all lo the service tif the lyj'-d Jcsufi Christ
[A. CHAPTER V.
D. 33
B
UT a certain man named Ana nias, with Sapphira his wife sold a possession,
2 And kept back jsar^ of the price
CHAPTER V.
1. Jhit a certain man. in the previoia chapter, the historian had given an a«> count of the eminent liberality and since rity of the mass of early Cliristians, in being willing to give up their property to provide for the poor, and had mentioned the case of Barnabas as worthy of spe- cial attention. In this chapter he pro- ceeds to mention a case, quite as striking of insincerity and hypocrisy, and of the just judgment of God on those who were guilty ol' it. The case is a remarkable instance of tlie nature of hypocrisy, and goes to illustrate the art and cunning of the enemy of souls in attempting to cor- rupt the church, and to pervert the reli- gion of the gospel. Hypocrisy consists in an attempt to imitate the people of God, or to assume the appearance of religion, in whatever form it may be manifested. In this case religion had been manifested by' great self-denial and benevolence. The hypocrisy of Ananias consisted in attempt- ing to imitate this appearance, and to im- pose in this way on the early Christians and on God. If With Sapphira his wife. With lier concurrence, or consent. It was a matter of cr^?f6'77ie//i between them. ver. 2. 9. ^ !^old a possession. The word here used (xTJ/ua) does not indicate whelhei this was lajul or some other property. In ver. 3, however, we loam that it was land that was sold ; and the word here translated possession is translated, in the Syriac, Arabic, and the Latin Vulgate, land. The pretence f(M which this was sold was doubtless to have the appear- ance of religion. That it was sold could be easily known by the Christian society, but it might not be so easily known for how much it was sold. Hence the attempt to impo.se on the a}X)stles. It is clear thtfl they were not under obligation to sell their property. But having sold it for the purpo.ses of religion, it became tlieir duty, if they profcs.sed to devote the avails of il to God, to do it entirely, and without any reservation.
2. And kept hack. The word here asea means properly to s(parale, to jmrt ; nnd then it means' to sipnrate surreptitiously or rlandestineh/ for our own use a j)art o? public property, as taxes, &c. It la used but three times m the New Testament.
1. D 33
CH APT Eli V
91
lis wife als.) oeing privy to it, and Drought" a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
a c. 1,34,37.
ver. 3, and in Titus ii. 10, where it is ren- dered purloining. Here it means that they secretly kept back a part, while prO' fessedly devoting ail to God. IT His wife being privy to it. His wife knowing it, and evidently concurring in it. IT And laid it at (he apostles' feet. This was evi- dently an act professedly of devoting all to God. Comp. ch. iv. 37, also ver. 8, 9. That this was his profession, or pretence, is further implied in the fact that Peter changes him with having lied unto God. ver. 3, 4.
3. But Peter said, &c. Peter could have known this only by revelation. It was the manifest design of Ananias to deceive ; nor was there any way of detecting him but by its being revealed to him by the Spii-ii of God. As it was an instance of enormous wickedness, and as it was very important to detect and punish the crime, it was made known to Peter directly by God. IT Why bath Satan. Great deeds of wickedness in the Scripture are traced to the influence and temptation of Satan. Comp. Luke w'li. 3. John xiii. 27. Espe- cially is Satan called the father of lies. John viii. 44. 55. Comp. Gen. iii. 1 — 5. As this was an act oC falsehood, or an at- tempt to deceive, it is with great propriety traced to the influence ol Satan. The sin of Ananias consisted in his yielding to the temptation. Nowhere in the Bible are men supposed to be free from guilt, from the fact that they have been tempted 10 commit it. God requires them to resist temptation ; and if they yield to it, they must be punished. If Filled thine heart. A man's heart or mind is full of a thing when he is intejit on it ; when he is strongly impelled to it; or when he is fully occupied with it. The expression here means that he was strongly impelled or excited by Satan to this crime. ^ To lie to. To attempt to deceive. The de- ception which he meant to practise was to keep back apart of the price, while he pretended to bring the whole of it; thus iempting God, and supposing that he could not detect the fraud. ^ The Holy Ghost. Tfi -vi^jux TO 'iytov. The main inquiry here is. whether the apostle Peter intended to designate in this place the third person of the Trinity; or whether he meant to speak »f God as God, without any reference to the distinction of persona; or to the di- vine influence which inspired the apostles,
3 But Peter said, Ananias, wny hath Satan * filled thine heart ' to lie to " the Holy Ghost, and t«
b Lu.22.3. 1 or, to deceive. c ver.9.
without reference to the peculiar office* which are commonly ascribed to the Holy Spirit. Or, in other words, is there a dis- tinction here recognised between the Father and the Holy Spirit ? That there is, will be apparent from the following considerations: (1.) If no such distinction is intended, it is remarkable that Peter did not use the usual and customary name of God. It does not appear why he guarded it so carefully as to denote that this of- fence was committed against the Holy Ghost, and the Spirit of the Lord. ver. 9. (2.) The name here used is the one em- ployed in the Scriptures to designate the third person of the Trinity, as implying a
I distinction from the Father. See Matt iii. 10 ; i. IS. 20; iii. 11 ; xii.32; xxviii. 19. Mark i. 8; iii. 29; xii. 3G. Luke xii. 10.
' Johnxiv. 2G; vii. 39; xx. 22. Acts iv. 8, v. 32, &c. (3.) Peter intended, doubtless, to designate an oflfence as committed par- ticularly against the person, or influence, by which he and the other apostles were inspired. Ananias sunposed that he could escape detection: and the oflence W£S one, therefore, against the Inspirer of the apostles. Yet that w^as the Holy
I Ghost as distinct from the Father. See
I John xiv. 16, 17. 26; xv. 2G; xvi. 7—11 .
i XX. 22. Comp. Acts v. 32. The oflenct;, therefore, being against him who was seid by the Father, who was appointed t) a particular work, clearly supposes thai the Holy Spirit is distinct from the F'ather. (4.) A farther incidental proof of this may be found in the fact that the sin here committed was one of peculiar magni tude ; so great as to bo deemed worthy of the immediate and signal vengeance of God. Yet the sin against the Holy Ghost is uniformly represented to be of this description Comp. INIatt. xii. 31, 33 Mark iii. 28, 29 As these sins evidently coincide in enormity, it is clear that the same class of sins is referred to in both places ; or, in other words, the sin of Ana nias was against the third person of the Trinity. — Two remarks maybe made here. (1.) The Holy Ghost is a distinct person from the Father and the Son ; or, in other words, there is a distinction of some kino in the Divine nature that may be denomi nated by the word person. This is clear from the fact that sin is said to have lieen committed against him ; a sin which it was supposed could not be detected. Sin
92
Ifccp " back part of the pno3 of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own ] and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power 1 Why hast ihou conceived this thing
a Nu.30.2- De.23.21. Ec.r..4.
IME ACTS. [A, D. 33
in thine heait I Thou hast not lied unto men, but ^ unto God.
5 And Ananias, hearing thestf words,' fell down, and gave up the ghost : and great '^ fear came on aU them that heard these things.
iP8.139.4. cver.lO'l. ci Ps.Si.9.
cannot be committed against an atlrihute Tif God, or an injluence from God. We *annot Lie unto an attribute, or against wisdom, or power, or goodness ; nor can we lie unto an injlnence, merely, of the Most High. Sin is committed against a fieing, not against an attribute ; and as a sin is here charged on Ananias against the Holy Ghost, it follows tiiat the Holy Ghost has a personal existence ; or there is such a distinction in the Divine essence aS that it may be proper to specify a sin as committed peculiarly against him. In the - same way sin may be represented as com- mitted peculiarly against the Father, wheji his7ia?ne is blasphemed; when his f/o/«i/u'o7t is denied ; when his mercy in sending his Son is called in question. Sin may be represented as committed against the Son, when his atonement is denied, his divi- nny assailed, his character derided, or his invitations slighted. And thus sin may be represented as committed against the Holy Ghost when his office of renewing the heart, or sanctifying the soul, is called m question, o'- when his work is ascribed to some malign ir other influence. See Mark iii. 22—30. And as sin against the Son proves that he is in some sense dis- tinct from the Father, so does sin against the Holy Ghost prove that in some sense he is distinct from the Faitiier and tlie Son. '2.) The Holy Ghost is divine. This is [iroved, because he is represented here as being able to search the heart, and to delect insincerity and hypocrisy. Comp. Jer. xvii. 10. 1 C'lron. xxviii. 9. 1 Cor. ii. 10. "The Spirit .^oarchelh all things, yea, ihe deep things of God." Rev. ii. 2.3. And he is expressly called God. See Note on ver. 4.
4. Whiles il remained. As long as it p»«ma'ined uasold. This place proves that there was no ohliiration imposed on the (Unci pies to sell their property. They who did i(, did it vohnitarily ; and it does not nppear that it was done by all, or expected lo be (lone by all. H And after it v>as sold, Ac. ICven after the property was sold und Anania.s had tlie money, still there was no o!)ligati()n on him to devote it in Ihi? way. He had the rlispo.sal of il still. ITio apostle mentiorw this lo show him
that his offence was peculiarly aggra- vated. He was not compelled to sell hii property 5 and he had not even the poor pretence that he was obliged to dispose of it, and was templed to vvillihold it for his own use. It was all his, and might have been retained if he had chosen. Il Thou hast not lied unto men. Unto men only, or, it is not your 7)iai7i and chitf o^nce that you have attempted to deceivb men. It is true that Ananias had attempted to deceive the apostles, and it is true also that this was a crime; but still, the prin cipal magnitude of the offence was that he had attemjUed to deceive GoiJ. So small was his crime as committed against men, that it was lost sight of by the apos- tles ; and the great, crowning sin of at- tempting to deceive Gwl was brought fully into view. Thus David also saw his sin as committed against God to be so enormous, that he lost sight of il as an offence to man, and said, " Against thee, thee ONLY, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." Ps. Ii. 4. H BiUuntc God. It has been particularly aim emi- nently against God. This is true, because, (1.) He had professedly devoted it to God. The act, therefore, hatl express and direct reference to him. (2.) It was an attempt to deceive him. It implied the beUef of Ananias that God would not detect the crime, or see the motives of the hearL (3.) It is the prerogative of God to judge of sincerity and hypocrisy ; and this was a case, therefore, which came under his special notice. Comp. Ps. cxxxix. 1 — 4. — The word God here is evidently used in its plain and obvious sense, as denoting the supreme divinity ; and the use of the word here shows that the Holy Ghost i> divine ; and the whole passiige demon- strates, therefore, one of the imp"rtanl doctrines of the Christian religion, thai the Holy Ghost is distinct from the I ather and the Si»n, and yet is divine.
6. And Anrinias, hearing these wordn A'c. Seeing that his guilt was known, and being (.'harged with the enonnous crime of attempting to deceive God. He hail nr)t exjiccted tij be thus exjinsed ; and it is clear that the e\i)osureand the ch.'^rgfl came upo-i birr unexpecto<lly and tern-
\. D. 33. J
CHAPTER V.
S3
6 And the young men arose, wound "liim up, and carried him -jut, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of
a Jno. 19.40.
bly, like a bolt of thunder. IT Fell down. Greek, Having fallen down. IT Gave up ke ghost. This is an unhappy translation. The original means simply, he expired, or he died. Comp. Note, Matt, xxvii. 50. This reoiarkable fact may be. accounted for in this way : (1.) It is evidently to be re- garded as Q. j udgment oi GQi}i for the sin of Anaalas and his wife. It was not the act of Peter.butofGod; and was clearly designed to show his abhorrence of this sin. (See remarks on ver. 11. (2.) Though it was the actof God, yet it does not follow that it was not in connexion with the usual laws by which he governs men, or that he did not make use of natural means to do it. The sin was one of great aggravation. It was suddenly and unexpectedly detected. The fact that it was known ; the solemn charge that he had lied unto God; struck him with horror. His conscience would re- prove him for the enormity of his crime, and overwhelm him at the memory of his act of wickedness. These circumstc„.v.ca may be sufficient to account for this re- markable event. It has occurred in other cases that the consciousness of crime, or the fact of being suddeidy detected, has given such a shock to the frame that it has never recovered from it. The effect commonly is that the memory of guilt preys secredy and silently upon the frame, until, worn out with the want of rest and peace, it sinks exhaustea into the grave. But there have not been A'anting in- stances where the shock ,ias been so great as to destroy the vUal powers at once, and plunge the wretched man, like Ananias, into eternity. It is not at all improbable that the shock in the case of A.naniJP^vas so great as at once to take f.is life. IT Great fear came, &c. Such a striking and awful judgment on insilice- .•ity and hypocrisy was fitted to excite awful emotions among the people. Sud- len death always does it; but sudden ieath in immediate connexion with ^riine,' is fitted much more deeply to s.h1rct the mind.
6. Ann the young men. The youth of dn congregation ; very probably young msn who were in attendance as servants, or those whose business it was to attend »n the congregation, and perform various nTir-es when Christians celebrated their vvf ^\'i\ [ Mosheim ) The word used here
three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land
sometimes denotes a servant. It la used also, ver. 10, to denote soldiers, as they were commonly enlisted of the yigrz^:-js and young. The fact that they took up Ananias voluntarily, implies that they were accustomed lo perform offices of servitude to the congregation. IF Wouna him up. It was the usual custom with the Jews to wind the body up in many folds of linen before it was buried, com monly also with spices, to preserve it from putrefaction. See Notes on John xi. 44. It may be asked why he was so soon buried ,• and especially why he was hur- ried away without giving information to his wife. In reply to this, it may be re- marked, 1. That it does not appear from the narrative that it was known that Sap- phira was privy to the transaction, or was near at hand, or Pven that he had a wife Ananias came himself and offered the money; and the judgment fell at once on him. 2. It was customary among the an- cient Persians to bury the body almost immediately after death (John); and il seems probable that the Jews, when the body was not embalmed, imitated the custom. It would also appear that this was an ancient custom among the Jews. See Gen. xxiii. 19; xxv. 9; xxxv. 29; xlviu. 7. 1 Kings xiii. 30. Different na- tions differ in dieir customs in burying the dead; and there is no impropriety ir committing a body soon after death to'the tomb. 3. There might have been some danger of an excitemeat and tumult in regard to ttiis scene, if the corpse had not soon been removed ; and as no valuable purpose could be answered by delaying the burial, the body was decently com- mitted to the dust.
7. And it was about the space, &c. As Sapphira had been no le.ss guilty than her husband, so it was ordered in the providence of God, that the same judg- ment should come upon both.
8, For so much. That is, for the gum which Ananias had presented. This wa» true, that this sum had been received fiir it; but it was also true that a larger sun} had been received. It is a? really a false- hood to deceive in this manner, as if would have been to have affirmed that they received much more than they actu ally did for the land. Falsehood consists in making an erroneous representation of
9i
THE ACTS.
And she said, Yea,
[A. U. 3:
foi ftc much ? 101 so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How Js it that ye have agreed " together
a Pf.50.18. verJ.
a thing in any way for the purpose of de- ceiving. And this species is much more common than an open and bold lie, de- t^laring what is in no sense true.
9. Agreed together. Conspired, or laid a plan. From this it seems that Sapphira was as guilty as her husband. H To tempt. To try ; to endeavour lo impose on, or to deceive ; that is, to act as if the Spirit of the Lord could not detect the crime, fhcy did this by trying to see whether the Spirit of God could detect hypocrisy. IF At the door. Are noir at hand. They tiad not yet returned The dead were buried without the v/alls of cities ; and this space of three hours, it seems, had elapsed before they returned from the burial. 1[ i<hall carry thee out. This pas- sage shows that it was by divine interpo- Bition or judgment that their lives were taken. The judgment whs in immediate connexion with their crime, and was de- signed as an expression of the divine dis- pleasure.
Lf it be asked here. zi:hy Ananias and Sai)phira were punished in this severe and awful manner, an answer may be found in the following considerations: (1.) This was an atrocious crime; a deep and dreadful act of iniquity. It was com- mitted knowingly, and without excuse. ver. 4. It was impKjrtant that sudden and exemplary punishment should follow it, because the society of Christians was just then organized, and it was designed that it should be a pure society, and be regarded ns a body of holy men. Much was gained by making this impression on the people, that sin could not be allowed in this new community, but would be detected and punished. (2.) God has often in a most solemn manner showed his abhorrence of hypocrisy and insincerity. By awful de- clarations and fearful judgments he has declared his dis})leasure at it. In a par- ticular manner no small part of the preaching of the Saviour was employed in detecting the hypocrisy of the scribes (ind riiariseoH, and denouncing heavy judgments on them. See the xxiiid chap- ter of Matthew throughout, for the most Bublime and awful (lenunciation of hy- pocrisy any where to be found, ('omp. Mark xii. 15. Luke xii. 1. 1 Tim. iv. 2. Job viii. 13; xiii. 10 ; xv. 31 ; xx.f) ; xxxvi 3. Matf. \ii 5. Luke xi. 44. In the ver^
to trmpt the Spirit of the Lord Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
beginning of the Christian church, there fore, it was important, by a decided anfl awful act, to impress upon the church and the world the danger and guilt oi hypocrisy. Well did the Saviour know that it would be one of the most insidious and deadly foes to the purity of the church; and at its very threshold, there fore, he set up this solemn warning to guard it; and laid the bodies of Ananias and Sapphira in the path of every hypo crite that would enter the church, if they enter and are destroyed, they cannot plead that they were not fully warned. If they practise iniquity ?n the church, they can- not plead ignorance of the fact that God intends to detect and punish them. (3.) The apostles were just then establishing their authority. They claimed to be un der the inlluence of inspiration. To esta- blish that, it was necessary to show tha they could know the views and motives of those who became connected with the church. If easily imposed on, it would go far to destroy their authority and their claim to infallibility. If they showed that they could detect hypocrisy, even where most artfully concealed, it would establish the divine authority of their message. At the commei\cemcnl of their work, there fore, they gave this decisive and most awful proof that they were under the guidance of an infallible Teacher. (4.) This case does not stand alone in the New Testament. It is clear from other nistances that the apostles had the povvei of punishing sinners, and that a violation of the commands of Christ was attentled by sudden and fearful judgments. See I Cor. xi. 30. See the case of Elwmas the sorcerer, in Acts xiii. 8 — 11. (S.fWfither does this event stand alone in the historv of the world. Acts of judgment some- times occur as sudden and decided, iti the providence of God, as in this case. The profane man, the drunkard, the pro- fligate is sometimes as suildenly stricken down as in this instance. Cases ha've noi been uncommon where the lilasphemei has l)een smitten in (k-aili with the curse on his lips; and CJod often thus comes forth in judgment to slay the wicked, and to show that tiiere is a God that reigns in the eartli. This niirmtive camiol be o!v jected to as nuprol)a')lo tuilii all surb cases are disjioaed of; nor can this [nflio
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10 Then "fell she down straig-ht- way at his feet, and yielded up the ghost : and the young men came in and found her dead, and, carrying fivr forth, buried her by her hus- band.
ii )ii be regarded as unjust, until all the instances where men die by remorse of conscience, or by the direct judgment of heaven, are proved to be unjust also.
In view of this narrative, we may re- mark, (1.) That God searches the heart, and knows the purposes of the soul. Comp. Ps. cxxxix. (2.) God judges the motives of men. It is not so much the external acX, as it is the views and feelings by which it is prompted, that determines the character of the act. (.3.) God will bring forth sin that man may" not be able to detect; or that may elude human jus- tice. The day is coming when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed, and God will reward every man according as his works shall be. (4.) Fraud and hypo- crisy will be detected. They are often revealed in this life. The providence of God often lays them open to human view, and overwhelms the soul in shame at the guilt which was long concealed. But if not in this life, yet the day is com^- mg when they will be disclosed, and the sinner shall stand revealed to an assem- bled universe. (5.) We have here an illustiation of the powers of conscience. I f^ Such was its overwhelming effect here, what will it be when all the crimes of the life shall be disclosed in the day of judgment, and when the soul shall sink to the woes of hell. Through eternity the conscience shall do its office ; and tliese /errible inflictions shall go on from age to ^^e, for ever and ever, in the dark world of hell. (6.) We see here the guilt of at- tempting to impose on God in regard to property. There is no subject in which men are more liable to hypocrisy ; none in which they are more apt to keep back a part. Christians professedly devote all that they have, to God. They profess to believe that God has a right to the silver and the gold, and the cattle on a thousand liills Ps. I. 10. Their property, as well as heir bodies and their spirits, they have •ievoted to him; and profess to desire to employ it as he shall direct and please. And yet, is it not clear, that the sin of Ananias has not ceased in the church I How many professing Christians there are, who give nothing really to God ; who contiibute nothing for the v>oor and needy ;
11 And^great ftar came upon all the church, and upon as many aa heard these things.
12 And by the hands of the apos- tles were *= many signs and wonders wrought among the people ; (and
I c.2.43. c c.4.30. Ro.15.19. He.2.4.
vvh"! give nothing, or next to nothing, ip any purposes of benevolence ; who would devote " millions" for their own gratifica- tion, and their families, " but not a cent for tribute" to God. The case of Ananias is, to all such, a case of most fearful warn- ing. And on no point should Christians more faithfully exanune themselves than in regard to the professed devotion oi their property to God. If God punished this sin in the beginning of the Christian church, he will do it still in its progress, and in nothing have professed Chris!!r.,ig more to fear the wrath of God, than on this very subject. (7.) Sinners should fear and tremble before God. He holds their breath in his hands. He can cut them down in an instant. The bold Mas- phemer, the unjust, the liar, the scofloi, he can destroy in a moment, and sink them in all the woes of hell. Nor have they security that he will not do it, The profane man has no evidence that he will live to finish the curse which he hai- begun; nor the drunkard, that he will again become sober; nor the seduce- that God will not arrest him in his act of wickedness, and send him down to hell The sinner walks over his grave, anc' over hell ! In an instant he may die, and be summoned to the judgment-scat of God 1 How awful it is to sin in a worW like this ; and how feai tul the doom which jn.'/st, soon overtake the ungodly.
12. And by the haiuh, &c. By the apos ties. This verse should be read in con nexion with the 15th, to which it belongs. IF SigJis and wonders. Miracles. See Note, Acts ii. 43. IT With one accord. With one mind, or intention. Note, ch. i. 14. IT In Solomon's porch.. See Notes, Matt, xx? 12. John X. 23. They were doubtless there for the purpose of worship. It doea not mean that they were there constantly but at the regular periods of worship Probably they had two designs in this one was. to jcin in the pubhc worship ol God in the v.sual manner with the peo pie, for they did not desjgn to leave tut t-^mple-service ; the other was, that they might have opportunity to preach to th« people assembled there. In the presence of the grea multitudes who came up )c worship, they haf* an opjwrturiit / of mak
9fi
THE ACTS.
i'A. D. 33
the}' were all witfi one accord in Solomon's porch.
13 And "of the rest durst iio man oin himself to them, but * the peo- ple niaguified them.
14 Af.J believers were the .nore
aJno.12.42. i c.4.21.
ng known the doctrines of Jesus, and of conlirining them by miracles, the reality of which could not be denied, and which could not be resisted, as proofs that Jesus was the Messiah.
13. And of the rest. Different interpre- tations have been given of this expres- eion. Light foot supposes that by t/ie rest are meant the remainder of the one hun- dred and twenty disciples of whom Ana- nias had been one ; and that they feared (0 put themselves on an equality with the apostles. But this interpretation seems to be far-fetched. Kuinoel supposes that by the rest are meant those who had not already joined with the apostles, whether Chrisuans or Jews, and that they were deterred by the fate of Ananias. Pricaeus, ^Iorus, Rosenmueller,Schleusner, &c. sup- pose that by the rest are meant the rich tnen, or the men of authority and influ- ence among the Jews, of \vhom Ananias was one, and that they were deterred from it by the fate of Ananias. This is by fir the most proljable opinion, because, ,1.) There is an evident contrast between ihem and the j)eople ; the rest, i. e. the others of the rich and great, feared to join with them; but the people, the common people, magnified them. (2.) I'he fite of Ananias was fitted to have this effect on the rich and great. (3.) Similar instances had occurred before, that the great, though they believed on Jesus, yet were afraid to ',ome forth publicly and profess hirn before men. See John xii. 42, 43 ; V. 44. C4.) The phrase the rest denotes sometimes that which is more excellent, or which is superior in value or import- ance to somelhmg else. See Luke xii. 2G. H Join himself. Become united to, or a.s80ciated with. The rich and the great then, as now, stood aloof from them, and were deterred by fear or sfiame from professing attachment to the I^ird Jesus. h Ihil the peojde. The ma.ss of the peo- p'o; the body of the nation. IT Magnified them Honoured them; regarded them with reverc-nce and fear
\\ And firlirvers. This is the name by vliich Christians were designated, be- •^iiae one of the main thingn that dislin-
fiiiwiied them was that they hdirvrd that raiis was the Olirist. It ':h also an inci-
added to the Lord, mu.titudes'botii of men and women ;)
15 Insomuch that they brought ffjrth the sick ' into the streets, and laid tliem on beds and couches, thai at the least the shadow of Peter
c c.2.47. I C-, !> every :trett.
dental proof that none should join them- selves to the church who are not bilievem. i. e. who do not profe.ss to be Christians jri heart and in life. IT Were the more added- The effect of all things was to increase the number of converts. Their persecu- tions, their preaching, and the judgment of God, alt tended to impress the minds of the people, and to lead them to the Lord Jesus Christ. Comp. ch iv. 4. Though the judgment of God had the effect of deterring hypocrites from enter- ing the church \ though it produced awe and caution ; yet still, the number of true converts was increased. An effort to keep the church pure by wholesome discipline, by cutting off unworthy members, how- ever rich or honoured, so far from weak- ening its true strength, has a tendency greatly to increase its numbers as well as its purity. Men will not seek to eiUer a corrupt church ; or regard it as worth any thought to be coimecled with a society that does not endeavour to be pure. IF Multitudes. Comp. ch. iv. 4.
15. Insomuch. So that. This should be connected with ver. 12. Many mira- cles were wrought by the apo.«-tles, /?/.«<> much, &c. '^ Theij broufrht fi»lh. The people, or the friends of tlie .suk, brought them forth. IT Beds. kKiv^v. This word denotes usually the srft and valuable beds on which the rich commonly lay. And it means that the rich, as well as llle poor, were laid in the path of Peter tmd the other apf)stles. ^.Couches. y(xi.axrwv. The coarse and hard couches on which the poor used to lie. Mark ii. 4. 9. 11, 12; vi. 5.0. John v. 8—12. A(-Is ix. 33. IT T9ie shadow of Peter. That is, they were laid in the path so that the shadow of Peter, as he walked, might pa.ss over them. Perhaps the sun was near setting, and the lengthened shadow of Peter mignt bt I thrown afar across the way. They were : not able to approach him on account Df the crowd ; and they imaeinrd that if : they could any hoiv come inider his influ- ence, tliey might be healed. The sacred i' writer does not say, however, that any vere healed in this way; nor that thoy were comniandrd to do this. lie simjily states the impression which was on iho mind« of the people that it miefil f^t-
A D. 33. J
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passing by might overshadow some of them.
IG There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing <»i^sick folks, and them which were vexed with
a Mar.l6.17,ld. Jno.U.12.
UTiether they were healed by this, it is left for us merely to conjecture. An in- stance somewhat similar is recorded in ActB xix. 12, where it is expressly said that the sick were healed by contact with handkerchiefs and aprons that were brought from the body of Paul. Comp. also iMatt, ix. 21, 22, where the woman said respecting Jesus, " If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole." IT Might overshadow. That his shadow might pass over them. Though there is no evidence that any were healed in this way, yet it ehows the full belief of the people that Peter had the power of working miracles. Peter was supposed by them to be emi- nently endowed with this power, because it was by him that the lame man in the temple had been healed (ch. iii. 4 — 6), and because he had been most prominent ui his addresses to the people. The per- sons who are specified in this verse were those who dwelt at Jerusalem.
16. There came also, &c. Attracted by the fame of Peter's miracles, as the peo- ple formerly had been by the miracles of the Lord Jesus. IT Vexed. Troubled, afflicted, or tormented. IT Unclean spirit.^. Possessed with devils ; called unclean be- cause they prompted to sin and impurity of life. See Notes on Matt. iv. 23, 24. IT And they were healed. Of these persons it is expressly affirmed that they were healed. Of those who were so laid as that the shadow of Peter might pass over them, there is no such afRmiation.
17. Then the high-priest. Probably Cai- aphas Comp. John xi, 49. It seems from this place that he belonged to the sect of the Sadducees. It is certain that he had eignalized himself by opposition to the Lord Jesus and to his cause, constantly. fl" Rose up. This expression is sometimes redundant, and at others it means simply to besin to do a thing, or to resolve to do it. Comp. Luke xv. 18. IT And all they tJiat were with him. That is, all they that coincided with him in doctrine or opinion ; *r in other words, that portion of the san- hedrim that was composed of Sadducees. Tiiere was a strong party of Sadducees .n the sanhedrim; and perhaps at this time it was so strong a majority as to be
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 .
b Ja.5.'6. c c.4.1,2. i or, entt,.
able to ccntrol its decisions. Comp. Acts xxiii. 6. IT Which is the sect. The word translated sect here is that from which we have derived our word heresy. It means simply sect, or party, and is not used m a bad sense as implying reproach, or even error. The idea which we attach to it of error, and of denying fundamental doc- trines in religion, is one that does not oc cur in the New Testament. IT Sadducees See Notes, Matt. iii. 7. The main doc- trine of this sect was the denial of the resurrection of the dead. The reason vvhy they were particularly opposed to the apostles, rather than the Pharisees, was that the apostles dwelt much on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, which, if true, completely overthrew their doc- trine. All the converts, therefore, that were made to Christianity, tended to di minish their numbers and influence ; and also to establish the belief of the Pkari sees in the doctrine of the resurrection So long, therefore, as the effect of the labours of the apostles was to establish one of the main doctrines of the Phari- sees, and to confute the Sadducees, so long we may suppose that the Pharisees would either favour them or be silent; and so long the Sadducees would be op- posed to them, and enraged against them One sect will often see v.ith composure the progress of another that it really hates, if it will humble a rival. Even opposition to the gospel will sometimes be silent, provided the spread of religion will tend to humble and mortify those against whom we may be opposed. IT Were filled with indignation. Greek, Zeal. The word denotes any kind of fervour or warmth, and may be applied to any warm or violent cffection of the mind, either envy, wrath, zeal, or love. Acts xiii. 45. John ii. 17. Rom. x. 2. 2 Cor. vii. 7; xi. 2. Here it probably includes envy and wrath. Thoy were envious at die success of the apostles ; at the num ber of converts that were made to a doc- trine that they hated ; they were envious that the Pharisees were deriving sucn an accession of strength to their doctrine of the resurrection; and (hey were indig nait that they regarded so liLlie their
39
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33.
IS And lai( iheir hands on the apostles, and put them in the com- mon prison."
i9 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and Drought 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 called the council together, and all the senate
a c.l2.5-7;16.23-27. fc Ex.24.3. c Jno.6.63,68;17.S.
authority, and disobeyed the solemn in- junction of the sanhedrim. Comp. ch. iv. 18—21.
18. Th". common prison. The public prison; or *he prison for the keeping of common and notorious offenders.
19. But the angel of the Lord. This does not denote any particular angel, but simply an angel. The article is not used in the original. The word angel denotes properly a messenger, and parUcuiarly it IS appHed to the pure spirits that are sent to this world on errands of mercy. See Note, Matt. i. 20. The case here was evidently a miracle. An angel was em- ployed for this special purpose ; and the design might have been, (1.) To reprove the Jewish rulers, and to convince them of their guilt in resisting the gospel of G'od ; (2.) To convinr-e the apostles more firmly of the protection and approbation of God; (3.) To encourage them more and more in their work, and in the faithful discharge cf their high duty; and (4.) To give the people a new and impressive proof of the truth of the message which they bore. That they were imprisoned would be known to the people. That they were made as secure as possible, was also known. When, therefore, the next morning, before they could have been tried or acquitted, they were found again in the temple, delivering (he same message still, it was a new and striking proof that they were sent by God.
20. In the. temple. In a public and con- itpicuons ]ilace. In this way there would bo a most striking exhil)itiop of their joldness; a proof that (Sttd had delivered tliem ; and a manilesfalion of their pnr- ptwc to obey G(t(l rather than man. IT All the vwrds. AW t\i& doctrines. Comj). John VI 08. " Thou ba.st (he mards of «;ternal
of the children jf Israel, and seni to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers cam&j and found them not in the prison, they returfled 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.
24 Now when the high-priest and • the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
life." IT Of this life. Pertaining to Ufe, to the eternal life which they taught through the resurrection and life of Jfe- sus. The word life is used sometimes to express the whole of religion, as opposed to the spiritual death of sin. See John i 4 ; iii. 36. Their deliverance from prison was not that they might be idle, and es cape to a place of safety. Again they were to engage at once in the toils, and perils, which they had just before encoun- tered. God delivers us from danger sometimes that we may plunge into 7iew dangers ; he preserves us from calamitj^ that we may be tried in some new fur nace of affliction ; and he calls us to en counter trials simply because he demands it, and as an expression of gratitude to him for his gracious interposition.
21. Earli/ in the morning. Greek, At the break of day. Comp. Luko xxiv. 1. John viii. 2. H Called the council toge ther. The sanhedrim, or the great coun cil of the nation This was clearly for the purpose oftrijiTig the apostles for dis- regarding their commandments. IT And all the senate. Greek, Eldership. Proba- bly these were not a part of the sanhe- drim, but were men of age and experi- ence, who in ch. iv. 8, xxv. 1.5, are called elders of the Jews, and who were present for the sake of counsel and advice in & case of emergency.
23. Found we shut. It had not btien broken open; and there was therefore clear proof that they had been delivered by the interposition of God. Nor could they have been released by the guard, lor ihey were keeping watch, as if un conscious that any thing had happened and the ofbcers had the only means o. entering tlio pri.son.
24. 'ihe captain of the temple. Syf
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25 Then carne one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them with- out violence : for » they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the coun-
a Matt,21.26. b c.4.18.
Notes, ch. iv. 1. IF Doubted of them. They were in perplexity about these things. The word rendered doubted de- notes that state of anxiety which arises when a man has lost his way, or when he does not know what to do to escape from a difficuhy. See Luke ix. 7. IT Where- unto this would grow. What this would be ; or what would be the result or end of these events. For (1.) Their authority was disregarded ; (2.) God had opposed them by a miracle ; (3.) The doctrines of the apostles were gaining ground; (4.) Their efforts to oppose them had been in vain. They need not have doubted ; but Binners are not disposed to be convinced of the truth of religion.
26. Without violence. Not by force ; not by binding them. Comp. Matt, xxvii. 2. The command of the sanhedrim was sufficient to secure their presence, as they did not intend to refuse to answer for any alleged violation of the laws. Be- sides, their going before the council would ^ive them another noble opportunity to bear witness to the truth of the gospel. Christians, when charged with a viola- tion of the laws of the land, should not refuse to answer. Acts xxv. 11, "If 1 be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die." It is a part of our religion to yield obedience to all the just laws of the land, and to evince respect for all that are in autho- rity. Rom. xiii. 1 — 7. IT For they feared the people. The people were favourable to the apostles. If violence had been at- tempted, or they had been taken in a cruel and forcible manner, the conse- quence would have been a tumult, and bloodshed, ^n this way, also, the apostles showed that they were not disposed to excite uimult. Opposition by them would have excited commotion ; and though they wou'd have been rescued, yet they re- solved to show that they were not obsti aai«. contumacious, or rebellious, bu
cil : and the high-priest asked them,
28 Sayirg, Did not we ^ straitly command you, that ye should not teach in this namel and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with youi doctrine, and intend to bring this man''s blood <= upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apos- tles answered and said. We '^ oughl to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised
c Matt.27.25. c.2.23,36; 3.15; 7.52. d e.4.19.
were disposed, as far as it could be don>8 with a clear conscience, to yield obedi- ence to the laws of the land.
23. Straitly command you. Did we not command you with a threat ? ch. iv. 17 18. 21. IT In this name. In the name ol Jesus. IT I'e have filed Jerusalem. This though not so designed, was an honour, able tribute to the zeal and fidelity of the apostles. When Christians are arraigned or persecuted, it is well if the only charge which their enemies can bring against them is that they have been distinguished for zeal and success in propagating their religion. See 1 Pet. iv. 16, "If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf" Also ver. 13—15. IT Inte7id to bring this ma/i's blood upon us. To bring one's blood upon another is a phrase de- noting to hold or to prove him guilty of murdering the innocent. The expressioi here charges them with designing to prove that they had put Jesus to death when he was innocent ; to convince the people of this, and thus to enrage them against the sanhedrim ; and also to provb that they were guilty, and were exposed to the divine vengeance for having put the Messiah to death. Comp. ch. ii. 23 36 iii. 15; vii. 52. That the apostles did h tend to charge them with being guilty of murder, is clear; but it is observable that on this occasio7i they had said nothing of this; and it is further observable thai they did not charge it on them except in their presence. See the places just refer- red to. They took no pains to spread thia among the people, except as the peoplt were accessaryto the crime of the rulers'. ch. ii. 23. 36. Their consciences were noi at ease, and the remembrance of thn death of Jesus would occur to them ai once at the sight of the apostles.
29. We ought to obey, &c. See Note, ch. iv. 19. '
30 Raised \!tp Jesus This refers to h)»
lOO
THE ACTS.
[A. \). 36
up Jesus, whom ye slew and hang- ed * on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted * with
a GaJ 13. lPeU2.24. i P1lJ.9.
his right hand to de d* Prince and a "^ Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins
cle.9.6. (<Mattl.21.
resurrection. IT Hanged on a tree. That 18, on the cross. Gal. iii. 13. 1 Pet. ii. 24. A.3ts X. 39; xiii. 29. This is the amount of Peter's defence. He begins with the great principle (ver. 29), which they could not gainsay, that God ought to be obeyed rather than man. He then pro- ceeds to state that they were convinced that God had raised up Jesus from the dead. And a.s they had such decisive evidence of that, and were commanded by the authority of the Lord Jesus to be wilnesses of that, and had constant evi- dence that God had done it, they were not at liberty to be silent. They were bound to obey God rather than the san- hedrim, and to make known every where the fact that the Lord Jesus was risen. The remark that God had raised up Je- 8us whom they had slain, does not seem j to have been made to irritate or to re- proach them, but mainly to identify the person that had been raised. It was also a confirmation of the truth and reality of the miracle. Of his death they had no doubt, for they had been at pains to cer- tify it. John xix. 31 — 34. It is certain, however, that Peter did not shrink from charging on them their gui't; nor was he at any pains to soften or mitigate the se- vere charge that they had murdered their own Messiah.
31. Him hath God exalted. See Note, ch. ii. 33. If To he a Prince. i--ex'',ydv. See Note, Acts iii. 15. In that place he is called the Prince of life. Here it means tiiat he is actually in the exercise of the office of a prince or a king, at the right hand of his Father. The title Prince, or King, was one which was well known as applied to the Messiah. It denotes that lie has dominion and power, espe- cially the power which is needful to give repentance and the pardon of sins. H A Saviour. See Note, Matt. i. 21. IT To aive repentance. The word repentance here is equivalent to reformation, and a change of life. The expression here does tot differ from what is said in ch. iii. 2G. V To Isritel. This word |)roperly denotes the Jews; bi.t his office was not to be confined to the Jew a. OUier })a.s.sages show that it would bo also extended to the (ienlilrs. The reasons why the Jews are yiarlicuiarly spenlied hr««e are, pro- bahlv, (1.) ficcausf the Mes.siah W!is long pri'wiiHjd to tlie Jewish jn'oplc, nud his
first work was there; and (2.) Because Peter was addressing Jews, and uas par- ticularly desirous of leading them to re- pentance. IF Forgiveness of sins. Pardon of sin ; the act which can be performed by God only. Mark ii. 7.
If it be asked, in what sense the Lord Jesus gives repentance, or how his exalta- tion is connected with it, we may answer, (1.) His exaltation is evidence that hii work was accepted, and thus a foundation is laid by which repentance is available and may be connected with pardon. Un • less there was some way oi' forgive7iess, sorrow for sin would be of no value, even if exercised. The relentings of a culprit condemned for murder, would be of no avail unless the executive can consistently pardon him ; nor would relentings in hell be of avail, for there is no promise of for- giveness. But Jesus Christ by his death has laid a foundation by which repentance may be accepted. (2.) He is intrusted with all power in heaven and earth with refer- ence to this, to apply his work to men ; or in other words, to bring them to repent- ance. See John xvii. 2. Matt, xxviii. 18. (3.) His exaltation is immediately con- nected with the bestowment of the Holy Spirit, by whose influence men are brought to repentance. John xvi. 7 — 11. The Spirit is represented as being sent. by him as well as by the Father. John xv 26 ; xvi. 7. (4.) Jesus has power in this state of exaltation over all tilings that c*n affect the mind. He sends his ministers; he directs the events of sickness or disa]> pointment ; of health or prosperity ; that will influence the heart. There is no doubt that he can so recall the sins of the past life, and refresh the memory, as to overwhelm the soul in the consciousness of guilt. Thus also he can appeal to man by his goodness, and by a sense of hia mercies; and especially he can so pre- sent a view of his life and death as to affect the heart, and show the evil of the nast life of the sinner. Knowing the iieart, he knows all the avenues by which it can be apiiroached ; and in an instant he can overwhelm the soul with the re- membrance of crime.
It was proper that the power of pardon should bo lodged with the same being that has (he power of producing rejient ance. Because, 1. The one appropriately liillovvs the other 2. Ttiey are i^arla of
A. D. 33.] CHAPTER V
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 tkat^ they '
the same great work, the work which the Saviour came to do, to remove sin with ait Its effects from the human soul. This power of pardon Jesus exercised when he was on the earth ; and this he can now dispense in the heavens. Mark ii. 9—11.
And from this we may learn, (1.) That Jesus Christ is divine. It is a dictate of natural rehgion that none can forgive sins against God, but God himself None can pardon but the being who has been of- fended. And this is also the dictate of the Bible. The power of pardoning sin is one that God claims as his prerogative ; and it is clear that it can appertain to no other. See Isa. xliii. 25. Dan. ix. 9. Ps. cxxx. 4. Yet Jesus Christ exercised this [K)wer when on earth ; gave evidence that the exercise of that power was one that was acceptable to God by working a mi- racle, and removing the consequences of sin with which God had visited the sin- ner (Matt. ix. 6); and exercises it still in heaven. He must, therefore, be divine. (2.) The shi.ier is dependent on him for the exercise of repentance, and forgive- ness. (3.) The proud sinner must be humbled at his feet. He must be willing to come and receive eternal life at his hands. No step is more humiliating than this for proud and hardened men; and there is none which they are more reluc- tant to do. We always shrink from com- ing into the presence of one whom we have offended ; we are extremely reluc- tant to confess a fault; but it must be done, or the soul must be lost for ever. (4.) Christ has power to pardon the great- est offender. He is exalted for this pur- pose ; and he is fitted to his work. Even his murderers he could pardon; and no sinner need fear that he who is a Prince and a Saviour at the right hand of God, is unable to pardon every sin. To him we may come with confidence ; and when pressed with the consciousness of 'the blackest crimes, and when we must feel that we deserve eternal death, we may confidently roll all on his arm.
32. And we are witnesses. For this pur- pose they had been appointed, ch. i. 8. 21, 22 ; ii. 32 ; iii. 15. Luke xxiv. 48. IT Of these things. Particularly of the resurrec- tion of the Loitl Jesus, and of the events l2
lUl
were cut to the heigft and took ^'oun- sel to slay them.
34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Ga- maliel, ^ a doctor of the law, had in
which had followed it. Perhaps, how ever, he meant to include every thing pertaining to the life, teachings, and death of the Lord Jesus. V And so is also, &c The descent of the Holy Ghost to endow tnem. with remarkable gifts (ch. ii. 1 — 4) to awaken and convert such a multitude ch. ii. 41 ; iv. 4; v. 14), was an unanswer- able attestation of the truth of these doc- trines, and of the Christian religion. So manifest and decided was the presence of God attending them, that they could have no doubt that what they said was true ; and so open and public was this attestation, that it was an evidence to all the people of the truth of their doctrine.
33. When they heard that. That which the apostle Peter had said, to wit, that they were guilty of murder; that Jesus was raised up ; and that he still lived as the Messiah. IT They were cut to the heart The word used here properly denotes to cut with a saw; and as applied to the mind, it means to be agitated with rage and indignation, as if wrath should seize upon the mind as a saw does upon wood, and tear it violently, or agitate it severely. It is commonly used in connexion with the heart, and means that the heart is vio- lently agitated, and rent with rage. See ch. vii. 54. It is not used elsewhere in the New Testament. The reasons why they were thus indignant were, doubt- less, (].) Because the apostles had dis- regarded their command ; (2.) Because they charged them with murder; (3.) Be cause they affirmed the doctrine of th* resurrection of Jesus, and thus tended to overthrow the sect of the Sadducees. The effect of the doctrines of the gospe*. is, often, to make men enraged. ^ Took counsel. The word rendered took coun- sel denotes commonly to will ; then, to de- liberate ; and sometimes, to decree, or to determine. It doubtless implies herte that their minds were made up to do it; bul probably the formal decree was not pas» ed to put them to death.
34. There stood up one. He rose, as « usual in deliberative assemblies to speai IT In the council. In the sanhedrim, ch iv. 15. ^ A Pharisee. The high-pries and those who had been most active ii opposing the apc^tles were Sadducees The Pharisees wwe opposed to them.
103
reput'ltion among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space :
35 And said unto them, Ye men jf Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
» M A« 3d year before the account called A. D.
particularly on the doctrine in regard to which the aix)slles were so strenuous, the resurrection of the dead. See Note, Matt. iii. 7. Comp. Acts xxiii. 6. IT Ga- malicl. This name was very common among the Jews. Dr. Lightfbot says that this man was the teacher of Paul (Acts xxii. 3), the .son of the Simon who took the Saviour in hi.s arms (Luke ii.), and the grandson of the famous Hillel, and was known among the Jews by the lille of Unhhan Gamaliel llie elder. There were other men of this name, who were also eminent among the Jews. This man is Baid to have died eighteen years before the destructionof Jerusalem, and he died as he had lived, a Pharisee. There is not the least evidence that he was a friend of the Christian religion ; but he was evidently a man of far more liberal views tiian the other members of the eanhedrim. "^ A doctor of the lav). That IS, a teacher of the Jew'sh law ; one whose province it was to interpret the laws of Klo^es, and pro!)ably to preserve and transmit the traditional laws of the Jews. See Note, Matt. xv. 3. So celebrated was he, that Saul of Tarsus went to Jeru- salem 'o receive the benefit of his in- Urnclions. Acts xxii. 3. IT Hod in repn- lalion anion p all the people. Honoured by all the y)cople. Ilis advice was likely, thercfitre, tr) bo respected. H To put the apostles forth. This wn3 done doubtless, because, if the apostles had been suffered to remain, it was appreliendcd that they would take fresh courage, aiid be con- firmed in their [lurjKisos. It was cus- tomary, besides, when they deliberated, to command those accused to retire, ch. iv. 15. U A little space. A little time. liuk*^ xxii. .OS.
3(j. h(,r before those da i/s. The advice 3f Gamaliel was to suffer these men to go :hi. The aravmrnts by which he enforced kifi advice wore, (].) That there were oases or prrc(i/( nis in point (ver. 30, 37) ; and (2.) 1'hal if it should tuni out to he of God, it woidd be a soleinn atliiir to be involved in the consff|uence8of «)pp()sing hira How long bff()re //j^.sfi d/n/s this tnuwiacUoii occurred, cannot now be de-
THE ACTS. [A. D. 33
36 For before these days ' rose up Theudas l)oasting himself to he somebody ; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves : "vho was slain ; and all, as many as ^ obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
^ or, leHevsd.
termined, as it is not certain to what cose Gamaliel refers. H Rose up. That is, commenced or excited an insurrection, 11 Theudas. This was a name quite com- mon among the Jews. Of this man no- thing more is Imovvn than is here re- corded. Josephus (Antiq. b. xx. ch. v.) mentions one Theudas, in the time oi' Fa- dus the procurator of Judea, in the reign of the emperor Claudius (A. D. 45 or 4(5), who persuaded a great part of the people to take their effects with him and follow him to the river Jordan. He told them he was a prophet, and that he would di- vide the river, and lead ihem over. Fa- dus, liowever, came suddenly upon them, and slew many of them. Theudas was taken alive and conveyed to Jerusalem, and there beheaded. But this occurred at least ten or fifteen years after this dis- course of Gamaliel. Many efforts have been made to reconcile Luke and Jose- plius, on the supposition that they refer to the same man. Lightfoot supposed that Josephus had made an error in chronology But there is no reason to suppose tliat there is reference to the same event ; and the fact that Josephus has not recorded the insurrection refeired to by Gaijialiel, does not rniliiale at all against the ac- count in the Acts. For, (1.) Luke, f()rany thing that appears to the contrary, is quite as credible an historian as Jo.sephus. (2.) The name Theudas was a common name among the Jews ; and there is no impro- bability that there were two leaders of an insurrection of this name. If it is impro- bable, the improbability would affect Jo- sephus's credit as much as that of LuRe. (3.) It is altogether imjirobable that Ga- mallei should refi^r to a case wnich wa<» not well autlicnticated ; and that Luke should record a speech of this kind unless it was delivered, when it would be bo easy to delect the error. (4.) Josephus has recorded manv instances of insurrec- tion and revolt. He has represented the
1 ol
no means professes to give an account all that occurred. Thus ho says (Antiq xvii. X. V' 4) that there were " at this lima ten thousand other disorders in Judea;'
4. D. 33.
CHAPTER V.
lUJ
37 After this man, rose up Judas of Galilee, iii the days of the tax- ing, and drew away much people after him • ho * also periihed ; and
a Lu.13.1 2,
and ($ 8/ that "Judea was full of rol>- beries." When this Theudas lived, can- not be ascertainea , but as Gamaliel men- tions him before Judas of Galilee, it is probable that he lived not far from the time that our Saviour was born; at a time when many false prophets appeared, claiming to be the Messiah. IF Boasting hirm^elf to be somebody. Claiming to be an eminent prophet probably, or the Mes- siah. IT Obeyed him. The word used here is the one commonly used to denote helief. As many as believed on him, or gave credit to his pretensions.
37. Judas of Galilee. Josephus has given an account of this man (Anliq. b. xvii. ch. X. $ 5), and calls him a Galilean. He afterwards calls him a Gaulonite, and says he was of the city of Gamala (Antiq. xviii. i. 1). In this place, he says that the revolt took place under Cyrt'^'^us, a Roman senator, who came into •' Syria to be judg«e of that nation, and to take ac- count of their subGtance." " Moreover," says he, "Cyrenius came himself into Ju- dea, which was now added to the pro- vince of Syria, to take an account of their eubstance, and to dispose of Archelaus's mox^gy." "Yet Judas, taking with him Saddouk, a Pharisee, became zealous to draw them to a revolt, who both said that Ihis taxation was no better than an intro- Juction to slavery, and exhorted the nation \o assert their liberty," &c. 2'his revolt, he says, was the commencement of the series of revolts and calamities that ter-
ity, the
iempHp. and nation ^ In the days of faxing. Or rather, the enrolling, or the census. Josephus says it was designed to take an accountof their substance. Comp. Luke ii. 1, 2.
38. Refrain from these men. Cease to oppose them, or to threaten them. The reason why he advised this he immedi- ately adds, that if it were of men, it would come to nought ; if of God, they could not overthrow it. ^ This counsel. This plan, or purpose. If the apostles had originated It for the purposes of imposture. ^ It will come to nought. Gamahel hiferred that from the two instances which he speci- fied. They had been suppressed without the interference of the sanhedrim; and he inferred that this would also die away >f it was a human device It will be re-
all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
38 And now I say unto you, Re- frain from these men, and let them
membered that this is the mere advice of Gamahel, who was not inspired ; and thai this opinion should not be adduced to guide us, except as it was an instance of great shrewdness and prudence. It is doubtless right to oppose error in the pro- per way and with the proper temper, rot with arms, or vituperation, or with tho civil power, but with argument and kind entreaty. But the sentiment of Gamaliel is full of wisdom in regard to error. For, (1.) The very way to exalt error into no- tice, and to confirm men in it, is to oppose it in a harsh, authoritative, and unkind maimer. (2.) Error, if left alone, will often die away itself. The interest of men in it will often cease as soon as it ceases to be opposed ; and having nothing to fan the flame, it will expire. It is not so with truth. (3.) In this respect the re- mark may be applied to the Christian re- ligion. It has stood too long, and in too many circumstances of prosperity and ad- versity, to be of men. It has been sub- jected to all trials from its pretended friends and real foes ; and it still lives as vigorous and flourishing as ever. Other kingdoms have changed ; empires have risen and fallen since Gamaliel spoke this ; systems of opimon and belief have had their day, and expired ; but the pre- servation of the Chrishan rehgion, un- changed through so many revolutions, and in so many fiery trials, shows that it is not of men, but of God. The argument for the divine origin of the Christian re- ligion from its perpetuity, is one that can be applied to no other system that has been, or that now exists. For Christianity has been opposed in every form. It con fers no temporal conquests, and appeals to no base and strong native passions. Mahometanism, is supported by the sword and the state ; paganism relies on the arm of the civil power and the terrors of superstition, and is sustained by all tho corrupt passions of men; atheism and in- fidelity have been short-lived, varying in their forms, dying to-day, and to naor- row starting up in a new form ; never or- ganized, consolidated, or pure ; and never tending to promote the peace or happi- ness of men. Christianity, without amw or human power, has lived, holding its steady and triumphant movements amonc men, regardless aHke of the opposition a^
104
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 3;'
alone : " for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought :
o PrJIl.30. 18.8.10. Matt.15.13.
Its foes, and of the treachery of its pre- * tended friends. If the opinion of Gama- liel was just, it is from God; and the Jews particularly should regard as impor- tant, an argument derived from the opi- nion of one of the wisest of the'ir ancient Rabbins.
39. But if it be of God. If God is the author of this religion. From this it seems thsit Gamaliel supp/ised that it was at least possible that this religion was di- vine. He evinced a far more candid mind than did the rest of the Jews ; but Btill, it does not appear that he was en- tirely convinced. The arguments whicli could not but stagger the Jewish sanhe- drim were those drawn from the resur- rection of Jesus, the miracle on the day of Pentecost, the healing of the lame man in the temple, and the release of the apos- tles from the prison. IT Ye cannot over- throw it. Because, (1.) God has almighty power, and can execute his puri)oses; (2.) Because he is unchanging, and will not be diverted from his plans. Job xxiii. 13, 14. The plan which God forms innst be accomplished. All the devices of man are feebleness when opposed to him, and he can dash them in pieces in an instant. The prediction of Gamaliel has been ful- filled. Men have opposed Christianity in every way, but in vain. They have re- viled it; have persecuted it; have resort- ed to argument and to ridicule, to fire, and fagot, and sword ; they have called in the aid of science; but all has been in vain. The more it has been crushed, the more it has risen, and still exists with as much life and power as ever. The pre- servation of this religion amidst so much and so varied opposition, proves that it is of God. No severer trial can await it than it has already experienced ; and as it has survived so many storms and trials, we Lave every evidence that according to the predictions, it is destined to live, and to fill the world. See Note, Matt, ivi. 18, Isa. liv. 17; Iv. 11. Dan. iv. 3o. ^ J^st. Tiiat is, if you continue to o|> ao«ie it, you may l)e (ound to have been opjxiHirig God. IT Ilaplij. Perhaps In the Greek this is lest at any lime, that is, at some fulnre time, when too late to re- tract your doings, vVc. IT Ye he found. It shall appear tliat you have been o(>- posirig God. H Kven tof^ht against God. Greek. t-icoM^xo'. The word occurs no-
39 But if ^ it be of God, yt can not overthrow it : lest haply } e be found even to fight '^ against God.
b Job 34.29. :Cor.l.25. c c.9.oj 23.9.
where else in the New Testament. Tc fight against God is to oppose him, or tH maintain an attitude of hostility against him. It is an attitude that is most fearful in its character, and will most certainly be attended with an overthrow. No con- dition can be more awful than such an opposition to the Almighty ; no overthrow more terrible than that which must follow such opposition. Comp. Acts ix. 5 ; xxiii. 9. Opposition to the gospel in the Scriptures is uniformly regarded as opposition to God. Matt. xii. 30. Luke xi. 23. Men may be said to fght against God in the following ways, or on the following sub- jects. (1.) When they oppose his gospel, its preaching, its plans, its influence among men ; when they endeavour to pre\ ent its spread, or to withdraw their families and friends from its influence. (2.) When they oopose the doctrines of the Bible. Wher-Hhey become angry that the real truth.j of religion are preached; and suf- fer themselves to be irritated and excited, by an unwillingness that those doctrines should be true, and should be presented to men. Yet this is no uncommon thing. Men by nature do not love those doc- trines, and they are often indignant that they are preached. Some of the yiost angry feelings which men ever have, arise from this source ; and man can never find peace until he is willing that God's truth should exert its influence on his ow^n soul, and rejoice that it is believ- ed and loved by others. (3.) Men oppose the lav) of God. It seems to them too stern and harsh. It condemns them ; and they are unwilling that it should be aj>- plied to them. There is nothing which a sinner likes less than he does the pure and holy law of God'. (4.) Sinners fight against the providence of^God. When hft afflicts them, they rebel. When he takes away their health, or property, or friends^ they murmur. They esteem him harsh and cruel ; and instead of finding peace by .vdjniission, they greatly aggravate their sulli^-rings, and infiise a mixture ot wormwo(jd and gall info the rup, by mur muring and repining. There is no peace in affliction but in the feeling that God is right. .'\nd until this belief is cherished, the wirknd will be like the troubled ecu wh'ch cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and tlirt. Isa. Ivii. 20. Such opjjosi tion to GuJ is as wicked as it i» i<i>oliflb
4. D. 33.]
CHAPTER V
105
40 And to him they agreed : and when they had called the apostles, and beaten " them^ they commanded
a Matt. 10. 17.
Tho Lord ga\e, and has a right to remove our comforts ; and we should be still, and know that he is God. (5.) Sinners fight against God when they resist tl*e influ- ences of his Spirit; when they oppose serious thoughts ; when they seek evil, or gay companions and pleasures rather than submit to God ; and when they resist all the entreaties of their friends to become Christians. All these ma/ be the appeals which God is making to men to be pre- pared to meet him. And yet it is com- mon for sinners thus to stifle conviction, and refuse even to think of their eternal welfare. Nothing can be an act of more direct and deliberate wickedness and folly than this. Without the aid of the Holy Spirit none can be saved ; and to resist his influences is to put away the only prospect of eternal life. To do it, is to do it over the grave ; not knowing that an- other hour or day may be granted ; and not knowing that // life is prolonged, the Spirit will ever strive again with the r^eart.
In view of this verse we may remark, 1. That the path of wisdom is to submit at once to all the requirements of God. Without this, we must expect conflicts with him, and perils and ruin. No man can be opposed to God, without endan- gering himself every minute. 2. Submis- sion to God should be entire. It should extend to every doctrine, and demand ; every law, and every act of the Almighty. In all his requirements, and in all afflic- tions, we should submit to him, and thus only shall we find peace. 3. Infidels and scoffers will gain nothing by opposing God. They have thus far been thwarted, and unsuccessful; and they will be still. None of their plans have succeeded ; and the hope of destroying the Christian religion, after the efforts of almost two thousand years, must be vain, and will recoil with tremendous vengeance on chose whj make them.
40. And to him they agreed. Greek, They were persuaded by him; or they trusted to him. They agreed only so far as their design of putting them to death was concerned. They abandoned that design. But they did not comply with nis advice to let them entirely alone. !f And beaten them. The usual amount oi' iashes which were inflicted on ofTend- Ars was thirtv-nine. 2 Cor. xi. 24. Beat-
* that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the
ing.1 or whipping, was a common mode of punishing minor offences among the Jews. It was expressly foretold by the Saviour that the apostles would be subjected to this. Matt. X. 17. The reason why they did not adopt the advice of Gamaliel altogether, doubtless was, that if they did, they feared that their authority would be despised by the people. They had commanded them not to preach, they had threatened them (ch. iv. 18; v. 28) they had imprisoned them (ch. v. 18); and now if they suffered them to go*with- out even the appearance of punishment, their authority, they feared, would be de- spised by the nation ; and it would be supposed that the apostles had triumphed over the sanhedrim. It is probable also that they were so indignant, that they could not suffer them to go without the gratification of subjecting them to the public odium of a whipping. Men, if they cannot accomplish their full pur- poses of malignity against the gospel, will take up with even some petty annoyance and malignity, rather than let it alone.
41. Rejoicing. Nothing to most men would seem more disgraceful than a pub- lic whipping. It is a punishment inflicted usually not so much because it gives pain, as because it is esteemed to be at- tended with disgrace. The Jewish rulera doubtless desired that the apostles might be so affected with the sense of this dis- grace as to be unwilling to appear again in public, or to preach the gospel an\ more. Yet in this they were disappointed The effect was just the reverse. If it be asked why they rejoiced in this manner we may reply, (1.) Because they were permitted thus to imitate the example of the Lord Jesus. He had been scourged and reviled, and they were glad that they were permitted to be treated as he was. Comp. Phil. iii. 10. Col. i. 24. 1 Pet. iv. 13 "Rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings." (2.) Because, by this, they had evidence that they were the friends and followers of Christ. It was clear they were engaged in the same cause that he was; enduring the same sufferings; and striving to advance the same interests. As they loved the cause, therefore they would rejoice in enduring even the shame and suflerings which the cause, of necessity, involvedT The kuig dom of the Redeemer was an object «a
'06
THE ACTS. [A D. 3o
presence of the council, rejoicing " tliat they were counted worthy to Buffer shame for his name.
42 And daily '- in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
o M»tt.5.12. 2Cor.l2.10. Ph.1.29. Ja.1.2 •Pet.4.13-I6.
traiiscendanlly important, that ybr it, they were willing to endure all the afflictions »nd disgrace which it might involve. 1,3.) They had been told to expect this ; it was a part of their enterprise. They had been warned of these things, and they now rejoiced that they had this evi- dence that they were engaged in the cause of trath.Matt.v.ll 12; x.l7 22.2Cor. xii. 10. Phil. i. 29. James i. 2. (4.) Re- ligion appears to a Christian so excellent and lovely, that he is willing, for its sake, to endure trial, and persecution and death. With all this, it is infinite gain ; and we should be willing to endure these trials, if, by them, we may gain a crown of glory. Comp. Mark x. 30. (5.) Christians are the professed friends of Christ. We show attachment for friends, by being willing to sutler for them ; to bear contempt and reproach on their account; and to share their persecutions, sorrows, and calami- ties. (6.) The apostles were engaged in a cause of innocence, truth, and benevo- ence. They had done nothing of which to be ashamed ; and they rejoiced, there- fore, in a conscience void of offence ; and m the consciousness of integrity and be- nevolence. When other men disgrace themselves by harsh, or vile, or opprobri- ous language, or conduct towards us, we should not leel that the disgrace belongs to us. It is theirs; and we should not be ashamed or distres.sed, ihougli their rage should fall on us. See 1 Pet. iv. 14— IG. ^ Counted worlhy. Esteemed to be de- serving That is esteemed ^< for it 6y the sanhedrim. It does not mean \\\xx.i God esteemed them worthy, but that the Jew- ish council judged them fit to suffer shame m this cause. They evinced so much zeal, and determination of i)urpfjse, that Ihey wore judged fit objects to be treated 8s the Lord Jesus had himself been. IF V'o tiijfer s/iame. To be dishonoured, or dis- graced in the estimation of the Jewish rulers. The particular disgrace to whi(;h relerencc is made here was whi/ijiiufr. Ti) various other kinrls of shame they were also cxDosed. They were perse- putcd, reviled, and finally put to death. — Iforo we may remark, that a profession of liio Christian religion has been in all •{je« esteemed by many to be a disgrace.
CHAPTER VI. A ND in those days, when the ■^-^ number of the disciples waa multiplied, there arose a murmur- ing of the Grecians '^ against the Hebrews, because their widows
i2Tim.4.2. c c.9.29; 1 1.20.
The reasons are, (1.) That Jesus is himsel/ despised; (2.) That his precepts are op posed to the gayety and pyllies of tho world ; (3.) That it attacks that on which the men of the world pride themaelves, rank, wealth, fashi(-n; (4.) That it re- quires a spirit which the world esteems mean and grovelling — meekness, humi- lity, self-denial, patience, forgiveness of injuries; and (5.) That it requires du- ties— prayer, praise, seriousness, benevo- lence — which the men of the world de- spise. All these things the world esteem degrading and mean; and hence tney endeavour to subject those who practise them to disgrace. — The kinds of disgrace to which Christians have been subjected are too numerous to be mentioned here. In former times they were subjected to the loss of property, of reputaticn, and to all the shame of public punislirnent. and to the terrors of the dungeon tho stake, or the rack. One main design of persecution was, to select a kind of punishment so disgraceful as to deter others from professing religion. Disgrace even yet may attend it. It may subject one to the ridicule of friends — of even a father, mother, or brother. Christians hear their opinions abused ; their names vilified ; their Bible travestied ; the name of their God profaned, and of their Re- deemer blasphemed. Their feelings are often wantonly and rudely torn by the cutting sarcasm, or the bitter sneer. Books and songs revile them; their pe- culiarities are made the occasion of inde- cent merriment on the stage and in novels ; and in tliis way they are stil subjected to shame for the name of Jesus. Every one who becomes a Christian should remember that this is a part of hi» inheritance, and should not esteem it dis- honourable to be treated as his master was before him. John xv. 18—20. Matt X. 2.5. % For his name. For attachraeni to him.
42. And daily, &c. Comp. 2 Tim. iv. 9 Notes, Acts ii. 4G.
CHAPTER VI.
1. In those days, JL'c. Tho first part of this chapter contains an account of the apiK^iiilmerit of deacons. It may be asked, perhaps, why tho apostles did not appuiD<
1. D. 33. ;
CHAPTER VI.
107
were neglected in "the daily minis- tration.
these officers at the first organization of the church ? To this question we may reply, that it was better to defer the ap- pointment until an occasion should occur when it should appear to be manifestly necessary and proper. When the church was small, its alms could- be distributed by the apostles themselves without diffi- culry. But when it was greatly increased ; when its charities would be multiplied ; and when the distribution might give rise to contentions, it was necessary that this matter should be intrusted to the hands of laymen, and that the 7ninistry should be freed from all embarrassment, and all suspicions of dishonesty and unfairness in regard to pecuniary matters. It has never been found to be wise that the temporal affau-s of the church should be intrusted in any considerable degree to the clergy; and they should be freed from such sources of difficulty and em- barrassment. IT Was muUiplied. By the accession of the three thousand on the day of Pentecost, and of those Vvho were subsequently added, ch. iv. 4 ,- v. 14. ^ A murmuring. A compluint — as, if there had been partiahty in the distribution. IT Of the Grecians. There has been much diversity of opinion in regard to these persons, Vvhether they were Jews that had lived among the Gentiles, and who spoke the Greek language, or whe- iner they were proselytes from the Gen- tiles. The former is probably the correct opinion. The word here used is not that which is usually employed to designate the inhabitants of Greece, but it properly denotes those who imitate the customs and habits of the Greeks, who use the Greek language, &c. In tha time when the gospel was first preached, there were two classes of Jews — those who remained in Palestine, who used the Hebrew lan- guage, &c. and who were appropriately called Hebrews ; and those who were scattered among the Gentiles, who spoke the Greek language, and who used in their synagogues the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. These were called Hellenists, or as it is ■'n our translation Grecians. Note, John vii. 35. These were doubtless the per- sons mentioned here — not those who were prose'vted from Gentiles, but those who n-ere not natives of Judea, who had come ap to Jerusalem to attend the great fes- -nvals of the Jews. See oh. ii. 5, 9 — 11. Oih«en.sions would be very likeV tc arise
2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto
between these two classes of persons. The Jews of Palestine would pride them- selves much on the fact that they dwelt in the land of the patriarchs, and the land of promise ; that they used the language which their fathers spoke, and in which the oracles of God were given ; and that they were constantly near the temple, and regularly engaged in its solemnities. On the other hand, the Jews from other parts of the world would be suspicious jealous, and envious of their brethren, and would be likely to charge them with partiality, or of taking advantage in their intercourse with them. These occasions of strife would not be destroyed by their conversion to Christianity, and one of them is furnished on this occasion. ^ Be cause their widows, &c. The '-uperty which had been contributed, or ^iK'v^n into common stock, was understood to be designed for the equal benefit of all the poor, and particularly it would se^sm for the poor widows. The distribution be- fore tills, seems to have been made by the apostles themselves — or possibly, as Mo- sheim conjectures (Comm. de rebus Chris- tianorum ante Constantinum, p. 139. 118), the apostles committed the distribution of these funds to the Hebrews, and hence the Grecians are represented as murmur- ing against them, and not against the apos- tles. IT In the daily ministration. In the dady distribution "which was made foi their v.-.".nts. Comp. ch. iv. 35. The pro- perty was contributed doubtless with an understanding that it should be equclly and justly distributed to all classes of Christians that had need. — It is clear from the Epistles that widows were objects of special attention in the primitive church, and that the first Christians regarded i as a matter of indispensable obligation to provide for their wants. 1 Tim. v. 3. 9, 10. 16. James i. 27.
2. Then the twelve. That is, the apostles. Matthias had been added to them aflei the apostacy of Judas, which had com. pleted the original number. IT The multi- tude of the disciples. It is not necessary to suppose that all the disciples were convened, which amounted to many thou- sands, but that the business w^as laid be- fore a large number ; or perhaps the mul- titude here, means those merely who were more particularly interested in the matter, and who had been engaged in the complaint. T It s not reason. The original words used here properly d&
i08
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
them, and said, It " is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. .3 Wherefore, brethren, look * ye
a Ex. 18. 17-26. fcDe.1.13.
note it is not pleasing, or agreeable ; but the meaning evidently is, it is not ft, or proper. It would be a departure from the design of their appointment, which was to preach the gospel, and not to at- tend to the pecuniary affairs of the church. T Leave th.e word of God. That we should neglect, or abandon the preaching of the gospel so nuch as would be necessary, if we atfendod personally to the distribu- tion of the alms of the church. — The gos- pel is here called the word of God, be- cause it is Ids message ; it is ihat which he has spoken ; or which he has com- nianded to be proclaimed to men. H Serve tables. This expression properly denotes to take care of or to provide for the table, or for the daily wants of the family. It is an expression that properly applies to a steward, or a servant. The word tables is however sometimes used with refer- ence to money, as being the place where money was kept for the purpose of ex- change, &c. Matt. xxi. 12 ; xxv. 27. Here the expression means, therefore, to at- tend to the pecuniary transactions of the church, and to make the proper distribu- tion for the wants of the poor.
3. Look ye out. Select, or choose. As this was a matter pertaining to their own pecuniary aflairs, it was proper that they should be permitted to choose such men as they could confide in. By this means the apostles would be free from all suspicions. It could not be pretended that they were partial, nor could it ever be charged on them that they wish- ed to embezzle a part of the funds by managing them themselves, or by intrust- ing them to men of their own selection. — It follows from this also that the right of belecting deacons resides in the church, and does not pertain to the ministry. And it is evidently proper that men who are to be intrusted with the alms of the church should be selected by the clnirch itaelf ^ Among you. That is, from among Ihe Grecians and Hebrews, that there may be justice done, and no further cause of com [ilaint. ^ Seven men. Seven '\HH a sacred number among the Ile- orewH, but there does not appear to have t.)een any mystery in choosing tliis innri- ber. It was a convenieiil iiiinilicr, siiffi- cientiy numerous to secure tli » liiitliful perlbnnanco of Iho duly, arxl not kc nu-
out among- you seven men of* ho nest report, full of the Holy Gho8 and wisdom, whom we may appoin over this business.
c c.16.2. lTim.3.7,8,I0.
merous as to produce confusion £.nd em* barrassment. It does not follow, how- ever, that the same number is now to be chosen as deacons in a church, for the precise number is not commanded. IT Of honest report. Of fiiir reputation ; regard- ed as men of integrity. Greek, testified of, or borne witness to, i. e. whose charac- ters were well known and fair. IT Full of the Holy Ghost. This evidently dries not mean endowed with miraculous gifts, or the power of speaking foreign lan- guages, for such gifts were not necessary to the discharge of their office, but it means men who were eminently under the influence of the Holy Ghost, or who were of distinguished piety. This was all that w-as necessary in the case, and this is all that the words fairly imply in this place. IT And wisdom. Prudence, or skill, to make a wise and equable dis- tribution. The qualifications of deacons are still further stated and illustrated in 1 Tim. iii. 8 — 10. In this place it is seen that they must be men of eminent piety and fair character, and that they must possess prudence, or wisdom, to manage the affairs connected with their office These qualifications are indispensable to a faithful discharge of the duty intrusted to the officers of the church. 11 Whom «;« may appoint. Whom we may constitute, or set over this business. The way in which this was done was, by praver and the imposition of hands, ver. 6. Though tliey were selected by the church, yet the power of ordaining them, or setting them apart, was retained by the apostles. Thus the rights of both were preserved, the ight of the church to designate those who should serve them in the ofTice of (k^acon, and the right of the afx)stles to organize and cstahlish the church with its appropriate oniccr.s ; on the one hand, a due regard to the liberty and privik«ge8 of the Christian community, and on the other the security of jjroper respect for the office, as being of apostolic appoints mont and authority. II Ot^er this business That is, over the distrihution of the alma of the church — not to preach, or to go- vern the rhurcli, hut soiely to tnke care of the sacred funds of charity, and oistri- hiite thcni to supjily the wants of the pr)or. The ofllco is distinguished from that of pr-caching the gospel. To tha«
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTER VI.
l(fy
4 But we vviF. " give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude : and they chose
the ajvjstles were to attend. The deacons were expressly set apart to a different work, and to that work they should be roniined. In this account of their ori- ginal appointment, there is not the slight- est intimation that they were to preach, but the contrary is supposed in the whole transaction. Nor is there here the slight- est intimation that they were regarded as an order of clergy, or as in any way con- nected with the clerical office. — In the ancient synagogues of the Jews there were three men to whom was intrusted the care of the poor. They were called by the Hebrews Parnasin or Pastors. (Lightfoot, Horse Heb. et Talm. Matt. iv. 23.) From these officers the apostles took the idea probably of appomting deacons in the Christian church, and doubtless in- tended that their duties should be the Rame.
4. But we will give ourselves continu- ally. The original expression here used denotes intense and persevering applica- tion to a thing, or unwearied effort in it. See Note, Acts i. 14. It means that the apostles meant to make this their constant and main object, undistracted by the cares of life, and even by attention to the tem- poral wants of the church. IF To prayer. Whefher this means private or public prayer cannot be certainly determined. The passage, however, would rather in- cline us to suppose that the latter was meant, as it is immediately connected with preaching. If so, then the phrase denotes that they would give themselves to the duties of their office, one part of which was public prayer, and another preaching. Still it is to be believed that the apostles felt the need of secret prayer, and practised it, as preparatory to the'r public preaching. IT And to the ministry of the word. To preaching the gospel ; or coimnunicating the message of eternal life to the world. The word ministry (eiaxov.'a) properly denotes the employ- ment of a servant, and is given to the preachers of the gospel because they are employed in this service as the servants of God, and of the church. — V/e have here a view of what the apostles thought to be the proper work of the ministry They were set apart to this work. It w.as their main, their only employment. Tc K
Stephen, a man full *" of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and * Nico- las a proselyte of Antioch :
c c.8.5,26j 21.8.
to this their lives were to be devoted, and both by their example and their writings they have shown that it was on this principle they acted. Comp. 1 Tim. iv. 15, 16. 2 Tim. iv. 2. It follows also that if their time and talents were to be wholly devoted to this work, it was rea- sonable that they should receive compe- tent support trom the churches, and this reasonable claim is often urged by the apostle. See 1 Cor. ix. 7 — 14. Gal- vi. 6.
5. And the saying. The word — the counsel, or command. If And they chose Stephen, &c. A man who soon showed (ch. vii.) that he was every way qualified for his office, and fitted to defend also the cause of the Lord Jesus. This man had the distinguished honour of being the first Christian martyr, ch. vii. ^ And Nicolas. From this mqp. some of the Fa thers (Ire. lib. i. 27. Epipha 1 Ha;res. 5.) say, that the sect of the ]\ieola..tanes, mentioned with so much disapprobation (Rev. ii. 6. 15), took their rise. But the evidence of this is not clear. IT A prose- lyte. A proselyte Is one who is converted from one religion to another. See Note, Matt, xxiii. 15. The word does not mean here that he was a convert to Christianity — which was true — but that he had been converted at Antioch from paganism to the Jewish religion. As this is the only proselyte mentioned among the seven deacons, it is evident that the others were native-born Jews, though a part of them might have been born out of Palestine, and have been of the denomination of Grecians., or Hellenists. IT Of Antioch, This city, often mentioned in the New Testament (Acts xi. 19, 20. 26 ; xv. 22. 35. Gal. ii. 11, &:c.), was situated in Syria on the river Orontes, and was formerly called Riblath It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but is frequently mentioned in the Apocrypha. It was built by Seleu cus Nicanor, A. C. 301, and was named Antioch, in honour of his father Antio- chus. It became the seat of empire of the Syrian kings of the Macedonian race, and afterwards of the Roman governors of tne eastern provinces. In this place the disciples of Christ were first called Christians. Acts xi. 26 Josephus says u was the fh'.rd 3itv in size of the Itomau
lO
C) Wliom they set before the apostles : aid when " they had prayed, they * laid thch' hands on them.
7 And « the word of God increas- ed ; and the number of the disciples
a e.1.24. b c.9.17; 13.3. lTiin.4 J4: 5.22. 2Tim.l.6.
provinces, being inferior only to Selencia «nd Alexandria. It was long, indeed, the most powerful city of the East. The city was almost square, had many gates, was adorned with line fountains, and possess- ed great fertility of soil and commercial opulence. It was subject to earthquakes, and was often almost destroyed by them. In A. D. 588 above sixty thousand per- sons perished in it in this manner. In A. D. 970 an army of one hundred thou- Band ^>'aracens besieged it, and took it. In 1268 it was taken possession of by the Sultan of Egypt, who demolished it, and placed it under the dominion of the Turk, ft is now called Antakia, and till the year 1822 it occupied a remote corner of the b: eiit enclosure of its walls, its splen- did buildings being reduced to hovels, and its population living in Turkish de- basement. It contains now about ten tiiousand inhabitants. {]iohin soil's Calmet.) This city should be distinguisiied from Antioch in Pisidia, also mentioned in the New Testament. Acts xiii. 14.
G. And iv/ien they had prayed. Invok- ing in this manner tUe blessing of God on thorn to attend them in the discharge of the duties of their nnicc. H VV/cy laid (heir hands, &c. Among tli^ Jews it was customary to lay hands on the head of a person who was set apart to any particu- lar office. Num. xxvii. 18. Comp. Acts viii. 19. This was done, not to impart any power or ability, but to designate thnt they received their authority, or commission, from those who thus laid their hands on them, as the act of laying hands on the sick by the Saviour was an act signifying that the power of healing came from him. Matt. ix. 18. Com[). Mark xvi. 18. In this case the laying on of the hands cop.veyed of itself no healing fjower nut was a sign or token that the jwwer came from the l/nd Jesus. Ordi- aation has been uniformly performed in his way. See 1 Tim. v. 22. Though the <ven deacons had liecn chosen by the iio church to this work, yet they derived tlnMr immediate commission and autho- ntv from the apostles.
'7. And the word of Hod incrcasexl. Vhii is. the cospel was mo'e and more
IHE ACTS. lA x). 33
multiplied in Jerusalem gieatly; and a great company of the priests ^ were obedient to the faith.
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and mira- cles among the people.
c I».55.11. c.12.24; 19.20. d P6.132.9,16. Jn-).12.4a
succe.ssful, or became more mighty, and extensive in its influence. An instance of this success is immediately added IT And a great company of the priests. A great multitude. This is recorded justly as a remarkable instance of the power of the gospel. How great this company was is not mentioned. But the number of the priests in Jerusalem was very great; and their conversion was a striking proof of the power of truth. It is probable that they had been opposed to the gospel with quite as much hostility as any other class of the Jews. And it is now mentioned, as wor- thy of special record, that the gospel waa sufficiently mighty to humble even the proud, and haughty, and selfish, and en- vious priest to the foot of the cross. One design of the gospe^is to evince the power of truth in subduing all classes of men; and hence in the fs^ew Testament wc have the record of its having actually subdued every class to the obedience of faith. Some MSS. however here instead of priests read Jews. And this reading in followed in the Syriac version. ^ Were obedient to the faith. The word faith here is evidently put for the Christian religion. Faith is one of the main requirements of the gospel (Mark xvi. 16), and by a figure of speech is put for the gospel itself To become obedient to the faith, therelbie, is to obey the requirements of the gospel, particularly that which requires us to be- lieve. Comp. Rom. x. 16. By the acces- sion of the prie.<!ts also no small part cf the reproach would be taken away from the gospel, that it made converts only among the lower clas.sc3 of the people. Comp John vii. 48.
8. And Stephen. The remarkable death of this first Christian martyr, which soon occurred, gave occasion to the sacred writer to give a detailed account of liia cliaractcr, and of" the causes which led to his death. Hitherto the opposition of the Jews had been confined to threats and imprisonment ; but it was now to burst ftjrth with furious rngo and madness, that could bo sntisflrd tvnly with blood. This was llie first in a scries of pcrsecntiona against Christians that filled the cluircli with blood, and that cbsed tht' Uvea of
.1. D 33.]
CHAPTER VI.
in
9 Then thtre aiose certain of the synagogue, which is called The sy- 'lasrogue of the Libertines, and Cy-
fhousands, perhaps milhons in the great work of establishing the gospel on the earth. ^ Full offaUli. Full oi rxmfidence in (jrod ,• cr trusting entirely to his pro- oiises. See Note, Mark xvi. 16. *r Aiid ^ower. The power which was evinced in working miracles. IT Wonders. This is one of the words commonly used in the New Testament to denote miracles.
9. Then there arose. That is, they stood up against him; or they opposed him. H" Of the synagogue. See Note, Matt. iv. 23. The Jews were scattered in all parts of the world. In every place they would have synagogues. But it is also probable that there would be enough foreign Jews residing at Jerusalem from each of those places to maintain the worship of the synagogue ; and at the great feasts those synagogues adapted to Jewish people of different nations, would be attended by those who came up to attend the great feasts. It is certain that there was a large number of synagogues at Jerusalem. The common estimate is, that there were four nundred and eighty in the city. {Light- foot, Vitringa.) IF Of the Libertines. There has been very great difference of opinion about the meaning of this word. The chief opinions may be reduced to three. 1. The word is Latin, and means properly afreedman, a man who had been a slave and was set at liberty. And many nave supposed that these persons were manumitted slaves, of Roman origin, but which had become proselyted to the Jew- ish religion, and who had a synagogue in Jerusalem. This opinion is not very pro- bable ; though it is certain, from Tacitus (Annal. lib. ii. c. 85), that there were many persons of this description at Rome. He says that four thousand Jewish prose- lytes of Roman slaves made free were sent at one time to Sardinia. 2. A second opinion is, that these persons were Jews by birth, and had been taken captives by the Romans, and then set at liberty, and thus called freedmen, or libertines. That there were many Jews of this description there can be no doubt. Pompey the Great, when he subjugated Judea, sent large numbers of the Jews to Rome, {fhilo, in T^gat. ad Caitpn.) These Jews were set Rt liberty at Rome, and assigned a place beyond the Tiber for a residence. See Introduction to the Epistie to the Romans. These persons are by Philo called liber- ti7ies, or f'cedmen. (Kuinofit in loco.)
renians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Ciiicia and of Asia, disput- ing with Stephen.
Many Jews were also conveyed as cap. tives by Ptolemy I. to Egypt, and obtained a residence in that country and the vici- nity. But 3. Another, and more probable opinior is, that they took their name from some place which they occupied. This opinion is more probable from the fact that all the other persons mentioned here are named from the countries which they occupied. Suidas says that this is tho name of a place. And in one of the Fa- thers this passage occurs : " Victor, bishop of the Catholic church at Libertina, says, unity is there," &c. From this passage it is plain that there was a place called Li- bertina. That place was in Africa, not far from ancient Carthage. See Bishop Pearce's Comment, on this place. IT Cu- renians. Jews who dwelt at Cyrene m Africa. See Note, Matt, xxvii. 32. IT Alex- andrians. Inhabitants of Alexandria in Egypt. It was founded by Alexander the Great, B. C. 332, and was peopled by colo- nies of Greeks and Jews. This city waa much celebrated, and contained not lesa than three hundred thousand free citi- zens, and as many slaves. The city was the residence of many Jews. Josephus saj's that Alexander himself assigned to them a particular quarter of the city, and allowed them equal privileges with the Greeks. (Antiq. xiv. 7. 2. Against Apion, ii. 4.) Philo affirms that of five parts of the city, the Jews inhabited two. Ac- cording to his statement, there dwelt in his time at Alexandria and the other Egyptian cities, not less than ten hundred thousand Jews. Amron, the general of Omar, when he took the city, said that it contained forty thousand tributary Jew'S. At this place the famous version of the Old Testament called the Septuagint, or the Alexandrian version, was made. See Robinson's Calmet. H Ciiicia. This was a province of Asia Minor, on the sea- coast, at the north of Cyprus. The capi tal of this province w^as Tarsus, the nativs place of Paul. ch. ix. 11. And as Paul was of this place, and belonged doubtless to this synagogue, it is probable that he was one who was engaged in this dispute with Stephen. Comp. ch. vii. 58. f Of Asia. See Note, ch. li. 9. ^ Disputing with Stephen. Doubtless on the question whether Jesus was the Messiah. This word does not denote angry disputing' but is commonly used to denote fair and impartial inquiry; and it is probable that
12
10 And they were not able * to resist the wisdom and tJie spirit by which he spake.
11 ThCTi they suborned ' men, which said, We hive heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
12 And they stirred up the peo-
. Lu.21.15. b lKi.21. 10,13. Matt.26.59,60.
THE ACTb LA. D. .S2
pie, and the elders, and the scribes and came upon hijn, and caugh' him, and brought him to tlie coun- cil,
13 And set up false witnesses which said, This man ceasetli nol to speak bl-asphemous words against this holy place, and the law :
Jhe discussion began in this way; and »vhen they were overcome by argument, they resorted, as disputants are apt to do, to angry criminations and violence.
10. To resist. Tliat is, they were not able to answer his arguments. IT The wis- dom. This properly refers to his know 'edge of the Scriptures; his skill in what the Jews esteemed to be wisdom — ac- quaintance with their sacred writings, opinions, &c. IT And the spirit. Tiiis has been commonly understood of the Holy Spirit, by which ne was aided ; but it rather means the energy, power, or ardour of Stephen. He evinced a spirit of zeal and sincerity which they could not w-ithstand ; which served, more than mere argument could have done, to con- vince them that he was right. — The evi- dence of sincerity, honesty, and zeal in a public speaker will often go farther to convince the great mass of mankind, than the most able argument if delivered in a cold and indifferent manner.
1 1 . Then they suborned men. To suborn m law means to procure a person to take such a false oath as constitutes perjury. ( Webster.) It has substantially this sense here. It means that they induced them to declare that which was false, or to bring a faUse accusation against him. This was done not by declaring a palpa- ble and open falsehood, but by perverting his doctrines, and by stating their own inferences as what he had actually main- tained— the common way in which men oppose doctrines from which they difler. The Syriac reads this place, " Then they sent certain men, and instructed them that they should say," &c. This was re- peating an artifice \vhich Ihey practised BO successfully in relation to the Lord Je- Bus Christ. See Matt. xxvi. GO, Gl. IT We nave heard, &c. When they alleged that lliey had heard this, is not said. Pro- bably, however, in some of his discourses witli the people, when he wrought mira- cles and wonders nmoiig them. ver. 8. IT Tilasphemous words. See Note, Matt. ix.3. Moses was rnearded wilh profound reverence. Hi.} laws they regarded as
unchangeable. Any intimation, therefore, that there was a greater lawgiver than he, or that his institutions were mere shadows and types, and were no longer binding, would be regarded as blasphemy, even though it should be spoken with the highest respect for Mosea. That the Mosaic institutions were to be changed, and give place to another and better dis- pensation, all the Christian teachers would affirm ; but this was not said with a de- sign to blaspheme or revile Moses. In the view of the Jews, to say that, was to speak blasphemy; and hence, instead of report- ing what he actually did say, they accus- ed him of saying what tfiey regarded as blasphemy. — If reports are made of what men say, their very words should be re- ported ; and we should not report our in- ferences or impressions as what they actu- ally said. H Arid against God. God was justly regarded by the Jews as the Giver of their law, and the Author of their in- stitutions. But the Jews, either wilfully or involuntarily, not knowing that they were a shadow of good things to come, and were therefore to pass away, regard ed all intimations of such a change as blasphemy against God. God had a right to change or abolish those ceremonial ob- servances; and it was not blasphemy in Stephen to declare it.
12. And the jr stirred up the people. They excited the peojile, or alarmed their fears, as had been done befiire when they sought to put the Lord Jesus to dej\th. Matt, xxvii. 20. IT The elders. The mem bers of the sanhedrim, or great council IT Scribes. Note, Matt. ii. 4. If To the council. To the sanhedrim, or the great council of the nation, which claimed ju- risdiction in the matters of religion. See Note, Matt. ii. 4.
13. And set up false untnesses. It haa been matie a (^iiestion wliy these pcrsoni are called /a/.'c witnesses, since it is sup- posed by many that they rcixjrted merely the w'orr/s of 8tei)h('n. It may be repfuid that // lliry did/cjiort iiinoly his wdtJ.^ if Stephen had acUially .'■aid what thcj affirmod yet thev nerverted his meanirwi
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTER VI.
m
14 For<* we ha^e heard him say, That this Jesus of Nazareth shall * destroy this place, and shall change the ' customs which Moses deliver- ed us.
They accused him of blasphemy, that is, of calumnious and reproachful words against Moses, and against God. Ttiat Stephen had spoken in such a manner, or had designed to reproach Moses, there is no evidence. What was said in the mildest manner, and in the way of cool argument, might easily be perverted so as in their view to amount to blasphemy. But there is no evidence whatever that Stephen had ever used these words on any occasion. And it is altogether im- probable that he ever did, for the follow- ing reasons: (1.) Jesus himself never af- firmed that he would destroy that place. He uniformly taught that it would be done by the Gentiles. Matt. xxiv. It is altogether improbable, therefore, that Stephen should declare any such thing. (2.) It is equally improbable that he taught that Jesus would abolish the pe- culiar customs and rites of the Jews. It was long, and after much discussion, be- fore the apostles themselves were con- vinced of it; and when those customs were changed, it was done gradually. See Acts x. 14, &c. xi. 2, &;c. xv. 20 ; xxi. 20, &c. The probability therefore is, that the whole testimony was false, and was artfully invented to produce the utmost exasperation among the people, and yet was at the same time so plausible as to be easily believed. For on this point the Jews were particularly sensitive ; and it is clear that they had some expectations that the Messiah would produce some such changes. Comp. Matt. xxvi. 61 with Dan. ix. 26, 27. The same charge was afterwards brought against Paul, which he promptly denied. See Acts xxv. 8. IT This holy place. The temple. T The law. The law of Moses.
14. Shall change. Shall abolish them ; or shall introduce others in their place, fl" The customs. The ceremonial rites and cbeervances of sacrifices, festivals, &c. appointed by Moses.
15. Ijoohing steadfastly on him. Fixing tae eyes intently on him. Probably they were attracted by the unusual appearance of the man, his meekness, and calm and collected fearlessness, and the proofs of conscious innocence and sincerity. T The face of an angel. This expression is one evidently denoting that \o manifested
k2
15 And all that sat in the coun- cil, looking steadfastly on him, saw his *= face as it had been the face of an angel.
a c.25.!$. b DaD.9.26. i or, ritu. c Ex.34.30,U
evidence of sincerity, gravity,feariessness, confidence in God. It is used in the Old Testament to denote peAliai wisdom. 2 Sam. xiv. 17; xix. 27. Xn Gen. xxxiii 10, it is used to denote peculiar majesty and glory, as if it were the face of Godf. When Moses came down from mount Smai from communing with God, it is said that the skin of his face shone, so that the children of Israel were afraid to come nigh to him. Ex. xxxiv. 29, 30. 2 Cor. iii. 7. 13. Comp Rev. i. 16. Matt, xvii. 2. The expression is used to denote the impression which will be produced on the countenance by communion with God ; the calm serenity and composure which will follow a confident committing of all into his hands. It is not meant that there was any thing miraculous in the case of Stephen, but is an expression denoting his calmness, and dignity, and confidence in God ; all of which were so marked on his countenance, that it impressed them with clear proofs of his innocence and piety. The expression is very common m the Jekwish writings. It is common for deep feeling, sincerity, and confi<lence in God, to nnpress themselves on the coun- tenance. Any deep emotion will do this ; and it is to be expected that religious feeling, the most tender and solemn of all feeling, will diffuse seriou«ness, se- renity, calmness, and peace, not affect- ed sanctimoniousness, over the counte nance.
In this chapter we have another speci- men of the manner in which the church of the Lord Jesus was reared on earth. It was from the beginninjif amid scenes of persecution ; and encountering opposi- tion adapted to try the nature and power of religion. If Christianity was an impos- ture, it had enemies acute and malignant enough to detect the imposition. The learned, the cunning, and the mighty rose up in opposition, and by all the art*! of sophistry, all the force of authority, an<J all the fearfulness of power, attempted t«j destroy it in the commencement. Yet it lived', and it gained new accessions of strength from every new form of opposi- tion , and only evinced its genuineness more and more by showing ttiat it waa superior to the arts ar.d mali{ e of earlli and of hell.
u
THE ACTS.
A. D. 33
CHAPTER VII.
nilEiVsaid tlie high-priest, Are
^ these things so ]
2 And he said, Men, " brethren.
CHAPTER Vfl. This chapter contains the defence of Stephen belbre the sanhedrim, or great council of tiie Jews. There has been great diversity, of opinion about the object which Stephen had in view in this de- fence, and about the reason why he intro- duced at such length the history of the Jewish people. But a few remarks may perhaps show his dcsigo- He was accused of blasphemy in speaking against the in- slilulions of Moses and the temple, that is, against every thing held sacred among the Jews. To meet this charge, he gives ^ statement, at length, of his belief in the Mosaic religion, in the great points of their hi.story, and in the fact that God had interposed in a remarkable manner in de- fending them from dangers. By this his- torical statement he avows his full belief in the divine origin of the Jewish reli- gion, and thus indirectly repels the charge of blasphemy. It is further to be remem- bered, that this was the best way of se- curing the attention of the council. Had he entered on an abstract defence, he might expect to be sto{)ped by their ijavils or their clamour. But the history of their own nation was a favourite topic among the Jews. Tiiey were always ready Vi listen to an account of their ancestors; and to secure their attention, nothing more was necessary than to refer to their illustrious lives and deeds. Com p. Ps. Ixxviii. cv. cvi. cxxxv. Ezek. xx. In this way Stephen secured their attention, and practically repelled tlie charge of Kpeaking reproachfuHy of Moses and the temple. He showed them that he had as lirm a belief as they in the great historical facts of their nation. It is to be remem- bered, also, that this speech was broken off in the midst (ver. 53, 54-), and it is therefjre difficult to tell what the design of Steithon was. It seems clear, however, that he intended to convict thcjn of guilt, bv stowing that they sustained the same character as their fathers had manifested (ver. 51, 52); and there is some probabi- lity that he intended V) show that the ac- ceptable worship of God was not to lie (^)nfined to any places jiarticularly, from the fiict that tlic worsliij) of Abraham, and the patriarchs, and Mosoh, was acceptable before the temple was reared (ver. 2, &c.), md from the declaration in ver. 48, th at
and fathers, hearken ; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abra- ham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
God dwells not m temples made with hands. All that can be said here is, tha Stephen (1.) showed his full belief in the divine appointment of Moses, and the historical facts of their religion; (2.) That he laid the foundation of an argument to show that those things were not perpetu- ally binding, and that acceptable worship might be offered in other places and in another manner than at the temple.
It has been askea in what way Luke became acquainted with this speech so aa to repeat it. The Scripture has not in- formed us. But we may remark, (1.) Thai Stephen was the first martyr. His death, and the incidents connected with it, could not but be a matter of interest to the first Christians ; and the substance of his de- fence, at least, would be familiar to them. There is no improbability in supposing that imperfect copies might be preserved by writing, and circulated among them. (2.) Luke was the companion of Paul. (See Introduction to the Gospel by Luke.) Paul was present when this defence was delivered, and was a man who would be likely to remember what was said on such an occasion. From him Luke might have derived the account of this defence. In regard to this discourse, it may be further remarked, that it is not necessary to sup pose that Stephen was inspired. Even if there should be found inaccuracies, as some critics have pretended, in the ad- dress, it would not militate against its genuineness. It is the defence of a man on trial under a serious charge ; not a man of whom there is evidence that he was inspired, but a pious, devoted, hea- venly-minded man. All that the sacred narrative is responsible for is the correct- 7iess of the report. Luke. alleges only that such a speech was in fact delivered, with- out affirming that every particular in it is correct.
1. llien said the high-priest. See Note, Matt. ii. 4. In this case the high-prie.st seems to have presided in the council. ^ Are these things so ? To wit, the charge alleged against liim of blasphemy against Moses and the temple, ch. vi. V3, 11.
2. Afen, brethren, and fathers. These were tlie usual titles by which the san hedrim was a(ldrcs.-!cd. J'l all tins Ste phen was j)erfectlv respecu'ul, and sliow ed that ho was disposed to ren-^'v due
A. D 33.]
CHAPTER Vn.
3 And said " unto him, Get thee *at of thy country, and from thy
aGen.12.1.
honour to the institutions of the nation. IT Tke God of glory. This is a Hebrew •brm of expression denoting the glorious God. It properly denotes his majesty, or plendour, or magnificence ; and the word glory is often appHed to the splendid ap- pearances in which God has manifested himself to men. Deut. v. 24. Ex. xxxiii. 18; xvi. 7. 10. Lev. ix. 23. Num. xiv. 10. Perhaps Stephen meant to affirm that God appeared to Abraham in some such glo- rious or splendid manifestation, by which he would know that he was addressed by God. Stephen, moreover, evidently •ises the word glory to repel the charge of blasphemy against God, and to show that he regarded him as worthy of honour and praise. IT Appeared, &c. In what manner he appeared is not said. In Gen. xii. 1, it is simply recorded that God had said unto Abraham, &c. *^ To our father. I'he Jews valued themselves much on being the children of Abraham. Note, Matt. iii. 9. This expression was there- fore well calculated to conciliate their minds. IT When he was in Mesopotamia. In Gen. xi. 31, it is said that Abraham dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees. The word Mesopotamia pi'operly denotes the region between the two rivers, the Euphrates md the Tigris. Note, Acts ii. 9. The name is Greek, and the region had also other names before the Greek name was given to it. In Gen. xi. 31 ; xv. 7, it is called Ur of the Chaldees. Mesopotamia and Chaldea might not exactly coincide ; but it is evident that Stephen meant to say that Ur was in the country afterwards called Mesopotamia. Its precise situation IS unknown. A Persian fortress of this name is mentioned by Ammianus (xxv. 8), between Nesibis and the Tigris. IT Be- fore he dwelt in Charran. From Gen. xi. 31, it would seem thatTerah took his son Abraham of his owti accord, and removed to Haran. But from Gen. xii. 1 ; xv. 7, it appears that God had commanded Abra- ham to remove, and he so ordered it irt his providence that Terah was disposed to remove his family with an intention of going into the land of Canaan. — Charran. This is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Haran. Gen. xi. 31. This place was also in Mesopotamia, in 36° 52' N. lat. and 39° 5' E. Ion. Here Terah died (Gen. xi. 32) ; and to this place Jacob retired when he fled from his brother Esau. Gen. xxvii. 43 It is situated "in a flat and sandy plain, and is inhabited by a few wan- I
kindred, and come into the which I shall shew thee.
115
.and
dering Arabs, who select it for the de- licious water which it contains " [Robin- son''s Calmet.)
3. And said unto him. How long this was said unto him before he went is not recorded. Moses simply says that God had commanded him to go. Gen. xii. 1. IF Thy kindred. Thy relatives, or famiiy connexions. It seems that l^rah wenl with him as far as to Haran; but A bra ham was apprized that he was to leave his family, and to go almost alone. IT Into the land, fee. The country was yet un- known. 'i''he place w'as to be shown him. This is presented in the New Testament as a strong instance of faith. Heb. xi. 8, 9. It was an act oi simple confidence in God. And to leave his country and home ; to go into a land of strangers, not knowing whither he went, required strong confi- dence in God. It is a simple illustration of what man is always refjuired to do, at the commands of God. Thus the gospel requires him to commit all to God ; to yield body and soul to his disposal ; and to be ready at his command to forsake father and mother, and friends, and houses, and lands, for the sake of the Lord Jesus. Luke xiv. 33. Matt. xu. 27. 29. The trials which Abraham might have anticipated may be readJy conceived. He was going, in a fada and barbarous age of the world, into a land of strangers. He was without arms or armies, almost alone. He did not even know the nature or situation of the land, or the character of its inhabitants. He had no title to it; no claim to urge; and he went depending on the simple promise of God that he would give it to him. He went, therefore, trusting simply to the promise of God. And thus his conduct illustrated precisely what we are to do in all the future — in reference to all our coming life, and to the eternity before us — we are to trust simply to the promise of God, and do that which he requires This is faith. In Abraham it was as sim pie and intelligible an operation of minrf as ever occurs in any instance. Nor is faitk in the Scripture regarded as more rayste rious than any other mental operation Had Abraham seen all that was to resuU from his going into that land, it wouhl have been sufficient reason to induce hinj to do as he did. But God saw it; and Abraham was required to act just as if he had seen it all, s.nd all the reason* why he wa^s called. On the strength of
116
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
4 Theii " came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran : and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
a Gen.l2.a.
God's promises he was called to act This was faith. It did not require him to act where there was no reason for his so act- fng, but where he did not see the reason. So in uU cases of faith. If man could see all that God sees, he would perceive rea- sons for acting as God requires. But the reasons of things are often concealed, and man is required to act on the belief that God sees reasons why he should so act. To act under the proper impression of that truth which God presents, is faith ; as simple and inteUigible as any other act or operation of the mind. See Note, Mark xvi. 16.
4. Land of the Chaldeans. From Ur of the Chaldees. Gen. xi. 31. IT When his father was dead. This passage has given rise to no small difficulty in the interpre- tation. The difficulty is this: From Gen. xi. 20, it would seem that Abraham was Dorn when Terah was seventy years of age. *' And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Ilaran." From Gen. xii. 4, it seems that Abraham was seventy-five years of age when he departed from Haran to Canaan. The ago of Terah was therefore but one hun- dred and fortj'-five years. Yet in Gen. xi. 32, it is said that Terah was two hun- dred and five years old when he died ; thus leaving sixty years of Terah's life beyond the time when Abraham left Ha- ran. Various modes have been proposed of meeting this difficulty. (1.) Errors in numbers are more likely to occur thaji any other. In the Samartian copy of the Pen- tateuch, it is said that Terah died in Ha- ran at the age of one hundred and five years ; which would suppose that his death occurred forty years before Abra- ham left Ilaran. But the Hebrew, Latin Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic read it two hundred and five years. (2.) It is not affirmed that Abraham was bom just at the time when Terah was seventy y(^uT» of age. All that the passage in Gen. xi 20 proves, according to the usual mean- ing of similar expressions, is, that Terah was seventy years old befort he had any son.-), and that the three were born Biiosequently to that. But which was oorn first, or how long intervals interven- ed between their bir'ii, does not appear.
5 And he gave him none inherits ance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on : yet he promised * that he would give it to him for a pos- session, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
2>Gen.]3.15.
Assuredly it does not meari that all were born precisely at the time when Terah was seventy years of age. Neither does it appear that Abraham was the oldest of the three. The sons of Noah are said to have been Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen. v. 32); yet Japheth, though men- tioned last, was the eldest. (Gen. x. 21.) As Abraham afterwards became much the most distinguished, and as he was the father of the Jewish people, of whom Mo- ses was writing, it was natural that he should be mentioned first. If it canivOt be proved <that Abraham was the eldest, as assuredly it cannot be, then there is no improbability in supposing that his birth might have occurred many years after Terah was seventy years of age. (3.) Tho Jews unanimously affirm that Terah re- lapsed into idolatry before Abraham left Haran ; and this they denominate death, or a moral death. (Kuinoel.) It is cer- tain, therefore, that, from some cause, they were accustomed to speak of Terah as dead, before Abraham left him. Ste- phen only used language which was cus- tomary among the Jews, and would use it, doubtless, correctly, though we may not be able to see precisely how it can be reconciled with the account in Ge- nesis.
5. And he gave him none inheritance. Abraham led a wandering life. And this passage means, that he did not himself receive a permanent possession or resi- dence in that land. The only land which he owned was the field which he pur- chased of the children of Heth, for a burial place. Gen. xxiii. As this was ob- tained by purchase, and not by the direct gift of God, and as it was not designed for a residence, it is said that God gave him no inheritance. It is mentioned as a strong instance of his faith, that he should remain there without a permanent resi- dence himself, with only the prospect that his children, at some distant period, would inherit it. IT Not so miirh as to set his foot on. This is a proverbial expres- sion, denoting in an emphatic manner that he had no land. Dent. ii. 5. IT Would pive it to him. Gen. xiii. 15. Alirahnmdid not himself possess all that land ; and the promise is evidently equivalent U) sayinj
A. D. 33. J
CHAPTER VII
117
6 And God spake on this wise, That " his seed should sojourn in a strange land ; and that they
a Gen.15.13,16.
that it should be conferred on the family of Abraham, or the family of which he was the father, without affirming that he should himself personally possess it. It is true, however, that Abraham himself af- terwards dwelt many years in that land as his home. Gen. xiii. &c. IT For a pos- tession. To be held as his own property. V When as yet he had no child. When there was no human probability that he would have any posterity. Comp. Gen. IV. 2, 3; xviii. 11, 12. This is mentioned as a strong instance of his faith ; " who against hope believed in hope." Rom. iv. 18.
6. Aiid God spake on this wise. In this manner. Gen. xv. 13, 14. IT His seed. His posterity; his descendants. IT Should sojourn. This means that they should have a temporary residence there. The word is used in opposition to a fixed, per- manent home, and is applied to travellers, or foreigners. ^ In a strange land. In the Hebrew (Gen. xv. 13), "Shall be a Btranger in a land that is not theirs." The land of Canaan and the land of Egypt were to them strange lands, though the obvious reference here is to the latter. !r Should bring them into bondage. Or, should make them slaves. Ex. i. 11. ^ And entreat them evil. Should oppress or affiict them. H Four hundred years. This is the precise time wnich is men- tioned by Moses. Gen. xv. 13. Great per- plexity has been experienced in explain- ing this passage, or reconciling it with other statements. In Ex. xii. 40, it is said that their sojourning in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. Josephus (Antiq. b. ii. ch. ix. $ 1) also says that the time in which they were in Egypt was tour hundred years; though in another place (Antiq. b. ii. ch. xv. $ 2) he says that they left Egypt four hundred and thirty years after their forefather Abra- ham came to Canaan, but two hundred and fifteen years after Jacob removed to Egypt. Paul also (Gal. iii. 17) says that it was four hundred and thirty years from the time when the promise was given to Abraham to the time when the law was givan on mount Sinai. The Samaritan Pentateuch says also (Ex. xii. 40) that the " dwelling of the sons of Israel, and of their fathers, which they dwelt in (he land of Canaan, and in the land of Egypt, was Rjur hundred and thirty years.' The same
should bdng them into bondage, and entreat them evil four* hund rail years.
b Ex. 12.40,41.
is the version of the Septuagint A part of this perplexity is removed by the fact that Stephen and Moses use, in accord- ance with a very common custom, rcund numbers in speaking of it, and thus speak of four hundred years when the liter(U time was four hundred and thirty. The other perplexities are not so easily re- moved. From the account which Moses has given of the lives of certain persons, it would seem clear that the time which they spent in Egypt was not four hundred years. From Gen. xlvi. 8. 11, it appears that Kohath was bom wheii Jacob went into Egypt. He lived one hundred and thirty-three years. Ex vi. 18. Amram, his son, and the father of Moses, lived one hundred and thirty-seven years. Ex. vi. 20. Moses was eighty years old when he was sent to Pharaoh. Ex. vii. 7. The whole time thus mentioned, including the time in which the father lived after his sort was born, was only three hundred and fifty years. Exclusive of that, it is reasonable to suppose that the actual time of their being in Egypt could not have been but about two hundred years, ac- cording to one account of Josephus. The question then is, how can these accounts be reconciled ? The only satisfactory way is by supposing that t?ie four hundred and thirty years includes the whole time from the calling of Abraham to the departure from Egypt. And that this w^as the fact is probable from the following circum- stances. (1.) The purpose of aZZ the nar- ratives on this subject is to trace the pe- riod before they became finally settled in the land of Canaan. During aZi this period from the calling of Abraham, they were in a wandering, unfixed situation. This constituted substantially one period, in eluding all their oppressions, hardships, and dangers ; and it was natural to have reference to this entire period in any ac- count which was given. (2.) All this pe- riod was properly the period of pror/zj>e, not of possession. In this respect the wanderings of Abraham and the oppres- sions of Egypt came under the same general description. (3.) Abraham was himself occasionally in Egypt. He was unsettled ; and since Egypt was so pre- eminent in all their troubles, it was natu- ral to speak of all their oppressions as having occurred in that country. The phrase " residence in Egyj)f," or " in a
118
THE ACTS.
[A D. 33
7 And the nation to wliom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: ixnd after that shall they conae forth, and serve " me in this place.
8 And '' he gave him the cove- nant of circumcision. And so '^
a Ex.3.12. tGen.n.2-11, cGen.21.1-4.
Strange laid," would come to be synony- mous, and would denote all their oppres- sions and trials. They would speak of fheir sufferings as having been endured in Egypt, because their aflUctions there were so much more prominent than be- fore. (4.) All this receives countenance from the version of the LXX., and from the Samaritan text, showing the manner in which the ancient Jews were accus- tomed to understand it. (5.) It should he added, that difliculties of chronology are more likely to occur than any others; and it should not be deemed strange if there are perplexities of this kind found in ancient writings which we cannot ex- plain. It is so in all ancient records ; and all that is usually expected in relation to such difficulties is that we should be able to present a probable explanation.
7. Arid the nation, &c. Referring par- ticularly to the Egyptians. IT Will I judge. The word judge in the Bible often means to execute judgment, as well as to pro- nounce it ; that is, to punish. See John xviii. 31; iii. 17; viii. 50; xii. 47. Acts xxiv. 6. 1 Cor. v. 13, &c. It has this meaning here. God regarded their op- pressive acts as deserving his indignation, and he evinced it in the plagues with which he visited them, and m their over- tlirow in the Red sea. IT Shall serve me. Shall worship me, or be regarded as my people. IT In this place. 'I'hat is, in the place where God made this promise to Abraham. These words are not found in Genesis; but similar words are found in Kx. iii. 12 ; and it was a practice in mak- ing quotatioas, to quote the sense only, or to connect two or more promises having relation to the same thing.
8. And he gave him. That is, God ap- pointed or commanded this. Gen. xvii. 9 — 13. IT The covenant. The word cove- nant denotes properly a compact or agree- ment between two or more persons, usu- ally attended with seals, or pledges, or mnt J.ons. In Gen. xvii. 7, and elsewhere, it i.s sail that God would establish his (ocenanf with Abrah;un ; tlmf is, lie ma<le
un cejtain delinite promisep. attended |
Abraham begat Isaac, and circum cised him the eighth day : and Isaao ■^ begat Jacob ; and Jacob ' degat lh« twelve patriarchs,
9 And the patriarchs, moved with •/^envy, sold Joseph into Egypt ; bu f God was with him.
d Gen.25.2 P8.105.17.
« Gen.29.32,&c. g GeD.39.2 21.
/ Gei.ST H
with pledges and seals, &c. The idea of a strict compact or agreement between God and man, as between equal parlies, is not found in the Bible. It is commonly used, as here, to denote a promise on the pari of God, attended with pledges, and de- manding, on the part of man, in order to avail himself of its benefits, a stipulated course of conduct. The covenant is there- fore another name for denoting two things on the part of God : (1.) A command, which man is not at liberty to reject, as he would be if a literal covenant; and (2.) A pro- mise, which is to be fulfilled only on the condition of obedience. The covenant with Abraham was simply a promise to give him the land, and to make him a great nation, &c. It was never proposed to Abraham with the supposition that he was at liberty to reject it, or to refuse to comply with its conditions. Circumcision was appointed as the marTi or indication that Abraham and those thus designated were the persons included in the gracious purpose and promise. It served to sepa rate them as a peculiar people ; a peopl* whose peculi'^.r characteristic it was tha' thev obeyed and served the God who had made the promise to Abraham. The phrase "covenant of circumcision" means therefore, the covenant or promise which God made to Abraham, of which circum- cision was the distinguishing mark or sign. ^ The twelve patriarchs. The word patriarch properly denotes the father and ruler of a family. But it is commonV applied, by way of eminence, to the pro gonitors of Uie Jewish race, particularly to tho twelve sons of Jacob. Note, Acta ii. 29.
9. Moved with envy. That is, dissalia fled with the favour which their father Jacob showed Joseph, and envious at the dreams which indicated that he was to be raised to remarkable honour above his parents and brethren. Gen.ixxvii. 3- 11. 1i Sold Joseph into Egypt. Sold hinu. tiiat ho might l)e taken to Kgypt. This was done at the suggestion oCJudah, whc advised it that Joseph might not bo pn in death by his brethren Con. \\t\b
^.. D. 33.]
CHAPTER VII.
lis
10 And delivered hiin out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt ; and ho * made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 Now ''there came a dearth ever al. the land of Egypt and Cha- r.aan, and great affliction ; and our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But *= when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
13 And at the second time Jo-
«Gen.41.40. i Gen.41.54. cGen.42.1,2,
28. — It is possible that Stephen, by this fact, might have designed to prepare the way for a severe rebuice of the Jews for having dealt in a similar manner with their Messiah. IT But God was with him. Grod protected him, and overruled all these wicked doings, so that he was raised to extraordinary honours.
10. And delivered him, &c. That is, restored him to liberty from his servitude and humiliation, and raised him up to high honours and offices in Egypt. IT Fa- vour and wisdom. The favour was the result of his wisdom. His wisdom was particularly evinced in interpreting the
.dreams of Pharaoh. Gen. xli. IT A7id made him governor, &c. Gen. xli. 40. IT All his house. All the family, or all the court and government, of the nation.
1 1. Now there came a dearth. A famine. Gen. xli. 54. IT And Chanaan. Jacob was living at that time in Canaan. IT Found no sustenance. No food; no means of living.
12. Was corn in Egypt. The word corn here rather denotes wheat. Note, Matt. xii. 1. ^ Our fathers. His ten sons; all his sons except Joseph and Benjamin. Gen. xlii. Stephen here refers only to the history, without entering into details. By this general reference he sufficiently showed that ho believed what Moses had «Doken, and did not intend to show him disrespect.
13. Joseph was made known. Gen. xlv. 4. ^ Joseph's kindred, &c. His relatives ; hii fkaily. Gen. xlv. 16.
a. All his kindred. His father, and fanjtly. Gen. xlv. 17—28; xlvi. 1—26. IT 'Iltreescore and fifteen souls. Seventy- five persons. There has been much per- plexity felt in the explanation of this pas- sage. In Gen. xlvi. 26. Ex. i. 5. and Deut. <. '-???. it is expressly said that the number
seph '^ vvaS made known tj his bre- thren ; and Joseph's kindled was made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him^ and all'hia kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fa thers,
16 And were carried -^ over inta Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
d Gen.45.4,16. eGen.46.27.De.10.22. /Jo«.24.32.
which went dowTi to Egypt consisted of but seventy persons. The question is, in what way these accounts can be recon- ciled ? It is evident that Stephen has fol- lowed the account which is given by the Septuagint. In Gen. xlvi. 27, that version reads, "But the sons of Joseph who were v.'ith him in Egypt, were nine so;i!« : nil the souls of the house of Jacob v.liich came with Jacob into Egypt, were seven- ty-five souls." This number is made out by adding these nine souls to the sixty- six mentioned in ver. 26. The difference between the Septuagint and Moses is, that the former mentions five des^cendants of Joseph who ar^ not -f^cordetl by the latter. The names of the sons of f^phraira and Manasseh are recorded in 1 Chron. vii. 14 — 21. Their names were Ashriel, Machir, Zelophehad, Peresh, sons of Ma- nasseh ; and Shuthelah, son of Ephraim. Why the Septuagint inserted these, it may not be easy to see. But such was evi dently the fact; and the fact accords ac- curately with the historic record, though Moses did not insert their names. The solution of difficulties in regard to chro- nology is always difficult ; and what might be entirely apparent to a Jew in the time of Stephen, may be wholly in- explicable to us.
15, 16. And died. Gen. xlix. 33. If Ht and our fathers. The time which the Is- raelites remained in Egypt was two bun dred and fifteen years ; so that all the sons of Jacob were deceased before the Jews went out to go to the land of Ca. naan. H And were carried over. Jacob liimself was buried in the field of Mac- pelah, by Joseph and his brethren. Gea 1. 13. It is expressly said that the bonea of Joseph were carried by the Israehtc-3 when they wer.t into jhe ]^nd of Canaan, and bured in Shechem. Josh xxiv. 22
V20
17 But when the time of the piomifie diew nigh, which God liad sworn to Abraham, the people
THE ACTS. [A. D. Sa
" grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
a Ex. 1.7-9
Comp. Gen. 1. 25. No mention is made in the Old Testament of their carrj-ing the bones of any of the other patriarchs ; but the thing is highly probable in itself. If the descendants of Joseph carried his Iwnes, it would naturally occur to them to take also the bones of each of the pa- triarchs, and give them an honourable sepulchre together in the land of promise. Josephus (Antiq. b. ii. ch. viii. $ 2) says that " the posterity and sons of these men (of the brethren of Joseph), after some time, carried their bodies and buried them in Hebron ; but as to the bones of Joseph, they carried them into the land of Canaan afterward, when the Hebrews went out of Egypt." This is the account which Josephus gives, and it is evidently in accordance with the common opinion of the Jewish writers that they were buried in Hebron. Yet the tradition is not uniform. Some of the Jews affirm that ihey were buried in Sychem. {Kui- noeL) As the Scriptures do not any where deny that the fathers were buried in Sy- chem, it cannot be proved that Stephen was in error. There is one circumstance of strong probability to show that he was correct. At the time this defence was delivered, Sychem was in the hands of the Samaritans, between whom and the Jews there was a violent hostility. Of course the Jews would not be will- ing to concede that the Samaritans had the bones of their ancestors; and hence perhaps the opinion had been maintained that they were buried in Hebron. IT hilo Sychem. This was a town or village near to Samaria. It was called Sichar (Note, John iv. 5), Shechem, and Sychem. It is now called Naplons, or Napolose, and is ten miles from Shiloh, nnd about forty from Jerusalem, towards the north. IT That Abraham bov^ht. The word Abraham here has given rise to considerable perplexity ; and it is now pretty generally conceded that it is a mis- liike. It is certain, from Gen. xxxiii. 19. and .U).sh. xxiv. 32, that this piece of land y,(i8 bought, not by Abraham, but by Ja- cob, of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. The land which Abraham purchased was the cave of Macpelah, of the sons of Hefh, in Hebron. Gen. xxiii. Various solutions liave been proiK)sed of '.h'fj (ILTiciilty, whif li it is not nocossary k) delfiil. It may bo remarked, however,
(1.) That as the text now stands, it is an evident error. This is clear from the passages cited from the Old Testament, above. (2.) It is not at all probable thai, either Stephen or Luke would have com mitted such an error. Every considera- tion must lead us to the conclusion thnJ they were too well acquainted with such prominent points of the Jewish history to commit an error like this. (3.) The pro- bahility, therefore, is, that the error has arisen since ; but how, is not known, nor is there any way of ascertaining. All the ancient versions agree in reading Abra ham. One MS. only reads " Abraham out father." Some have supposed, therefore, that it was written " which our father bought," and that some early transcribei inserted the name of Abraham. Others, that the name was omitted entirely by Stephen ; and then the antecedent to the verb " bought" will be "Jacob," in ver 15, according with the fact. Other modes have been proposed also, but none are entirely satisfactory. If there was posi tive proof of Stephen's inspiration, or if it were necessary to make that out, the difficulty would be much greater. But it has already been remarked that there is no decisive evidence of that : and it is not necessary to make out that point to defend the Scriptures. All that can be demanded of the historian is, that he should give a fair account of the defence as it was delivered ; and though the pro- bability is that Stephen would not commit such an error, yet, admitting that he did. it by no means proves that ZwAre was not inspired, or that Luke has committed any error in recording what vms actually saia. H Of the sons of Emmor. In the Hebrew (Gen. xxxiii. 19), "the children of Hamor" — but different ways of rendering tha same word.
17. The time of the promise. The time of the fvlflment of the promise. H Th* people prew, &c. Ex. i. 7 — 9.
18. Till another hinir arose. This is quoted from Ex. i. 8. VVhat was the navit of this king is not certainly known. The common name of nil the kings of Egypt was I'hcraoh, as Ccrsar beoame the com moil iiar.ie of the emperors of Rome after the time of Julius Cirsar: thus we say, An pnstus Cn-sar, Til)crins Cnrsar. Ac. It ha« (■nn\monIy 'nrr-n Kupjiosnd lo have i)een the celebrated Rameses, or Ramses Me"i
A.. D. 33.J
CHAPTER Vll.
12j
19 Th« same dealt subtilly with Dur kindred, and evil-entreated our fathers, so " that they cast out their young children, to the end they migh^ not live.
'20 In which time Moses '' was born, and was ' exceeding fair, and
a Ez.].22. iEs.2.2,&c. i or, fair to God,
arccun, tlie sirlh king of the eighteenth dynasty; and the event is supposed to have occurred about 1559 years before •the Christian era. But M. Champollion Rupposes that his name was Mandonei, whose reign commenced 1585, and ended 15t»5 yeais before Christ. (Essay on the Hieroglyphic System, pp. 94, 95.) ^ That knew not Joseph. It can hardly be sup- posed that he would be ignorant of the name and deeds of Joseph ; and this ex- pression, therefore, prooably means that he did not favour the designs of Joseph ; he did not remember the benefits he had conferred on the nation; or furnish the patronage for the kindred of Joseph which cad been secured for them by Joseph jndet a former reign. — National ingrati- tude and forgetfulness of favours have not been uncommon in the world; and a change of dynasty or succession has often obliterated all memory of former obliga- tions and compacts.
19. Dealt subtilly. He acted deceit- fully ; he used fraud. The cunning or deceitful attempt which is referred to, is hi»eiideavour to weaken and destroy the Jewish people by causing their male chil- dren to be put to death. Ex. i. 22. IT Our kindred. Our nation, or our ancestors. ^ And evil-entreated. Was unjust and cruel towards them. IT So that, &c. For that purpose, or to carise them to cast them out. He dealt with them in this cruel manner, hoping that the Israelites themselves would destroy their owti sons, -hat they might not grow up to experience the same sufferings as their fathers had. The cunning or subtilty of Pharaoh ex- tended to every thing that he did to op- press, to keep under, and to destroy the children of Israel.
20. In which time, &c. During this period of oppression. .See Ex. ii. 2, &e. ^ Was exceeding fair. Greek, " was fair I' God;" proprrly rendered was very
ands'/me. The word God is used in the rireek here in accordance with the He- Orew usage, by which any thing that is very handsome, ui lofty, or grand, is thus designated. Thus, Ps. xxxvi. 7, moun'aiv; if God mean loftv mountains ; Ps. Iiy v , L
nourished ujx»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.
And Moses was learned in all
c£x.a.'0. ^
11, cedars of God, mean lofty, beautiful cedars. Thus Nineveh is called " a great city to God" (Jonah iii. 3, Greek), mean- ing a very great city. The expression here means simply that Moses was very fair, or handsome. Comp. Heb. xi. 23, where he is called "b. proper child," i. e. a tiandsome child. It would seem from this, that Moses was preserved by his mother on account of his beauty ; and this is hinted at in Ex. ii. 2. And it would also seem from this, that Pharaoh had succeeded by his oppressions in what he had attempted ; and that it was not un- usual for parents among the Jews to ex- pose their children, or to put them to death.
21. Wax cast out. When he was ex- posed on the banks of th? Nile. Ex. ii. 8. II And nourished him. Adopted him, and treated him as her son. Ex. ii. 10. It is implied in this, that he was educated by her. An adopted son in the family of Pharaoh would be favoured with all the advantages which the land could fiu-nish for an education.
22. Moses was learned. Or, was m- strucled. It does not mean that he had that learning, but that he was carefully trained or educated in that wisdom. The passage does not express the fact that Moses was distinguished for learning, but that he was carefully educated, or that pains were taken to make him learned. 11 In all the wisdom, &c. The learning of the Egyptians was confined chiefly to as- trology, to the interpretation of dreams to medicine, to mathemahcs, and to their sacred science or traditionary doctrines about religion, which were concealeo chiefly under their hieroglyphics. Their learning is not unfrequently spoken of in the Scriptures. 1 Kings iv. 30. Comp. Isa. XIX. 11, 12. And their knowledge is equal- ly celebrated in the heathen vvorld. It is known that science was carried from Eg>'pt to Phenicia, a.id thence to Greece ; and not a few of the Grecian philosophers travelled to Egypt in pursuit of know- ledge. IT And was mignty. Was power- ful, or was distinguis'hed. This meanf that he was eminent in Egypt, before ht
122
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
the wisdom of the Elgyptians, and ' was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 And * when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethen the children of Is- rael.
24 And seeing one of them suffer jwrong, he defended him, and aveng- ed him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian :
25 For ' he supposed his brethren would have understood how that
aLu.24.19, fc Ex.2.11,&c. i or, AWj.
conducted the children of Israel forth. It refers to his addresses to Pharaoh, and to the miracles which he wrought before fheir departure. IT In words. From Ex. IV. 10, it seems that Moses was " slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." When it is said that he was mighty in words, it means that he was mighty in his commu- nications to Pharaoh, though they were spoken by his brother Aaron. Aaron was in his place, and Moses addressed Pha- raoh through him, who was appointed to deliver the message. Ex. iv. II — 16. IT Deeds. Miracles. Ex. vii. &c.
23. Full forty years of age. This is not recorded in the Old Testament ; but it is a constant tradition of the Jews that Mo- ses was forty years of age when he un- dertook to deliver them. Thus it is said, " Moses lived in the palace of Pharaoh forty years ; he was forty years in Midi- aii; and he ministered to Israel forty years." {Kuinoel.) IT To visit, &c. Pro- bably with a view of delivering them from their oppressive bondage. Comji. ver. 25.
24. Suffer wrong. The wrong or injury was, that the Egyptian was smiting the Hebrew. Ex. ii. 11, 12. IT iSmote the Egyptian. lie slew him, and buried him in the sand.
25. Ihr he supposed. This is not men- tioned by Moses; but it is not at all im- probable. When they saw him alone contending with the Egyptian, when it was understood that he had corne and taken vengeance on one of their oppres- sors, it might have been presumed that ho regarded himself as directed by God to interpoKO, and save the people.
26. And the next day. Ex. ii. 13. % lie shewed kimsflf. He appeared in a sud- den and unexpected manner' to them. % Uvto them. That ik, to two of the Ile- Drews. Ex. ii. IS ^ As they strove. As they were engaged ni a (jimrrel. H Have tet them at one Greek. " would Ijave
God by his hand would delivei 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 neighboui wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us 1
28 Wilt thou kill me as thou
urged them to peace." Thie he did by remonstrating with the man that did the wrong. IT Saying. What follows is not quoted literally from the account which Moses gives, but it is substantially the same. II Sir?. Greek, " men " IT Ye are brethren. You belong not only to the same nation, but you are orethren and companions in affliction, and should not, therefore, contend with each other. — One of the most melancholy scenes in this world is that, where those who are poor, and afflicted, and oppressed, add to all their other calamities, altercations and strifes among themselves. Yet it is from this class that contentions and lawsuits usually arise. The address which Muses here makes to the contending Jews, might be applied to the whole human family, in view of the contentions and wars of nations ; ' Ye are brethren, mem- bers of the same great family, and wh]^o you contend w ith each other V
27. But he that did, &c. Intent on his purpose, filled with rage and passion, he rejected all interference, and all attempts at peace. — It is usually the man that doe.t the injury that is unwilling to be recon- ciled ; and when we find a man that re- gards the entreaties of his friends as im- proper interference, when he becomes increasingly angry when we exhort him to peace, it is usually a strong evidence that he is conscious that he has been at fault. If we wish to reconcile parties, we should go first to the man that hafi been injured. In the controversy be- tween God and man, it is the sinner who has done the wrong, that is unwilling to be reconciled, and not Goil. H Hisneigh- bour. The Jew with whom he was con- tending. IT Who made thee, Ac. VVhal right have you to interfere in this mat- ter? The usual salutation with which a man is greeted who attempts to prevent quarrels.
28 Will thou kill me, &c How it was
k. D. 33.J
CHAPTER Vll.
123
where he begat two
didst the Egyptian yesterday]
29 Then fled Moses at this say- ing ; and was a stranger in the land of Madian, sons.
known that he had killed the Egyptia.i Joes not appear. It was probably com- mupicated by the man who was rescued from the hands of the Egyptian. Ex. ii. 11, 12.
29. Then Moses fled, &c. Moses fled becayse he now ascertained that it was known. He supposed that it had been unobserved. Ex. ii. 12. But he now sup- posed that the knowledge of it might reach Pharaoh, and that his life might thus be endangered. Nor did he judge incorrectly \ Ibr as soon as Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to take his life. Ex. ii. 15. IT Was a stranger. Or became a sojourner (T5^?eo<xo;), one who had a temporary abode in the land. The use of this word implies that he did not expect to make that his permanent dwelling. II In the land of Madian. This was a part of Ara- bia. It was situated on the east side of the Red sea. The c«7i/of Midian is placed there by the Arabian geographers; but the Midianites seem to have spread them- selves along the desert east of mount Seir, to the vicinity of the Moabites. To the west they extended also to the neighbourhood of mount Sinai. This was extensively a desert region, an unknown land ; and Moses expected there to be safe from Pharaoh. IT Where he begat two sons. He married Zipporah, the daughter of lieuel (Ex. ii. 18), or Jethro (Num. x. 29. Ex. iii. 1), a priest of Midian. The names of the two sons were Gershom and Elie- zer. Ex. xviii. 3, 4.
30. Ajid when forty years, &c. At the age of eighty years. This, however, was known by tradition. It is not expressly mentioned by Moses. It is said, however, to have been after the king of Egypt had died (Ex. ii. 23) ; and the tradition is not improbable. IT In the wilderness of mount Sinai. In the desert adjacent to, or that surrounded mo'jnt Sinai. In Ex. iii. 1, it is said that this occurred at mount Horeb. But there is no contradiction ; Horeb and Sinai are diflferent peaks or elevations of me same mountain. They are represent- ed as spnngmg from the same base, and branching out in different elevations. The mountains, according to Burckhardt, are a prodigious pile, comprehending many peaks, and about thirty miles in diameter From one nart of ibis moun-
30 And " whtn forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina, an angel of the Lord, in a flame of fire in a bush.
'ain, Sinai, the law was given to the chil dren of Israel. ^ An angel of the Lord. The word angel means properly a me»' senger (Note, Matt. i. 20), and is applied to the invisible spirits in heaven, to men, to the winds, or pestilence, or to whatevef is appointed as a messenger to make known the will of God. The mere name, there, fore, can determine nothing about tho nature of the messenger. That name might be applied to any messenger, even an inanimate object. The nature and character of this messenger are to be determined by other considerations. The word may denote that the bush on flre was the messenger. But a comparison with the other places where this occurs will show that it was a celestial mes- senger, and perhaps that it was the Mes- siah who was yet to come, appearing to take the people of Israel under his own charge and direction. Comp. John i. 11, where the Jews are called "his own." In Ex. iii. 2, it is said that the angel of tho Lord appeared m a flame of flre ; in ver. 4, it is said that Jehovah spake to him oul of the midst of the bush ; language which implies that God was there, and which iss strongly expressive of the doctrine thai the angel was Jehovah. In Ex. xxiii. 20. 21, God says, "I send an angel belijre thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice," &c. ver. 23; xxxii. 34; xxxiii. 2 In all these places this angel is mentioned as an extraordinary messenger to conduct them to the land of Canaan. He was to guide them, defend them, and drive out the nations before them. All these cir- cumstances seem to point to the conclu- sion that this was no other than the future Deliverer of the world, who came then to take his people under his own guidance, as emblematic of the future redemption of mankind. IT In a flame of fire. Tha! is, in what appeared to be a flame of fire. The bush or clump of trees seemed to be on fire, or to be illuminated with a pecu liar splendour. God is often represented as encompassed with this splencour, or glory. Luke ii. 9. Matt. xvii. 1 — 5. Acts ix. 3 ; xii. 7. IT /n a bush. In a grove, or clump of trees. Probably the light was seen ssuingfrora the wiwZs^of such agrov-s.
124
3 J When Moses sav it. he won- dered at the siffht: and as he drew near to behold //, the voice of the Lord came unto him,
32 Sayings I am the God "of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God cf 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, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Kg-ypt, and I have heard their
o ALitt.22.32. He.11.16. h Jos.5.15. Ec.5.1.
THE ACTS. [A. D. 33
groaning, and am come, down to deliver them. And now come, ] will send thee into Egypt.
35 This Moses, whom they re- fused, (saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge?) the same did God send to he a ruler and a deli- verer, 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 wilderaess, forty ' years.
37 This is that Moses which said f unto the children of Israel, A
c Ex.14. 19. Nu.20.16. d Ex. c.7,8.9,10,11, & 14.
eEx.16.35. / "^ *.18.;5,18. c.3.22.
31. He wondered, &c. What particu- larly attracted his attention was the fact that the bush was not consumed. Ex. iii. 2, 3. "ir The voice of the Lord. Jehovah spake to him from the midst of the bush. ile did not see him, but he simply heard a voice.
32. Saving, lam tlie God, &c. See this explained, Notes, Matt. xxii. 32. IT Tlien Moses trembled. Ex. iii. 6.
33. Then said the Lord, &c. In Ex. iii. ihis is introduced in a diflerent order, as oeing sjioken before God said " I am the God," &ic. *A Put offlhy shoes, &c. Ex. iii. 5. To put off the shoes,' or sandals, was an ACt of reverence. Especially the ancients were not permitted to enter a temple or holy place with their shoes on. Indeed, it was customary for the Jews to remove their shoes whenever they entered any nonse, as a mere matter of civility. Comp. Notes, John xiii. 5. See Josh. v. 15. 1i Is hoi 1/ ground. Is rendered sacred by the gymbol of the divine presence. We should enter the sanctuary, the place set apart for divine worship, not only with reverence in our hearts, but with every exlc~nnl indication of veneration. Solemn awe. and deep seriousness, become the place set apart to the service of God.
34. I ham seen, &c The repetition of thih word is in accordance with the usage of the Hebrew writers when they wish to represent any thing emphatically. ^ I'lifir groaning. Under their oppres- sions. '^ Am come down. This is sjKiken in accordance with liuman conceptions. It means that Cod was about to deliver llicm. IT / vuli send t/ire, &c. This is a mere .nummary of what is expressed at miich Kreater lenflth in Ex. iii. 7 — 10.
35. Whom they refused. That is, when he^rs^ presented himself to them. Ex. ii. 13, 14. Stephen introduces and dwells upon this refusal in order, perhaps, to re- mind them that this had been the charac- ter of their nation ; and to prepare the way for the charge which he intended to bring against those whom he address- ed, as being stiff-necked and rebellious See ver. 51, 52, &c. H A rnler. A mili- tary leader, or a governor in civil matters ^ A deliverer A Redeemer. kvTgun'y,v It properly means one who redeems a captive or a prisoner by paying a price or ransom. And it is applied thus to our Lord Jesus, as having redeemed or pur chased sinners by his blood as a urice Titus ii. 14. 1 Pet. i. 18. lleb. ix. 12. It is used here, however, in a mors genercu sense to denote the deliverance, without specifying the manner. Comp. Ex. vi. 6. Luke xxiv. 21; i. 68; ii. 38. ^ By tfie hand of the angel. Under the direction and by the help of the angel. Num. xx- IG. See on ver. 30.
3G. Winders and signs. Miracles, and remarkable interpositions of God. Se*) Note, Acts ii. 22. ^ In the land of Igypt By the ten plagues. Ex. iv — xii. IT In the Red sea. Dividing it, and conducting the Israelites in safety, and overthrowing the Egyptians. Ex. xiv. IT lu the wilderness. During their forty years' journey to the promised land. The wontlers or mirncle* were, providing them w'th manna daily; with flesh in a miraculous manner, witli water from the rock. Ac. Ex. xvi. xvii. &c
37. Which said, &c.Dcu.xviii.l.'5 19 See this exf)lniMed Acts iii. 22. Stephen in- troduced this to remind them of the [wx> mise of a Messiah ; to show hia failh in
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTER Vil.
12ft
prophet sha.l 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 wilderness, with the antrel <= 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^ unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us : for as for this
i OT, at ■mysel''. a Matt. 1 7.5. i He. 2.2. c Is. 03.9. Gal.3. 1 9. ' d E i 1 9.3, 1 7. « De.5.27,31 . Jno. \ n. /Ro.3.2. ff Ex.32. 1.
it and particularly, to remind them of tiieir obligation to hear and obey him.
38. In Ike church. The vord church means literally ihe people called out ; and /s applied with great propriety to the as- sembly or multitude called out of Egypt, p.nd separated from the world. It has not, however, of necessity our idea of a church ; but means the assemhly, or peo- ple called out of Egypt, and placed under the conduct of Moses. IT Wilh the angel. In this place there is undoubted reference to the giving of the law on mount Sinai, yet that was done by God himself Ex. s.v. It is clear, therefore, that by the angel fiere, Stephen intends to designate him who was God. It may be observed, how- ever, that the laiv is represented as hav- ing been given by the ministry of an an- gel (in this place) and by the ministry of ar/gels. Acts vii. 53. Heb. ii. 2. The es- sential idea is, that God did it by a mes- senger, or by mediators. The character and rank of the messengers, or of the principal messenger, must be learned by looking at all the circumstances of the case. T The lively oracles. See Rom. iii. 2. The word oractes here means commands or laws of God. The word limly, or living (<c2vTa), stands in opposi- tion "to that which is dead, or useless, and means that which is vigorous, efficacious ; and in this place it means that the com- mands were of such a nature, and given in such circumstances, as to secure atten- tion ; to produce obedience; to excite them to act for God — in opposition to iavvs which would fall powerless, and produce no effect.
39. Would not obey, &c. This refers to what they said of him whei* ho was in
1,2
Moses, which brought us cui ut" the land of Egypt, v.'e wot not what is become of him.
41 And they made a calf '' ii those days, and offered sacrifice- unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42 Then God turned and gave • them up to worship the-' 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, ^jy the space of forty years in the wilder- ness 1
A De.0.16. Ps.106.19,20. tP8.81.12. J De.4.t!> 2Ki.l7.16. Jer.19.13. k Am.5.25,26.
the mount. Ex. xxxii. 1. 23. 11 In theit hearts turned, &c. They wished to re turn to Egypt. They regretted that they had come out of Egypt, and desired again the things which they had there, as pre- ferable to what they had in the desert. Num. xi. 5. Perhaps, however, the ex- pression means, not that they desireii literally to return to Egypt, but tha/ their hearts inclined to the habits and vich rals of the Egyptians. They forsook God, and imitated the idolatries of the Egyptians.
40. Saying unto Aaron. Ex. xxxii. 1. IT Make us gods. That is, idols. *
41. And they made a calf. This waa made of the ear-rings and ornaments which they had brought from Egypt. Ex. xxxii. 2 — 4. Stephen introduces this to remind them how prone the nation had been to reject God, and walk in the ways of sin.
42. Then God turned. That is, turned away from them ; abandoned them to their own desires. IT The host of heaven. The stars, or heavenly bodies. The word host means armies. It is applied to the heavenly bodies because they are very numerous, and appear to be marshalled or arrayed in military order. It is frona this that God is called Jehovah of hosts, as being the ruler of these well-arranged heavenJb^ bodies. Isa. i. 9. The proof that they cmP-this, Stephen proceeds tc allege by a quotation from the prophets. IT In the book of the prophets. Amos \. 25, 26. The twelve minor proph*»ts were com- monly written in one volume, and were called the Book of the Prophets ; ihe hooi\ containing these several prophecies, Da^ niel, Hosea, Micab. &? Thevwaresmal
i2r.
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33
43 Yea, ye look up the taberna- cle cf Moloch, and the star of your i^od Reinphan, figures which ye
tracls separately, and were bound up to- gether to preserve them from being lost. I'his- passage is not quoted literally ; it is evidently made from memory ; and though in its main spirit it coincides with the pas- sage in Amos, yet in some important re- spects it varies from it. HO ye house of Israel. Ye j»eople of Israel. IF Have ye offend, &c. That is, yo have 7iot offered. The interrogative form is often an em- phatic wav of saying that the thing had not been done. Bi't it is certain that the Jews did offer sacrifices to God in the wilderness, though it is also certain that they did not do it with a pure and upright heart. They kept up the form of worship generally, but they frequently forsook God, and offered worship to idols. Through the continuous space of forty years they did not honour God, but often departed from him, and worshipped idols.
43. Yea, ye took up. That is, you bore, or you carried with you, for purposes of idola- trous worship. H The tabernacle. This word prope-ly means a tent ; but it is also applied to the small tent or house in which was contained the image of the god ; the house, box- or tent, in which the idol was placed. It IS customary for idolatrous na- tions to bear their idols about with them, ^nclosed in cases or boxes of various sizes, ^anally very small, as their idols are com- monly small. Probably they were made in the sha{)e of small temples or taberna- cles ; and such appear to have been the silver .<ihri7ies for Diana, made at Ephesus. Acts xix. 24. These shrines, or images, were borne with them as a species of amu- let, or charm, or talisman, to defend them from evil. Such images the Jews seem to fiave borne with them. H Moloch. This word comes from the Hebrew word Bignifying king. This was a god of the Ammonites, to whom human sacrifices were offered. Moses in several places forbids the Israelites, under penalty of death, to dedicate their children to Mo- loch, by making them pass through the fire. Lev. xviii. 21 ; xx. 2 — 5. There is groat probability that the Ilebreim were %<l'lift(:;d It) the worship of this d^tyaflor they entered the land of Canaan. Solo- non built a temi)le to Moloch on the Tiount of Olives (1 Knijzs xi. 7); and Ma- ja.ssch made iiis soiijiabs throughthe fire n honour of this idol. 2 Kings xxi. 3, 6, Vne image of this idol was made of bra.ss, jid his arms extended so as to embrace
made, to worship them : and I wil carry you away beyond Babylon, 44 Our fathers had the tabernacle
any one ; and when they offered childrer to him, they heated the statue, and when it was burning hot, tney placed the child in his arms, where it was soon destroyed by heat. It is not certain what this god was supposed to represent. Some sup- pose it was in honour of the planet Sa- turn; others, the sun; others, Mercury, Venus, &c. What particular god it was, is not material. It was the most cutting reproof that could be made to the Jews, that their fathers had been guilty of wor- shipping this idol. H Ayid tlte star. The Hebrew in this place is, " Chiun your images, the star of your god." The ex- pression here used leads us to suppose that this was a star which was worship ped, but what star it is not easy to ascer tain ; nor is it easy to determine why it is called both Chiun and Remphan. Ste- phen quotes from the LXX. They have rendered the word Chiun by the word Raiphan, or Rephan, easily changed into Remphan. Why the LXX. adopted this, is not known. It was probably, however, from one of two causes. (1.) Either be- cause the word Chiun in Hebrew meant the same as Remphan in the language of Egypt, where the translation was made , or, (2.) Because the ol>jici of worship call ed Chiun in Hebrew, was called Remjihan in the language of Egypt It is generally agreed that the object of their worship was the planet Saturn, or Mars, both of which planets were worshipped as gods of evil inlhience. In Arabic, the word Clievan denotes the planet Saturn. Pro- bably Rcjihan, or Remphan, is the Coptic name for the same planet, and the Septua- gint adopted this because their translation was made in Egypt, where the Coptic language was spoken. H Figures which ye made. Images of the god which they made. See the article Chiun in Robin son's Calmet. H Arid I will carry you away, &c. This is simply expressing in few words what is slated at greater length in Amos v. 27. In Hebrew it is Damas- cus; but this evidently denotes the east ern region, in which also Babylon was situated.
44. The taoernacle of witness. The <ewl or tafiernacle which Moses was command- ed f') make. It was called a tf^bernade oi wiliuss, or of trslimmiii, bocauxe it wau the visible witness or j>roof of God's pre- sence with them ; the evidence that ho t«.« whom it was devoted was their proteclc
A. D. 33.
CHAPTER VII.
l'^^
of witness in ti: e wiiderness, as he had appointed, ' speaking unto Mo- ses, that "he should make it accord- ing to the fashion that he had seen. 45 Which * also our fathers ^ that came after, brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom ' God drave out before the
» or, voho apahe. a Ex. 25. 40; 26.30. He. 8.5.
Jos.3.!4. "^ or, having received. c Ne.9.24.
P».44.2; 78.55.
and guide. The name is given either to the tent, or to the two tables of stone, or to the ark ; all of which were witnesses, or evidences of God's relation to them as their lawgiver and guide. Ex. xvi. 34 ; XXV. 16. 21 ; xxvii. 21 ; xxx. 6. 36 ; xxxi. 18, &c. Num. i. 50. 53. The two charges against Stephen were that he had spoken blasphemy against Moses, or his law, and against the temple, ch. vi. 13, 14. In the previous part of this defence he had shown his respect for Moses and his law. He now proceeds to show that he did not design to speak with disrespect of the temple, or the holy places- of their wor- ship. He therefore expresses his belief in the divine appointment of both the tabernacle (ver. 44—46) and of the tem- ple (ver. 47). IT According to the fashion, &,c. According to the pattern that was shown to him, by which it was to be made. Ex. xxv. 9. 40 ; xxvi. 30. As God showed him a pattern, it proved that the tabernacle had his sanction. Against that Stephen did not intend to speak.
45. Our fathers that came after. None of the generation that came out of Egypt were permitted to enter into the land of Canaan on account of their rebellion, ex- cept Caleb and Joshua. Num. xiv. 22 — 24; xxxii. 11, 12. Hence it is said that their fathers who came after, i. e. after the generation when the tabernacle was built. The Greek, however, here means, projperly, " which also our fathers, having received, brought," &c. The sense is not materially different. Stephen means that It was not brought in by that generation, but by the next. IT With Jesus. This should have been rendered " with Jo- shua." Jesus is the Greek mode of writ- mg the name Joshua. But the Hebrew narae should by all means have been re- tained here, as also in Heb. iv. 8. IT Into the possession of the Gentiles. Into the land possessed hi/ the Gentiles, that is, mto the promised land then occupied by ho Canaanites, &c. IT Whom God, &c. ) .at ■«, he continued to drive them out • V -f time of David, when they were
face of our fathers, unto the days of David,
4G Who found favour ** before God, and desired * to find a taberna- cle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon ^ built him ar house.
48 Howbeit, s the Most High
dlSam.16.1. e lChr.22.7 / lKi.6.1,&c.; 8.2a
g lKi.8.27. c.17.24.
completely expelled. Or it may mean that the tabernacle was in the possession of the Jews, and was the appointed place of worship, until the time of David, who desired to build him a temple. The Greek is ambiguous. The connexion favours the latter interpretation.
46. Who found favour, &c. That i.s God granted him great prosperity, and delivered him from his enemies. ^ To find a tabernacle. To prepare a permar nent dwelling-place for the «rA% and foi the visible symbols of the divine pre- sence. Hitherto the ark had been kepi in the tabernacle, and had been borne about from place to place. David sought to build an house that should be perma- nent, where the ark might be deposited. 2 Sam. vii. 1 Chron. xxii. 7.
47. But Solomon, &c. Built the tem- ple. David was not permitted to do it because he had been a man of war. 1 Chron. xxii. 8. David prepared the principal materials for the temple, but Solomon built it. 1 Chron. xxii. Comp 1 Kings vi.
48. Howbeit. But. Why Stephen added this, is not very clear. He wa.^ charged with speaking against the temple. He had now shown that he had due venera- tion for it, by his declaring that it had been built by the command of God. But he now adds, that God does not need such a temple. Heaven is his throne ; the uni verse his dwelling-place; and therefore this temple might be destroyed. A new, glorious truth was to be revealed to man- kind, that God was not confined in his wor- ship to any age, or people, or nation. In entire consistency, therefore, with all pro- per respect for the temple at Jerusalem, it might be maintained that the time would come when that temple would be destroy ed, and when God might be worshipped by all nations. IT The Most High. God. This sentiment was expressed by Soiomon when the temple was dedicated. 1 Kiiigi* viii. 27. IT As saith the prophet. Isa. Ixvi. 1, 2. The place is not literally quoted but the sense is given.
128
THE ACTS.
r * n. 8j
dwelJeth not in temples made with hands ; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven » is my throne, and earth is my footstool : what house will ye build me] saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all ihese things ]
51 Ye stiff-necked, * and uncir-
a 13X6.1,2. b £x.32.9. 18.48.4.
49. Heaven is my throne. See Note, Matt. V. 34. IT Earth is my footstool. Note, Matt. v. 35. ^ What house, &c. tVhat house or temple can be large or magnificent enough for the dwelhng of Him who made all things? H The place of viy rest. My home, my abode, my fixed seat or habitation. Comp. Ps. xcv. 1 1.
51. Ye stiff-necked. The discourse of Stephen has every appearance of having been interrupted by the clamours and op- position of the sanhedrim. This verse has no immediate connexion with that which precedes ; and appears to have been spo- ken in the midst of much opposition and clamour. If we may conjecture in this; case, it would seem that the Jews saw the drift of his argument ; that they in- terrupted him; and that when the tu- mult had somewhat subsided, he address- ed them in the language of this verse, showing them that tliey sustained a cha- racter precisely similar to their rebellious fathers. The word stiff-necked is often used in the Old Testament. Ex. xxxii. 9 ; xxxiii. 3. 5; xxxiv. 9. Deut. ix. 6. 13; x. 16, &c. It is a figurative expression taken from oxen that were refractory, and that would not submit to be yoked. Applied to men, it means that they were stubborn, contumacious, and unwilling to submit to the restraints of law. IT Uncircumcised in heart. Circumcision was a sign of being a Jew — of acknowledging the authority of the laws of Moses. It was also em- l»lematic of purity, and of submission to the law of God. The expression uncir- cumcised in heart denotes those who were not willing to acknowledge that law, and iiiihmit to it. They had hearts filled with vicious and unnubdued airectioiis and de- sires. H And ears. That is, who are un- willing to hear what God says. Comp. Xov. xxvi. 41. Jcr. ix. 2^). Notes on Horn, ii. 28, 29. IT Resist the Holy Ghost. You oppf>se the message which is brought to you bv the authority of God, and the in s«niration of his Spirit. The message
cumcised ' m heart an<l ears, ye da always resist th«! Holy Ghost: as your fathers did^ so do ye. •
52 Which'' of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted ? Ana they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.
53 Who have received the law
c Lev.26.4 1 . Jer.9.26. Roin.2.2fe,29. ^d 2Chr.36. 16 lTh.2.15. e c.3.14. ^
brought by Moses ; by the prophets ; by the Saviour ; and by the apostles — all by the infallible direction of the Holy Ghost — they and their fathers opposed. IT Ai your fathers did, &c. As he had specified m ver. 27. 35. 39—43.
52. Which of the prophets, &c. The interrogative form here is a strong mode of saying that they had persecuted all the prophets. It was the characteristic of the nation to persecute the messengers of God. This is not to be taken as literally and universally true ; but it was a gene- ral truth ; It was the national character- istic. Sf ' x\otes, Matt. xxi. 33 — 40 ; xxih 29 — 35. ii And they have slain them, <!tc. That is, they have slain the prophets whose main message was that the Mes siah was to come. It was a great aggra- vation of their offence, that they put tc death the messengers which foretold the greatest blessing that the nation could re- ceive. IT The Just One. The Messiah See Note, ch. iii. 14. IT Of whom ye, &c You thus show that you resemble those who rejected and put to death the pro- phets. You have even gone beyond them in guilt, because you have put the Mes- siah himself to death. IT The betrayers. They are called betrayers here because they employed Judas to betray him— agreeable to the maxim in law, He whn does any thing by another, is held to havt done it himself.
53. Who have received the law. Tlie law of Moses, given on mount Sinui IT By the disposition of angels. There has been much diversity of opinion in regard to tills phrase, «'? St»Txyx<; 'xyyiKwv. The word translated disposi(io?i does not else- where occur in the New Testament. It pro})crly means the constituting or arrang- ing of an army; disposing it into ranks and proper divisions. Hence it has been supjMKsed to mean that the law was given amidst the various ranks of angels, l)eing present lo witness its iiromulgation. Others suppose tha( ihe anpel« were employed as
A.. D. 33 ]
CHAPTER VII.
121
by " the disposition of angels, and nave not kept it.
54 Wiien they heard these things, *they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being " full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly nto heaven, and saw the glory of
God, ar.d Jesus standing on the •\yr\i\ hand of God,
agents ui instruments to communicate the law. All that tue expression fairly im- plies is the Ibrmer; that the law was given amidst the attending ranks of angels, as if they were summoned to witness the pomp and ceremony of giving law to an entire people, and through them to an entire world, ft should be added, more- over, that the Jews applied the word an- geh to any of the messengers of God ; to fire, and tempest, and wind, <fcc. A-nd all that Stephen means here, may be to ex- press the common Jewish opinion, that Grod was attended on thie occasion by the heavenly hosts ; and by the symbols of lis presence, the fire, and smoke, and tempest. Comp. Ps. civ. 4; Ixviii. 17. Other places declare that the law was spoken by an angel, one eminent above all attending angels, the peculiar messen- ger of God. See JNote on ver. 38. It is plain that Stephen spoke only the com- mon sentiment of the Jews. Thus Herod is introduced by Josephus (Antiq. b. xv. ch. V. $ 3) as saying, " We have learned from God the most excellent of our doc- tiines, and the most holy part of our law by angels,'' &c. In the eye^^the Jews, it justly gave increased majesty and so- lemnity to the law, that it had been given in so grand and imposing circumstances. And it greatly aggravated their guilt, that notwithstanding this, they had not kept it
54. They were cut to the heart. They were exceedingly enraged and indignant Tlie whole course of the speech had been such as to excite their anger, and now tiiev could restrain themselves no longer. IT They gnashed on him, &,c. Expressive 3f the bitterness and malignity of their %eling.
55. Full of the Holy Ghost. See Note, ih. ii. 4. IT Looked up steadfastly. Fixed his eyes intently on heaven. Foreseeing his danger; and the effect his speech had produced — seeing that there was no safely in the great council of the nation, and no prospect of justice at their hands, he cast his eyes to heaven and sought protec-
56 And said, Behold, I see the • heavens- opened, and ' the Soii oi man standing on the right hand o^ God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one ac- cord,
58 And cast f him out of the city, and stoned /urn.- and the witnesses
dEze.l.l. eDan.7.13. / Lu.4.29. He.l3. 12,13.
tion there. — When dangers threaten us, our hope of safety lies in heaven. When men threaten our persons, reputation, or lives, it becomes us to fix our eyes on tlie heavenly world ; and we shall not look in vain. ^ And saw the glory of God. This phrase is commonly used to denote the visible symbols of God. It means some magnificent representation ,• a splen dour, or light, that is the appropriate ex hibition of the presence of God. iMatt. xvi. 27; xxiv. 30. i\ote, Luke li. 9. In the case of Stephen there is every indication of a vision, or supernatural representauon of the heavenly objects; something in ad- vance of mere faith, such as dying Chris tians now have. What was its precise nature, we have no means of ascertaining. Objects were often represented to pro- phets by visions ; and probably something similar is intended here. It was such an elevation of view, such a representation of truth, and of the glory of God, as to be denoted by the word see ; though it is not to be maintained that Stephen really saw the Saviour with the bodily eye. IT On the right hand of God. That is,'exalted to a place of honour and power in the hea vens. Note, Markxxvi. 64. Acts ii. 25.
56. I saw the heavens opened. A figu- rative expression, denoting that he was permitted to see into heaven, or to see vshat was there, as if the firmament was divided, and the eye was permitted to penetrate the eternal world. Comp. Ezek.
57. TTien they cried out. That is, pro- bably, the people, not the members of the council. It is evident he was put to death in a popular tumult. They had charged him with blasphemy ; and they regarded what he had now said as full proof of it. IT And stopped their ears. That thev might hear no more blasphemy. IT With ant accord. In a tumult ; unitedly.
58. A^nd cast him nut of the city- ITiis was in accordance with the usual custom, In Lev. xxiv. 14, it was directed to bring forth him hat had curaed v\-illiout the
ISO
THE ACTS.
[A.
:^^
'laid down tlieir clothes at a young
man's feot, whose name was '' Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen,
a c 6.13. i.c.8. 1,3; 22.20.
camp; and it was not usual, the Jewish writers inform us, to stone in the presence of the sanhedrim. Though this was a popular tumult, and Stephen was con- den ned without the regular process of trial , yet some of the forms of law were )l)s( rved, and he was atoned in th*e man- lier directed in the case of blasphemers, ff And stoned him. This was the punish- ment appointed in the case of blasphemy. Lev. xxiv. 16. Note, John x. 31. H And the witnesses. That is, the false witnesses who bore testimony against him. ch. vi. 13. It was directed in the law (Deut. xvii. 7) that the witnesses in the case should be first in executing the sentence ol the law. This was done to prevent false accusa- tions by the prospect that theij must be employed as executioners. After they had commenced the process of execution, all the people joined in it. Deut. xvii. 7. Lev. xxiv. 16. ^ Laid dnwii their clothes. Their outer garments. They were accustomed to lay these aside when they ran or work- ed. Note, Matt. v. 40. ^ At a young man's feet, &c. That is, they procured him to take care of their garments. This is men- tioned solely because Saul, or Paul, after- wards became so celebrated, first as a persecutor, and then an aposde. Ilis whole heart was in this persecution of Stephen; and he himself afterwards al- luded to this circumstance as an evidence of his sinfulness in persecuting the Lord Tesus. Act.s xxii. 20.
■ 59. Culling upon God. The word God ts not in the original, and should not have been in the translation. It is in none of the ancient MSS. or versions. It should have been rendered, They stoned Ste- phen, in\oking, or calling upon, and say- ing, Lr)rd Jesus, &c. That is, he was en- gaged in prayer to the Lord Jesus. The word is used to express prayer in the fi)l- lovvine, among other places : 2 Cor. i. 23, " I call God to witness." 1 Pet. i. 17, "And if ve call on the Father," iiic. Acts ii. 21, " WhoHC>evcr shall call on the name of the LorJ,"<fe<;. ix. 14; xxii. 16. Kom. x. 12, 13. 14. This was, therefore, an act of worship; a solemn invocation of the Ijord JcMus, in the most interesting circum- Btances in which a man can be nlacx"! — in his dyirt? moments. And this shows that it is rif^tit to worship the lyjrd Jesus, and to pray l<:) him. For if .Stephen was iakspired.ii scales the question. Tho ox-
calling i:j)on Coc^, iiid saying. Lord Jesus, leceive ° my spirit !
GO And he kneeled down, anft
c Ps.31.5. Lu.23.46.
ample of an inspired rnan in such circun; stances, is a safe and correct example. If it should be said that the inspiration of Stephen cannot be made out, yet the in- spiration of JAike, who has recorded it, will not be called in question. Then tho following circumstances show that he, an inspired man, regarded it as right, and as a proper example to be followed. • (1.) lie has recorded it without the slightest ex- pression of an opinion that it was impro- per. On the contrary, there is every evi- dence that he regarded the conduct of Stephen in this case as right and praise worthy. There is, therefore, this attesta- tion to its' propriety. (2.) The Spirit that inspired Luke knew what use would he made of this case. He knew that il would be used as an example, and as an evidence that it was right to worship the Lord Jesus. It is one of the cases which has been used to perpetuate the worshfp of the Lord Jesus in every age. If it was wrong, it is inconceivable that it should be recorded without some expression of disapprobation. (3.) The ca.se is strikingly similar to that recorded in John xx. 28, where Thomas ofli^rtd worship to tho Lord Jesus, as his God, without reproof. If Thomas did it in the presence of the Saviour without reproof it was right. If Stephen did it without any expression of disapprobation from the inspired historian, it was right. (4.) These examples were used to encourage (Christians and Chris- tian martyrs to ofler homage to Jesus Christ. Thus Pliny, writing to the em- peror Trajan, and giving an account of the Christians in IJythinia, says, that they were accustomed to meet and sing hymns to Christ as to God. {Lardner.) (5.) It is worthy of remark, that Stephen in his death offered the same act of homage to Christ, that Christ himself did to the Fa ther, when he died. Luke xxiii. 46. From all these considerations, it follows that tMe Ljrd Jesus is an object of worship; thai in most solemn circumstances it is proixjr to call upon him, to worship him, and Xn commil our dearest interests to his hnndw. If this may be done, he is divine. H I'e ceive my s/ilrit. That is, receive it to thy- self; take il to thine abode in heaven.
60. And he hneilrd down. This seenw to have been a voluntary kneeling; a placing himself in this |)osition for th« purpose of prayer choosing to die In lh»
^. D. 33.]
CHAPTER Vm.
131
cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay * not this sin to their charge ! And
when he asleep.
had said this, he fell
a Matt.5.44. Lu.2a.34.
altitude. IT Lord. That is, Lord Jesus. Note, ch. i. 24. IT Lay not, &c. Forgive them. This passage strikingly resembles the dying prayer of the Lord Jesus. Luke txiii 34. Nothing but the Christian reli- gion will enable a man to utter this pas- sage in his dying moments. IF He fell asleep. This is the usual mode of express- ing the death of saints in the Bible. It is 111 expression indicating, (I.) The peace- fulness of their death, compared with the alarm of sinners ; (2.) The hope of a re- surrection ; as we retire to sleep with the hope of again awaking to the duties and enjoyments of life. See John xi. 11, 12. I Cor. xi. 30; xv. 51. 1 Thess. iv. 14; v. 10. Matt. ix. 24. s
In view of the death of this first Chris- dan martyr, we may remark,
1. That it is right to address to the Lord Jesus the language of prayer.
2. It is peculiarly proper to do it in ifflictions, and in the prospect of death. Heb. iv. 15.
3. Sustaining grace will be derived in irrials chiefly from a view of the Lord lesus. If we can look to him as our Sa- viour, see him to be exalted to deliver us, and truly commit our souls to him, we /hall find the grace which we shall need 'n our afflictions.
4. We should have such confidence in him, as to enable us to commit ourselves to him at any time. To do this, we should live a life of faith. In health, and youth, md strength, we should seek him as our first and best friend.
5. While we are in health, we should prepare to die. What an unfit place for j»reparation for death would have been 'he situation of Stephen ! How impossi- h\e then would it have been to have made preparation I Yet the dying bed is often a place as unfit to prepare as were the circumstances of Stephen. When racked with pain when faint and feeble, when the mind is indisposed to thought, or when it raves in the wildness of deliri- um, what an unfit place is this to prepare 10 die. I have seen many dying beds ; I have seen m!iny in all stages of their last lickness; but never have I yet seen a dying bed which seemed to me to be a proper place to make pceparation for eter- "uty.
6 How peaceful and calm is a death
CHAPTER VHI.
A ND Saul ^ was consenting- unto •^^ his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against
like that of Stephen, when compared with the alarms and anguish of a sinner! One moment of such peace in that trying time, is better than all the pleasures and honours which the world can bestow And to obtain such peace, the dying sin- ner would be willing to give all the wealth of the Indies, and all the crowns of the earth. So may I die — and so may all my readers — enabled, like this dying martyr, to commit my departing spirit to the sure keeping of the great Redeemer! When we take a parting view of the world ; when our eyes shall be turned for the last time to take a look of friends and relatives ; and when the darkness of death shall begin to come around us; then may we be enabled to cast the eye of faith to the heavens, and say, ' Lo/d Jesus, re- ceive our spirits ;' and thus fall asleep, peaceful in death, in the hope of the re surrection of the just.
CHAPTER VIII. 1 . And Saul loas consenting, &c. Was pleased with his being put to death, and approved it. Comp. ch. xxii. 20. This part of the verse should have been con- nected with the previous chapter. H Al that time. That is, immediately follow- ing the death of Stephen. The persecu- tion arose on account of Stephen, ch. xi 19. The tumult did not subside when Stephen was killed. Their anger con- tinned to be excited against all Chris- tians. They had become so imbittered by the zeal and success of the apostles and by their frequent charges of murder in putting the Son of God to death, that they resolved at once to put a period t5 their progress and success. I'his was the first persecution against Christians ; the first in a series that terminated only when the religion which they wished to destroy was fully established on the ruins of both Judaism and Paganism. IT The church. The collection of Christians which were now organized into a church. The church at Jerusalem was the first that was col- lected. IT All scattered. That is. the great mass of Christians. IT The regions of Judea, &c. See Note, Matt. ii. 22 IT Except the apostles. Probably the other Christians fled from fear. Why the apos- tles, who were particularly in danger, did not flee also, is not stated Sy the historian. Having been, however, more fully mi-
132
THE ACTS.
A. D. 3J
the church which was at Jerusalem ; and they were all scattered " abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Ste-
{)hen to his burial, and made great amentation over him.
oc.11.19.
3 As for Saul, he * made havoc of the church, entering into every house ; and haling men and wo- men, committed them to prison.
4 Therefore they that were scat tered abroad, went every where preaching the word.
fc c.26.10,n. GaL1.13.
*tru?t«» : thoff the others, and having been taught their duty by the example and teaching of the Saviour, they resolved, it seems, to remain and brave Ihe fury of the persecutors. For them to hav) iled 'jhen would have exposed them, a» lead- ers and founders of the new religion, to the charge of timidity and weakness. They therefore resolved to remain m the midst of their persecutors ; and a merciful Providence watched over them, and de- fended them from harm. The dispersion extended not only to Judea and Samaria, but those who fled carried the gospel also to Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch. ch. xi. 19. There was a reason why this was permitted. The early converts were Jews. They had strong feelings of at- tachment to the city of Jerusalem, to the temple, and to the land of their fathers. Yet it was the design of the Lord Jesus that the gospel should be preached every where. To accomplish this, he suflTered a persecution to rage ; and they were Ecattered abroad, and bore his gospel to other cities and lands. Good thus came out of evil ; and the first persecution re- sulted, as all others have done, in advanc- ing the cause which was intended to be destroyed.
2. And devout men. Religious men. The word used here does not imply of necessity that they were Christians. There mignt hare been Jews who did not approve the popular tumult, and the murder of Stephen, and who gave him a decent burial. Joseph of Arimathea, and Micodemus, both Jews, thus gave to the liord Jesus a decent burial. John xix. 38, 3'J. H Carried Stephen. The word trans- lated carried, means properly to collect, tKs fruits, &c. Then it is applied to all the preparations necessary for fitting a dead body for burial, as collecting, or con- fii.ing it by bandages, with spices, &c. f And made great lameniation. This was uaual among ine Jews at a funeral. See Note, Malt. ix. 23.
3. As Jot Saul. But aiul. lie had lib concern in the pious attentions shown to Stejthen. but engaged with zeal in the w-'ork cf oers^cution II He viade havoc.
iKvfixlviTo, This word is' commonly ap- plied to wild beasts, to lions, wolves, &i* and denotes the devastations which they commit. Saul raged against the churcn like a wild beast — a strong expression, denoting the zeal and fur}' with which he engaged in persecution. II Entering into every house. To search for those who were suspected of being Christians. H Haling. Dragging, or compelling them. II Committed them to prison. The sanhe- drim had not power to put them to death John xviii. 31. But they had power to imprison ; and they resolved, it seems, to exercise this power to the utmost. Paul frequently refers to his zeal in persecut ing the church. Acts xxvi. 10, 11. Gal i. 13. — It may be remarked here that thei-e never was a persecution commenced with more flattering prospects to the persecu tors. Saul, the principal agent, was young, zealous, learned, and clothed with power. He showed afterwards that he had talents fitted for any station ; and zeal that tired with no exertion, and that was appalled by no ohsta(;le. With this talent he entered on his work. Christians were few and feeble. They were scat- tered and unarmed. They were unpro- tected by any civil power, and exposed, therefore, to the full blaze and rage of persecution. That the church was not destroyed, was owing to the protection of God — a protection that not only secured its existence, but which extended its in fluence and power by means of this very persecution far abroad on the ea^h.
4. Went every where. That is, they travelled through the various regions where they were scattered. In all placcg to which they came, they preached the word. H r reach ing the word. Greek, Evangelizing, or announcing the good news of the message of mercy, or the word of God. It is not the usunl word which is rendered preach, but means sim- ply announcing the good news of salva- tion, '^riiere is no evidence, nor is there any prohabiiily.tiiat all these jiersons wero orilaiurd to preach. They were mnni festlv common Christians who were seal tered bv the persecution ; and tiie mea*
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTER VIII.
133
5 Then Philip " went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Dhrist unto them.
6 And the people with one ac- cord * gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing, ' and
Jig is, that they communicated to their Ibliow-raen in conversation, wherever they met them ; and probably in the sy- nagogues, wliere all Jews had a right to speak, the glad tidings that the Messiah had come It is not said that they set themselves up for public teachers ; or ihat they administered baptism ; or that they founded churches : but they pro- claimed every where the news that a Saviour had come. Their hearts were full of it. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; and they made the truth known to all whom they met. — We may learn from this, (1.) That perse- cution tends to promote the very thing which it v.ould destroy. (2.) That one af the best means to make Christians ac- tive and zealous is to persecute them. .;3.) That it is right for all Christians to naake known the truths of the gospel. When the heart is full, the lips will speak ; and there is no more impropriety in their speaking of redemption than of any thing else. (4.) It should be the great object of all Christians to make the Sa- | viour known every where. By their lives, I conversation, and pious exhortations and j entreaties, they should beseech dying sin- ners to be reconciled to God. And espe- cially should this be done when they are | travelling. Christians when away from (lome seem almost to imagine that they lay aside the obligations of rehgion. But the example of Christ and his early dis- ciples has taught us that this is the very time to attempt to do good.
5. Then Philip. One of the seven dea- cons, ch. vi. 5. He is afterwards called the Evangelist. Acts xxi. S- ^ The city of Samaria. This does not mean a -city whose name was Samaria, for no such city at that time existed. Samaria was a region. Matt. ii. 22. The ancient city Sa- maria, the capital of that region, had been destroyed by Hyrcanus, so completely as to leave no vestige of it remaining; and he " took away," says Josephus, " the very raasks that there had ever been such a eity there." (Antiq. b. xiii. ch. x. $ 3.) He- pod iflfFsreat afterwards built a city on fuis site, and called it Sehaste, i. e. Au- gusts in honour of the emperor x\ugus- tus. (Jos. Antiq. h. xv. ch. viii. $ 5.) Per- haps this city is intended, as being the principal city of Samaria ; or possibly Si/- ehar, another city where the gospel had M
been before preached by the Savioui himself John iv. IF And preached Christ Preached that the Messiah had come, and made known his doctrines. The same truths had been before stated in Samaria by the Saviour iiimself (John iv.); and this wife doubtless one of the reasons why they so gladly now received the word of God. The field iiad been prepared by the Lord Jesus; and he had said that it was white for the harvest (John iv. 35) ; and into that field Philip now entered, and was signally blessed. His coming was attended with a remarkable revival of re ligion. The word translated preach here is not that which is used in the previous verse. This denotes to proclaim as a crier., and is commonly employed to denote the preaching of the gospel, so called. Mark V. 20 ; vii. 36. Luke viii. 39. Matt, xxiv 14. Acts X. 42. Rom. x. 15. 1 Cor. ix. 27, XV. 12. 2 Tim. iv. 2. It has been argued that because Philip is said thus to have preached to the Samaritans, that therefore all deacons have a right to preach or that they are, under the New Testament eco- nomy, an order of ministers. But this is by no means clear. For, (1.) It is not evi dent, nor can it be shown, that the other deacons (ch. vi) ever preached. There is no record of their doing so; and the nar rative would lead us to suppose that they did not. (2.) They were appointed for a very different purpose (ch. vi. 1 — 5); and it is fair to suppose that as deacons, they confined themselves to the design of thei. appointment. (3.) It is not said that Philip preached in virtue of his being a deaccn. From any thing in this place, it would seem that he preached as the other Chris- tians did — wherever he was. (4.) But elsewhere an express distinction is made between Philip and the others. A new appellation is given him, and he is ex- pressly called the Evangelist. Acts xxi. 8 From this, it seems that h? preached, not because he was a deacon^ but because he had received a special appointment to this business as an evangelist. (5.) This same office, or rank of Christian teachers, is ex- pressly recognised elsewhere. Eph. iv. 11. All these considerations show that there is not in the sacred Scriptures an order of ministers appointed to preach as deacons. G. V\lfh one accord. Unitedlv, or with one mind. Great njultitudes of them dii it. t Gave heed Paid attention to ; en>
(34
THE ACTS.
LA. Dr 33
Beeii/jT the miracles which he did.
7 For * unclean spirits, crying ivith loud voice, came out of many 'hat were possessed ivitk them: and nany 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
• MaT.16.17. fcMar.2.»-ll. c.9.33,34. cMatt.11.5.
Draced. IT Hearing. Hearing what he taid.
7. For unclean spirits. Note, Matt. iv. ti. IT Crying with loud voice. Note, Mark i. 26. V Palsies. Note, Matt. iv. 24.
8. And there vns great joy. This joy arose, (1.) From the fact that so many per- Bons, before sick and afllicted, were re- 6tored to health. (2.) From the conver- eion of individuals to Christ. The ten- dency of religion is to produce joy. '3.) From the mutual joy of families and friends, that their friends were convert- 2d. The tendency of a revival of religion 6 thus to produce great joy.
9. But there was a certain man called Simon. Tiie Fathers have written much respecting this man, and have given itrange accounts of him; but nothing more is certainly known of him than is Elated in this place. Rosenmueller and Kuinoel suppose him to have been a Si- mon mentioned by Josephus (Antiq. b. xx. zh. vii. $ 2), who was born in Cyprus. He was a magician, and was employed by Felix to persuade Drusilla to forsake "ler husband Azizus, and to marry Felix. But it is not very probable that this was the same person. (See Note in Whiston's Josephus.) Simon Magus was probably a Jew or a Samaritan, who had addicted himself to the arts of magic, and who was much celebrated for it. He had studied philosophy in Alexandria in Egypt (Mo- jheim, i. p. 113, 114, Miirdnck's tranda- 'ion), and then lived at Samaria. After ho was cut off from the hope of adding to his other powers the power of working miraclns, the fathers say that he fell into many errors, and became the founder of the sect of the Simonians. They accused him of affirming that be came down as the Father in respect to the Samaritans ; Ihe .Son in refi| oct to the Jnws; and the Holy Spirit n respect to the Gentiles. He did not acknowledge Christ to he the Son of God, but a rival, and pretended himself to be Cirist. He rejected the law of Moses. Many «)ilier tnings are
called Simon, which beforetime ir the same city used sorcery, ** and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out * that himself was some great one :
10 To whom -^ they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, say* ing. This man is the great power of God.
d C.I3.6. Re.22.15. e c.5.36. 2Ti.3.2,5. /?Cor 11.19
affirmed of him, which rest on doubtful authority. He seems to have become an enemy to Christianity; though he was willing then to avail himself of iome of its doctrines in order to advance his own interests. The account that he' came to a tragical death in Rome; that he was honoured as a deity by the Roman senate ; and that a statue was erected to his me mory in the isle of Tiber, is now generally rejected. His end is not known. (See Calmet, art. Simon Magua, and Mosheim, i. p. 114, Note.) H Beforetime. The prac- tice of magic, or sorcery, was common at that time, and in all the ancient nations. H Used sorcery. Greek, /»<>ivfOtt,i'. Exer- cising the arts of the Magi, m Magicians ; hence the name Simon Magus. See Note, Matt. ii. 1. The ancient Magi had their rise in Persia, and were at first addicted to the study of philosophy, astronomy, medicine, &c. This name came after- wards to signify those who made use of the knowledge of these arts for the pur pose of imposing on mankind — astrolo- gers, .soothsayers, necromancers, fortune tellers,&c. Such persons pretended to pre diet future events by the positions of the stars, and to cure diseases by incantations, &c. Seelsa. ii.G. See also Dan. i. 20 ; ii 2. It was expressly forbidden the Jews to consult such persons on pain of death Lev. xix. 31 ; xx. 6. In these arts Simon had been eminently successful. IT Aiul bewitched. This is an unhappy transla- tion. The Greek means merely that he astonished or amazed the people, or ro7i- founded their judgment. The idea of bewitching them is not in the original. IF Giving mU, Arc. Saying, i. e. boasting. It was in this way, partly, that he .'^o con- founded them. Jugglers penerallv ini|K)He on people just in proportion to \\^^ira- vnganre and folly of their jireflpfons The same remark may be mndo cifquacK doctors, and of all persons who altciiipt to delude and imjxise on mankind. * 10. The sreal power of (Jod. Proli«bly this means only that (hey believed iha< he was invested with the power of G
% D 33.|
CHAPTER nil.
133
LI And to him they had reg-ird, because that of long time he had bewitched *= them with sorceries.
12 But when they believed ^Phi- lip preaching the things '^ concern- ing- the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed
«Gal.3.l
b ver.37. c.2.41.
Qot that they supposed he was really the Great God.
13 Then Simon., .believed also. That is, he believed that Jesus had wrought miracles, and was raised from the dead, &c. All this he could believe in entire consistency with his own notions of the power of magic ; and all that the con- nexion requires us to suppose is that he believed this — that Jesus had power of working miracles, &c. ; and as he purpos- ed to turn this to his own account, he was willing to profess himself to be his fol- lower. It might have injured his popu- larity, moreover, if he had taken a stand when so many were professing to become Christians. — Men often profess religion because, if they do not, they fear they will lose their influence, and be left with the ungodly. That Simon was not a reel Christian is apparent from the whole nar- rative, ver. 18. 21 — 23. IF And when he was baptized. He was admitted to a pro- fession of religion in the same way as the others. Philip did not pretend to know the heart ,• and Simon was admitted be- cause he professed his belief This is all the evidence that ministers can have, and it is no wonder, that they, as well as Phi- lip, are often deceived. The reasons which influenced Simon to make a profession of religion, seem to have been these : (1.) An impression that Christianity was true. He seems to have been convinced of this by the miracles of Philip. (2.) The fact that many others were becoming Christians; and he went in with the multitude. This is often the case in revivals of religion. (3.) He had no religion; but it is clear (ver. 20, 21) that he was willing to make use of Christianity to advance his own power, influence, and popularity — a thing which multitudes of men of the same mind with Simon Magus have been will- ing since to do. IT And continued, &c. It was customary and natural for the dis- rioies to remain with their taachers. See ch. 11 42. *r And utnndered. This is the same word th at is translated bewitched in V r 9 11 It means that he was amazed
also: and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and won dered, beholding the miracles ' anj signs which were done.
14 Now W'hen the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Sa- maria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Petei and John :
> or, sigiis and great miracles .
that Philip could reallt/ perform so much greater miracles than he had even pre- tended to. — Hypocrites will sometimes be greatly attentive to the external duties of religion, and will be greatly surprised at what IS done by God for the salvation of sinners. IF Miracles and signs. Greek, Signs and great powers, or great miracles. That is, so much greater than he pretend- ed to be able to perform.
14. They sent. That is, the apostles deputed two of their number. This shows conclusively that there was no chief or ruler among them. They acted as being equal in authority. The reason why they sent them was, probably, that there would be a demand for more labour than Philip could render; a church was to be found- ed, which required their presence ; and it was important that they should be pro- sent to organize it, and to build it up. The harvest had occurred in Samaria, of which the Saviour spoke (John iv. 35), and it was proper that they should enter into it. — In times of revival there is often more to be done than can be done by the regu lar pastor of a people, and it is proper that he should be aided from abroad. IT Peter. This shows that Peter had no such authority and primacy as the Roman Catholics claim for him. He exercised no authority of sending others, but was himself sent. He was appointed by their united voice, instead of claiming the power himself of directing them. ^ Ana John. Peter was ardent, bold, zealous, rash ; John was mild, gentle, tender, per- suasive. There was wisdom in uniting them in this work, as the talents of both were needed ; and the excellencies in the character of the one would compensate for the defects of the other. It is obseiv- able that the apostles sent two together, as the Saviour had himself done. See Note. Mark vi. 7. The reasons why this addi- tional aid was sent to Samaria were pro- bably these: (1.) To assist Philip in a great work — in the harvest which he wag there collecting. (2.) To give the sanc- tion of thp aulh'^rity of *he apostles to
136
15 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.
« c.19.2. i c.2.38; 10.4S; 19.5,6. lCor.1.13.
THE ACTS. [A. ^ 33
17 Then md ' they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Sirnon saw, thai through laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them,** money,
c c.6.6. He.6.2. d lTiin.6.5,
«vhat he was doing. (3.) To confer or die converts the gift of the Holy Ghos „ ver. 17.
15. Were come down. To Samaria. Jerusalem was generally represented as up, or higher than'the rest of the land. Matt. XX 18. John vii. 8. ^ Prayed for them. They sought at the hand of God the extraordinary communications of the Holy Spirit. They did not even pretend to have the power of doing it without the aid of God. IT That they might receive the Holy Ghost. The main question here is, what was meant by the Holy Ghost ? In ver. 20, it is called "the gift of God." The following remarks may make this plain. (1.) It was not that gift of the Holy Ghost by which the soul is converted, or renewed, for they had this when they be- lieved, ver. 6. Every where the conver- sion of the sinner is traced to his influ- ence. Comp. John i. 13. (2.) It was not the ordinary influences of the Sjurit by which the soul is sanctified ; for sanctifi- cation is a progressive work, and this was sudden: sanctification is shown by the general tenor of the life ; this was sud- den and striking. (3.) Itwas something that was discernible by external effects ; for Simon saw (ver. 18), that this was done by the laying on of hands. (4.) The phra.se ' the gift of the Holy Ghost,' and •the descent of the Holy Ghost,' signified not merely his ordinary influences in converting sinners, but those extraordi- nary influences that attended the first preaching of the gospel — the power of speaking with new tongues (ch. ii.), the ftower of working miracles, &c Acts xix. 6. (5.) This is fur'lier clear from the fact that Simon wished lo purchase this power, evidently to keep up his influence among the people, and to retain his ascendency as a juggler and sorcerer. But surely, Bimon would not wish to purchase the converting and sanctifying influences of the Hnly Spirit; it was the iKJwer of working miracles. These ihiners make it clear iJiat l>y tlie gift of the Holy Spirit here is meant the i>owcr of s|rf>akini; with Qfiw tongues ((ornp. 1 Tor. xiv.) and the power of miracles And it is further dear
that this passage should not be adducoa in favour of" the rite of confirmation" in the Christian church. For besides the fact that there are now no apostles, the thing spoiien of here, is entirely different from that of the rite of confirmation. This was to confer the extraordinary jKiwer of working miracles ; that is for a different purpose.
If it be asked why this power was con- ferred on the early Christians, it may be replied, that it was to furnish striking proof of the truth of the Christian reli- gion ; to impress the people, and thus to win them to embrace the gospel. The earlv church was thus armed with the power of the Holy Spirit ; and this extra ordinary attestation of God to his message was one cause of the rapid prv>pagation and permanent estabhshment of the gos pel.
16. He was fallen. This expression is several times applied to the Holy Spirit ch. )i. 44; xi. 15. It does not differ mate- rially from the common expression, " the Holy Ghost descended." It means that he came from heaven; and the expresson to fidl, applied to his influences, denotes the rapidity and suddenness of his com- ing. Comp. ch. xix. 2. IT In the name oj the Lord Jesus. Note, ch. ii. 38. See also ch. X. 48 ; xix. 5, 6.
17. Then Uiid they their hands, SiC. Th\9 was an act oi' jirayer, expressing an invo- cation to God that he would impart the blessing to them. On how many they laid their hands, is not said. It is evident that it was not on all, for they did not thus lay hands on Simon. Perhaps it was .lone on a few of the more prominent and load- ing persons, who vere to ho employed particularly in hearing witness t<i thfl truth of the gospel. It was i-usinmary to lay the hands on anv person when a fa voir was to be conferred, or a hlessini* imported. See Note, Malt. ix. 18.
18. Simon sain, Ac. That is. he wit- ne.«se.l the exiraordinary '^fleets, the power of speaking in a niinicnlniis manner, (tv. \()to, ver. 1.'). H ! If '•ll'-red Ifn'm vumey Ho ha<l had a roni:irUal»le infliienne ov«i the Samaritans, and he saw that the po
A. D. 33.]
CHAPTK.i VIII.
131
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because "
*2K.i. 6.15,16 Matt.10.8.
fcc.10.45; 11.17.
session of this power would perpetuate ana increase his influence. Men com- monly employ the tricks of legerdemain for ihe purpose of making money ; and it seems probable that such had been the design of Simon. He saw that if he could communicate to others this power, if he could confer on them the talent of speak- ing other languages, it might be turned to vast account, and he sought therefore to purchase it of the apostles. From this act of Simon we have derived our wo^d simony, to denote the buying and selling of ecclesiastical preferment, or church offices, where religion is supported by the g*ate. This act of Simon shows con- clusively that he was influenced by im- proper motives in becoming connected with the church.
20. Thy money perish with thee. This IS an expression of the horror and indig- nation of Peter at the base offer of Simon. It is not to be understood as an impreca- tion on Simon. The main idea is the apwstle's contempt for the money, as if he regarded it as of no value. 'Let your money go to destruction. We abhor your impious offer. We can freely see any amount of money destroyed before we will be tempted to sell the gift of the Holy Ghost.' But there was here also an ex- pression of his belief that Simon also would perish. It was a declaration that ne was hastening to ruin, and as if this was certain, Peter says, let your money perish loo. IT The gift of God. That which he has given, or conferred as a favour. The idea was absuid that that which God himself gives as a sovereign, could be purchased. It was impious to think of at- tempting to buy with worthless gold that which was of so inestimable valiifi: The gift of God heie means the extraordinary influences of the Holy Ghost, ch. x. 45; si. 17. How can we pay a price to God ? ^il (hat we can give, the silver, and the sold, and the cattle on a thousand hills, belong to him already. We have nothing which we can present for his favours. And yet there are many who seek to
Eurchase the favour of God. Some do it y alms and prayers ; some by penance and fasting ; some by attemj^ting to make their o\^ n hearts better, and by self-right- M 2
thou hast thought that the gift * of God may be purchased with mo ney.
21 Thou hast neither part ' noi lot in this matter: for** thy heajt »si not riofht in the sight of God.
dPs.78.36,37. Eze.i4.3.
eousness; and some by penitence and tears. All these will not purchase his favour. Salvation, like every other bbsa- ing, v.'ill be his gift ; and if ever received, we must be willing to accept it on hia own terms ; at his own time ; and in his own way. We are without merit ; and if saved, it will be by the sovereign grace of God.
21. Neither part. You have no portion of the grace of God; that is, you are dea titute of it altogether. This word com monly denotes the part of an inheritance which falls to one when it is divided. IT Nor lot. This word means properly a portion which falls to one when an es- tate, or when spoil in war is divided into portions, according to the number of those who are to be partakers, and the part of each one is determined by lot The two words denote emphatically that he was in no sense a partaker of the favour of God IT In this matter. Greek, In this word, i. e. thing. That which is referred to here is the religion of Christ. He was not a Christian. It is remarkable that Peter judged him so soon, and when he had seen but one act of his. But it was an act which satisfied him that he was a stranger to religion. One act may some- times bring out the whole character; it may evince the governing motives; it may show traits of cjiaracter utterly in- consistent with true religion; and then it is as certain a criterion as any long series of acts. 1i Thy heart. Your affections, or ffoverning motives ; your principle of con- duct. Comp. 2 Kings x. 15. You love gold and popularity, and not the gospe? for what it is. There is no evidence here that Peter saw this in a miracu^pus man- ner, or by any supernatural influence. It was apparent and p'ain, that Simon was not influenced by the pure, disinterested motives of the gospel, but by the love of power and of the world. IT In the siijhl of God. That is, God sees or judges that your heart is not sincere and pure. — No external profession is acceptable without the heart. Reader, is your heart right with God ? Are your motives ))ure ; and does God see there the exercise o^' holy Sincere, and benevolent affections towards him? God knows the motives: and wit\
1-38
THL aCIS.
[A. D. 5 J
22 Kcpei.t th;refbre of this thy wickedness; and pray God, if" per- naps the thought of thine heart may DC forgiven tnee :
a U?.Q.4.27. 2Tim.2.25. •
uaerrii.g cerlainty he will judge; and uith unerring justice he will fix our dooru, according to ihe atrections of the heart
22. Rej)ent, therefore. Here we may remark, (1-) That Simon was at this time an unconverted sinner. (2.) That the ix>minand was given to him as such. (3.) That he was required iodo the thing: net to wait or seek merely, but actuafly to re{)ent. (4.) That this was to be the first step in his conversion. He was not even directed to pra^y first , but his first mdispen.-iable work was to repent, that is, to exercise proper sorrow for this sin, and to abandon his plan or principle of action. And this shows, (1.) That all sinners are to be exhorted to repent, as their first work. They are not to be told to vMit, and read, and pray, in the expectation that repentance will be ^tren them. With such helps as they can obtain, they are to do the thing. (2.) Prayer will not be ac- ceptable, or heard, unless the sinner comes repenting, that is, unless he regrets his ein, and desires to forsake it. Then, and then only, will he be heard. When he comes loving his sins, and resolving still to practise them, God will not hear him. When he comes desirous of forsaking them, grieved that he is guilty, and feel- ing his need of help, God will hear his prayer. See Isa. i. In. Mic. iii. 4. Prov. i. 28. Ps. Ixvi. 18. H And pray (Jod. f laving a desire to forsake the sin, and to be pardoned, then p^y to God to forgive. [t woulu be absurd to ask forgiveness until a nnn fblt his need of it. This Bhows that a sinner ought to pray, and hew he ought to do it. It sliould be with a desire and purpose tf) forsake sin, and in that state of mind God will hear the prayer. Coinp. Dan. iv. 27. IF If perhaps. There v^ no certainty that God would ^orgive him ; nor is there any evidence either that Simon prayed, or that he was forgiven.— This direction of Peter pre- eents another imiKjrlaiit principle in re- gard to the condu* I of sinners. They are to be directed to repent, not because they
ave the iiromise of (ifrgiveness, and not because they h>]>e to be fi)rgiven, but he- eauflc sin is n i^renf evil, and because it is rifrht and prnper th.-il ihev should repent, whctlier they are (.ircivoii or tH)t. That is In lie l«n l(» lite novereigii mercy of
23 i'or I perceive that thou arl in the gall of bitterness, * and in the bond ' of iniquity.
b Jer.4.13. Heb.12.15. Ita.2d.22.
c Ps. 116.16. Prov.5,
God. They are to repent of sin, and— then they are to feel, not that they hav« any claim on God, but that they are de- pendent on him, and must be saved or lost at his will. They are not to sup{x»e that their tears will purchase (brgivenesa, but that they lie at the foot of mercy, and that there ishope — not certainty— thatGc<i will forgive. The language of the hum- bled sinner is.
" Perhaps he will admit my plea.
Perhaps will hear iny prayer ; But if I perish I will pray,
And porish only there.
" I can but perish if I go, I am resolv'd to try, For if I stay away, I know 1 shall for ever die."
IT The thought, &c. Your purpose, oi wish. Thoughts may be, therefore, evil, and need forgiveness. It is not open sin only that needs to be pardoned ; it is the secret purpose of the soul.
23. For' I perceive. That is, by the act which he had done. His offer had shown a state of mind that was wholly incon- sistent with true religion. One single sin mny as certainly show that there is no true piety as many acts of iniquity. It may be so decided, so malignant, so utterly inconsistent with just views, as at once to determine what the character is. The sin of Simon was of this character. Peter here does not appear to have claimed the power of judging the heart; but he judged, as all other men would, by the act. H In the gall. This word denotes properly bde, or that bitter, yellowish- green fluid that is secreted in the liver. Hence it means any thing very bitter, and also any bad passion of the mind, aa anger, malice, &c. We speak o( bdternest of mind, &c. IT Of bitterness. This is a Hebraism ; the usual mode of expressing the superlative, and means excessive bitter' 7iess. The phrase is used respecting tdo- latry (Deut. xxix. 18), "Lest there should be among vou a root that bearelh gall and wormwoo*!."' A similar expression occuni in Heb xii. If), " Lest any root of bitter- ness springing up, trouble you," Are. Sin is thus represented as a bitter or jioigonoui thing! a tiling not only unjiUasant in its conKe(|uences, but ruinous in its charac. ter, as a poisonous })lant would bo in Ifil niidtit o'-dhfi'- plants. J»r '. 19. " It ia til
\. D. 33.]
CHAP'iEU Viij
139
24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray * ye to the Lord for me, thit none of these things which ye aave spoken come upon me.
25 And they, when they had tes- tified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and
a Ex.8.8. Nu.21.7. lKi.13.6. Job 42.8. Ja.5.16.
evil and bitter thing that thou hast for- saken the Lord thy God." iv. 18 Rom. iii. 14, " Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." Eph. iv. 31. The meaning here is, that the heart of Simon was full of dreadful, malignant sin. IT Bond of iniquity. Or, that thou art bound by ini- quity. That is, that it has the rule over you, and birids you as a slave. Sin is often thus represented as bondage and captivity. Sinners are represented as chained to it, and kept in hard servitude. Ps. cxvi. 16 Prov. v. 22, "He shall be holden with the cords of his sins." Rom. vii. 23, 24. These expressions prove con- clusively that Simon was a stranger to religion.
24. Pray ye, &c. Here remark, (1.) That Simon was directed to pray for him- self (v«r. 22), but he had no disposition to do that. Sinners will often ask others to oray for them, when they are too proud, or too nruch in love with sin, to pray for themselves. (2.) The main thing that Peter wished to impress on him was a sense of his sin. Simon did not regard this, but looked only to the punishment. He was terrified and alarmed ; and he sought to avoid future punishment ; but he had no alarm about his sins. So it is often with sinners. So it was with j^^i- raoh (Ex. viii. 28. 32), and with JeroltOTmi (1 Kings xiii. 6). And so sinners often quiet their own consciences by asking ministers and Christian friends to f>ray for them, wh.le they&XlW purpose to persevere in iniquity. If men expect to be saved, they must pray /or themselves ; and pray not chiefly to be freed from punishment, but from the sin which deserves hell. — This is all that we hear of Simon in the Vevv Testament; and the probability is, that, like many other sinners, he did not pray for himself but continued to live in the gal) of bitterness, and died in the bond of iniquity. The testimony of an- tiquity is decif.ed on that point. See Note, ver. 9.
25. Li many villages, <fec. They went at first directly to the city of Samaria. On their return to Jerusalem, they travelled nooro at leisure, and preached in the vil-
preached the gospel in many vil- lages of the Samaritans.
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south, unto tha way that goeth down from Jerusa- lem unto Gaza ^ which is desert
b Jo3.15.47.
lages also — a good example for the mini*- tors of the gospel, and for all Christians, when travelling from place to place. — The reason why they returned to Jeru- salem, and made that their permanent abode, might have been, that it was im- portant to bear witness to the resurrection of Christ in the very city where he had been crucified, and where his resurrec- tion had occurred. If the doctrine was established there, it would be more easy to establish it elsewhere.
26. Aiid tlie angel of the Lord. The word angel is used in the Scriptures in a great variety of significations. See Note, Matt. i. 20. Here it has been supposed by some to mean literally a celestial messen- ger sent from God ; othei-s have supposed that it means a dream, others a vision, &c. The word properly means a messenger ; and all that it can be shown to signify here is, that the Lord sent a message to Philip of this kind. It is most probable, I think, that the passage means that God communicated the message by his Spirit; for in ver. 29, 39, it is expressly said that the Spirit spake to Philip, &c. Thus in Acts xvi. 7, the Spirit is said to have for bidden Paul to preach in Bythinia ; and in ver. 9, the message on the subject i.s said to have been conveyed in a vision There is no absurdity, however, in sup posing that an angel literally was employ ed to communicate this message to Philip- See Heb. i. 14. Gen. xix. 1 ; xxii. 11. Judg vi. 12. 11 Spake unto Philip. Comp. Malt, ii. 13. IT Arise. See Note, Luke xv. 18 IT And go., &c. Philip had been employed in Samaria. As God now intended to send the gospel to another place, he gave a special direction to Philip to go and convey it. It is evident that God design- ed the conversion oi i\\is eunuch; and the direction to Philip shows how he accom- plishes his designs. Tt is not by miracle, j but by the use of means. It is not by di- rect power withcut truth, but it is by e message fitted to the end. The salvation of a single sinner is an object worthy the attention of God. When such a ainrier n converted, it is because God forms a plan. or purpose to do it. When it is done he
140
THE ACTS.
[A. b. 33
ii7 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, " an '' eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians,
a Ze?h.3.10. 6 Iii».5«.3-5.
mchnes his servants to labour; he directs sheir labours ; he leads his ministers ; and he prepares tiie way (ver. 28) for the re- ception of the truth, f Toivard the south. That is, south of Samaria, where Philip was then labouring. If Unto Gaza. Gaza, or AzzAH (Gen. x. 19), was a city of ^the Philistines, given by Joshua to Jutiah 'Josh. XV. 47. 1 Sam. vi. 17). It was one of the fve princnal cities of the Philis- tines, it was ibniierly a large place; was situated on an eminence, and commanded a beautiful prospect. It was in this place that Samson took away the gates of the city, and bore them offi Judg. xvi 2, 3. It was near Askelon, about sixty miles southwest from Jerusalem. U Which is desert. This may refer either to the way or to the plarfi.. The natural construction is the latter. In explanation of this, it is to be observed that there were two towns of that name, Old and New Gaza. The oropfief Zepha-niah (ii. 4) said that Gaza shr)iild be /orsaAen, i. e. destroyed. "This was partly accomplished by Alexander ihe Great. (Jos. .AntKj. o. xi. ch. viii. ^ 3, 4 ; b. xiii. ch. xiii. $ 3.) Another town was after- wards huiliof the same name, but at some distance from the former; and Old Gaza was abandoned to desolation. Strabo men- tions 'Gaza the desert,' and Diodorus Sicu- lus speaks of 'Oid Gaza.' " {Robin. Cal- met.) Some have supposed, however, that Luke refers h«;re to the road leading to Gaza, as being desolate and uninhabited. But I regard the former interpretation as most natural and obvious. " In this place, in 1823, the American missiona- ries, Messrs. Fisk and King, found Gaza, a town built of stone, making a very mean appearance, and containing about five thou.9and inhabitants." (Hall on ihe A ris.)
27. A man of Ethiopia. Gaza was near the confines between Palestine and Egypt. It was in the direct road from Jerusalem Ui Kcypt- Ethiopia Mas one of the great Kingdoms of Africa, part of which is novv railed Abyssinia. It is frequently men- tioned in Scripture under the name of Cnsh. But Citsh com|irehended a much larger region, including thesoutJiern part of Arabia, and even snmeliines the coiui- tries adjacent to the Tigris and Hnphra- tes. Kihiopia proper lay south of Kgypt, on the Nile, and wan bounded north by
who had iht cl arg« of all her trea- sure, and had come * to Jerusalerr for to worship,
28 Was returning; and, sitting
Egypt, that is, by the cataracts near Sy ene; east by the Red sea, and perhsj* part by the Indian Ocean ; south by un- Icnown regions in the interior of Africa ; and west by Lybia and the deserts. I^ comprehended the moderii kingdoms oi Nubia or Sennaar, and Abyssinia. The chief city m it was the ancient Meroe, situated on the island or tract of the same name, between the Nile and Ashtaboras, not far from the modern Shendi. {Robin- son's Calntet.) V An eunuch, &c. See Note, Matt. xix. 12. Eunuchs were com- monly employed in attendance on the fe- males of the harem ; but the word is often used to denote any confidential officer, or counsellor of state. It is evidently so used here. ^ O/artat autlioritt/. Of high rank; an officer of the court. It is clear from what follows that this man was a Jew. But it is known that Jews were often raised to posts of high honour and distinc- tion in foreign courts, as in the case of Joseph in Egypt, and of Daniel ii^Baby- lon. 1^ Under Candace, &c. Candace is said to nave been the common name of the qneens of Ethiopia, as Pharaoh was of the sovereigns of Egypt. This is ex- pressly stated by Pliny. ("Nat. Hist. vii. 29.; His words are, "The edifices of the city were few; a woman reigned there of the nameof Cand.-vce, which name had been transmitted to these queens for many years." Strabo mentions also a (luoen of Eyuopia of the name of Candace. Speak inPbf an insurrection against the Romans, he says, "Among these were the oflicers ofqueenCANUACF), who in our days reign- ed over the Ethiopian.s." As this could not have been the Candace mentioned here, it is plain that the name was com- mon to these queens — a sort of royal title. She was probably (pieen of Meroe, an important part of Ethiopia. (Bruce's Tra- vels, vol. ii. p. 4'3\— Clarke.) ^ Who had Ihe charge, Arc. The treasurer was an officer o? high trust and responsibility H And had come, Ac. This proves that he was a Jew, or at least a Jevvi.'^h prose- lyte. It was customary for the Jews in foreign lands, as far as practicable, to at- teni! the great feasts at Jerusalem. H« had gone up to attend the Passover, &c See Note, ch. ii. 6.
28. And sittinf! in his Chariot. His car riape: his vehicle The '<>rra of the cat
V D. 33. j
CHAPTER VIII.
41
in his cliariot, read Esaias the pro- phet. 29 Then « the Spirit said unto
a Isa.65.21 Ho3.6.3.
riage is not known. In some instances the carriages of the ancients were placed on wheels ; in others, were borne on poles in the form of a litter or palanquin, by men, or mules, or horses. (See Calmet, art. Chariot..) H Reading Esaias, &c. Lsaiah. Reading doubtless the transla- tion of Isaiah called the Septuagint. This translation was made i-n Egypt, for the special use of the Jews in Alexandria and throughout Egypt, and was that which was commonly used. Why he was reading the Scriptures, and especially this prophet, is not certainly known. It is morally cer- tain, however, that he was in Judea at the time of the crucifixion and resurrec- tion of Jesus : that he had heard much of him; that this would be a subject of discussion ; and it was natural for him, in returning, to look at the prophecies re- specting the Messiah, perhaps either to meditate on them as a suitable subject of inquiry and thought, or perhaps to exa- mine the claims of Jesus of Nazareth to this office. The prophecy in Isa. liii. was so striking, and coincided so clearly with the character of Jesus, that it was natural for a candid mind to examine whether he might not be the person intended by the prophet. — On this narrative we may re- mark, (1.) It is a proper and profitable employment on returning from worship to examine the sacred Scriptures. (2.) It is well to be in the habit of reading the Scriptures when we are on a journey. It may serve to keep the heart fiom worldly objects, and secure the affections for God. (3.) It is well at all times to read the Bi- ble. It is one of the means of grace. And it is when we are searching his wdl, that we obtain light and comfort. The sinner should examine with a candid mind the sacred volume. It may be the means of conducting him in the true path of salva- tion. (4.) God often gives us light in re- gard to the meaning of the Bible in unex- pected modes. How little did this eunuch sxpect \o be enlightened ir the manner in which he actually was. Vet God, who intended to instruct and save him, sent the living teacher, and opened to him the sacred "scriptures, and led him to the Sa- viour. It is probable (ver. 30) that he was reading it aloud.
29. The Spirit. See Note, ver. 26. The {t)ly Spirit is here evidently intended. The 'ijought in Philip's mind is here
Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
S^And Philip ran thither to hirn^
traced to his suggestion. All good thoughts and designs have the same origin. IT Join thyself. Join him in his chariot. Go and sit with him.
30. And Philip ran, &c. Indicating his haste, and his desire to obey thu sugges- tions of the Spirit. A thousand difficulties might have' been started in the mind of Philip if he had reflected a little. The eunuch was a stranger; he had the .^^ pearance of a man of rank ; he was en- gaged in reading ; he might be indisposed to be interrupted or to converse, &c. But Philip obeyed without any hesitation the monitions of the Spirit, and raii to him. — It is well to follow the frst suggestions of the Spirit; to yield to the clear indica tions of duty, and to perform it at once. Especially in a deed of' benevolence, and in conversing with others on the subject of religion, our Jir-ft thoughts are com- monly safest and best. If we do not fol- low them, the calculations of avarice, or fear, or some worldly prudence, are very apt to come in. VVe become alarmed, we are afraid of the rich and the great ; and we suppose that our conversation and admonitions will be unacceptable. — We may learn from this case, (1.) To do our duty at once, without hesitation or debate. (2.) We shall often be disap- pointed in regard to subjects of this kind We shall find candid, humble. Christian conversation far more acceptable to stran gers, to the rich, and to the great, than we commonly suppose. If, as in this case, they are alone; if we approach thera kindly ; if we do not rudely and harshly address them, we shall find most men willing to talk OJi the subject of religion. I have conversed with some hundreds ot persons on the subject of religion, and do not now recollect but two instances in which I was rudely treated, and in which it was not easy to gain a respectful and kind attention to Christian conversation IT And heard him read. He was reading loud — sometimes the best way of impress- ing truth on the mind in our private read ing the Scriptures. '!^ And said, &c. Thif* question, there tnighthave been reason to fear, would not be kindly received. But the eunuch's mind was in such a state that he took no offence from such an in^ quiry, though made by a footman, an(i a stranger. He doubtless recognised hiw as a brother Jew.— It is an important
143
THE ACT.S.
, A. D. 33
and heard him read the prophet Ksaias, and said, Understandest " 'thou what thou readest] ^
31 And he said, How '' caoff ex- cept some man should guide ' me ] And he desired Philip that be would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture
a >Utt.l3.23,51. Ep^.lT. t Ho. 10. 14. e Pi.25.9.
question to a«k ourselves when we read the sacred Scriptures.
31. And he said, &c. Thi« was a gene- ftt. acknowledgment of his need of direc- lion. It evinced a humble slate of rnind. It was an acknowledgment, also, origi- nating pmtebly from this [>articular pas- fcof^e-wnich he was reading. He did not understand how it could f>e applied to the Messiah; how the description of his hu- miliation and condemnation (ver.33j could he reconciled to the prevalent ideas of his l^eing a prince and a conqueror. The Bame sentiment is expressed by Paul in Rr>rn. X. 14. The circurastances, the state of mind in the eunuch, and the result, strongly remind one of the declaration in Ps. XXV. y, "The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way." 1i And he denired, &/:. lie was willing to receive instruction even from a stranger. — The rich and the great may often receive valuaiile instruction from a Btranger, and from a jyxjr, unknown man.
32. 'lliepUire, A:c. Isa. liii. 7, 8. IF lie vMf led, &Lt:. This quotation is taken lite- rally frrjm the SeptuaginL It varies very little from the Hebrew. It has U^en al- mf>st universally understrxjd that this place refers to the Messiah; and Philip expressly applies it to hirn. 'J'he word " was led" V-r/.i'.) implies that he was conducted by others; that he W!i« led Bs a sheep is led to be killed. The {general idea ia that of meekness and suli- rnissif/n when he was led to be put to death; a description that applies in a very striking manner to the lyjrd Jesus. IT To the sl/iiighter. To be killed. The cliaracteristic here recorded is more re- markable in the sheep than in any other anirnals. H And like a Inmh dumb, &cr,. 8riH j>alient, unresisting. IT So he openeA not his moiilh. He fiid not complain, or murmur; he oflcred no resistance, but yielded [>atiently U) what was done by others.
33 fn his humiliation. ThJB varies from the Hebrew, but is copied exactly Ojm tfifvHepluagint, showing that he was readinf^ the Scptuagint. The Hebrew ia
which he read was .his, " He waa led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judg- ment was taken away : and who shall declare his generation? foi his life is taken from the earth.
"he was taken from prison, and from judgment." The word rendered " prison" denotes any kind of detention, or even oppression. It does not mean, as with us, to be confined in a prison or jail, but may mean custody, and be applied to the de- tention or cu.stody of the Saviour when his hands were U>und, and he was led to be tried. Note, Matt, xxvii. 2. It is not known why the LXX. thus translated the expression " he was taken from prison," (fcc. by "in his humiliation." ic. The word " from jiriwjn" may mean, as has been remarked, however, from fjppre$- sif/n, and this does not differ materially from humdialum ; and in this sense the LXX. understfxjd it. The meaning of the expression in the Septuagint and the Acta is clear. It denotes that in his state of oppression and calamity, when he was destitute of protectors and friends, when al the lfnj;esl state of his humiliation, and, thercfijre, most the object of pity, that in ofldition to f//a/, justice was denied him, his judgment — a just sentence — was taken away, or withheld, and he was delivered to be put to death. His deep humiliation and friendless state was followed by an unjust and cruel conrlemnaliori, when no one would stand forth to plead his cause. Every circumstance thus goes to dce[)en the view of his sufferings. H His judg- ment. Justice, a just sentence, was de- nied him. and he was cruelly condemned, IT And v:ho shall declare his generatirm? The word generatif/n used here, properly denotes posterity; then an age of man- kind, comprehending al>out thirty yearn, rts we speak of this and the next genera- tion ; then it denotes the men of a particu- lar age or time. Very various interpro- tatioriH have been given of this expreBuion. lyjwth translates it, " h.fl manner of li(« who would declare?" referring, as h« supfioses, to the fact that when a pri80i)«r was condemned and led to execution, it was customary f^r a proclamation to \m made by a crier in these words. " Who ever knows any thing afnuit his inno cencc, let him come ami der-lare it. This pnswigo is taken from the Gemars
\. if. 33. J
CHAPTER Vlij.
14?
34 And the eunuch arswered Philip, and said, I pray ihee, of
of Babylon. (Kennicott as quoted hij Jj/wlh , The aame Gemara of Baljylon on lliis paxsage adds, " that, before the death of Jesus, lhi:s proclamation was made forty days; but no defence could be fiiund" — a manifest fixisehood ; and a 8'iory strikingly illustrative of the charac- ter of the Jewish writings. The Gemara was written sometime after Christ, per- haps not far from the year 180 i IjirdneT), and is a col.ection of commentaries on the traditional laws of the Jews. Tiiat this custom existed :3 very probable ; but it is cerLain that no such thing was done on the trial of the Saviour. But instances are wanting where the word "generation" has this meaning. The Chaldee para- phra-se translates the passage in Isaiah, " He shall collect our captivity from in- firmities and vengeance ; and who can declare what wonderful things shall \ni done for us i-n his days ?" Others have referred this question to his Deity, or di- vine generation ; intimating that no one could explain the mystery of his eternal generation. But the word in the Scrip- tures hfis no such signification ; and such a sense would not suit the connexion. (See Calvin in loco.; Others have rofi'-r- rod it to his omn spiritual, posteriti/, his disciples, his family; 'the number of his friends and followers who could enume- rate?' {Calvin, Bf.za, &c.) But this as little suits the connexion. Another sense which the word has, is to denote the men of any particular age or time. Matt. xi. 10 ; xxiii. 36. LuKe xvi. 8, A;c. And it has been supfKJsed that the question here means, ' Who can describe the character and wickedness of the generation when he shall live — the enormous crime f/f that age, in pi;!ting him to death ?' This, per- hafjs, is the most probable interpretation of the question, for these rea.sons: (\ ) It i« the most usual signification of the word (see Schleusner;, and would be it>! obvi- ous meaning in any other cor..'^;exion. ;2.; It suits the connexion here, for the prophet imrnedialebj adds as a re/ison for the fact that no one can describe that generaliin, that he was put. to death — a leed r.() enormous, as to make it impossi- 'Je t.r. df-scrihe the wickedness of the pawft- mi!or. that would do it- This wa.s the •urn, the crowning act of human guilt — i deed so enormous as Xf> AcA'y all attempt if description. The rn order of the Mes- siah ; tlie f;rucifiTion of the Sfjn of God ; die killing of the highe«l iiutmcnuer that
whom speakelh Ihe prophet Oiial of himself, or of some other m in ]
heaven could send, was the conHumma- tion of all earthly wickedness. 'I'here was no other deed so enormous that could be i)erfbrmed ; and there w ere no words to (ie.sf;ribe this. Ttie same thing is im- plied in wtiat the Saviour himself said (^."vlatt. xxiii. 37, 38, and Luke xiii. 31, '.'/o, xix. 42), "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem," Ac The idea in these places is, that notwith standing their sin in killing the prcjjhetn, and stoning those that had been sent to them, he would still have been willing to receive and pardon them, but ior this enormous act of wickedness in juitting the Messiah to death — a deed which they were afjout to accom[)lisli^ and which should be attended with the destruction of their state and nation. The Heb- w i word "declare" (Inn. liii. 8j, means j jo- I perly to meditate, to tldnk r/, and thf;ii, to j speak, to declare. It ni(N'uis f)robably in that place, 'Who can think ofj who can conceive the enormity of the crimea of that age, so as fully to publish or df nlaro them.' 1i For his Life, A,c. This is the : act of wickedness just referred to — puf- \ ting the Messiah to death, 'i'he Hebrew : is, " For he was cut off from Ihe land oi ' the living," i. e. ho was put to death The expression used in the Act« v\a8 j taken from the Sepluagint, and means I substantially the same as the Hebrew. I Wt. Answered Philip. 'V\>Mi\H,addres}'ed I Philip. 7'he Hebrews often use the word ' answer as synonymous with addressing i one, whether lie had s[joken or not. H (if I hini?elf, Ace. This was a natural inquiry for there was nothing in the t(^xt ilsell that would determine expressly to whom the reference was. The ancient Jews expressly applied ihe passage to the MeH- siah. Thus the Targurn of Jonathan on Isa. lii. 13, " Beholrl, my servant shall deal j prudently," Ac, renders it, "Behold, my servant, the Messiah, shall be prospered," A:c. But we should remember that the eunuch was probably not deeply versed in the Scriptures. We should remember, further, that he had just been at Jerusa- lem, and that the public mind was agi- tated about the proceedings of the uanhe- drirn in putting Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed \m be the Messiah, to death. It is by no means improbable that this pas- sage had been urged as a proof that he was the Messiah; and that the Jews, tfl evade the force of it, had mr».intained that it referred to Isaiah o- Jeremiah — as they have frnce done. Yel the subject was v
'44
THE ACTS
35 Tlier Philip opene(? his mouth, and beg-an » at the same scri^Hure, and * preached anto him Jesus.
30 And as they wen; on their way, they came unto a certain wa- ter: and the eunuch said, See, here
aLu.24.27. ic. 18.28. cc.10.4T.
irnjwrtant and .so difTicult, that it had oc- cupied the attention of the traveller dur- ing liis journey ; and his question shows that he had been deeply pondering the mqniry whether it coiild refer to Isaiah, or whether it must have reference to the Messiah. In this state of suspense Pnd agitation, when his mind was just fitted to receive instruction, God sent a messen- ger to guide him. — He often thus pre- pares, by his providence, or by a train of affecting and solemn events, the minds of men for a reception of the truth ; and then he sends his messengers to guide the mind thoughtful and anxious, in the way of peace and salvation.
35. Opened his mouth. See Matthe%v. /. 2. II At the same scripture. Taking this as a text to be illustrated. IT Preached unto him Jesus. Showed him that Jesus of Nazareth exactly answered to Uie de- Bcription of the prophet; and that there- fore Mie prophet referred to the Messiah, and that that Messiah was Jesus of Naza- reth. How far Philip detailed the cir- cumstances of the life and death of Christ is unknown. \Vhat follows shows also that he stated the design of baptism, and the duty of being baptized.
36. As they went on their way. In their journey. H A certain water. The expres- sion used here does not determine whe- Iher this wis a river, a brook, or a pond or standing pool. And there are no cir- cumstances to determine that. It is well known, however, that there is no large river, or very considerable stream in this vicinity. All that is intimated is, that there was water enough to perform the rite of baptism, whether that was by Bjirir/kling, pouring, or imme'^ion. It miwi be admitted, I think, that there mighi have been water enough for either. Grotiun says they came "to a ftnivfain which was in the neighbour- fioo*! (tf liethsora, in the Irilie of Juda, at the I'Aentioth milestone from ^Elia {Jem-, ialem) to Hebron' This is, however, a '.radi'ioM taken from Eustbius. The place A n'jli uh)\Mi. (I'ococke.) T mint doth \vidfr m.",, Stf. This shows that he had i>»'.(-u i^wirulcd bv Philin in the nature
[A.D. 35. hinder me l<
IS water ; what d Dth be baptized !
37 And Philip said, If'' thou be- lievest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I ' believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
d Mar.l6.16.c.S.12. « Jno.Il.27. ICor 12.3. IJuo. Hj.
and design of baptism. It evinces a leer a purpose at once to give himself to Christ, to profess his name, and to be dedicated to his service. H To bt baptized. On the meaning of the vvf rd baptize, see Note, Matt. hi. 6.
37. And Picilip said, &c. Tliis was then stated to be '.he proper qualification for making a profession of religion. The terms are, (1.) Faith, that is, a reception of Jesus as a Saviour; yielding the mind to the proper influences of the truths of redemption. See Note, Mark xvi, IG. (2.) There is required not merely the as- sent of the understanding, but a surrender of the heart, the will, the affections, to the truth of the gospel. As these were the proper qualifications then, so they are now. Notliing less is required ; and no- thing but this can constitute a proper qualification for the Lord's supper. IT 1 believe, &c. This profession is more than a professed belief that Jesus was the Mes- siah. The name C/<n>/ implies that. 'I believe that Jesus the Messiah' is. &c. In addition to this, he professed his belief that he was (he Son of God — showirfg either tliat he had before supposed that the Messiah would be the Son of God, or that Philip had instructed him on that point. It was natural for Philip in dis^ coursing on the humiliation and poverty of Jesus, to add also that he sustained n higher rank of being than a man, and waa the Son of God. What precise ideas the eunuch attached to this expression cannot be now determined. This verse is wan^ ing in a very large number of manuscripts {Mill), and has been rejected by many of the ablest critics. It is also omitted in the Syrisc and Ethiopic versions. It is not easy to conceive why it has been omitted in almost all the Greek MSS. un- less it is sjturicus. If it was not in the original copy of the Acts, it was probably inserted by some early transcriber, and was deemed so important to the connex- ion, to show ,hat the eunuch was not ad- mitted hastily to baptism, that it waa af torwards retained. It contains, howovcr, an important truth, elsewhere abundantly tauKhl in the Scriptures, thct faith ie ne-
A. n. 33. J
CHAPTER Vlll.
14S
38 And he commanded the cha- not to stand still : and they went down both into the water, both Philip ard the eunuch ; and he baptized him.
cessary to a proper profession of reU- gion.
38. And they went down both into the water. This passage has been made the subject of much discussion on the subject of baptism. It has been adduced in proof of the necessity of immersion. It is not proposed to enter into that subject here. See Note, Matt. iii. 6. It may be remarked here that the preposition £'?, translated here " into," does not of neces- sity mean that. Its meaning would be as veil expressed by " to" or " unto," or as we should say, ' they went to the water,' without meaning to determine whether they went into it or not. Out of twenty- ^ix significations which Schleusner has given the word, this is one. John xi. 38, " Jesus therefore groaning in himselfj Cometh to (st,-) the grave" — assuredly not into the grave. Luke xi. 49, " I send them prophets." Greek, 'I send to Ois) them nr.)phets' — to them, not into them. Comp. kom. ii. 4. 1 Cor. xiv. 36. Matt. xii. 41, " They repented at (iig) the preaching of Jonas" — not into his preaching. John iv. 5, " Then cometh he to (fi%-) a city of Sa- maria," that is, near to it, for the context shows that he had not yet entered into it. Comp. ver. 6. 8. John xxi. 4, " Jesus stood on i=ii) the shore," that is, not in, but near the shore. These passages show that the word does not necessarily mean that they entered into the water. But (2.) If it did, •t does not necessarily follow that the eu- nuch was immersed. There might be various ways of baptizing, even after they iver'e in the water, besides immersing. Sprinklmg or pouring might be performed there as well as elsewhere. (3.) It is in- cumbent on those who maintain that im- mersion is the 07dy valid mode of baptism, to prove that this passage cannot possibly mean any thing else, and that there v)as no other mode practised by the apostles. (4.) It would be still incumbent to show that if this were the common and even the only mode then, in a warm climate, (fee. that it is indispensable that this mode ehould be practised every where else. No such positive command can be ad- duced. And it follows, therefore, that it cannot be proved that immersion is the only lawful mode of baptism. See No*^, Matt iii. 6.
N
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 on his way rejoicing.*
a lKi.I?.12. Eze.3.12,I4. b Fs.I19.14,lIl.
39. Out of the water, {Ik.) This preposp tion stands opposed to li^, " into ;" and sj that may mean to, so this may mean from, if that means into, this means here out of IT The Spirit of the Lord. See ver. 29 The Spirit had suggested to Philip to go to meet the eunuch and the same Spirit, now that he had fulfilled the design of his going there, diiected his departure. IT Caught away. This phrase has been usually understood of a forcible or mira- culous removal of Philip to some other place. Some have even supposed that he was borne through the air by an angel. (See even Doddridge.) To such foolish interpretations have many expositors been led. The meaning is, clearly, that the Spirit, who had directed Philip to go near the eunuch, now removed him in a simi lar manner. That this is the -meaning is clear, (1.) Because it accounts for all that occurred. It is not wise to suppose the existence of a miracle, except where the effect cannot otherwise be accounted for, and except where there is a plain state- ment that there was a miracle. (2.) The word "caught away" {'y.^7rx<rs) does not •imply that there was a miracle. The word properly means to seize and bear away any thing violently, without the consent of the ov/ner, as robbers and plunderers do. Then it signifies to remove any thing in a forcible manner ; to make use of strength or power to remove it Acts xxiii. 10. Matt xiii. 19. John x. 28, 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4, &c. In rjo case does it ever denote that a miracle is performed. And all that can be signified here is, that the Spirit strongly admonished Philip to go to some other place ; that he so forcibly cr vividly suggested the duty to his mind, as to tear him away, as it were, from the so ciety of the eunuch. He had been deeply interested in tlie case. He would have found pleasure in continuing the journey with him. But the strong convictions of duty urged by the Holy Spirit, impelled him, as it were, to break off this new and interesting acquaintanceship, and to go to some other place. The purpose for which he was sent, to instruct and baptize the ennuch, was accomplished, and now he was called to some other field of labour.— A similar instance of interpretation has been considered in the Notes on Matt
146
THfi ACTS,
A. D. aj
40 Bnt Philip was found at Azotus . and passing through, he
IV. 5. IT And he v)€nt on his way rejoicing. His mind was enlightened on a perplex- mg passage of Scripfure. He was satis- fied respecting the Messiah. He was baptized ; and he experienced that which all feel who embrace the Saviour and are baptized, 70//. It was joy resulting from !he fact "that he was reconciled to God ; and a joy, the natural effect of having done his duty prompliij, in making a pro- fession of religion. — If we wish happiness, if we \vouid avoid clouds and gloom, we shall do our duty at once. If vve delay till to-morrow what vve ought to do to- day, we may expect to be troubled with melancholy thoughts. If vve find peace, it will be in doing promptly jusf. that which God requires at our hands. — This is the last that we hear of this man. Some have supposed that this eunuch carried the gospel to Ethiopia, and preached it tiiere. But there is strong evidence to believe that the gospel was not preached there successfully until about the year 330, when it was introduced by Frumen- tius, sent to Abyssinia for that purpose by Athanaspjs, bishop of Alexandria. — From this-narrative we may learn, (1.) That God often prepares the mind to receive the truth. (2.) That this takco place some- times with the great and the noble, as well as the [>oor and obscure. (3.) We should study the Scriptures. It is the way in which God usually directs the mind in the truths of religion. (4.) They who read the Bible with candour and care, may expect that God will, in some mode, guide them into the truth. It will often be in a way which they least ex- pect ; but they need not be afraid of be- ing left to darkness or error. (5.) We should be ready at all times to speak to Binners. God often prepares their minds, as he did that of the eunuch, to receive the truth. (G.) We should not be afraid of the great, the rich, or of strangers. God often jircparcs their minds to receive the truth ; and we may find a man willing to hear of the Saviour where vve least ex- jKiCtcd it. (7.) Wo should do our duty in this respect, as Philip did, promjitly. We should not delay or hesitate; but ehould at once do that which we believe \a in accordance with the will of God. Soe Y». cxix. f.O.
40. Bui Philip vxis found. Tliat is, he came to Azotus, or he was not heard of until he reached Azotus. The word is oft<in UJ»ed in (hia tenBe. See 1 Chron.
preached ki all the cities, till hj came to Cesarea.
xxix. 17, margin. 2 Chron. xxix. 29, mtv^ gin. Gen. ii 20. See also Luke xvii. 18. Rom. vii. 10. In all these places the wonJ is used in the seuKe of to be, or to be pre itenl. It does not mean hero that there was any miracle in the case, but that Phi- lip, after leaving the eunuch, came to or was in Azotus. IT Azotus. This is the Greek name of the city which by the Hebrews was called Ashdod. It was ono of the cities which were not taken by Jo shua, and which remained in the posses- sion of the Philistines. It was to this place that the ark of God was sent when it was taken by the Philistines from the Israelites ; and here Dagon was cast dowTi before it.' 1 Sam. v. 2, 3. Uzziah, king of Judah, broke down its wall, and built cities or watch-towers around it. 2 Chron. XX vi. 6. It was a place of great strength and consequence. It was distant about thirty miles from Gaza. It was situated on the coast of the Mediterranean, and was a seaport. The distance which Phi- lip had to travel, therefore, was not very great, and as Azotus lay almost directly north of Gaza, it shows that in order to reach it, he must have parted from the eunuch, vvho.se route was almost directly south of Gaza. It is at present inhabited by Arabs chiefly, and is by them called Mezdel. Dr. Wittman describes it at pre- sent as being entered by two small galea In passing through it, he saw several fragments of columns, capitals, &c. In the centre of the town is a handsome mosque with a minaret. The surrounding coun» try is represented as remarkably verdasi' and beautiful. In the neighbourhood there stands an abundance of fine old olive-trees, and the region around it is fer- tile: If He preached in all the cities. Joj> pa, Lydda, Askalon, Arimathea, &:c. lying along the coast of the Mediterranean. IT Cesarea. This city was formerly called Strato\'i Tower. It is situated on the coast of the Mediterranean, at the mouth of a small river, and has a fine harbour It is thirty-six miles south of Acre, and about sixty-two northwest of Jerusalem, and about the same distance northeaal of Azotus. This city is supposed by eotatt to be the Iluzor mentioned in Josh xi. 1 It was rebuilt by Herod the Great, and named ("(csarca in honour of Augu«tul CVsar. The city was dedicated to him' the seaport was called Sebaste, the Greek word for Augustus. It was aiiorned wilk roost splendid houses; aiid th*» teirple ol
A.D. 33,1
CHAPTER IX.
14?
CHAPTER IX.
ND Saul, yet " breathing out - threatenings and slaughter
ac.8.3. Ga.1.13.
Caesar was erected by Herod over-against the mouth of the haven, in which was placed the statue of the Roman emperor. It became the seat of the Roman gover- nor while Judea was a Roman province. Acts xxiii. 33; xxv. 6. 13. Philip after- wards resided at this place. See Acts xxi. 8, 9. Cesarea at present is inhabited only by jackals and beasts of prey. " Per- haps," says Dr.Clarke, "there has not been in the history of the world an example of any city that in so short a space of time rose to such an extraordinary height of splendour as did this of Cesarea ; or that exhibits a more awful contrast to its for- mer magnificence, by the present desolate appearance of its ruins. Not a single in- habitant remains. Of its gorgeous pala- ces and temples, enriched with the choic- est works of art, scarcely a trace can be discerned. Within the space often years after laying the foundation, from an ob- scure fortress, it became the most flourish- ing and celebrated city of all Syria." Now It is in utter desolation. (See Robinson's Calraet, Art. Ccsmrea.)
CHAPTER IX.
This chapter commences a very impor- tant part of the Acts of the Apostles — the conversion and labours of Saul of Tarsus. The remainder of the book is chiefly oc- cupied with an account of his labours and trials in the establishment of churches, and in spreading the gospel through the Gentile world. As the fact that the gos- pel v.'aa to be thus preached to the Gen- hles was a very important fact, and as the toils of the apostle Paul and his feliow- labourers for this purpose were of an ex- ceedingly interesting character, it was desirable to preserve an authentic record of those labours; and that record we have in the remainder of this book. _
1. And Smd. Note, ch. vii. 58 ; viii. 3. He had been engaged before in persecut- ing the Christians, but he now sought op- portunity to gratify his insatiable desire on a larger scale. IT Yet breathing. Not satisfied with what he had done. ch. viii. 3. The word breathing out is expressive often of any deep, agitating emotion as we then breathe rapidly and violently. It s thus expressive of violent anger. The emotion is absorbing, agitating, exhaust- mg, and demands a more rapid circula- tion of blood to supply the exhausted vitality, und this demands a; nereased
against the disciples of the. Lord v/ent unto the high-priest,
2 And desired of him letters tc
supply of oxygen, or vital air, which leads to the increased action of the lungs. The word is often used in this sense in the classics. {Schleusner.) It is a favourite expression with Homer. Euripides haa the same expression; "Breathing out fire and slaughter." So Theocritus; "They came unto the assembly breathing mutual slaughter." Idyll, xxii. 82. IF Threatening. Denunciation ; threatening them with every breath — the action oi a man vio- lently enraged, and who was bent on vengeance. It denotes also intense acti- vity and energy in persecution. IT Slaugh- ter. Murder. Intensely desiring to put to death as many Christians as possible. He rejoiced in their death, and joined in condemning them. Acts xxvi. 10, 11. From this latter place it seems that he had been concerned in putting many of them to death. IF 2%e disciples of the Lord. Against Christians. ^ Went unto the high' priest. Note, Matt. ii. 4. The letters were written and signed in the name, and by the authority of the sanhedrim, oi great council of the nation. The high priest did it as president of that council See ver. 14, and ch. xxii. 5. The high- priest of that time was Theophilus, son of Ananus, who had been appointed a the feast of Pentecost, A. D. 37, by Vitel- lius, the Roman governoi His brother Jonathan had been removed from that ofiice the same year. {Kuinod.)
2. And desired of him. This shows the intensity of his wish to persecute tho Christians, that he was willing to ask foi such an employment. IT Letters. Epistles, implying a commission to bring them to Jerusalem for trial and punishment. From this it seems that the sanhedrim at Jeru- salem claimed jurisdiction over all syna gogues every where. T^ey claimed the authority of regulating every where the Jewish religion. H To Damascus. This was a celebrated city of Syria, and lone the capital of a kingdom of "that name. I is situated in a delightful region abou one hundred and twenty miles northeast of Jerusalem, and about one hundred and ninety miles southeast of Antioch. It is in the midst of an extensive plain, abound ing with cypress and palm-trees, and ey* tremely fertile. It is watered by the ri'^ Barrady, ancienrfy called Abana. 2 Kings V. 12. About five miles from the city is ? place called tho ' meeting of iJie vva
us
THE ACTS.
f A. D. 33
Damaschs to the synagogues, that, if he found uny of ' this way, whe- ther they were men or women, he
» or, the way.
tcrs," -Ahere the Barrady is joined by an- other river, and thence is divided by art into several streams that flow through the plain. These streams, six or seven in number, are conveyed to water the or- chards, farms, &c. and give to the vvhoUi fec-ene a very picturesque appearance. The city, situated in a delightful climate, "n a fertile country, is perhaps among the most pleasant in the world. It is called by the Orientals themselves the paradise on earth. This city is mentioned often in the Old Testament. It was a city in the time of Abraham. Gen. xv. 2. By whom it was founded is unknown. It vvis taken and garrisoned by David, A. M. 2992. 2 Sam. viri. 6. 1 Chron. xviii. 6. It is subsequently ^ riiontioned as sustaining very important ^ parts in the conflicts of the Jews with Syria. 2 Kings xiv. 25 ; xvi. 5. Isa. ix. 11. It was taken by the Romans, A. M. 3939, or about sixty years before Christ ; in whose jxjssession it was when Saul went there. It was conquered by the Saracens, A. D. 713. About the year 1250 it was taken by the Christians in the crusades, and was captured A. D. 1517, by Selim, and has been since under the Ottoman emperors. The Arabians call this city Damasch, or Demesch, or Schams. It is one of the most commercial cities in the Ottoman empire, and is distinguished also for manufactures, particularly for steel, hence called Damas- cus stool. The population is estimated by Ali Bey at two hundred thousand ; Vol- ney states it at eighty thousand ; liassel, at one hundred thousand. Al)out twenty thousand are Maronites of the Catholic church, five thousand Greeks, and one thousand are Jews. The road from Jeru- Balem to Damascus lies between two mountains, not above a hundred paces distant from each other; both are round lit the bottom, and terminate in a point, rha nearest the great road is called Corah, the star, in memory of the dazzling light which is hero said to have appeared to Saul. IT 1\) the si/nagognes. Note, Matt. iv. 23. T'he Jews were scattered nilo nearly all the regions surrounding Judea; and it ).i natural to sup|Kjse that many of I hem would be found in Damas-
KJosephuu assures us that ten thou- d were massacred there in one hour; Hiid !if ano-!her time oighforn thousand, ivitii their V.1VC9 and children. {Jewish War. h. ii. ch. xx. 6 2; b vii ch. viii. t '.'.) |
might bring them hound unto.lera-
& to
sal em. 3 And • as he journeyed, he camr
a lCor.15.8.
See Notes, Acts ii. 9 — 11. By whom th« gospel was preached there, or how they had been converted to Christianity, is un- known. The presumption is, that some of those who had been converted on the day of Pentecost, had carried the gospel to Syria. IT That if, &c. It would seem that it was not certainly Jcnown that there were any Christians there. It was pre- sumed that there were; and probably there was a report of that kind. U Of this way. Of this way or mode of life ; of this kind of opinions and conduct; that is, any Christians. IF He might bring them, &c. To be tried. The sanhedrim at Je- rusalem claimed jurisdiction over reli- gious opinions ; and their authority would naturally be respected by foreign Jews.
i). A7ul as he journeyed. On his way , or while ho was travelling. The place where this occurred is not luiown. Tja- dition has fixed it at the mountain now called Cocab. See Note, on ver. 2. All that we know of it is that it was near to Damascus. IT And suddenly. Like a flash of lightning. IT There shined round about hitn, &c. The language which is expressed here would be used in describ- ing a flash of lightning. Many critica have supposed that God made use O'f a sudden flash to arrest Paul, and that he was thus alarmed and brought to reflec tion. That God viighl make use of such a means cannot be denied. But to this supposition in this case there are some unanswerable objections. (1.) It was de- clar'^d to be the appearance of the Lord Jesus; ver. 27, "Barnabas declared unto them how thavhe had seen the Lord in the way.'' 1 Cor. xv. 8, "And last of all he was seen of me also." 1 Cor. ix. Ij " Have 1 not seen Jesus Chri.=<t our Lord V (2.) Those who were with Saul saw the light, but did not hear the voice. Act* xxii. 9. See Note. This is incredibly on the supposition that it was a flash of li'ght ning near them. (3.) It was manifestly regarded as a message to Saul. The li^hi appeared, and the voice spake to hi"^ The others did net even hear the addrciss Be.'iides, (4.) It was as erusy for Jesus to appear in a supernatural manner, as to ajijtcar amidst thunder and lightning. That tlio Lord Jesus appeared, is dis liiurtly nflirmpd. And we shall see thai it is probable that he would appear in ■ supernatural manner
A D. 33.]
CHAPTER IX.
14 <
near Damascus ; and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven : 4 And he fell to the earth, and
In order to understand this, it may be necessary to make the following remarks : (1.) God was accustomed to appear to the Jews in a cloud ; in a pillar of smoke, or of fire ; in that peculiar splendour which they denominated the Shechinak. In this wav he went before them into the land of Canaan. Ex. xiii. 21, 22. Comp. Isa. iv. 5, 6. This appearance or visible mani- festation they called the glory of Jeho- vah. Isa. vi. 1—4. Ex. xvi. 7, "In the morning ye shall see the glory of the Lord." 10. Lev. ix. 23. Num. xiv. 10; xvi. 19. 42 ; xxiv. 16. 1 Kings viii. 11. Ezek. x. 4. Note, Luke ii. U " The glory of the Lord shone round about tuem.* {2.) The Lord Jesus, in his transfiguration on the mount, had been encompassed with that glory. Notes, Matt. xvii. 1—5. (3.) He nad spoken of similar glory as pertaining to him; as that which he had been in- vested with before his incarnation ; and to which he would return. John xvii. 5, "And now, Father, glorify thou me, &c. with the glory which I had with thee be- fore the world was." Matt. xxv. 31, "The Son of man shall come in his glory." Comp. Matt. xvi. 27 ; xix. 28. To (his glory he had returned when he left the earth. .''4.) It is a sentiment which cannot be shown to be incorrect, that the various appearances of " the angel of Je- hovah," and of Jehovah, mentioned in the Old Testament, were appearances of the Messiah ; the God who should be incar- nate ; the peculiar protector of his people. See Isa. vi. comp. with John xii. 41. (5.) If the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul, it w ould be in this manner. It would be in his appropriate glory and honour, as the ascended Messiah. That he did ap- pear is expressly affirmed. (6.) This was 271 occasion when, if ever, such an appear- ance was proper. The design was to con- vert an infuriated persecutor, and to make him an apostle. To do this it was neces- sary that he should see the Lord Jesus. 1 Cor. ix. 1, 2. The design was further to make him an eminent instrument in carrying the gospel to the Gentiles. A eignal miracle ; a demonstration that he was invested with his appropriate glory (John xvii. 5) ; a calling up a new witness to the fact of his resurrection, and his solemn investment with glory in the hea- vens, seemed to be required in thus call- ing a violent persecutor to be an apostle
N?
heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why perseeutest thou meT*
5 And he said. Who art thou,
a Mitt.25.40,45.
and friend. (7.) We are to regard thii appearance, therefore, as the reappear- ance of the Shechinah, the Son of Gort invested with appropriate glory, appear- ing to convince an enemy of 1 is ascen- sion, and to change him from a foe to a friend. ^
It has been objected that as the Lore Jesus had ascended to heaven, that it cannot be presumed that his body would return to the earth again. To this we may reply, that the New Testament has thrown no light on this. Perhaps it is not necessary to suppose that his body re- turned, but that he made such a visible manifestation of himself as to convince Saul that he was the Messiah. ^ From heaven. From above ; from the sky. In Acts xxvi. 13, Paul says that the light was above the brightness of the sun at mid- day.
4. And he fell to the earth. He was as- tonished and overcome by the sudden flash of light. There is a remarkable similarity betvveen wltf|toccurred here, and what is recorded o^Vaniel in regard to the visions which he saw. Dan. viii. 17. Also Dan. x. 8, "Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision; and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness (vigour) was turned into cor- ruption, and I retained no strength." The effect was such as to overpower the body. IF And -heard a voice. The whole com- pany heard a voice (ver. 7), but did nol distinguish \y as addressed particularly to Saul. He heard it speaking to himself. IT Saying unto him, &c. This shows that it was noi thunder, as many have supposed. It was a distinct articulation or utterance, addressing him by name. IF Saul, Soul. A mode of address that is emphatic. The repetition of the narnewould fix his at- tention. Thus Jes^Mtadresses Martha (Luke X. 41), and ^|Hr(Luke xxii. 31), and Jerusalem (MattTx^iii. 37). IT Why For what reason. Jesus had done hira no injury ; had given him no provocation. All the opposition of sinners to the Lord Jesus and his church, is without cause See Note, John xv. 25, " They hated me without a cause." IT Perseeutest. Note, Matt. V. 11. IT TJiou me? Christ and hia people are one. John xv. 1 — 6. To per secute them, tliorefore, was to persecute him. Matt. xxV. 40. 45.
5. And he said, who art thou Lor^
dO
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 33.
r.ord ? And the Lord w^aid, I^ am Jesus, Avhom thou persecutest : it is nard for thee to kick ° against the pricks.
a c.5.39.
The word Lord here, as if frequently the case in the IS'ew Testament, means no more than sir. John iv. 19. It is evident that Saul did not as yet know that this \va.s the Lord Jesus. He heard the voice as of a man ; he heard himself addressed ; ■R by whom the words were spoken, Aas to him unknown. In his amazement and confusion, he naturally a.sked who it was that was thus addressing him. ^ And the luord said. In this place the word Lord is used in a higher sense, to denote the Saviour. It is his usual appellation. See Note, Acts i. 24. H / am Jesus. It e clear from this, that there was a per- sonal appearance of the Saviour; that he was present to Saul ; but in what particu- iar form — whether seen as a man, or only appearing by the manifestation of his glorj', is not affirmed. It was a personal appearance, however, of the Lord Jesus, designed to take the work of converting Buch a persecutor into his own hands, without the ordu|^y means. Yc* he de- eigned to convwPnim in a natural way. He arrested his attention; fdled him with alarm at his guilt; and then presented tlie truth respecting himself In ch. xxii. 8, the expression is thus recorded : " I am Jesus of Nazareth," <i'C. There is no contradiction, as Luke here records only a j)art of what was said ; Paul afterwards stated the whole. This declaration was fitted peculiarly to humble and mortify Saul. There can be no doubt that he nad often blasphemed his name, and pro- fanely derided the notion that the Mes- siiih could come out of Nazareth. Jesus here uses, however, that very designation. 'I am Jesus t/ie Nazarene, the object of your contempt and scorn.' Yet Saul saw him now invested wilh peculiar glory. Tl // is hard, <V'c. J|fci8 is evidently a pro- verbial expressi^^Htuinoel has quoted numerous placea^Which a similar mode of expression occurs in (ireek writers. Thus Kuripides, Bacch. 791, "I, who am a frail mortal, shftuld rather sacritice to him who is a fJod, than by giving place to anger, kick naninst the pofids." So Pin- dar, Pylh. ii. 173, "It is profitable to bear willingly the assimied yoke. To kick figainst the goad is pernicious conduct." K«i Terence, Phome. 1. 2. 27. "It is fbol- ishnesH fnr thee to kick against a goad." Ovid has the same /oeo, Trist. b. ii 15.
6 And he, trembling and asto- nished, said, Lord, Avhat '' wilt thou have me to do 1 And the Lord saia unto him, Arise, and go into tho
te. 16.30,
The word translated " pricks" here (x£VTf x), means properly anv sharp point which will pierce or perforate, as the sting of a bee, &c. But it commonly means an ox-goad, a sharp piece of iron stuck into the end of a slick, with which the ox \s urged on. These goads am« ng the Hebrews were made very large Thus Shamgar slew six hundred n in with one of them. Judg iii. 31. Comp. 1 Sam. xiii. 21. The expression To kick agaijist the prick, or the goad, is derived from ii.v action of a stubborn and unyield- ing ox, kicking against the goad. And as the ox would injure no one by it but him- self; as he would gain nothing; it comes to denote an obstinate and retractory dis- position »nd course of conduct, opposing motir » :o good conduct; resisting the authrhity of him who has a right to com- mand ; and opposing the leadings of Pro- vJence, to the injury of him who makes 'iie resistance. It denotes rebellion against lawful authorit}-, and thus getting into greater difficulty by attempting to opjwse the commands to duty. This is the con- dition of every sinner. If men wish to be happy, they should cheerfully submit to the authority of God. They should not rebel against the dealings of Providence. They should not murmur against their Creator. They should not resist the claims of their consciences. By all this they would only injure themselves. No man can resist God or his own conscience and be happy. And nothing is more dif- ficult than for a man to pursue a course of pleasure and sin against the admoni- tions of God and the reproofs of his own conscience. Men evince this temper in tho following ways: (1.) By violating plain aws of God. (2.) By attempting to resist his claims. (3.) By refusing to do what their conscience requires. (4.) By grieving the Holy Spirit, by attempting to free themselves f"rom serious impressions and niarms. They will return with ro doubled frequency and jiower. (f).) B\ pursuing a course of vice and wicked ness against what they know to be right (fi.) By refusing to submit to the dealii>g8 of Providence. And (7.) In any way by opposing (!od. and refusing to submit to his authority, and to do what is right,
G. And hetrcmhlitif^. Alarmed at what he saw and heard and at tho conscioua-
D. 33.]
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151
fity, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
ness of his o»vi evil course. It is not remarkable that a sinner trembles when he sees his guilt and danger. IF And as- tonished. At what he saw. ^ Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? This iiidicates a Bubdued soul; a humbled spirit. Just before, he had sought only to do his own will ; now he inquired what was the will of the Saviour. Just before he was acting under a commission from the San- hedrim; now he renounced their su- preme autho^itJ^ and asked what the Lord Jesus would have him to do. Just before he had been engaged in a career of opposition to the Lord Jesus ; now he sought at once to do his will. This indi- cates the usual change in the sinner. The great controversy between him and God is, whose will shall be followed. The sinner follows his own ; the first act of the Christian is to surrender his own will to that of God, and to resolve to do that which he requires. We may farther re- mark here, that this indicates the true nature of conversion. It is decided, prompt, immediate. Paul did not debate the matter (Gal. i. 16) ; he did not in- quire what the scribes and Pharisees would j^ay ; he did not consult his ovm reputation; he did not ask what the world would think. With characteristic promptness ; with a readiness which showed what he would yet be ; he gave himself up at once, and entirely, to the Lord Jesus ; evidently with a purpose to io his will alone. This was the case ilso with the jailer at Philippi. Acts'xvi ^0. Nor can there be any real conver- ijion where the heart and will are not given to the Lord Jesus, to be directed and moulded by him at his pleasure. We may test our conversion then by the example of the apostle Paul. If our hearts have been given up as his was, we are true friends of Christ. ^ Go into She city. Damascus. They were near it. 7er. 3. IF And it shall be told thee. It is remarkable that he was thus directed. But we may learn from it^ (1.) That even in the most striking and remarkable cases of conversion, there is not at once a clear view of dut". What course of life should be followed ; what should be done ; nay, what should be believed, is not at once apparent. (2.) The aid of others, and especially of ministers, and of expe- rienced ChriBtiaiis, is often very desira- ble to aid even those who are converted K »he raosi remarkable manner. Saul
7 And the men which lourneyeil with him stood speechless, h ear-
was converted by a miracle : the Savioui appeared to him in his glory ; of tho truth of his Messiahship he had no doubt, but still he was dependent on an humble disciple in Damascus to be uistructed|^ what he should do. (3.) Those who^ro converted, in hoWever striking a manner it may be, should be willing to seek the counsel of those who are in the church and in the ministry before them. The most strikuig evidence of their conver- sion will not prevent their deriving im- portant direction and benefit from the aged, the experienced, and the wise in the Christian church. (1.) Such remark- able conversions are fitted to induce the subjects of the change to seek counsel and direction. They produce humility, a deep sense of sin and of un worthiness ; and a willingness to be taught and di- rected by any one w'ho can point out the way of duty and of life.
7. And the men which journeyed with him. Why these men attended him is unknown. They might have been appointc<l to aid him, or they may have been travellers with whom Saul had accidentally fallen in. ^ Stood speechless. In Actsxxvi. 14, it is said that they all fell to the earth at the appearance of the light. But there is no contradiction. The narrative in that place refers to the immediate effect of the appearance of the light. They were immediately smitten to the ground to- gether. This was before the voice spako to Saul. Acts xxvi. 14. In this place (ix. 7) the historian is speaking of vi'hat occurred after the first alarm. There is no improbability that they rose from the ground immediately, and surveyed the scene with silent amazement and alarm. The word speechless (iwiu) properly do notes those who are so astonished or stupi fied as to be unable to speak. In the Greek writers it means those who are deaf and dumb. IT Hearing a voice. Hearing a sound or noise. The word here rendered voice is thus frequently used, as in Gen. iii. 8 1 Sara. xii. 18. Ps. xxix. 3, 4. Matt. xxiv. 31. (Greek,) 1 Thess. iv. 16. In Acts xxii. 9, it is said, " They which were with me (Paul) saw indeed the light, and were afraid, but they heard not the voice of him that i^ake to me." In this place, the words, " heard not the voice," must be understood in the sense of understanding the words, of hearing the address, the distinct articulation, which Paul heard They heard a noise, they were amazed
152
THE ACTS.
LA. D. 33
tn^ a voice, bui "■ seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth ; nnd when his eyes Avere opened, he «aw no man : but they led him by 'uhe hand, and brought him into Da- mascus.
a.Da.10.7,
■■alarmed, but they did not hear the diTO^nct words addre^ed to Saul. A similar instance we ha\e in Tohn xii. 28, 29, when ihe voice of God came from heaven to Jesus. "The people who Btood by and heard it said it thundered." They heard the sound, the noise ; they did 710^ distinguish the words addressed to him. See also Dan. x. 7, and 1 Kings xix. 11—13.
8. When his eyes were opeiied. lie na- turally closed them at the appearance of the light ; and in his fright kept them closed for some time. H He saw no man. This darkness continued three days. ver. 9. There is no reason to suppose that there was a miracle in this blindness, for in ch. xxii. 11, it is expressly said to have been caused by tho intense light. " And when 1 could not see for the glory of that light," &c. The intense, sudden light had so affected the optic nerve of the eye as to cause a temporary blinduoss. This olTect is not uncommon. The dis- ease of the eye which is thus produced is called amaurosis, or more commonly gutta Serena. It consists in a loss of sight without any apparent defect of the eye. Sometimes the disease is periodical, com- ing on suddenly, continuing for three or four days, and then disapjjearing. {Web- sfer.) A disease of this kind is often caus- ed by excessive light. Wiien we look at the sun, or into a (iirnace, or into a cruci- ble, with fused metal, we are conscious of a temporary pain in the eye, and of a momentary blindness. " In northern and tropical climates, from the glare of tne sun or snow, a variety of amaurosis (gutta Serena) occurs, which, if it pro- duces blindness during the day, is named nyctalopia, if during the night, hemera- h.pift. Another variety exists in which the individual is blind all day, until a certain hour, when he sees disUnctly, or he sees and in blind every alternate day, or is only blind one day in the week, fortnight, or month." (Kilin. Enc-yc. Art. Surgery.) A total loss of sight ha|| been the consequence of looking at me sun during an edijjse, or of watching it as it ■eta in the vvcKt. This eflrct is caused by the intense action of tho light on the o{>- tic nerve or sonnetinies fro.n a disorder
9 And he was three days with- ont si^ht, and neither did eat noi drink."
10 And there was a certain dis- ciple at Damascus, named Anani- as ;' and to him said the Lord in a
ic. 22.12.
oTthe brain. A case is mentioned by Michaelis {Kuinoel in loco) of a man who was made blind by a bright flash of light- ning, and who continued so foi foui weeks, who was again restored to sigh in a tempest by a similar flash of light ning. Electricity has been found one of the best remedies for restoring sight in such cases
9. And neither did eat nor drink. Pro bably because he was overwhelmed with a view of his sins, and was thus indis- posed to eat. All the circumstances would contribute to this. His past life 5 his great sins ; the sudden change in his views ; his total absorption in the vision ; perhaps also his grief at the loss of his sight, would all fill his mind, and indis- pose him to partake of food. Great grief always produces this effect. And it is not uncommon now for an av\'akened and convicted sinner, in view of his past sins and danger, to be so pained, as to destroy hi-s inclination for food, and to produce in voluntary fasting. We are to refnembei also that Paul had yet no assurance offer giveness. He was arrested ; alarmed ; con- vinced that Jesus was the Messiah ; and humbled, but he had not comfort. He was brought to the dust, and left to three pain- ful days of darkness and suspense, before it was told him what he was to do. In this painful and perplexing state, it was natural that he should abstain from food. This case should not be brought now, however, to prove, that convicted sin- ners must remain in darkness and under conviction. Saul's case was extraordi nary. His blindness was literal. This state of darkness was nece.s.sary to hum- ble him and fit him for his work. But the moment a sinner will give his herirl to Christ, he may find peace. If he re- sists, and rebels longer, it will be his own fault. By the nature of the case, as well as by the promises of the Bible, if a sin- ner will yield himself at v^/ice to the Lord Jesus, he may oI)tain peace. That f'ln ners do not sooner obtain jieace, is bo cause they do not sooner sjubmit them* selves to God.
10. A certain disciple. A Christian. Many have supjwsed that he was one of the seventy di.scii)les. But nothing more
A. D. 33.1
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153
vision, Ananias, And he said, Be- hold, I am here^ Lord.
1 1 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which
is certainly known of him than is related here. He had very probably been some time a Christian (ver. 13), and had heard of Saul, but v\ ai personally a stranger to him. In ch. xxii. 12, it is said that he was a devout man according to the law, hav- ing a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there. There was wisdom in send- ing such a Christian to Saul, as it might do much to conciliate the minds of the Jews there towards him. IT Said the Lord. The Lord Jesus is alone mentioned in all this transaction. And as he had com- menced the work of converting Saul, it is evident that he is intended here. See Note, ch. i. 24. IT /n a vision. Perhaps Dy a dream. The main idea is, that he -evealed his will to him in the case. The word vision is often used in speaking of die communications made to the prophets, and commonly means that future events were made to pass in review before the mind, as we look upon a landscape. See Isa. i. 1. Gen. xv. 1. Num. xii. 6. Ezek. XI. 24. Acts X. 3; xi. 5; xvi. 9. Dan. ii. 19; vii. 2; viii. 1, 2. 26,- x. 7. Note, Matt, xvii. 9.
1 1. Lito the street lohich is called Straight. This street extends now from the eastern to the western gate, about three miles, crossing the whole city and suburbs in a direct line. Near the eastern gate is a house, said to be that of Judah, in which Paul lodged. There is in it a very small closet, where tradition reports that the apostle passed three days without food, till Ananias restored him to sight. Tra- dition also says that he had here the vision recorded in 2 Cor. xii. 2. There is nlso in this street a fountain whose water IS drunk by Christians, in remembrance of that which, they suppose, the same fcuntain produced for the baptism of Paul. (Rob Caimet.) IT Of Tarsus. This city was the capital of Cilicia, a province of Asia Minor. It was situated on the banks of the river Cydnus. It was distinguished ht the culture of Greek philosophy and iterature, so that at one time in its schools, and in the number of its learned men, it was the rival of Athens and Alex- andria. In allusion to this, perhaps, Paul Bays that he was " born in Tarsus, a citi- zen of no mean city." Acts xxi. 39. In reward fcr its exertions and sacrifices during the civil w.ars of Rome, Tarsus w.-as made a free city hv Augustus. See
is called Straiirht, and invjuire io the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus : for behold, he prayeth,
Note, Acts xxii. 28. 24; xxi. 39; xvi. 37. Ii BehUd he prayeth. This gives us a fuU mdication of the manner in which Saul passed the tnree days mentioned in ver 9. t is plain from what follows, that Anani- as regarded Saul as a foe to Christianity, and that he would have been apprehen- sive of danger if ^e were with him. ver. 13, 14. This remark, "behold he pray- eth," is made to him to silence his fears, and to indicate the change in the feelings and views of Saul. Before, he was a per- secutor; now his change is indicated by his giving himself to prayer. That Saul did not pray before, ;s not implied by this ; for he fully accorded with the customs oi the Jews. Phil. iii. 4 — 6. But his prayers then were not the prayers of a saint. They were then the prayers of a Phari- see (comp. Luke xviii. 10, &c.); now they were the prayers of a broken-hearted sin- ner; then he prayed depending on his own righteousness; now, depending on the mercy of God in the Messiah. — We may learn here, (1.) That one indication of conversion to God is real prayer. A Christian may as well be characterized by that as by any single appellation — 'a man of prayer.' (2.) It is always the at- tendant of true conviction for sin, that we pray. The convicted sirmer feels his dan- ger, and his need of forgiveness. Con- scious that he has no righteousness him- self, he now seeks that of anot'^er, and depends on the mercy of God. Before he was too proud to pray ; now, he is will- ing to humble himself through Jesus Qirist, and ask for mercy. (3.) It is a suf- ficient indication of the character of any man to say, ' behold, he prays.' It at once tells us, better than volumes would with> out this, his real character. Knowing this, we know all about him. We at once confide in his piety, his honesty, his hu- mility, his willingness to do good. It ia at once the hidicotion of his state with God, and the pledge that he will do his duty to men. We mean, of course, reed prayer. Knowing that a man is sincere, and humble, and faithful in his private devotions, and in the devotions of his family, we confide in him, and are will- ing at once t^ trust to his readiness to do all that he is cc^vinced that he oiisht ta do. Ananias, apprized of this in Saul, had full evidence of the change of his charao Jer. and was cnn "^iced that he ought 4»»
k54
12 And liath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming iii, and putting his hand on him, that he might leceive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, 1 have heard by many of this man " how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem :
14 And here he * hath authority IVom the chief priests to bind all that call '^ on thy name.
a lTim.1.13. fc ver.2I. c ICor.1.2. 2Tim.2.22. dc.13.2. Ro.1.1. lCor.15.10. Gal. 1.15. Eph.3.7,8.
THE ACTS. [A.D 33
15 Bui, cliC Lord said unto hufi, Go thy way : for '^ he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before ^ the Gentiles, and kings, ^ and the ^ children of Israel.
16 For I will shew him how great thingg he must sufTer '' for my name's sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting * his hands on him, ssdd,
eRo.n.13. Gal.2.7,8. / C.25.23.&.C. g- c.28,17,*b., h c.20.23. 2Cor.l 1.23-27. 2Tim.l.lI,12. t c.8.17.
lay aside all his former views, and at once to seek him, and to acknowledge him as a broliier.
12. And he hath seen in a vision, &.c. When this was shown U) Saul, or how, is not recorded. The vision was shown to Saul to assure him when he came that he was no impostor. He was thus pre- pared to receive consolation from this dis- ciple. He was even apprized of his name, that he might be more confirmed.
13,14. I have heard by many, &LC. This \as in the Vision, ver. 10. The passage { such a train of thoughts through the mind was perfectij' natural at the com- Tiand to go and search out Saul. There jiould instantly occur all that had been *eard of his fury in persecution; and the expression here may indicate the state of a mind amazed that such an one should /leed his counsel, and afraid, perhaps, of I'atrusting himself to one thus bent on persecution. All this evidently passed in the dream or vision of Ananias ; and per- haps cannot be considered as any delibe- rate unwilHngness to go to him. It is clear, however, that sucfi thoughts should have been banished, and that he should have gone at once to the praying Saul. When Christ commands, we should suffer no suggestion of our own thoughts, and no apprehension of our own danger, to interfere. IT By many. Probably many who had fled from persecution, and had taken refuge in Damascus. It is also evi- dent (ver. 14), that Ananias had been ap- lirized, perhaps by letters from the Chris- tians at Jerusalem, of the purpose which Saul had in view in now going to Dama.s- CU8. ^ To thy saints Christians; called Baints (XT'! oi) "because they are holy, or consecrated to God.
15. Go thy imy. This is often the only answer that we obtain to the Ruggesiion of our doubts and hesitations about duly. Go<l tells us still to do what he requires, with an as.Hurance only that his commands
are just, and that there are good reasons for them. IT A chosen vessel. The usua. meaning of the word vessel is well kno\vn It usually denotes a cup or basin, such aa is used in a house. It then denotes any instrument which may be used to accom- plish a purpose, perhaps particularly with the notion of conveying or communicating. In the Scriptures it is used to denote the instrument or agent which God employs to convey his favours to mankind ; and is thus employed to represent the ministers of the gospel, or the body of the minister. 2 Cor. iv. 7. 1 Thess. iv. 4. Comp. Isa. X. 5. Paul is called chosen because Christ had selected him, as he did his other apostles, for this service. Note, John XV. 16. IT To bear my vame. To communicate the knowledge of me. IT Be fore the Gentiles. The nations ; all who were not Jews. This was the prijicipai employment of Paul. He spent his life in this, and regarded himself as peculiarly called to be the apostle f)f the Gentiles. Rom. xi. 13; xv. 10. Gal. ii. 8. '^ And kings. This was fulfilled, Acts xxv. 23, &c. xxvi. 32; xxvii. 24. it Arid the chil- dren oj Israel. The Jews. Tliis was dona He immediately began to preach to them, ver. 20 — 22. Wherever he went, h« preached the gospel first to them, and then to the Gentiles. Acts xiii. 4G; xxviii 17.
16. Far I will shew him, &c. IVi. seems to be added to encourage Ananias He had feared Saul. The Lord now in f()rms him that Saul, hitherto his enemy would ever after be his friend. He would not merely profess repentance, but would manifest the sincerity of it by encounter- ing trials and reproaches for his sake. The predirtion here was fully accom- jilished, ch. XX. 23. 2 Cor. xi. 23—27 2 Tim. i. 11.12
17. Putting his hands on him. This v\a8 not ordination, but was the usua mode^jf imparting or oommunif atin#
\ 0. 35.]
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155
Br,)ther Saul, the Lord, eveii Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, Hnd *» be filled with the Holy Ghost.
blessings. See Note Matt. xix. 13; ix. 18. f Brother Saul. An expression recog- nising him as a fellow-ciiristian. IT Be filled with the Holy Ghost. Note, Acts ii.4. 18. As it had been scales. Jxnl KirrlSig, Tne word <i3-s/, "as it had been," is de- signed to qualify the following word. It is not said that scales literally fell from his eyes ; but that an effect followed as if scales had been suddenly taken off Evidently the whole expression is design- ed to mean no more than this. The effect was such as would take place if 6ome dark, impervious substance had been placed before the eyes, and had been suddenly removed. The cure was ns sudden, the sight was as immediate, as if such an interposing substance had been suddenly removed. This is all that the expression fairly implies, and this is all that the nature of the case demands. As the blindness had been caused by the natural effect of the light, probably on the optic nerve (ver. 8, 9, Note), it is mani- fest that no literal removing of scales would restore the vision. We are there- fore to lay aside the idea of literal scales falling to the earth ; no such thing is affirmed, and no such thing would have met the case. The word translated scales s used nowhere else in the New Tes- tament. It means properly the small crust or layer which composes a part of the covering of a fish, and also any thin layer or leaf exfoliated or separated ; as scales of iron, bone, or a piece of bark, (fee. (Webster.) An effect similar to this is described inTobit xi. 8. 13. It is evi- dent that there was a miracle in the healing of Saul. The blindness was the natural effect of the light. The cure was by miraculous power. This is evident, (1.) because there were no means used that would naturally restore the sight. It may be remarked here that gutta serena has been regarded by physicians as one of the most incurable of diseases. Few eases are restored ; and few remedies are efficacious. (See Ed. Encyc. Art. Sur- gery, on Amaurosis.) (2.) Ananias was sent pjrthis very purpose to heal him. ver. 17. (3.) The immediate effeS^ shows that this was miraculous. Had h been a sloro re- i-ovorv, it might have been doubtful, but here it was instantaneous, and thus put
18 And immediately there felJ from his eyes as it had been scales ; and he received sight forthwith and arose, and was baptized.
19 And when he had received
beyond a question that it was a miracle. IT Arid was baptized. In this he followeo the example of all the early converts te Christianity. They were baptized irarae diately. See Acts ii. 41 ; viii. 12. 3G— 39
19.' Had received meal. Food. Tho ■word meat has undergftie a change since our translation was made. It then meant, as the original does, food of all kinds- IT With the disciples. With Christians. Comp. Acts ii. 42. IT Certain days. How long is not known. It was long enough, however, to preach the gospel.- ver. 22. ch. xxvi. 20. It might have been for some months, as he did not go to Jerusalem under three years from that time. He remained some time at Damascus, and then went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus, and then went to Jerusa- lem. Gal. i. 17. This visit to Arabia Luke has omitted, but there is no contra- diction. He does not affirm that he did not go to Arabia.
We have now passed through the account of one of the most remarkable conversions to Christianity that has ever occurred — that of the apostle Paul. This conversion has always been just- ly considered as a strong proof of the Christian religion. For, (1.) This change could not have occurred by any want of fair prospects of honour. He was distinguished already as a Jew-. He had had the best opportunities for edu- cation that the nation afforded. He had every prospect of rising to distinction and office. (2.) It could not have been produced by any prospect of wealth or fame, by becoming a Christian. Chris- tians were poor; and to be a Christian then was to be exposed to contempt, per secution, and death. Saul had no reason to suppose that he would escape the com- mon lot of Christians. (3.) He was as firmly opposed to Christianity before his conversion as possible. He had already distinguished himselffor his hostility. Infi- dels often say that Christians are preju- diced in favour of their religion. But here was a man, at first, a bitter infidel, and foe to Christianity. All the prejudices of his education, and his prospects, all his former views and feelings, were opposed to the gospel of Christ. He became however, one of its most firra advocate*
156
THE ACTS.
[A, D. 35.
meat, he was strcRgthened. Then was Saul »:;ertaii days with th3 disciples which were at Damas- cus.*
20 And straightway he preach- ed Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
Ql But all that heard him were * aicazed, and said. Is not this he *
• C.26.20. Ga.1.17. b Ga. ..13,23. e c.S.3.
nd friends ; and it is for infidels to ac- c<)i.int for this chaise. There must have been some cause, some motive for it; and is there any thing more raUonal than the supposition, that Saul was convinced in a most striking and wonderful manner of the truth of Christianity ? (4.) His sub- sequent Jife showed that his change was sincere and real. He encountered dan- ger and persecution to evince his at- fachment to Christ ; he went from land to land, and exposed himself to every danger, and everv mode of obloquy and scorn, always rejoicing that he was a (Christian, and was permitted to suffer as a Christian; and has thus -given the highest proofs of his sincerity. If these sufferings, and if the life of Paul were not evidences of sincerity, then it would be impossible to fix on any circumstances if a man's life that would furnish proof Lhat he was not a deceiver. (5.) If Paul was sincere ; if this conversion was ge- nuine, the Christian religion is true. Nothing else but a religion from heaven could prf)duce this change. There is here, therefore, the independent testimo- ny of a man, who was once a persecutor ; converted, not by the preaching of the apostles; changed in a wonderful man- ner ; his whole life, views, and feelings revolutionized, and all his subsequent days evincing the sincerity of his feel- ings, and the reality of the change. He 13 just such a witness as infidels ought to DC satisfied with ; whose testimony can- not be impeached ; who had no interested motives, and who was willing to stand f'^rth any w'here, and avow his change of feeling and purpose. We adduce him as iuch a witness; and infidels are homid to dispose of his testimony, or to embnue the r^.igion which he embracod. (G.) The example of Saul does not stand alone. Hundreds nnd thousands of enemies, ^rseculors, nnd slanderers have beer. ';hanged, and each one becomes a living witnoKS of the power and truth of the Christian religion. The Hcoffer bocoirics fpvoront; the profane man loarna to
that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that hfl might bring them bound unto the chief priests 1
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, ** and confounded the * Jews, which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
dPs.S4.7. ec.lS.28.
speak the praise of God ; the sullen, hil- ter foe of Christ becomes his friend, and lives and dies under the influence of hi* religion. Could better proof be asked that this religion is from God ?
20. And straightway. Immediately This was an evidence of the genuine- ness of his conversion, that he wa.s willing at once to avow himself to be the friend of the Lord Jesus. IT He preached Chriat. He proclaimed and proved that Jesua was the Christ. See ver. 22. Many ma- nuscripts read here Jesus instead ol Christ. Griesbach has adopted this reaa- ing. Such is also the Syriac, the Vulgate and the Ethiopic. This reading accords much better with the subject than the common reading. That Christ, or the Messiah, was the son of God, all admitted. In the New Testament the names Christ and Son of God are used as synonymous But the question was, whether Jesus was the Christ, or the Son of God, and this Paul showed to the Jews Paul con tinued the practice of attending the syna gogues; and in the synagogues anyone had a right to speak, who was invited by the officiating minister. See ch. xiii. 15 H That he is the Son of God. That be i» the Messiah.
21. Were amazed. Amazed at his sud r.cn and remarkable change. IT That- destroyed. That opposed ; laid waste ; or persecuted. Comp. Gal. i. 13. H Fof that intent. With that design, that ne might destroy the church at Damascua.
22. Increased the more in strength. Hw conviction of the truth of the Christian re- ligion became stronger every day. Henc« his moral strengtli or boldness incroau- c{]. 11 Arid confounded. See Acts ii. h 'I'he word here means confuted. It mean* also occasionally to produce a tumuit, or excitement. Acts xix. 32; xxi. 3] Perhaps the idea of producing such a tumult is intended to bo conveyed hero. Paul confuteil t^ Jews, and by so doing he was the octwion of their tumultuoui f)roceedings, or he ho enraged them as to lead to treat agitation and exciicrr.ont
A. D. -35.]
23 And after (liat many days were fulfilled, the Jews took coun- ficl " to kill him.
CHAPTER IX.
157
o c.23.12: 25.1
\ very common effect of close and con- chisive argumentation. IT Proving that this. This Jesus. IT Is very Christ. Greek That this is the Christ. The word ve y means here simply the. Greek, » JCfio-To,, It means that Paul showed by ?troj;g and satisfactory arguments, that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah. The arguments which he would usetnay s>e easily conceived ; but the evangehst aas not seen fit to record them.
23. A7id after that many days, &c. How long a time elapsed before this, is not re- corded in this place ; but it is evident that the writer means to signify that a considerable time intervened. There is, therefore, an interval here which Luke has not filled up; and if this vvere the only narrative which we had, we should be at a loss how to understand this. From all that we know now of the usual con- duct of the Jews towards the apostles, and especially towards Paul, it would seem highly improbable that this interval would be passed peaceably or quietly. Nay, it would be highly improbable that he would be allowed to remain in Da- mascus many days without violent perse- nurion. Now it so happens that by turn- ing to another part of the New Testament, we are enabled to ascertain the manner in which this interval was filled up. Turn then to Gal. i 17, and we learn from Paul himself that he went into Arabia, and spent some time there, and then returned again to Damascus. The precise time ;^ which would be occupied in such a jour- ney is not specified ; but it would not be performed under a period of some months. In Gal. i. 18, we are informed that he did not go to Jerusalem until three years after his conversion ; and as there is rea- son to believe that he went up to Jerusa- lem directly after escaping from Damas- cus the second time (Acts ix. 25, 26), it seems probable that the three years were spent ehiefly in Arabia. We have thus an account of the ' many days" here re- ferred to by Luke. And in this instance we have a striking example of the truth and honesty of the sacred writers. By comparing these tivo accounts together, vve arrive at the whole state of the case. Neither seems to be complete without the other. Lukc has left a chasm wVuch fie has nowhere else supplied. But that 'ihaam we are enabled to fill up from the O
24 Bu*. their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched * the gates day and night, to kill him.
b 2Cor.ll.2G,&c. P8.21.ll; 37.32,33.
apostle himself in a letter written long after, and without any design to amend or complete the history of Luke : for the introduction of this history into the epistle to the Galahans was for a very different purpose — to show that he received liis commission directly from the Lord Jesub, and in a manner independent of the other apostles. The two accounts, therefor? are like the two parts of a tally ,• neither is complete without the other; and yet being brought together, they ^ exactly fit as to show that the one is precisely adf- justed to the other. And as the two parts were made by different individuals, and without design of adapting them to each other, they show that the writers had formed no collusion or agreement to ir^ pose on the world ; that they are separate and independent witnesses; that they are honest men ; that their narratives are true records of what actually occurred ; and the two narratives constitute, therefore, a strong and very valuable proof of the correctness of the sacred narrative. V asked why Lu7:e has omitted this in the Acts, it may be replied, that there are many circumstances and facts omitted in all histories from the necessity of the case. Comp. John xxi. 25. It is remarkable here, not that he has omitted this, but that he has left a chasm in his own history which can be so readily filled up. IF Werefulfdled. Had elapsed. 1l Took counsel, &c. Laid a scheme ; or designed to kill him. Comp. ch. xxiii. 12; xxv. 3. His zeal and success would enrage them, and they knew of no other way in which they could free themselves from the ef- fects of his arguments and influence.
24. But their laying aivait. Their coun- sel ; their design. H Was known of Saul. Was made known to him. In what way this w'as communicated, we do not know. This design of the Jews against Saul ia referred to in 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33, where it is said, " In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king kept the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me ; and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped their hands." IT And they watched the gates. Cities were surrounded by high walls ; and of course the gates were pre- sumed to be he only places of escape As they supposed that Saul, apprized of their designs would make an attemi>t tf
ib^
THE ACTS.
LA. D. 35
25 Thoj the disciples took him by nijfht, aid let" Am down by the »v-all, in a basket.
*20 And when Saul was come ^ to Jerusalem, he assayed to joinYiim- self to the disciples : but they were
Bstape, they stationed guards at the gates tc intercept him. In 2 Cor. xi. 32, it is said that the governor kept the city for the pur- pose of apprehending him. It is possible that the governor might have been a Jew, and one, therefore, who would enter into their views. Or if not a Jew, the Jews who wdre .there might easily represent Saul as "an offender, and demand his be- ing secured ; and thus a garrison or guard might be furnished them for their purpose. See a similar attempt made by the Jews recorded in Matt, xxvui. 14.
25. Took him by night, &c. This was done through a window in the wall. 2 Cor. xi. 33. H In a bas^Tiet. This word IS iipod to denote commonly the basket in Mi-it-h food was carried. Matt. xv. 37. Mark viii. 8. 20. This conduct of Saul was in accordance with the direction of the Lord Jesus (Matt. x. 23), " When they persecute you in one city, f.ee ye into an- other," &c. Saul was certain of death if he remained ; and as he could secure his life by flight without abandoning any principle of religion, or denying his Lord, it was his duty to do so. Christianity re- quires us to sacrifice our lives only when we cannot avoid it without denying the Saviour, or abandoning the principles of our holy religion.
26. Was come to Jerusalem, It is pro- bable that he then went immediately to Jerusalem. Gal. i. 18. This was three years after his conversion. IT He assayed. lie attempted ; he endeavoured. iT To join himself. To become connected with them as their fellow-chrishan. IT But they ivere all afraid of him. Their fear, or sus- picion, was excited probably on these grounds: (1.) They remembered hi.'i for- mer violence against Christians. They had an instinctive shrinking from hin), and suspicion of the man that had been BO violent a persecutor. (2.) He had been absent tnree years. If they had riot heard of h-m during that time, they would natu- rally retain much of their old feelings to- wards him. If they had, they might rus- aect the man w'.io had not returned to Jerusalem ; who had not before soutrht tlie »^ji'.iety of other Christians ; and who nad sj»eiit that time in a distant country,
all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas *= took him, anu brought /u77i to the apostles, and de- clared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he
e c.4.36.
and among strangers. It would seem re- markable that he had not at once returned to Jerusalem and connected himself with the apostles. But the sacred writer doea not justify the fears of the apostles. He simply records the fact of their apprehen- sion. It is not unnatural, however, to have doubts respecting an open and viru- lent enemy of the gospel who suddenly professes a change in favour of it. The human mind does not easily cast off sus- picion of some unworthy motive, and open Itself at once to entire confidence. When great and notorious sinners profess to be converted — men who have been violent, or artful, or malignant — it is natural to ask whether they have not some unwor- thy motive still in their professed change. Confidence is a plant of slow growth, an<? starts up not by a sudden profession, but by a course of life which is worthy of af- fection and of trust. IF A disaple. A sincere Christian.
27. But Barnabas. See Note, ch iv 30. Barnabas was of Cyprus, not fax from Tarsus, and it is not improbable that he had been before acquainted with Saul. IT To the apostles. To Peter a^id James. Gal. i. 18, 19. Probably the other apos- tles were at that time absent from Jerusa- lem. H And declared vnto them, &c. It may seem remarkable that the apostles at Jerusalem had not before heard of the ^ conversion of Saul. The following con- ^ siderations may serve in some degree to explain this. (1.) It is certain that inter- course between different countries was then much more difficult than if is now. There were no posts; no public convey- ances; nothing that corrres|K)nded with our modes of intercourse between one part of the world and another. (2.) There was at this time a state of animosity amounting to hostility subsisting between Herod and Arctas. Herod the tetrarch had married the daughter of Aretas king of Arabia, and had pi:t her away- 'v'ose- l)hus, Antiq. b. xviii. ch. v. <i> 1, "2"> The result of this was a long misunderstanding bnween them, and a war; and the rffectfj of that war might have been to uilcrrupt the communication verv much throughoui all that country. ^3.) Tlxough the Jnts v
V. O. 37.]
CHAPTER IX
153
nad spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly * at Damascus m the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them com- mg- in and going out at Jerusalem.
29 And he spake boldly in the name o^ the I^ord Jesus, and dis-
\crusalem might have heard of the con- version of Saul, yet it was for their inte- rest to keep it a secret, and not to mention it to Christians. But, (4.) Though the Christians who were there had heard of it, yet it is probable that they were not fully informed on the subject ; that they nad not idtd all the evidence of his con- version which they desired ; and that they looked with suspicion on him. It was therefore proper that they should have a full statement of the evidence of his con- version ; and this was made by Barnabas.
28. A7id he was with them, <^c. That is, he was admitted to their friendship, and recognised as a Christian and an apostle. The time during which he then remained at Jerusalem was, however, only fifteen days. Gal. i. 18.
29 And spake boldly. He openly de- fended the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah. IT In the name, ^c. By the authority of the Lord Jesus. IT Against the Grecians. See the word Grecians ex- plained in the note on Acts vi. 1. It means that he not only maintained that Jesus was the Christ in the presence of those Jews who resided at Jerusalem, Qud who spoke the Hebrew language, but also before those foreign Jews, who spoke the Greek language, and who had come up to Jerusalem. They would be as much opposed to the doctrine that Jesus was the Christ, as those who re- sided in Jerusalem. ^ They went about. They sought to slay him ; or they formed a purpose or plan to put him to death as an apostate. See ver. 23.
30. To Cesarea. Note ch. viii. 40. IT A nd sent him forth to Tarsus. This was his native city. Note ver. 11. It was in Cilicia, where Paul doubtless preach- ed the gospel. Gal. i. 21, "Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Ci- licia."
31. Then had the churches rest. That is, the persecutions against Christians ceased. Those persecutions had been excited by the opposition made to Ste- phen (Acts xi. 19) ; they had been great- ly promoted by Saul (Acts viii. 3) ; and iiad extended "doubtless throughout the
puted against the Grecians : but * they went abodt to slay him.
30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him df)wn to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tar- sus.
3 1 Then *= had the churches rest «
h ver.23. c Zec.9.h c.8.1 4 Ps.94.t »
whole land of Palestine. The preciiwr causes of this cessation of the persecu- tion are not known. Probably they were the following. (1.) It is not improbable that the great mass of Christians had been driven into other regions by these persecutions. (2.) He who had been most active in exciting the persecution who was, in a sort, its leader, and who was best adapted to carry it on, had been converted. He had ceased his opposi. tion ; and even he now was removed from Judea. All this would have some effect in causing the persecution to sub- side. (3.) But it is not improbable thai the civil state of things in Judea contri- buted much to turn the attention of the Jews to other matters. Dr. Lardner ac counts for this in the following manner " Soon after Caligula's accession, the Jews at Alexandria suffered very much from the Egyptians in that city, and at length their oratories there were all de stroyed. In the third year of Caligula. A. D. 39, Petronius was sent into Syria, with orders to set up the emperor's sta- tue in the temple at Jerusalem. This order from Caligula was, to the Jews, a thunder-stroke. The Jews must have been too much engaged after this la mind any thing else, as may appear from the accounts which Philo and Josephua have given us of this affair. Josephua says, 'That Caligula ordered Petronius ic go with an army to Jerusalem, to set up his statue in the temple there ; en joining him if the Jews opposed it to out to death all who made any resistam e, and to make all the rest of the ration slaves. Petronius, therefore marched from Antioch into Judea, with three le- gions and a large body of auxiliaries raised in Syria. All were ?iereup<Ai filed with consternation, the army being come as far as Ptolemais.' " See Lardner's Works, vol. i. p. 101, 102. Lond. Ed 1829. Philo gives the same account of the consternation as Josephus. Philo de legat. ad Cai. p. 1024, "1025 He de scribes the Jews " as abandoning theii cities, villages, and open country, as go ing to Petronius in Phenicia. bo<h mef.
160
THE ACTb\
[A. 1). 3"i
throuorhoiit all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified ; " and walking- ^ in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort " of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.''
32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he v'ame down also to the saints which ^welt at Lydda
33 And there he found a certain
jRo.J4.19. tPs. 86.11 Col.1.10. cJno.14.
JC 17. d Zec.8.20.22.
a-ld women, the old, the young, the mid- dle aged ; as throwing themselves on the ground before Petronius with weep- ing and lamentation," &c. The effect of this consternation in diverting their minds from the Christians can be easily con- ceived. The prospect that the images of the Roman emperor were about to be set up by violence in the temple, or, that in case of resistance, death or slavery was to be their portion ; the advance of a large army to execute that purpose; all tended to throw the nation into alarm. By the providence of God, therefore, this event was permitted to occur to divert the attention of bloody-minded persecut- ors from a feeble and a bleeding church. Anxious for their own safety, the Jews would cease to persecute the Christians, and thus by the conversion of the main instrument in persecution, and by the universal alarm for the welfare of the nation, the trembling and enfeebled church was permitted to obtain repose. Thus ended the first general persecution against Christians, and thus effectually did God show that he had power to guard and protect his chosen people. ^ All Judea, &c These three places included the land of Palestine. See Note '}n Matt. ii. 22. The f()rmation of churches in Galilee is not expressly men- tioned before this ; but there is no impro- bability in supposing that Christians had travelled there, and had preached the gos- pel. Comp. Acts xi. 19. The formation of churches in Samaria is expressly men- tioned, ch. viii. IT Were edified. Were built up, increased, and strengthened. See Rom. xiv. 19 ; xv. 2. 1 Cor. viii. 1. f And xmlk'nifT. Proceeding. Living. The word is often used to denote Christian conduct, or manner of life. Col. i. 10. J.uke :. fi. 1 Thess. iv. 1. 1 John ii. G. The idea is, that of travellers who are going to any place, and who walk in the right path. Christians are thus travellers to .another country, an heavenly. If In the
man named Eneas, which \iad kepi his bed eight years, and was sict of the palsy.
34 And Peter said unto him, Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee* whole ; arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35 And all that dwelt in Lydda « and f Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord
e c.3.6,16;4.10. /lCh.5.16. ^ c.11.21. 2Cor.S.16
fear of the Lord. Fearing the Lord ; with re' arence for him and his command ments. This expression is often used to denote piety in general. 2 Qjaron. xix 7. Jobxxviu. 28. Ps. xix. 9 ; cxi. 10; Prov. i. 7; ix. 10;xiii. 13. IT In the com fort of the Holy Ghost. In the consola- tions which the Holy Ghost produced. John xiv. 16, 17. Rom. v. 1 — 5. IT Were multiplied. Were increased.
32. To the sai7its. To the Christians IT Which dwelt at Lydda. This town was situated on the road from Jerusalem to Cesarea f hilippi. It was about fifteen miles east of Joppa, and belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. It was called by the Greeks Diospolis, or city of Jupiter, pro- bably because a temple was at some pe- riod erected to Jupiter in that city. It la now so entirely ruined as to be a miserable village. Since the crusades, it has been called by the Christians St. George, on account of its having been the scene of the martyrdom of a saint of that name. Tradition says that in this city the em- peror Justinian erected a church.
33. Eneas. This is a Greek name ; and probably he was a Hellenist. • Notri ch. vi. 1. IT Sick of the palsy. See Note. Matt. iv. 24.
34. Maketh thee vthole. Cures thee. Peter claimed no power to do it himself Comp. cli. iii. 6. 16; iv. 10. IT Make thv hed. This would show that he was truly healed. Comp. Matt. ix. 6. Mark, it 9. 11. John V. 11, 12.
3.3. And all. The mass, or body of the people. The affliction of the man had been bug, and was probably well known; the miracle ^'ould be celebrated, and the effect was an extensive revival of religion. IT Saron. This was the champaifrn, or open country, usually mentioned by the name of Sharon m th« Old Teslament. 1 Chron. v. 16; xxvii 29. (^ant. ii.J. Isa. xxxjii. 9. It was a re gion of extraordinary fertility, and the namn was almost proveibial to denow
A.D. 37.]
CHAPTER IX.
16>
36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretatiDn is called I Dorcas : this woman was full "■ of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died : wliora, when they had washed, they laid her in an ^ipper chamber.
38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they
or, Doe, or, Roe.
a lTim.2.10. Tit.2.7.
any country of great beauty and fertility. Comp. Isa. xxxiii, 9; XXXV. 2; Ixv. 10. It was situated south of mount Carmel, along the coast of the Mediterranean, ex- tending to Cesarea and Joppa. Lydda was situated ki this region, it Turned to the Lord. Were converted ; or received ihe Lord Jesus as the Messiah, ch. xi. 21. 2 Cor. iii. 16.
36. At Joppa. This was a seaport town situated on the Mediterranean, in the tribe of Dan, about thirty miles south of Cesarea, and forty-five northwest of Jeru- salem. It was the principal seaport of Palestine ; and hence, though the harbour was poor, it had considerable celebrity. It was occupied by Solomon to receive the timber brought for the building of the temple from Tyre (2 Chron. ii. 16), and was used for a similar purpose in the time of Ezra. Ezra iii. 7. The present name of the town is Jaffa. It is situated on a promontory jutting out into the sea, rising to the height of about one hundred and fifty feet above its level, and offering on all sides picturesque and varied prospects. The streets are narrow, uneven, and dirty. The inhabitants are estimated at between four and five thousand, of whom the greater part are Turks and Arabs. The Christians are stated to be about six hundred, consisting of Roman Catholics, Greeks, Maronites, and Arminians. It is several times mentioned in the New Tes- tament. Acts X. 5. 23 ; xi. 5. IF Tabitha. This word is properly Syriac, and means literally ihe gazelle or antelope. The name became an appellation of a female proba- bly on account of the beauty of its form. " It is not unusual in the East to give the aaraes of beautiful animals to youn^ wo- men." {Clark.) Comp. Cant. ii. 9 ; iv. 5. H Dorcas. A Greek word signifying the same as Tabitha. Our word doe or roe answers to it in signification. IF Fall of ^i,od works. Distinguished for good worlis
Q 9
sent unto hirn tv/c men, de&iring him that he w Duld not - delay to come to them.
39 Then Peter arose, and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the uppej chamber : and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while * she was with them.
40 But Peter putnhem all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed : and turning him to the body, said, Ta-
2 or, be grieved. b Ec.9.n. c Matt.9.25.
Comp. 1 Tim. ii. 10. Titus ii. 7. IT Ajid almsdeeds. Acts <^ kindness to the poor.
37. Whom, when they had washed Among most people it has been cus tomary to wash the body before it ia buried or burned. They prepared her in the usual manner for interment. IT In an upper chamber. See J^M^ Acts i. 13 There is no evidence that llfy expected that Peter would raise her up to life.
38. Was nigh unto Joppa. It was abouJ six miles. 'A They sent unto him, &c Why they sent is not affirmed. It is pro bable that they desired his presence to comfort and sustain them in their aflflic- tion. It is certainly possible that they ex pected he would restore her to life ; bu, as this is not mentioned ; as the apostles had as yet raised up no one from the dead ; as even Stephen had not been re- stored to life ; we have no authority for assumhig, or supposing, that, they had formed any such expectation.
39. TJien Peter arose. See Note on Luke XV. 18. IT And all the loidows. Whom Dorcas had benefited by her kindness. They had lost a benefactress ; and it was natural that they should recall her kindness, and express their gratitude by enumerating the proofs of her benefi cence. Each one would therefore natu rally dwell on the kindness which had been shown to herself
40. But Peter put them all forth. From the room. See a similar case in Matt. ix. 25. Why this was done is not said. Per haps because he did not wish to appea. as if seeking publicity. If done in the presence of many persons, it might seem like ostentation. Other? suppose it was that he might offer more fervent and ago- nizing prayer to God than he would be willing they should witness. Compare 2 Kings iv. 33. If Tabitha, arise Comp Mark v. 41, 42.
16%
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 41
bitha, * arise. And she opened her eyes : and when slie sav? Peter, she sat up.
41 And he g^ve her hi.i hand, and 'ift her up : and when he had call- ed the saints and widows, he ^pre- sented her alive.
42 And it was known throughout
a Mar.5. 41,42. Juo.11.43. I lKi.17.23.
41. He presented her alive. He exhibit- ed, or showed her to ihem alive. Comp. I Kings xvii. 23.
42. And many helteved, &c. A similar effect followed when Jesus raised up La- earus. See John xii. 11.
This was the first miracle of this kind that was performed Ijy the apostles. The effect was that many believed. It was not merely a work of benevolence, in re- storing to Lie one who contributed largely to the comfort of the poor, but it w-as used as a means of extending and establishing, as it was designed doubtless to do, the kingdom ofllj^ Saviour.
^iHAPTEfi X.
This chapter commences a very impor- tant part of the history of the transactions of the apostles. Before this, they had preached the gospel to the Jews only. They seemed to have retained the feel- ings of their countrymen on this subject, that the Jews were to be regarded as the peculiarly favoured people, and that sal- vation was not to be offered beyond the limits of their nation. It was important, indeed, that the gospel should be offered to them first ; but the w hole tendency of the Christian religion was to enlarge and .iberalize the mind ; to overcome the nar- row policy and prejudices of the Jewish people ; and to diffuse itself over all the nations of the earth. In various ways, and by various parables, the Saviour had taught (he apostles, indeed, that his gos- pel .should be spread among the Gentiles. He had commanded them to go and preach it to every creature. Mark xvi. ]'i. But he had told them to tarry in Je- ruBalem until Ihey were endued with pf>wer from on high. Luke xxiv. 49. It was natural, therefore, that they should -ereivo special instructions and divine revelation on a point «o important as this ; anrl God selected the case of Cornelius as the instance by which he would fully establish his purf)OKo of conveying the gospel to the Gentile wnrld. ll is worthy of olwervation, alw), that ho Kclecied Peter for the purpose of conveying the gospel first to the Gentiles. The Savioiir had told him tha> on him ho would build his
all Joppa ; ana many belieTed il the Lord.
43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa, witfc one Simon a tanner.
CHAPTER X. npHERE was a certain man m -*- Cesarea, called Cornelius a
cJno.12.11.
church ; that he viould give to him firs the key of the kingdom of heaven ; that is, that he should be the agent in opening the doors of the church to both Jews and Gentiles. See J\otes on Matt. xvi. 18, 19. Peter had, in accordance with these pre- dictions, been the agent in first presenting the gospel to the Jews (Acts ii.) ; and the prediction was now to be completely ful- filled in extending the same gospel to the Gentile world. The transaction recorded in this chapter, is one, therefore, that is exceedingly important in the history of the church ; and we are not to be sur- prised that it is recorded at length. It should be remembered, also, that this point became afterwards the source of incessant controversy in the early rhurch. The converts from Judaism insisted on the observance of the whole of the rites of their religion ; the converts from among the Gentiles claimed exempdon from them all. To settle these disputes, and to secure the reception of the gospel among the Gen- tiles, and to introduce them to the church with all the privileges of the Jews, requir- ed all the wisdom, talent, and address of the apostles. See Acts xi. 1 — 18; xv. Rom. xiv. XV. Gal. ii. 11 — 16.
1. Ll Cesarea. Note, ch. viii. 40. IT Cor nelius. This is a Latin name, and shows that the man was doubtless a Roman It has been supposed by many interpret- ers that this man was " a proselyte of the gate;" that is, one who had renounced ido- latry, and who observed some of the Jew ish rites, though not circumcised, and no» called a Jew. But there is no sufficienl evidence of this; The reception of the narrative of Peter -(ch. xi. 1 — 3), showa that the other apostles regarded him as a Gentile. In ch. x. 28, Peter evidently re- gards him as a foreigner; one who did not in any sense esteem himself to be a Jew In ch. xi. 1, it is expressly said that "the Gentiles" had received the word of God evidently alluding to Cornelius and thoee who were with him. IT A centurion. One who was the commander of a division in the Roman army, consisting of a hundred men. A captain of a hundred. IS'ote. Matt. viii. 5. H Of Oie Inind. A division
A. D. 41 J
CHAPTER X
IGi
centurion of the band called the Italian hand,
2 .^ devout " man, and one that feared '' God with all " his house, which g-ave much aims to "^ the oeoplft, and played* to God alway.
1C.8.2; 23.12. i Ec.7.18. »-7. C.IS.8. dPs.41.1.
cGen.lS.I9. Ps.lOl.
of the Roman army, consisting of from four liundred to six hundred men. Note, Matt, xxvii. 27. IT The Italian band. Pro- bably a band or regiment that was com- posed of soldiers from Ilali/, in distinction from those which were comi)Osed of sol- diers born in provinces. It is evident that many of the soldiers in the Roman army would be those who were born in other part.s of the world; and it is altogether
!)robable that thrjse who were born in lome or Italy would claim pre-eminence over those enlisted in other places.
2. A devout man. Pious ; or one who maintained the worship of God. See Note, Luke ii. 25. Comp. Acts ii. 5; viii. 2. IF And one that feared God. This is often a designation of piety. Note, ch. ix. 31. It has been siipposed by many that the expressions here used denote that Corne- lius was a Jew, or was instructed in the Jewish religion, and was a proselyte. But this by no means follows. It is probable that there might have been among the Gentiles a few at least who were fearers of God, and who maintained his worship according to the light which they had. So there may be now persons found in pagaa lands, who, in some unknown way, nave been taught the evils of idolatry ; the necessity of a purer religion ; and who may be prepared to receive the gospel. The Sandwich Islands were very much m this state when the American mission- aries first vi.-iited them. They had thrown away their idols, and seemed to be uiaiting for the message of mercy and the word of eternal life, as CorneUus was. A few other instances have been found by mis- sionaries in heathen lands, who have thus been prepared by a train of providential event.s, or by the teaching of the Spirit, for the gospel of Christ. IT With, all his house. With all his fimily. It is evident here that Cornelius instructed his family, and exerted his influence to train them in the fear of God. True piety will al- ways lead a rnan to seek the salvation of his fiimily. ^ Much alms. Large and libe- ral charily. This is always an effect of piety. See James i. 27. Ps. xli. 1. ^ Prayed to God alway. Constantly ; meaning that ^le wad in the regular habit of praying to
3 He saw in a vision evidently^ about the ninth hour of the day, ap ancrel ^ of God cominfr in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said. What is it,
«P8.119.2. Pr.2.3-5.
/Heb.l.U.
God. Comp. Rom. xii. 12. Luke xviii. 1. Ps. cxix. 2. Prov. ii. 2 — 5. As no particu- lar kind of prayer is mentioned except secret prayer, we are not authorized to aflh'm that he offered prayer in any other manner. It may be ol)served, however, that he who prays in secret will usually pray in his family ; and as the familij of Cornelius is mentioned as being also un^ der the influence of religion, it is perhaps not a forced inference that he observed family worship.
3. He saw in a vision. See Note, ch ix. 10. IT Evidently. Openly; manifestly IT About the ninth hour. About three o'clock, P. M. This was the usual hour of evening worship among the Jews. ^ An an^el of God. Note, Matt. i. 20. Comp. Ileb. i. 14. This angel was sent to signify to Cornelius that his alms were accepted by God as an evidence of hia piety, and to direct him to send for Peter to instruct him in the way of salvation. The importance of the occasion — the in- Jroduction of the gospel to a Gentile, and hence to the entire Gentile world — was probably the chief reason why an angel was commissioned to visit the Roman centurion. Comp. ch. xvi. 9, 10.
4. And when he looked on him. Greek, Having fixed his eyes attentively on him IT He was afraid. At the suddenness and unexpected character of the vision. IF What is it., Lord. ? This is the expres- sion of surprise and alarm. The word Lord, should have been translated sir, as there Is no evidence that this is an ad- dress to God, and still less that he regard- ed the personage present as the Lord. It is such language as a man would natu- rally use who was suddenly surprised, > who should witness a strange form ap- ' pearing unexpectedly before him; and who should exclaim, 'Sir, what is fh« matter ?' IT Are come up for a memon^d. Are remembered before God. Comp 7«, xlv. 19. They were an evidence of piety towards God, and were accepted as such Though he had not offered sacnfice ac cording to the Jewish laws; though hcL had not been circumcised ; yet, havinf acted according to the light which ho had, his prayers were heard, and his alnw
164
THE ACTS.
[A.D. 4
Lord 1 And he said \into him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up 'or a memorial " before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for o?ie Simon, whose sur- name is Peter.
6 He lodgeth with one Simon 'a tanner, whose house is by the sea- side ; he shall teU thee •= what thou oug-htest to do.
7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius A^as depart-
accepted. This was done in accordance with the general principle of the divine administration^ that God prefers the offer- ing of the heart to external forms ; the expressions of love, to sacrifice without it. This he had often declared. Isa. i. 1 1 —15. Amos V. 21, 22. 1 Sam. xv. 22, " To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hear- ken, than the fat of ranis." Hos. vi. 6. Eccl. V. 1. It should be remembered, however, that Cornelius was not depend- ing on external morality. His heart was in the work of religion. It should be re- membered, further, that he was ready to receive the gospel when it was offered to him, and to become a Christian. In this there was an important difference be- tween him and those who are depending for salvation on their morality in Christian lands. iSuch men are apt to defend them- selves by the example of Cornelius, and to suppose that as he was accepted before he embraced the gospel, so they may be vnthout embracing it. But there is an im- portant difference in the two cases. For, (1.) There is no evidence that Cornelius was depending on external moraliti/ for Bal"ation. His offering was that of the hearti and not merely an external offer- ing. Moral men in Christian lands de- pend on their external morality in the eight of men. But God looks upon the heart. (2.) Cornelius did not rely on his morality at all. His was a work of reli- gion. He feared God ; he prayed to him ; he exerted his influence to bring his family to the same state. Moral men do neither. "All their works they do to be Bcen of men ;" and in iheir heart there is ' no good thing towards the Lord God of laraeT." Comp. 1 Kings xiv. 13. 2 (^hron. xii. 3. Who hears of a man tha " fears Go«l," and that prays, and that instructs hia fiousehold in rrligion, that icjjends on his morality for salvation ? (3.) Cornelius was disposed to do the wil. of God as far
I ed, he called Avo of his househol J servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on kim continu ally:
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 nigli unto the city, Peter went '^ up upoa the house-top to pray, about the sixth hour :
dc.U.5,&c,
as it was made known to him. Where this exists there is religion. The moral man is not. (4.) Cornelius was willing to embrace a Saviour when he was made known to him. The moral man is not He hears of a Saviour with unconcern \ he listens to the message of God's mercy from year to year without embracing it. In all this there is an important difference between him and the Roman centurion , and while we hope there may be many in pagan lands who are in the same state of mind that he was — disposed to do the will of God as far as made known, and therefore accepted and saved by his mercy in the Lord Jesus — yet this cannot be adduced to encourage the hope of sal- vation in those who do know his will, and yet will not do it.
G. He lodgeth. He remains as a guest at his house. See ch. ix. 43. IF By the seaside. Joppa was a seaport on the Me- diterranean. Tanneries are erected on the margin of streams, or of any body of water, to convey away tlie filth produced in the operation of dressing skins.
7. A devout soldier. A pious man. Thia is an instance of the effect of piety in a military officer. Few men have more influence ; and in this case the effect was seen not only in the piety of his family, but of this attending soldier. Such men have usually been supposed to be far from the influence of religion; but this in- stance shows that even the labours and disadvantages of a camp are not neces- sarily hostile to the existence of piely Comp. Luke iii. 14.
8. And when, &c. "It has '.^-en re- marked that from Joppa, Jonah was seni to preach to the Gentiles at Nineveh , and that from the same place Peter wa» sent to preach to the Gentiles at Cesaren ' {Clark.)
9. Peter vent up, Arc. The small room in the second story t (iU the roof of tn«
V. 1). 41. J
CHAPTER X.
10 And he became very hungry, 311(1 would have eaten ; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw " heaven opened, and u certain vessel descending un*' io him, as 't had been a great sheet
oc.7.56. Re. 19.11.
house, was tlie usual place for retirement and prayer. See Note, Matt. vi. 6; ix. 2. f About the sixth hour. About twelve o'clock a* noon. The Jews had two stated seasons of prayer — morning, and evening. But it is evident that the more pious of the Jews frequently added a//; irrf season of devotion probably at noon. Thus David says (Ps. Iv. 17), " Evening and morning, and at noon, will 1 pray, and cry aloud." Thus Daniel " kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed.'" Dan. vi. 10. 13. It was also customary in the early Christian church to offer prayer at the third, sixth, and ninth hours. (Clem. Ale.x. as quoted by Dod- dridge.) Christians will, however, have not merely stated seasons for prayer, but they will seize upon moments ef leisure, and when their feelings strongly incline them to it, to pray.
10. And he became very hungry. From tne connexion, where it is sai'X that they were making ready, tha^ is, preparing a meal, it w'ould seem that this was the customary hour of dining. The He- brews, Greeks, and Romans, however, nad but two meals, and the first was usually taken about ten or eleven o'clock. This meal usually consisted of fruit, milk, cheese, &c. Their principal meal was about six or seven in the afternoon ; at which hme they observed their feasts. See Jahrfs Bib. Archaj. § 145. IT He fell into a trance. Greek, An ecstasy, e^ttx. <<;, fell upon him. In ch. xi. 5, Peter says that in a trance he saw a vision. The word trance, or ecstasy, denotes a state of mind when the attention is ab- sorbed in a particular train of thought, 90 that the external senses are partially or entirely suspended. It is a high spe- cies of abstraction from external objects ; when the mind becomes forgetful of sur- rounding thmgs, and is fixed solely on its own thoughts, so that appeals to the external senses do not readily rouse it. The soul seems to have passed cut of 4he body, and to be conversant only with spiritual essences. Thus Balaam is said to have seen the vision of the Almighty, felling into a trance (Num. xxiv 4. 16) ;
knit at the four corners, and le down to the earth ;
12 Wherein v/ere 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
thus Paul, in praying in the temple, fell into a tranre (Acts xxii. 17); and per- haps a similar state is described in 2 Cor. xii. 2. This effect seems to be caused by so intense and absorbing a train of thought, as to overcome the senses of the .body ; or wholly to withdraw the mind from their influence, and to fix it on the unseen object that engrosses it. It
is often a hKjh state of revery, or absence of mind, \mch Dr. Rush describes as " induced by the stimulus of ideas of ab- sent subjects, being so powerful as to destroy the perce^on of present ob- jects." (Diseases of the Mind, p. 310, Ed. Phila. 1812.) In the case of Peter, how- ever, there was a supernatural influence that drew his attention away from pre sent objects.
11. And saw heaven opened, ch. vii. 56. Note, Matt. iii. 16. This language is de- rived from a common mode of speaking in the HebrevV scriptures, as if the sky above us w^as a sohd, vast expanse, and if it were opened to present an opportu- nity for any thing to descend. It is lan- guage that is highly figurative. IT And a certain vessel. See Note on ch. ix. 15. IT As it had been. It is important to mark this expression. The sacred writer does not say that Peter literally saw such an object descending ; but he uses this as an imperfect description of the vision. It was not a literal descent of a vessel, but it was such a kind of representation to him, producing the same impression and the same effect, as (/"such a vessel had descended. ^ K^it at the four cor- ners. Bound, united, or tied. The cor nei-s were collected, as would be natu'-a. in putting any thing into a great sheet
12. Wherein, ^c. This* particular vi- sion was suggested by Peter's hunger, ver. 10. It was designed, hovy^ever, to teach him an important lesson in regard to the introduction of all nations to the gospel. Its descending from heaveh may have been an inrimation, that tha religion which was about to abolish the distinction between the Jews and othei nations was of divme origin. See Rev xxi. 2.
(56
THE ACTS.
LA. U. 41
uim, Rise, Peter ; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord ; for I have never eaten any thing that is " common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God
aL«.11.2,&c 2P.25De.M.3,tc. Eze.4.14.
14. 1 have never eaten, ^c. In the Old 'I'estament God had made a distinction l)€t\veen clean and unclean animals. See Lev. xi. 2—27. Dent. xiv. 3—20. This law remained in the Scriptures, and Peter plead that he had never vio- lated it, implying that he could not now violate it, as it was a law of God, and as it was unrepealed, he did not dare to act in a different manner from what it re- quired. Between that law, tkiid the com- mand which he now rec#rved in the vision, there was an apparent variation, and Peter naturaUji:.referred to the well- known and admi^lw written law. One design of the vision was to show him that that law was now to pass away. IT That is common. Tliis word properly denotes that which pertains to all, but among the Jews, who were bound by special laws, and who were prohibited from many tlungs that were freely in- dulged m by other nations, the word common came to be opposed to the word sacred, and to denote that which was in common use among the heathens, hence that which was profane, or polluted. flere it means the same as profane, or forbidden. IT Unclean. Ceremonially un- clean ; i. e. that which is forbidden by the ceremonial law of Moses.
15. What God hath cleansed. What God hath pronounced or declared pure. If God has commanded you to do a thing. It is not impure or wrong. Its use is lawful if he has commanded it. Per- haps Peter would have supposed that the design of this vision was to instruct him, that the distinction between clean and unclean food, as recognised by the Jews, was about to be abolished, ver. 17. But the result showed that it had a high- 3r, and more i^jiportant design. It was to ihow him, that they who had been es- teemed by the Jews as unclean or pro- fane— the entire Gentile world — might now be admitted to similar privileges with the Jews. That barrier was to be broken down, and the whole world was Uj be admitted to the same fellowship and j)rivilcge8 in the gospel. See Eph. ri. 14- Gal. iii. 28 It was also true that •he ceremonial laws ol' the Jews in re-
hath cleansed, ^ that call not thou common.
IG This was done thri,;;e : and the vessel was received up again into heaven. 4 17 Now while Peter doubted in
b Matt.15.ll.ver.28. Ro.i4.I4,&e. lCor.10.25. 1T".4.4
gard to clean and unclean beasts was ta pass away, though this was not directly taught in this vision. But when once the barrier was removed that separated the Jews and Gentiles, all the laws which supposed such a distinction, and which were framed to keep up such a distinc- tion, passed away of course. The cere- monial laws of the Jews were designed solely to keep up the distinction be- tween them and other nations. When the distinction was abolished ; when other nations were to be admitted to the same privileges, the laws which weie made to keep up such a difference re ceived their death-blow, and expired of course. For it is a maxim of all law, that when the reason why a law was made ceases to exist, the law becomes obsolete. Yet it was not easy to con- vince the Jews that their laws ceased to be binding. This point the apostles la- boured to establish ; and from this point arose most of the difficulties between the Jewish and Gentile converts to Chris- tianity. See Acts xv. and Rom. xiv. xv
16. This was done thrice. Three times, doubtless to impress the mind of Peter with the certainty and importance of the vision. Comp. Gen. xli. 32.
17. Doubted in himself . Doubted in his own mind. He was perplexed to under- stand it. IT Behold the men, &c. We see here an admirable arrangement of the events of Providence to fit each other. Every part of this transaction is made to harmonize with every other part ; and it was so arranged, that just in the moment when the mind of Peter was filled with perplexity, that the very event should occur which should relieve him of his embarrassment. Such a coinri dence is not uncommon. An event of di vino Providence may be as clear an ex- pression of his will, and may as certainly serve to indicate our duty, as the most ma- nifest revelation would do, and a state of mind may, by an arrangement of circum- stances, be produced, that shall be ex tremcly perplexing until some event shal occur, or some liold of usefulness shall open, that shall exactly correspond to it, and shall indicate to us the will olGod. W e
\. D, 41
CHAPTER X.
167
himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Corne- lius had made inquiry " for Simon's house, and stood before the gate.
18 And called, and asked whe- ther Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 While Peter thought on the rision, 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.
21 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
0 9.43. 6c.ll.12. cc.13.7. d ver.l,&c.
«c.22.12. He.11.2.
ehould observe then the events of God's providence. We should mark and re- cord the train of our own thoughts, and we should watch with interest any event that occurs, when we are perplexed and embarrassed, to obtain, if possible, an ex- pression of the will of God. IT Before the. gale. The word here rendered "gate," TTvKwva, refers properly to the vorch or principal entrance to an eastern house. See Note, Matt. ix. 2 ; xxvi. 71. It does not mean, as with us, a gale, but rather a door. See Acts xii. 13.
19, The Spirit. See Note, Acts viii. 29. Comp. Isa. Ixv. 24. " And it shall come to pass, that before they call I will answer," &c.
22. To hear words of thee. To be in- structed by thee.
23. And lodged them. They remained with him through the night. Four days were occupied before Peter met Corne- lius at Cesarea. On the first the angel appeared to Cornelius. On the second (he messengers arrived at Joppa, ver. 9. On the third, Peter returned with them, ver. 23 ; and on the fourth they arrived at Cesarea, ver. 24. 30. IT And certain ire- Ihren. Some Christians. They were six in number, ch. xi. 12. It was usual for the early Christians to accompany the tpostks in th3ir journeys. Seo Rom. xv.
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 ealled he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain f brethren from Joppa ac- companied him.
24 And the morrow after they entered into Cesarea. And Corner lius waited for them, and had call- ed together his kinsmen and near friends.
25 And as Peter was coming in Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him,.
26 But Peter took him up, say- ing, s Stand up ; I myself also am a man.
27 And as he talked with him he went in, and found many tha were come together.
/ver.45. g c.14.14,15. Re.l9.10;22.9.
24. Acts XV. 3. 3 John 6. 1 Cor. xvi 6. 11. As this was an important event in the history of the church — the hearing of the gospel to a Gentile — it was more natural and proper that Peter should be attended with others.
24. His kinmnen. His relatives, or the connexions of his family. A man may often do vast good by calling his kindred and friends to hear the gospel.
25. Fell down at his feet. This was an act of profound regard for him as an am- bassador of God. In oriental countries it was usual to prostrate themselves at length on the ground before men of rank and honour. 1 Worshipped him. Thi» does not mean religious homage, but ci vil respect, the homage, or profound re- gard which was due to one in honour See Note, Matt. ii. 2.
26. Stand up, &c. This does not ira ply that Peter supposed that Cornelius intended to do him religious reverence It was practically saying to him, " I am nothing more than a man as thou art, and pretend to no right to such profound re specls as these, but am ready in civil life to show thee all the respect that i due (Doddridge.)
27. Arid as he talked with him. He probably met him at the door or ^t small distance ivom the aouse. It
(ti8
THE ACTS
[A D. U
28 And he said unto ihem, Ye know how that it is an unlawful 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 Therefore came I unto you frithout 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 the ninth hour I pray- ed in my house ; and, behold, a man stood before me ^ in bright clothing.
31 And said, Cornelius, thy ^
a Jno.4.9. 6 c.15.8,9. Ep.3.6. c Matt.2S.3. c.1.10. d yer.4,&c. Da.10.12. He.6.10.
an expresaion of joy thus to go out to meet him.
28. Il is an unlawful thing. This was not explicitly enjoined by Moses, but It seemed to be implied in his institutions, and was at any rate the common under- standing of the Jews. The design was to keep them a separate people. To do this Moses forbid alliances by contract, or mrirriage, with the surrounding na- tions, which were idolatrous. See Lev. xviii. 24—30. Dent. vii. 3—12. Comp. Ezra ix. 11, 12. This command the Jews perverted ; and explained as refer- ring to intercourse of all kinds, even to the exercise of friendly oflices and com- mercial transactions. Comp. John iv. 9. IT Of anolher nation. Greek, Another tribe. It refers here to all who were not Jews. 11 God hath shewed me. Comp. ch. XV. 8, 9. He had showed him by the vis'oi), ver. 11, 12. IT Any man common or unclean. See Note, ver. 14. That no man wa.s to be regarded as excluded from the opportunity of salvation; or bo despised and abhorred. The go.spcl was to be preached to all ; the barrier be- tween Jews and Gentiles to be broken lowM ; and all were to bo regarded as ;apable of being saved.
29. Without gainsaying. Without say- tng any thing against it ; without hesita- iioij or reluctance. IT Task, therefore, A'c. The main design for which ("'omelius had sent for him had been menticmed to fetor by the messenger, ver. 22. Rut Peter now desired from his oww li|i8 a moic {w'lrlicular Rtatomont of the consi-
prayer is iieard, and thine alms ate had in remembrance in the sigh' of God.
33 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surrame is Peter : he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner, by the sea- s de ; 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 * theio- fore 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 ■/" is no respecter of persons :
e De.5.27, /De.10.17. Ch.19.7. Job 34—19. Ro.2.1i Ga.2.6. lPe.1.17.
derations which had induced him to send for him. IT For what intent. For what purpose or design.
30. Four days ago. See Note, on ver. 23. IT Until this hour The ninth hour, or three o'clock, P. M. See ver. 3. ^ A man. Called, in ver. 3, an angel. He had the appearance of a man. Comp. Mark xvi. 5. IT In bright clothing. See Note, Matt, xxviii. 3.
3'd. Thou hast well done. This is an expression of grateful feeling. If Before God. In the presence of God. It is im- plied, that they believed that God saw them, and that tliey were assembled at bis command, and that they were dis- posed to listen to his instructions.
34. Then Peter opened his mouth. Be- gan to speak. Matt. v. 2. *!{ Of a truth. Truly, evidently. That is, I have evi- dcTice here that God is no respecter of persons. IT /s no respecter of persons. The word used here denotes the act of showing favour to one on account of rank, family, wealth, or partiality, arising from any cause. It is exjilained in James ii. 1 — 4. A judge is a respecter of per- sons when he favours one of the parlies on account of private friendship; or be- cause he is a man of rank, influence, of p(jwer ; or because he belongs to tho same political parly, &c. The Jews B«ip- posed that they were peculiarly favoured by (iod, and that salvation was not ex- tended toother nations, and that the fact of fieing a Jew entitled them to this fa- vour. Peter here says that he has leani ed the error of this doctrine That t
1. D. 41.)
CHAPTER X.
16»
35 But in « every nation he chat fearelh him, and worketh
a Rom.2.13,J7,3.22,29:10.I2,13. Eph.2.13-18.
man is not to be accepted because he is a Teu), nor is hi to be excluded because he IS a Gentile.. The barrier is broken down ; the oiTer ig made to all ; and God will save all on the same principle ; not by ex- ternal privileges, or rank, but according to rheir character. The same doctrine is c;lsewhere explicitly stated in the I\evv Pestaraont. Rora.ii. 11, Eph. vi. 9. Col. iii. 25. It may be observed here that this does not refer to the doctrine of divine sovereignty or elfection. It simply af- firms that God will not save a man be- cause he is a Jew ; nor because he is rich, or learned, or of elevated rank ; nor by any external privileges. Nor will he exclude a man because he is des- titute of these privileges But this does not affirm that bie will not make a differ- ence in their character, and then treat them accordiiig to their character ; uor that ho will not pardon whom he pleases, which is a different question. The in- terpretation of this passage should be limited strictly to the case in hand — to mean that God will not accept and save a man on account of external national rank and privileges. That by receiving some, and leaving others, on other grounds, he will not make a difference, is not any where denied. Comp. 1 Cor. iv. 7. Rom. xii. 6. It is worthy of re- mark further, that the most strenuous ad- vocate for the doctrines of sovereignty and election in the New Testament — the apostle Paul — is also the one that laboured most to establish the doctrine that God was no respecter of persons, that is, that there was no difference be- tween the Jews and Gentiles in regard to the way of salvation ; that God would not save a man because he was a Jew, nor destroy a man because he was a Gentile. Yet in regard to the whole race viewed as lyins on a level, he maintained that God had a right to exercise the pre- rogatives of a sovereign, and to have mercy on whom he would have mercy. The doctrine may be thus stated. (1.) The barrier between the Jews and Gen- tiles was broken down. (2.) All men thus were placed on a lerel — none to be vaved by external privileges, none to be lost by the want of them. (3.) All were guilty (Rom. i. ii. ii.), and none had a claim on God. (4.) If any w^ere saved, it would be by God's showing mercy on 'luch of this common mass as hi* chose.
righteousness, him.
IS accepted witn
See Rom. iii. 22 ; x. 12 ; ii. 11. Gal. i 6 Compared with Rom. ix. and Eph. i.
35. But in every nation, &c. This u given as a reason for what Peter had just said, that God was no respecter of persons. The sense is, that he now perceived that the favours of God were not con- fined to the Jew, but might be extendec to all others on the same principle. The remarkable circumstances here, the vi- sion to him, and to Cornelius, and the declaration that the alms of Cornelius were accepted, now convinced Peier that the favours of God were no longer to be confined to the Jewish people, but might be extended to all. This was what the vision was designed to teach ; and to communicate this to the apostles was an important step in their work of spreading the gospel. IT In every nation. Among all people. Jews or Gentiles. Acceptance with God does not depend on the fict of being descended from Abraham, or of possessing external privi- leges, but on the state of the heart. IT He thatfeareth him This is put for piety towards God in general. See Note, eh. ix. 31. ft means that he that honours God, and keeps his law ; that is a true worshipper of God, according to the light and privileges which he has, is aj> proved by him, as giving evidence that he is his friend. IT And worketh right- eousness. Does that wtiich is right and just. This refers to his conduct tov,ard.s man. He that discharges conscientiously his duty to his fellow-men, and evinces by his conduct that he is a righteous man. These two things comprehend the whole of religion, the sum of all the re- quirements of God— piety towards God, and justice towards all men ; and as Cor- nelius had showed these, he showed that, though a Gentile, he was actuated by true piety. We may observe here, (1.) That it is not said that Cornelius was ac- cepted on account of his good works Those works were simply an evidence of true piety in the heart ; a proof thai he feared and loved God, and not a me. ritorious ground of acceptance. (2.) He improved the light which he had. (3.) He embraced the Saviour when he was of- fered to him. This circumstance makes an essential diflference between the case of Cornelius, and those who depend o» their morality in Christian lands. They do not cmbraco the Lord Jesus, and thev
170
THE ACTS.
FA. D. i,
36 The word which God sent unto thfe children of Israel, preach- ing- peace " by Jesus Christ ; (he is ^ Lord of all ;)
37 That word, J say, ye know, which was published throughout
• M.57 19. Col. 1.20. b Ps.21.; -10. Matt.28.18.
ft- .11.9. lCor.15.27. Ei)b.l.20-22. lPet3.22. Rev 17.14.
»ie, therefore, totally unlike the Roman jenturion. His example should not be plead, therefore, by those who neglect the Saviour, for it furnishes no evidence that thry will be accepted, when they are totally unlike him.
36. The word. That is, this is the word, or the doctrine. Few passages in the New Testament have perplexed critics more than this. It has been difficult to ascer- tain to v.hat the term " word" in the ac- cusative case (tov K'.y^v) here refers. Our translation would lead us to suppose that it is synonymous with what is said in the following verse. But it should be remarked that the term used there, and translated " word," as if it were a repeti- tion of what is said here, is a different term. It is not xoyov, butw5.ua — a word, a thing; not a doctrine. 1 understand the first term " word" to be an introduc- tion 6f the doctrine which Peter set forth, and to be governed by a preposition un- derstood. The whole passage may be thus expressed : Peter had been asked to teach Cornelius and his assembled friends. It was expected, of course, that he would instruct him in regard to the true doc- trines of religion — the doctrine which had been communicated to the Jews. He commences, therefore, with a statement respecting the true doctrine of the Mes- Biah, or the way of salvation which was now made known to the Jews. ' In re- gard to the word, or the doctrine which God sent to the children of Israel, pro- claiming peace through Jesus Christ (who 18 Lord of all), you know already that which was done, or the transactions which occurred throughout all Judea, from Galilee, where he commenced after John had preached, that this was by Je- ans Christ, since God had anointed him, &c. Peter here assumes that Cornelius hud itomti knowledge of the principal oventnof the life of the Saviour, though it was oljscure and imperfect ; and his diRCourse professes only to state this more fnlly and riearhf. He ^ommcnces his discourse with statint,' the true doctrine onthe subject; find explaining more per- fectly that of which Cornelius had been
all Judea, and began from Gall lee, after the baptism which JohR J. reached :
38 How God anointed* Jesus o! Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who ** went about doing
cLu.U.lS. Heb.1.9. cf Mztt.l2.i5.
only imperfectly informed IT Unto tht children of Israel. To the Jews. The Messiah was promised to them, and spent his hfe among them, l Preaching. Thai is, proclaiming, or announcing. God did this by Jesus Christ. IT Peace. This word sometimes refers to the peace or union which was made between Jews and Gen- tiles, by breaking down the wall of divi- sion between them. But it is here used in a wider sense, to denote peace or re« conciliation with God. He announced the way by which man might be recon- ciled to God. and might find peace. IT He is Lord of all. That is, Jesus Christ. He is Sovereign, or Ruler of both Jews and Gentiles; he is their proprietor; and hence Peter saw the propriety of preach- ing the gospel to the Gentiles as well aa Jews. See John xvii. 2. Matt, xxviii. 18. Eph. i. 20 — 22. This does not necessa- rily imply divinity; but only that the Lord Jesus, as Mediator, had been consti- tuted or appointed 1-ord over all nations. It is true, however, that this is a power which we cannot conceive to have been delegated to one that was not divine Comp. Rom. ix. 5.
37. That word. Greek, frj.^x — a differ- ent word from that in the previous verse It may be translated thing as well as word IT Which was published. Greek, Which was do7ie. ' You know, though it may be imperfectly, what was done or accom plished in Judea,' &c. V Throughout aU Judea. The miracles of Christ, were not confined to any place, but were wroughi in every part of I he land. For an account of the divisions of Palestine, see INotes, Matt. ii. 22. '^ And began, &c. Greek, Having been begun in Galilee. Galilee was not far from Cesarea. There was, therefore, the more probability that Cor nelius had heard of what had occurred there. Indeed, the Gosjicls themselvei furnish the highest evidence tiiat lh« fame of the miracles of Christ spread inlo ail the surrounding regions.
38. How God anointed, d'C. That ib. set him apart to ihis work, and was widi him, acknowledg'ng him as the Messiah See Note Matl. i. 1. H With t).$ Hcl\
A.D. 41.
CHAPTER X.
171
go 3d, and healing all that wore op- pressed * of 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 in Jerusalem ; whom they slew and hanged on a tree.
40 Ifim God raised up '' the third day, and shewed him openly ;
41 Not ^ to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before f of
a 1 Ino.3.8. i Jno.3.2. c Lu.24.48. c.3.32.
i Matt.28.1,2.. e Jno.14.22. Jno.c.20&21. /Jno.
Ghost. See Note, Luke iv. 19. The act of anointing the kings and priests seems to have lieen emblematic of the influences of the Holy Ghost. Here it means that God communicated to him the influences of the Holy Spirit, thus setting him apart for the work of the Messiah. See INIalt. lii. 16, 17. John iii. 34, "God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." 'l And wilh power. The power of healing the sick, raising the dead, &c. IT Who went about doing good. Whose main business it was to travel from place to place to do gaxl. He did not go for applause, or wealth, or comfort, or ease, but to difliise happiness as far as possible. This is the simple but sublime record of his life. This, in few, but most affecting words, tells us all about the Saviour. It gives us a distinct portrait of his character, as he is distinguished from conquerors and kings, and false prophets and the mass of men. H And healing, &c. Restoring to health. IT All that were oppressed of the levil. All that were possessed by him. See Note, Matt. iv. 23, 24. IT God was with him. God appointed him, and fur- nished by his miracles the highest evi- dence that he had sent him. His miracles were such that they could be wrought only by God.
39. And we are witnesses. We who are apostles. See Note, Luke xxiv. 48. H In Jie land oj the Jews. In the country of iudea. H Whom they slew, &c. Our franslation would seera to imply that there were two separate acts — first slay- ing him, and then suspending him. Bu this is neither according to truth nor to the Greek text. The original is simply,
whom they put to death, suspending him m a tree' ^ ^^n a tree. On a cross. See
Note, ch. v. 30. 40 Shewed him openly. Manifestly;
orod, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose Iroin the dead.
42 And he commanded us ^ tn preach unto the people, and to tes- tify that '' it is he which was ordain- ed of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him ' give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever J believeth in him shall receive remission of sms.
g Matt.28.19,30. h Jno.3.22,27. c.17.31. 2Cor.5.10 1 Pet. 4.5. » Lu.24.27,44. Jno.5.a9. , Jao.3.14
17. Rom.10,11.
SO that there could be no deception, no doubt of his resurrection.
41. Not to all the people. Not to the nation at large ; for this was not necessary in order to establish the truth of his resur rection. He however showed himself to many persons. See the Harmony of the accounts of the resurrection of Jesus a the close of the Notes on Matthew, H Chosen of God. Appointed by God, oi set apart bv his authority through Jesus Christ. IT \\'ho did eat and drink, &c And by doing this he furnished the clear est possible proof that he was truly risen j and that they were not deceived by an illusion of the imagination, or by a phan- tasm. Comp. John xxi. 12, 13.
42. And he commanded us, &c. Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. Mark xvi. 15, 16. IT And to testify. To bear witness. IT That it is he, &c. See Noies, John v. 22—27. Comp the references in the margin. H Of quick. The living. The doctrine of the New Testament is, that those which are alive when the Lord Jesus shall return to judge the world, shall be caught up in vast numbers like clouds, to meet him in the air, without seeing death. 1 Thess. iv 16, 17. Yet before this, they shall expen ence such a change in their bodies as shall fit them for the judgment and for iheit eiernal residence — a change which shall liken them to those who have died, and have been raised from the dead. What this change will be, speculation may fancy, but the Bible has not revealea. See 1 Cor. xv. 52, " The dead shall be raised, and we shall be changed."
43. To him give, &c. Ste Note, Luke xxiv. 27. 44. ^ That through his name, &c. This was implied in what the pro phets said. Sec Rom, x. 11. It was not, indeed, express' y afl^rmed that they who believed in hinr should b« pardoned: Hit
n*2
44 While PeUjr yel spake these trnrds, the Holy Ghost "fell on all ihom wiiich heard the word.
45 And they ' of the circumci- siun which helieved were astonish- ed, as many as came with Peter, bec:mse that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost :
40 For they heard them speak *^ frith tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can '^ any man forbid water, Chat these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we 1
• c.4.31. 6ver.23. c c.2.4. d c.8.12.
tliis was implied in what they said. They promised a Messiah ; and their religion consisted mainly in believing in a Mes- siah to come. See tlie reasoning of the apostle Paul in Kom. iv.
44. The Holy Ghost fell, &c. Endow- mg them with the power of speaking with other tongues, ver. 40. Of this the apos- tle Peter makes much in his argument in ch. xi. 17. By this, God showed that the Gentiles were to be admitted to the same privileges with the Je»vs, and to the bless- ings of salvation in ihe same manner. L'omp. ch. ii. 1 — 4. IF Which heard the 'vord. The word of God ; the message of the gospel.
4;"). And Ihe.y of the circumcision. Who had been Jews, 'ii Were astonished. Were imazed that Gentiles should be admitted to the same favour as themselves.
40. Spiak vnth tongues. In other lan- guages than their native language, ch. ii. {. % Andmnpnify God. And praise God.
47. Can any man forbid water, &c. They have shown that they are favoured ■n the same way as the Jewish converts, jlod has manifested iiimself to them, as he did to the Jews on the day of Pente- cost. Is it not clear, therefore, that they lire entitled to the privilege of Christian baptism? The expression here used is one that would naturally refer to water's being brought; that is, to a small quanti- ty; and would seem to imply that they were baptized, not by immersion, but by pouri g or sprinkling.
48. And he nrmmandrd them, &!C. Why Peter di(! not himself baptize them is un- known. But It might be, perhaps, because he chose to make use of the ministry of iho brethren who were with him, to pre-
ent tho powibility of future cavil. If
THE ACTb. [A. D. 41
48 And he commanded them tc be baptized in the name of the Lord, Then prayed they him to tarry cer tain days.
CHAPTER XI.
A ND the apostles and brethreri
-^ that were in Judea heard that
the Gentiles had also received the
W'ord of God„
2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, ".hey ' that were of the circumcision contended with him,
3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
e c.10.23,28. Gal.2.12. c.l0.9,&c.
they did it themselves, they could not eu easily be led by the Jews to find fault with it. It may be added, 'also, that it seems not to have been the practice of the apostles themselves to baptize very extensively. This was left to be per formed by others. See 1 Cor. i. 14 — 17, " Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel."
CHAPTER XI.
1. And the apostles and brethren. The Christians who were in Judea. V Heard, &c. So extraordinary an occurrence as that at Cesarea, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles, and their reception into the church, would excite attention, and be likely to produce much sensibility in regard to the conduct of Peter and those with him. It was so contrary to all the ideas of the Jews, that it is not to itf wondered at that it led to contention.
2. They that were of the circumcision The Christians who had been converted from among the Jews. IT Contended with him. Disputed; or reproved him; charg ed him with being in fault. This is one of the circumstances which show conclu sivcly that the apostles and early Chris- tians did not regard Peter as having any particular supremacy over the church, or as being in any peculiar sense the vicar of Christ upon "earth. If Peter liad been regarded as having the authority which the Roman Catholics claim for him, they would have submitted at once to what ha had thought projier to do. But the primi- tive Christians had no such idea of hu authority. This claim for Peter is no! only opposed to this place, but to every part of tiie New Testament.
:i. A nd didst eat with Otcm. Sea NoU» rh X. 13. 14
A. D. 41 j
CHAPTJKR XJ.
173
4 Bui Peler rehearsed the matter from th<; beginning, and expounded »^ by order unto 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 jeen a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me :
6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I con^'dered, and saw four-footed beasts "^f the 3arth, and wild beasts, and cr^- -,^ing 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.
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou com- mon.
10 Arid this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
a Jn- 16.13. b P3.19.7-ll. Jno.6.63,6S c c.2.4.
4. Bat Peter rehearsed. Greek, Peter beginning, explained it to them in order. That is, he began with the vision which he saw, and gave a narrative of the vari- ous events in order, as they actually occur- red. A simple and unvarnished statement of £^ts is usually the best way of disarm- inflfrejudice and silencing opposition. In revivals of true religion, the best way of silencing opposition, and especially among Christians, is to make a plain statement of things as they actu illy occurred. Op- position most commonly arises from pre- judice, or from false and exaggerated statements ; and those can be best remov- ed, not by angry contention, but" by an unvarnished relation of the facts. In most cases prejudice will thus be disarmed, liiid opposition will die away, as was the casein regard to the admission of the Ger.tiles to the church. H A7id expounded It. Explained it ; stated it as it actually occurred. IT Iti order. One event after another, as they happened. He thus showed that his ovm mind had been as much bia-ssed as theirs,^and stated in what manner his prejudices had been re- moved. It often happens that those who p9
11 And, bei.o'id, imniediately there were tjiroe men already come unto the house where I was, seni from Cesarea unto me.
12 And the Spirit " bade me gc with them, nothing doubting Moreover, these six brethren ac- companied 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 th^e words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, f\ik Holy "Ghost fell on them, as '^ oi«. us at the beginning.
16 Then rcnicmbered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, J.ihp ^ indeed baptized with water ; bul *ye shall be baptized with the Hoi) Ghost.
17 Forasmuch then as God gav» -^them the like gift as he did \inU
d Matt.3.11. Jno.l.26,33. c.1.5. e l5a.44.3. Jo..
2.23. / c.l5.g,9.
become moRt zealous and devotfd in an new plans for the advancement of rel gion, were as much oppo.sed to them a first as others. They are led from on circuiTistance to another, until their pre judices die away, and the providence and Spirit of God indicate clearly their duty 5—14. See ch. x. 9—33.
14. And all thy house. Thy family This i*a circumstance which is omitted in the account in ch. x. It is said, fiow ever, in ch x. 2, that Cornelius feared God with all his house. And it fs evident from ch. x. 48, that the family also receiv- ed the ordinance of baptism, and v.vis re- ceived into the church.
15. And as I began to speak. 0<:, while I was speaking. IT The Holy G'l )sl, <fec. X. 44.
16. The word of the Lord Sae Note, ch. i. 5.
17. What was I. Whai powe" or right had J to oppose the manifest will of dod that the Gentiles should be received intP the Chri.=tian church. IF Withstand God OppoMwr resist God ? He had ii»rcatc*d his w* he had showed his inter, ir./i t^ save the Gentilea and the projuc a vi
174
rtlE ACTS.
fA. D. 41
us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, Vvliat " was I, that I could withstmd God]
18 When they heard these things, Ihey hold their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also
o Rom.9.21-26.
Peter were all overcome. One of the l)est means of destroying prejudice and false opinions, is a powerful revival of re- ligion. More erroneous doctrines and unholy feelings are overcome in such scenes, than in all the angry controversies, Etnd bigoted and fierce contentions that have ever taken place. If men wish to rtjot error out of the church, they should strive by all means to promote every where, revivals of pure and undefiled re- ligion. The Holy Spirit more easily and etfectually silences false doctrine, and destroys heresy, than all the denuncia- tions of fierce theologians; all the alarms of professed zeal for truth ; and all the anathemas which professed orthodoxy and love for the purity of the church ever uttered from the icebergs on which such champions usually seek their repose and their home.
18. Tkey held thzir peace. They were convinced^ as Peter had been, by the manifest indications of the will of God. If Then hath God, &c. The great truth is in this manner established, that the doors of^the church are opened to the entire Gentile world — a great and glori- ous truth, that was worthy of this remark- able interposition. It at once changed the views of the apostles and of the early Christians; gave them new, large, and liberal conceptions of the gospel ; broke down all their long-cherished prejudices; taught them to look upon all men as their brethren ; and impressed their heaMs with the truth, never after to be eradicated, that the Christian church was founded for the w^e world, and opened the same glorious pathway to life wherever man mio^ht be found, whether with the narrow prejudice of the Jew, or amidst the degra- dations of the pagan world. To this truth we owe our hopes ; fjr this, we should thank the God of heaven; and impressed with it, we should seek to invite the en- lire world to i)artake with us of the rich provisions of the gospel of the blessed
19. Nou-j ihey, Sic. This vorse intro- duces a new train of historical remark ; and froni this point the course of t^ his- tory of the Acts of the A|K)9tles nKes a Oflw direction. ThuM far. the histor/ had
to the Gentiles ''granted repentance unto life.
19 Now they '^ which were scat- tered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and
fc Rom. ;0. 12, 13; 15.9,16. e c.8.1.
recorded chiefly the preaching of the gos- pel to the Jews only. From this point the history records the efforts made to convert the Gentiles. It begins with the labours put forth in the important city of Antioch (ver. 19, 20) ; and, as during the work of grace that occurred in that city, the labours of the apostle Paul were es pecially sought (ver. 25, 20), the sacred writer thenceforward confines the history mainly to his travels and labours. IT Which were scattered abroad. See ch. viii. 1. H As far as Phenice. Phoenice, or Phoenicia, was a province of Syria, which in its largest sense comprehended a narrow strip of country lying on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, and extending \Tom Antioch to the borders of Egypt. But Phoenice Proper extended only from thn cities of Laodicea to Tyre, ancl included only the territorie.-? of Tyre and Sidon. This country was called sometimes sim- ply Cajiaan. See Note, Matt. xv. 22- H And Ci/prus. An island off the coast of Asm Minor, in the Mediterranean sea. See Note, Acts iv. 36. IT Ajid Antioch. There were two cities of this name, one situated in Pisidia in Asia Minor (see ch xiii. 14); the other, referred to here, waa situated on the river Orontes, and was long the capital of Syria. It was built by SeloucusNicanor,and was called Antioch in honour of his father Annochus. l^as founded three hundred and one yeaiBBe- fore ("Christ. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but is several times men tioned in the Apocrypha, and in the New Testanscnt. It was long the most power- ful city of the East, and was inferior only to Seleucia and Alexandria. It was fa- mous for the fact that the right of citizen- ship whs conferred by Seleucus on the Jews as lAcll as the Greeks and Macedo- nians, so that here they had the privilege of worship m their own way without mo- lestation. It is probable that the Chris- tians wo'jld be regarded merely as a sec of Jews, and wouUl ne here suffered to celebrate their worship without interrup- tion. On this a<vonnt it may have been, that the early Christians regarded thiH city as of such {^nrl'CM'ar impor'anoo, bo- cause here they could find a refuge frora persecution, and be i>ermiited to \v(V'giu»%
A.D. 41.] CHAPTER XL
4atioch, {nRcaing the ft'o d to none out °- unto the Jews only.
20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, wnich, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, ^ preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 And the « hand of the Lord was with them : and a great num-
17A
CjJod without molestation. This city was honoured as a Roman colony, a metropo- lis, and an asylum. It was large; was almost square; had many gates; was adorned with fine fountains ; and was a city of great opulence. It was however subject to earthquakes, and was several times nearly destroyed. In the year 588 it experienced an earthquake in which 60.000 persons were destroyed. It was taken by the Saracens in A. D. 638, and after some changes and revolutions, it was taken during the crusades, after a long and bloody siege, by Godfrey of Bou- illon, June 3, A. D. 1098. In 1268 it was taken by the sultan of Egypt, who de- molished it, and placed it under the dominion of the Turk. Antioch is now called Antakia, and contains about 10,000 inhabitants. {Robinson's Calrnet.) IT Preaching the word. The word of God, the gospel. IF To none but unlo the Jews mly. They had the common prejudices of the Jews, that the offers of salvation were to be made only to Jews.
20. Were men of Cyprus and Cyrene. Were natives of Cyprus and Cyrene. Cyrene was a province and city of Ly- bia in Africa. It is at present called Cairoan, and is situated in the kingdom of Barca. In Cyprus the Greek language was spoken ; and from the vicinity of Cyrene to Alexandria, it is probable that the Greek language was spoken there also. From this circumstance it might have happened that they were led more particularly to address the Grecians who were in Antioch. It is possible, how- ever, that they might have heard of the vision which Peter saw, and felt them- selves -called on to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. IT Spake unto the Grecians, wf:,- Toi)5"Ex>.^v*(rTK,-. To the Hellenists. This word usually denotes in the New Testament those Jews residing in fo- reign lands, who sjwke the Greek lan- gfuage. See Note, ch. vi. 1. But to them the gospel had been already preached Rud yet in this place it is evidently the intention of Luke to affirm, that t^ men
her believed, and turned =* unto the Lord.
22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem ; and they sent forth Barnabas, ' that he should ^o as far as Antioch.
23 Who, when he came, a? d had seen the grace of God, wa«
dc.15.19. lTh.1.9. ec.9.27.
of Cyprus and Cyrene preached to thosa who were not Jews, and that thus their conduct was distinguished from those (ver. 19) who preached to the Jews only. It is thus manifest that we are here re- quired to understand the Gentiles, as those who were addressed by the men of Cyprus and Cyrene. In many MSS. the word used here is ^xkkvx;, Greeks, in- stead of Hellenists. This reading has been adopted by Griesbach, and is found in the Syriac, the Arabic, the Vulgate, and in many of the fathers. The ^Ethiopic ver- sion reads ' to the Gentiles.' There is no doubt that this is the true reading ; and that the sacred writer means to say thai the gospel was here preached to those who were not Jews, for all were called Greeks by them who were not Jews i. 16. The connexion would lead to suppose that they had heard of what had been done by Peter, and that, imitating his example, they preached the gospel now to the Gentiles also.
21. And the hand of the Lord. See Note, Luke i. 66. Comp. Ps. Ixxx. 17. The meaning is, that God showed them favour, and evinced his power in the con- version of their hearers.
22. Then tidings, ^c. The church al Jerusalem heard of thi-s. It was natural that so remarkable an occurrence as the conversion of the Gentiles, and the ex traordinary success of the gospel in a splendid and mighty city, should be re- ported at Jerusalem, an/i excite deep in- terest there. H And they sent forth. To aid the disciples there, and to give them their sanction. They had done a similar thing in the revival which occurred in Samaria. Note, ch. viii. 14. IT Barna- bas. See ch. iv. 36, 37. He was a na tive of Cyprus, and was probably well acquainted with Antioch. He was, there- fore, peculiarly qualified fbi the work on which they sent him.
23. Had seen the grace of God. The favour, or mercy of God, in converting sinners to himself IT Was glad. Ap. proved of what Aad been done in preach- \
i76
^lad " and exhorted ^ them all, that with purpose ' of ** heart they would cleave unto the Lord
*24 For he was a ^ood man, and
o 5JD0.4. b c.l3.43;14.22. c P».n.2. SCor.l.lT. 'Pr.23".^6.
irg the gospel to the Gentiles, and re- joiced that God had poured down his Spirit on them. The effect of a revival to! 10 produce joy in the hearts of all those who love the Saviour. V. And ex- horted them all. Entreated them. They would he exposed to many trials and temptations, and he sought to secure their affections in the cause of religion. li That with purpose of heart. With a firm mind ; with a fixed, settled resolu- tion , that they would make this their settled plan of life, their main object. A purpose, Treo^io-ig, is a resohition of the mind, a plan, or intention. Rom. viii. 28. Eph. i.ll;iii. 11. 2 Tim. i. 9 ; iii. 10. It is a resolution of the mind in regard to future conduct, and the doctrine of Bar- nabas here was, undoubtedly, that it should be a regular, fixed, determined plan, or design, in their minds, that they would henceforward adhere to God. This plan must be formed by all Chris- tians in the beginning of their Christian life, and without such a plan there can be no evidence of piety. We may mM remark that such a plan is one of tne heart. It is not simply of the understand- ing, but is of the entire mind, including the will and affections. It is the leading principle ; the strongest affection ; the guiding ])ur{K>se of the will to adhere to God. And unless this is the prevalent, governing desire of the heart, there can be no evidence of conversion. IF 7%a/ they would cleave. Greek, That they would remain, i. e. that they would ad- here constantly and faithfully attached to the Lord.
24. For he was a good man. This is p^iven as a rea.son why he was so emi- nently successful. It is not said that he was a man of distinguished talents, or learning; that he was a splendid or an imjKjsing preacher; but simply that he was a pious, humble man of God. lie •''as honest, and devoted to his master's wt)rk. We should not undervalue ta- Innt. elo(|uence, or learning in the minis- try ; but we may remark, that humble piety will often do more in the conver- sion of souls than the most splendid ta- lents. No endowments can be a siibsti- lute for this. The real power of a '•niniater ia concentrated in this, and
THE ACTS. [A. D. 4\
full « of the Holy (mm, and ot fnith ; and ^ much people was add- ed unto the Lord.
25 Thc:n s departed Barnabas
ec.6.5. /ver.21. g^c.9.27,30.
without this his ministry will be barren ness and a curse. There is nothing on this earth so mighty as goodness. If a man wished to make the most of his powers, the true secret would be found in employing them for a good object, and suffering them to be wholly under the direction of benevolence. John How ard's purpose to do good has made a more permanent impression on the interests of the world than the mad ambition of Alexander or Ca:sar. Perhaps the ex- pression, " he was a good man," means that he was a man of a kind, amiable, and sweet disposition. IT Full of the Holy Ghost. Was entirely under the influ- ence of the Holy Spirit. He was emi- nently a pious man. This is the second qualification here mentioned of a good minister. He was not merely exemplary for mildness and kmdness of temper, but he was ct'-.inently a man of God. He was fille ■ vvith the influences of the sa- cred S} ait, producing zeal, love, peace, joy, &c. See Gal. v. 22, 23. Comp Acts ii. 4, Note. H And of faith. Confi- dence in the truth and promises of God. This is the third quahfication mentioned ; and this was another cause of his sue cess. He confided in God. He trusted to his promises. He depended, not on his own strength, but on the strength of the arm of God. With these qualifications he engaged in his work, and he wns suc- cessful. These qualifications should be sought by the ministry of the gospel Others should not indeed he neglected, but a man's ministry will usually be successful only as he seeks to posse.ss those endowments which distinguished Barnabas — a kind, tender, benevolent heart ; devoted piety ; the fulness of the Spirit's influence ; and strong, unwaver- ing confidence in the promises and powei of God. IT And much people. Many people. IT Was added unto the. Lara. Became Christians.
25. T/irn departed, Arc. Why Barna' has sought Saul is not known. It is pro- bable, however, that it was owing to the remarkable success which he had in An- tioch. There was a great revival of religion ; and there was need of addi tional InlKjUT. In such scenes the niinia tera of the pospel nee<J odilitionaj heh
A.D. 41.]
lo Tarsus, for to seek Saul :
26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it 3ame to pass, that a whole year
CHAPTER XI 177
tlcy assembled themselves • witli the church, and taught " mucr peo- ple. And the disciples were (felled Christians first in Antioch.
1 or, in. oMatt.28.19.
as msn in harvest-time seek the aid of jthers. Saul was in this vicinity (ch. ix. JOi, an 1 he was eminently fitted to aid n this work. With him Barnabas was ^ell acquainted (Act. ix. 27), and proba- aly there w«s no other one in that vicinity whom he could, obtain. IT To Tarsus. i\otc. Acts ix. 11.
26. Thai a v;liole year. Antioch was a city exceedingly important in its numbers, wealth, and influence. It was for this reason, probably, that they spent so long a time there, instead of travelling in other places. The attention of the apostles was early and chiefly directed to cilies, as being places of influence and centres of power. Thus Paul passed three years in the city of Ephesus. Acts xx. 31. Ayid thus he continued a year and a hau at Corinth. Acts xviii. 11. It may be added that the first churches were founded in cities ; and the most remarkable success attended the preaching of the gospel in large towns. IF They assembled themselves, &c They came together for worship. "11 With the church. Marg. in the church. The Greek [l^) will bear this construc- tion ,• but there is no instance in the New Testament where the word church refers to the edifice in which a congregation worships. It evidently here means that Barnabas and Saul convened with the Christian assembly at proper times, through the space of a year, for the pur- p{jses of public worship. IT And the dis- ciples were called Christians, &c. As this became the distinguishing name of the followers of Christ, it was worthy of re- cord. The name was evidently given ^ecause they were the followers of Christ. But by ivhom, or with what views, it was given, is not certainly known. Whether it was given by their s lemies in derision, as the names Puri- tan, Quaker, Methodist, &c. have been; r,r whether the disciples assumed it them- selves : or whether it was given by divine intimation, has been a matter of debate. That it was given in derision is not pro- bable. For in the name Christian there was nothing dishonourable. To be the professed friends of the Messiah, or the Christ, was not with Jews a matter of re- proach, for thev all professed to be the friends of the Messiah. The cause of re- proach with the disciples was tVat they
regarded Jesus of Nazareth as the Me© siah; and hence, when they wished to speak of them with contempt, they would ! speak of them as Galileans (Act.s ii. 7), o; I as Nazarenes (Acts xxiv. 5), " And a ring j leader of the sect vf the Nazarenes." l\ j is possible that the name might have been j given to them as a mere appellation, with- j out intending to convey !jy it any rs- ' proach. The Gentiles would probablv t use this name to distinguish them ; arid I it might have become thus the common i appellation. It is evident from the j\ew Testament, I think, that it was not de- ' signed as a term of reproach- It is but I twice used besides this place: Acts xxvi. 28, " Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou < persuadest me to be a Christian." 1 Pet : iy. 16, " Yet if any man suffer as a Chris- j tian, let liim not he ashamed." No cer j tain argument can be drawn in regard to i the source of the name from the word I which is used here. The word Xf>;,u:«T/^« [used here, means, (].) To transact any j business; to be employed in acconipli.sh- ing any thing, &c. This is its usual sig- nification in the Greek writers. It means, (2.) To be divinely admonished, to be in structed by a divine communication, &c I Matt. ii. 12. Luke ii. 26. Acts x. 22. Heb I viii. 5; xi. 7 ; xiL 25. It also means, (3.; I To be named, of called, in any way, with- ! out a divine communication. Rom. vii. 3, ! " She shall be called an adulteress." It I cannot be denied, however, that the most I usual signification in the New Testament I is that of a divine monition, or communica- j tion ; and it is certainly possible that the name was given by Barnabas and Saul I incline to the opinion, however, that it was given to them by the Gentiles who were there, simply as an appellatiori, without intending it as a name of re proach, and that it was readily a.ssumea by the disciples as a name that would fitly designate them. If it had been as sumed by them, or if Barnabas and Sau had conferred the name, the record wouk probably have been to that effect ; not simply that they " were called " but tha:! they took this name, or that ii was given by "the afrfjstles. It is, however, of litth consequence whence the name original ed. It soon became a name of reproach and has usually been in all ages since, hy the wicked, the gav. the licentious ano
rs
THE ACTS
[A. D 41
27 An J i.i these day-s canft" pro- phets frciin Jerusalem unto Anti- och.«
oc.l.l7;13.1. Eph.l.ll.
the ungodly. It is, however, an honoured name; the most honourable appellation that can be conferred on a mortal. It suggests at once to a Christian the name yi' his great Redeemer ; the idea of our ntimate relation to him ; and the thought i;at we receive him as our chosen Leader, the source of our blessings, the author of our salvation, the fountain of our joys. It is the distinguishing name of all the re- deemed. It is not that we belong to this or that denomination; it is not that our names are connected with high and illus- trious ancestors ; it is not that they are recorded in the books of heralds ; it is not that they stand high in courts, and among the gay, and the fashionable, and the rich, that true honour is conferred on men. These are not the things that give distinc- tion and peculiarity to the foUovv'ers of the Redeemer. It is that they are Christians ; that this is their peculiar name ; that by this they are known; that this at once suggests their character, their feelings, their doctnnes, their hopes, their joys. Phis binds them all together — a name which rises above every other appella- tion; which unites in one the inhabitants )f distant nations and tribes of men ; which connects the extremes of society, and places them in most important respects on a common level ; and which is a bond to unite in one family all%hose who love the Lord Jesus, though dwelling in dif ferent climes, speaking different lan-
fjuages, engaged in different pursuits in ife, and occupying distant graves at death. He who lives according to the im(X>rt of this name is the most blessed nnd eminent of mortals. The name shall be had in remembrance when the names of royalty shall be remembered no more, and when the appellations of nobility shall cease to amuse or to dazzle the world.
27. And in those days. While Barna- bas and Saul were at Antioch. ir Came orojihets. The word prophet denotes pro- berly one who foretells future events, fee© Note, Matt. vii. 15. It is sometimes used in »ho New Testament to denote 8im|)!y religious ica:hers, instructors sent from Cod, wilhoul jiarticnlar reference *ja future evor.tK. To tear h the people in the doctrines of religion was a part of the prophetic office ; and tliis idea only was Sometimes denoted bytheuseof the word.
28 And there stood them, named Agabus, fied by the Spirit that there should
Z)C.21.10.
up one o\ and sisrni-
See Rom. xii. 6. 1 Cor. xii. 10. 28; xiii. a 8; xiv. 3. 5. 24. These prophets seem tc have been endowed in a remarkable manner with the knowledge of future events ; with the power of explaining mysteries ; and in some cases with the power of speaking foreign languages. In this case, it seems that one of them at least had the power of foretelling future events.
28. Named Agabus. This man is men tioned but in one other place in the New Testament. In Acts xxi. 10, 11, he is men- tioned as having foretold that Paul would be delivered into the hands of the Gen- tiles. It is not expressly sad that he wa« a Christian, but the connexion seems to imply that he was. IF And signified. Sec John xii. 33. The word usually denotes to \ndicate by sigJis, or with a degree of obscurity and uncertainty, not to declare in explicit language. But here it seema to denote sirriply to foretell, to predict ^ B)/ the Spirit. Under the influence of the Spirit. He was inspired. If A great dearth. A great famine. IF Throughout all the world. The word hero used {oUinj/xivh-), usually denotes the inhabit- able world, the parts of the earth which are cultivated and occupied. It is some- timen limited, however, to denote an en- tire land or country, in contradistinction from the parts of it : thus., to denote th« whole of the land of Palestine in distinc- tion from its parts ; or to denote that an event would have reference to all the land, and not be confined to one or more parts, as Galilee, Samaria, &c. See Note. Luke ii. 1. The meaning of this propiie cy evidently is, that the famine would ho extensive ; that it would not be confined to a single province or region, but that i^ would extend so far as that it might be caWed general. In fact, though the famine was particularly severe in Judoa, yet it extended much farther. This prediction was uttered not long after the conversion of Saul, and probably therefore, about the year A. D. 38. or A. D. 40. Dr. Lard- ner nas attempted to show that the pro- phecy had reference only to the land of Judea, though in fact there were famine* in other places. (I/irdners ^yorks, \o\. i pp. 2r)3, 2r)l. Kd. 1^)11(1. 1829.''i IT Which came to pass, <vc. 'I'his iv one of the fev« instances in which the sacred writers in the New Tes^nment affirm the fulfiliiwnl
D. 41.1
CHAPTER XI.
17^
ie great deaith throughout all the (vorld : which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cesar.
29 Thau the disciples, every Qian aoiording to his ability, de-
of a prophecy. The history having been written after the event, it was natural to give a passing notice of the fulfilment. IT In the days of Claudius CcBsar. The Roman emperor. He began his reign A. D. 41, and reigned thirteen years. He was at last poisoned by one of his wives, Agrippina, who wished to raise her son Nero to the throne. During his reign no less than /our different faminqa are mentioned by ancient writers, one of which was particularly severe in Judea, and was the one doubtless to which the sacred writer here refers. (1.) The first liappened at Rome, and occurred in the first or second year ot the reign of Clau- dius. It arose from the difficulties of importing provisions from abroad. It is mentioned by Dio, whose words are these : " There being a great famine, he (Claudius) not only took care for a pre- sent supply, but provided also for the time to come." He then proceeds to state the great expe:ise which Claudius was at in making a good port at the mouth of the Tiber, and a convenient passage from thence up to the city. Dio, lib. Ix. p. 671, 672. See also Suetonius, Claud, cap. 20. (2.) A second famine is mentioned as having been particularly gevere in Greece. Of this famine Euse- bius speaks in his Chronicon, p. 204. " There was a great famine in Greece, m which a modius of wheat (about half a bushel) was sold for six drachms." Tins famine is said by Eusebius to have occurred in the ninth yeai* of the reign of Claudius. (3.) In the latter part of his reign, A. D. 51, there was another famine at Rome, mentioned by Sueto- nius (Claud, cap. 18), and by Tacitus (Ann. xii. 43). Of this Tacitus says, that it was so severe, that it was deemed to be a divine judgment. (4.) A fourth, fa- mine is mentioned as having occurred par- ticularly in Judea. This is described by Josephus (Ant. b. xx. ch. 2, $ 5). " A fa- mine,"^ys he, " did oppress them at the time (in the time of Claudius) ; and many oeople died for the want of what was necessary to procure food withal. Queen Helena sent some of her servants to Alexandria with money to buy a great quantity of com, and others of them to Jvprufj to bring a cargo of dried figs "
termined to send * relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea :
30 Which also they did, and ' sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
a Rom.15.26. lCor.16.1. 2Cor.0.1,2. b c i2.25.
This famine is described as having con tinned under the two procurators of Ju- dea, Tiberias Alexander and Cassius Fa- fras. Fad us was sent into Judea, on the death of Agrippa, about the fourth year of the reign of Claudius, and the famine, therefore, continued probably during the fifth, sixth, and seventh years of the reign of Claudius. See Note in Whis- ton's Josephus, Ant. b. xx. ch. 2. ^^ 5 ; also Lardner as quoted above. Of this fa mine, or of the want consequent on the famine, repeated mention is made in the New Testament.
29. Then the disciples. The Christians at Antioch. If According to his ability According as they had prospered. It does not imply that they were rich, but that they rendered aid as they could af- ford it. IT Determined to send relief. This arose not merely from their general sense of their obligation to aid the poor, but they felt themselves particularly bound to aid their Jewish brethren. The obli gation to aid the temporal wants of those from whom they had received so import- ant spiritual mercies, is repeatedly en- forced in the New Testament. Comp. Rom. XV. 25—27. 1 Cor. xvi. 1,2. 2 Cor ix. 1, 2. Gal. ii. 10.
30 Sent it to the elders. Greek, To the presbyters. This is the first mention which we have in the New Testament of elders, or presbyters, in the Christian church. The word literally denotes aged men, but it was a name of office only in the Jewish synagogue. It is clear, however, I think, that the elders of the Jewish synagogue here are not in- cluded, for the relief was intended for the " brethren, ver. 29, that is, the Chris- tians who were at Jerusalem, and it is not probable that a charity like this would have been intrusted to the hands of Jewish elders. The connexion here does not enable us to determine any thing about the sense in which the woni was used. I think it probable that 't does not refer to officers in the church but that it means simply that the oharitjr was intrusted to the aged, prudeM, and experienced men in the church, for distri- bution among the memb**^. Calvin sup* poses that the apostles were particularly intended But this is not orobabla 11
IwO THE ACTS.
CHAPTER XH. i\TOW about that time, Herod ^ ^ the king stretched ' forth his bands to vex certain of the church.
» or, be^an.
iH possible that the deaconin, who were
f)mbably aged men, may be here parficu- arly referred to, but I am rather inchned to think that the charity was sent to tlm aged members of the church without re- aped to their office, to be distributed ac- cording to their discretion.
CHAPTER xrr.
1 Nou) about that time. That is, during the time that the famine existed ,• or the time when Barnabas and Saul went up to Jerusalem. This was probably about the fifth or sixth year of the reign of Claudius, not far from A. D. 47. H He- rod the king. This was Herod Agrippa. The Syriac so renders it expressly, and the chronology requires us so to under- stand it. He was a grandson of Herod the Great, and one of tlie sons of Aristo- bulus, whom Herod put to death. Jose- phus, Antiquities, b. xviii. 5. Herod the Great left three sons, between whom his kingdom was divided — Archelaus, Philip, and Antipas. Note, Matt. ii. 19. To Philip was left Iturca and Trachonitis. See Luke iii. 1. To Antipas, Galilee and Perea; and to Archelaus.'judea, Idumea, and Samara. Archelaus, being accused of cruelty, was banished by Augustus to Vienna in Gaul, and Judea was reduced to a province, and united with Syria. When Philip died, this region w'as grant- ed by the emperor Caligula to Herod Agrippa. Herod Antipas was driven as an exile also into Gaul, and then into Spain, and Herod Agrippa received also hii- tetrarchy. In the reign of Claudius a. so, the dominions of Herod Agrippa were still farther enlarged. When Ca- ligula was slain, he was at Rome, and having ingratiated himself into the fa- vour of Claudius, he conferred on him also Judea and Samaria, so thiit his do- minions were equal in extent to those of his grandfather, Herod the Great. See Josephus, Antiquities, b. xix. ch. 5, $ 1. t Stretched forth his hands. A figurative expression, denoting that he laid his liandH on them, or that he endeavoured violently to oppress the church. IT To vrx. To injure, to do evil to. y.xy.toTx!. f Certain. Some olthe church. Who they were the writer immediately specifies.
2. And he killed, &c. He caused to be put to death Witii a swonf, either by be-
[A. D. 44
2 And he killed James " the brother of John with the sw^ord.
3 And because he aaw t pleased ^ the Jews, he proceeded further to
a MatU.21:20.23. b c.24.27.
heading, or piercing him through. Pho Roman procurators were intrusted with authority over life, though in the time of Pilate the Jews had not this authority. H James the brother of John. This was the son of Zebed(^. Matt. iv. 21. He is commonly called James the Greater, in contradistinction from James the son of Alpheus, who is called James the Less. Matt. X. 3. In this manner were the pre- mctions of our Saviour respecting him fulfilled. Matt. xx. 23, "Ye shall in- deed drink of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with."
3. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews. This was the principle on which he acted. It was not from a sense of right ; it was not to do justice, and protect the innocent; it was not to dis- charge the appropriate duties of a ma- gistrate, and a king; but it was to pro- mote his own popularity. It is probable that Agrippa would have acted in this way in any circumstances. He was am- bitious, vain, and fawning ; he sought, as his great principle, popularity. And ht was willing to sacrifice, like many others truth and justice to obtain this end But there was also a particular reason for this in his case. He held his a;>- i:.ointment under the Roman emperor. This foreign rule was always unpopular among the Jews. In order, therefore, to secure a peaceful reign, and to prevent insurrection, and tumult, it was necessa- ry for him to court their favour ; to in- dulge their wishes, and to fall in with their prejudices. Alas ! how many ma narchs and rulers there have been, who were governed by no better principle and whose sole aim has been to sfrcure popularity, even at the expense of law, and truth, and justice. That this waa the character of Herod, is attested hj Josephus, Ant. xix. ch. 8, $ 3. " This king (Herod Agri|)pa) was by nature very beneficent, and liberal in ^ gift* and very ambitious to pUase Ihepewfie with such large donations; and he made him- self very illustrious hy the many exj^en- sive presents he nnn.'. them. He look delight in giving, '»nf1 rejoiced in living with good reputaf'.v." IT To take Petet als6 l*eter was r f- of he raurt ron»ini
i. D. 44.]
take Peter * also Then were the days * of unleavened bread.
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and de- iverid him to four quaternions of soldiyrs, to keep him ; intending
oJnoIl.IS iEx.l2.14,l5.
CHAPTER XII.
i8
"! vixa men in the church. He had made l.ingelf particularly obnoxious by his se- vore and pungent discourses, and by his iJjccess in winning men to Christ. It *va.s natural therefore that he should be ihe next object of attack. IT The days of unleavened bread. The Passover, or the seven days immediately succeeding the Pas&over, during which they were required to eat bread without leaven. Ex. xii. 15 — 18. It w-as sometime during this period that Herod chose to apprehend Peter. Wliy this season was selected is not known. As it was, however, a sea- son of religious solemnity, and as Herod was desirous of showing his attachment to the religious rites of the nation (Jos. Antiq. xix. 7. 3), it is probable that he chose this period to show to them more impressively his purpose to oppose all false religions, and to maintain the exist- mg establishments of the nation.
4. A}id when he had apprehended him. When he had taken or arrested him. ^ He put him in prison. During the so- lemnities of this religious festival, it would have been deemed improper to have en- g^llied in the trial of a supposed criminal. The minds of the people were expected to be devoted solely to the solemnities of religion ; and hence Herod chose to re- tain him in custody until the Passover had ended. IT To four quaternions of soldiers. A quaternion was a company of four ; consequently the whole number employ- ed here was sixteen. The Romans di- vided the night into four watches, so that the guards could be relieved ; those who were on guard occupyin.5 tliree hours, and being then relieved Of the four vi'ho were on guard, two were with Peter in the prison (ver. G;, and two kept watch before the door of the prison. The utmost precaution was thus taken that he should not escape ; and Herod thus gave the mi»st arap)le assurance to the Jews of his mlention to secure Peter, and to bring him to trial. IT Intending aftzr Easter. There never was a more absurd or un- nappy translation than this. The original .s simply after thePassover (.'-iSTo. to -xc--/,-^). The word Easter now denotes the fesli- eiii observed by many Christiai? churches
0
after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
5 Peter therefore was kept is prison ; but ' prayer was made with out ceasing of the church unto God for him.
1 or, inttant and earnest prayer was made. ZCor.l 11. Epli.6.18.19. lThes8.5.17. Jas.5.16.
in honour of the resurrection of the Sa- viour. But the original has no reference to that ; nor is there the slightest evidenca that any such festival was observed el the time when this book was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of tho origmal, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the times of the apostles The word Easter is of Saxon origin, and is supposed to be derived from Eostre, the goddess of love, or the Venus of the North, in honour of whom a festival was cele- brated by our pagan ancestors in the month of April. (Webster.) As this festi- val coincided with the Passover of the Jews, and with the feast observed by Christians m honour of the resurrection of Christ, the name came to be used to denote the latter. In the old Anglo-Sax- on service-books the term Easter is used frequently to translate the word Passover. In the translation by Wiclif the word paske, i. e. passover, is used. But Tindal and Coverdale used the word Easter, and hence it has very improperly crept into our translation. {Clark.) IT To bring him' forth to the people. That is, evidently, to put him publicly to death to gratify Ihem The providence of God in regard to Petet is thus remarkable. Instead of his being put suddenly to death, as v/as James, he was reserved for future trial ; and thus an abundant opportunity was given for the prayers of the church, and for his conse quent release.
5. But prayer was made. The church was apprized of his imprisonment and danger; and had no resource but to ap ply to God by prayer. In scenes of dan ger there is no other refuge ; and the re- sult shows that even in most discourag ing circumstances, God can hear prayer Nothing scarcely could appear more hopeless than the idea of rescuing Pctoi out of the hands of Herod, and out of the prison, and^jut of the custody of sixteen men, by prayer. But the prayer of faith was prevalent with God. I1 lVt7A<ji|toKa.s. ing. Intense, steady, ardent prayel^Tha word here used (ei^tei ;,?) is found in bui< one othor place in the New Tsstarnent
i82
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 44
6 Ani wheu ileod woild have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison
7 And, behold, the " angel of the Lord came upon hijji, and a light sliined in the prison : and he
cPs.3T.32,33. c.5.19.
; Pet- iv 8, "Have fervent charity among 'ivTselves." The word has ralher the ^. •» :hat their prayer was earnest and K^vtM, 'han that it was constant. ^ Of '^e t,>u) "h. By the church. 6. Ar<t mhen Herod wouhl have brought inm fartu When he was about to bring liim to bfc Qut to death. IT Tke same night. That is, the night preceding. The inten- tion of He.nd ^as to bring him out as soon as the Pae«;ov sr was over ; but dur- ing the night which immo.diate]y preceded the day in which Herod intended to bring iiim to punishment, Peter was rescued. IT Peter uxis sleeping. Here is an instance of remarkable compooare, and one of the effects of peace of conscience and of con- fidence in God. It was doubtless known to Peter what the intention of Herod was. James had just been put to death; and Peter had no reason to expect a better fate. And yet in this state, he slept as quietly as if there had been no danger, and was roused even by an angel to con- template his condition, and to make his escape. — There is nothing that will give quiet rest and gentle sleep so certainly as a conscience void of oflbnce ; and in the midst of imminent dangers, he who con- fides in God may rest secuiely and calmly. ^ Between two soldiers. Note, ver. 4. Peter was bound to the two. His left hand was chained to the right hand of one of the Boldiers, and his right hand to the left hand of the other. Ttiis was a common mode of securing piiBoners among the Romans. See abundant authorities for this quoted in Lardner's Credibility, part i. ch. X. $ 9. Loud. ed. 1829. vol. i. pp. 242, 243, A-c. IT And the keeper, &o See ver. 4. Two so' .iers were stationed at the door. We may see now that every pos- sible precaution was used to ensure the Bale custody of Peter. (1.) He was in pri- son. (2.; He wa.s in the cha«M of sixteen mer., who could relievo eacW)ther when weaHMnd thus every security was given hut H^couUI iKjt esrai)e by inattention r weariness on their part. (3.) He was iind fa>t between two men. .And (4.)
smote Peter on the side, and raiscx) him up, saying. Arise up quickly And '' his chains fell off from hii hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and. bind on thy san- dals : and so he did. And he saitli unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
He was further guarded by two others, whose business it was to watch the door of the prison, it is to be remembered also, that it was death for a Roman soldier to be found sleeping at his post. And in this way every possible security was given for the safe keeping of Peter. But God can deliver in spite of all the precau- tions of men; and it is easy for him to overcome the most cunning devices of his enemies.
7. And behold the angel of the Lord. See Note, ch. v. 19. IF Came upon him. Greek, Was present with him ; stood near him (iTrla-Tii). IF And a light shined in the prison. Many have supposed that this was lightning. But light, and splendour, and shining apparel are commonly repre- sented as the accompaniments of the hea- venly beings when they visit the earth Luke ii; 9 ; xxiv. 4. Comp. Mark ix. 3. It is highly probable that this light was dis- cerned only by Peter; and it would be to him an undoubted proof of the divine interposition in his behalf IT And he smote Veter on the side. This was do?P^- less a gent'e blow or stroke to arouse him from sleep. IT Arid ?ns chains, &c. This could have been only by divine power. No natural mearis were used, or could have been used without arousing the guard. It is a sublime expression of the ease with which God can deliver from danger, and rescue his friends. Comp. ch xvi. 26.
8. Gird thyself When they slept, the outer garment was thrown off, and the girdle with which they bound their inner garment, or tunic, was loosed. He was directed now to gird up that inner gar ment as they usually wore it ; that is, to dress himself, Bnd prepare to follow him IT Bind on thy sandals. Put on thy san dais — prepared to walk. Note, Matt, iii. 11. IT Cast thy garment about thee Th« outer garment, that was thrown loosely around the shoulders. It was nearly f-qnare, and wr.s laid aside when they slept, or worked, or ran. The direction wns thfit ho should dre8.<J himpelf in hii
\ D 44.3
9 And h(3 w.ent ( ut, and followed him ; and wist not ° that it was Lrue which v'-as done by the angel ; but thought he saw a vision.''
10 When they were past the tirst and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that lead- eth unto the city, which opened to ^hem of his own accord ; and they ivent out, and passed on through one street ; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
oPs.126.1. fcc.10 1,17.
CHAPTER .\il.
183
usual apparel. See Note, Matt. v. 38 — 42.
9. And wist not. Knew not. IT That it was true. That it was real. ^ Sawa vision. Tliat is, was a representation made to nis raind. similar to that which he had seen before. Comp. ch. x. 11, 12. It was so astonishing, so unexpected, so wonderful, that he could not realize that it was true.
10. The first and second ward. The word which is here rendered ward <?jx«ic;;v), properly denotes the act of
guarding ; but it is most commonly used to denote a prison, or place of confine- ment. In this place it seems to denote the guard itself — the soldiers stationed at intervals in the entrance into the prison. These were passed silently, probably a deep sleep havirvg^peen sent on them to facilitate the escape of Peter. IT The iron gate. The outer gate, secured with iron, as the doors of prisons are now. IT That Leadeth unto the city. Or rather into (ft'O the city. Jerusalem was sur- rounded by three walls. (See Lightfoot on this place.) The prison is supposed to have been situated between two of these walls. And it is probable that the entrance to the prison was immediately from the inner wall, so that this gate opened directly into the city. V Of his own accord. Itself It opened sponta- neously, without the application of any force, or key, thus showing conclusively that Peter was delivered by miraculous interposition. IT And passed on through one street. Till Peter was entirely safe from any danger of pursuit, and then the angel lett him. God had effected his complete rescue, and now left him to his own etforts as usual.
JJ. A7id when Peter was come to him- felf. This expression naturally means «vhen he had overcome his amazement, nd astonishtnent at the unexpected de-
11 And when Putei was come to himself, he said, Njw I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent 5- his angel, and hath '' delivered me out of the hand of Rerod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
12 And when he had considered ike thing., he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whos3 surname was Mark ; where many ' were gathered together, praying.
c 2Ch.l6.9. Ps.34.r. Da.3.28;6.22. Heb.1.14. d P» 33.18,19;97.10. 2Cor.l.I0. 2Pe.t.2.9. t ver. 5.
liverance, so as to be capable of reflec- tion. He had been amazed by the whole transaction. He thought it was a vision ; and in the suddenness and rapidity with which it was done, he had no time for cool reflection. The events of divine providence often overwhel(i|fnd amaze us ; and such are their sudoenness, and rapidity, and unexpected character in their development, as to confound us, and prevent calm and collected reflection. ^ Of a surety. Certainly, surely. He considered all the circumstances, he saw that he was actually at liberty, and that it could have been effected only by di- vine interposition. IT The expectation of the people. From this it appears that the people earnestly desired his death; and it was to gratify that desire that Herod had imprisoned him.
12. And when he had considered, &c. Thinking on the subject; considering what he should do in these circumstances. IT He came to the house of Mary, &c.
Probably this house was near him ; and
would naturally seek a Christian friend. IF The mother of
he would naturally seek the dwelling of
John, &c. Probably this was the John "Mark who wrote the gospel. But this is not certain. IT Whose surname. Greek; Who was called Mark. It does not mean that he had two names conferred, as with us, both of which were used at the same time. But he was called by either, the Greeks probably using the name Mark, and the Jews the name John. He ia frequently mentioned afterwards, as hav- ing been the attendant of Paul and Bar- nabas in their travel.s. ver. 25; xv. 3^ 2 Tim. iv. 11. He was a nephew of Barnabas. Col. iv. \0. IT Where many were gathered tosethc, praying. This was in the night, and it shows the pro- priety of observing extraordinary sea- sons of prayer, even in the night. Peter was to have been put to deatJj the nex\
\9.4
THE A(n^.
[A U U
13 And as Peter knocked at the Joor of the gate, a damsel came ' to hearken, named Rlioda.
14 And whon she knew Peter's
» or, to a k who toat there.
day ; and they assembled to pray for his •^lease, and diii not intermit their pray- ei"s. When daneers increase around us and our friends, we should become more fervent in prayer. While life remains we may pray ; and even when there is no human hope and we may have no power to heal or deliver, still God may interpose, as he did here, in aaswer to prayer.
13 At the door of the gate. Rather the door of the vcKlit)\ue, or principal en- trance into the house. The house was entered through such a porch or vestibule, and it was the door opening into this vvhich is heE&int*^nded See Note, Matt. ix. 2. IT AffkmseL A girl. IT Came to hearken. To hear who was there. IT Named Rhoda. This is a Greek name signifying a rose* It was not unusual for the Hebrews to give the names of flov^- ers, &c. to their daughters. Thus Susan- na, a lily ; Hadessa, a myrtle ; Tamai , a palm-tree, &c. {Grotius.)
14. She opened not the gate. At this time of night, and in these circumstances, the door would be fastened. Christians were doubtless alarmed by the death of James, and the imprisonment of Peter, and they would take all possible precau- tions for their own safety. H For glad- ness. In her joy she hastened to inform those who were assembled of the safety of Peter.
15. 'llion. art m/id. Thou art insane. They seemed to have regarded his rescue as so difficult and so hopeless, that they deemed it proof of derangement that she now affirmed it. And vet this was the very thing for which tfiey had been so earnestly praying. When it wits now announced to them that the object of their prayers wa.s granted, they deem- ed the messenger that announced it insane. Christians are often surprised even when their prayers are answered. Tliey arc overwhelmed and amazed at ihe success of their own petitions, and ire slow to believe that the very thing P)r which they have sought could be granted. It shovvs perhaps with how little faith, after all, thov pray ; and how slow thev are to believe that Gad can hear and answiT prayer. In a revival of religion, in answer to prayer, Chria- dana are often overwhd mod. and oslo-
voice, she opened not the gate fo; gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
15 And they said unto het,
nished when even their ov^n petitions are granted, and when God manifests hli own power m his own way and time Prayer should be persevered in, and we should place ourselves in a waiting po9> ture to catch the first indications that God has heard us with joy. ^ But she constantly ajjirmed it. She insisted on it How much better it would have been to have hastened at once to the gate, than thus to have engaged in a controversy on the subject. Peter was suffered to re- main knocking, while they debated the matter. Christians are often engaged in some unprofitable controversv, when they should hasten to catch the first to- kens of divine favour, and open their arms to welcome the proof* that God has. heard their prayers. IT Then said they. Still resolved not to be convinced. IT Ii is his angel. Any way of accounting for it rather than to admit the simple fact, or to ascertain the simple truth. All ihia was produced by the little hope which they had of his release, and their earnest desire that it should be so. It was just such a state of mind as is indicated when we say ' the news is too good to be believed.' The expression it is his avgd may mean, that theiffcupposed the tute- lary guardian, or angel appointed to at- tend Peter, had come to announce some- thing respecting him, and that he had assumed the voice and form of Peter, in order to render them certain- that he came from him. This notion arosejrom the common belief of the Jews, that each individual had assigned to him, at birth, a celestial spirit, whose office it was to guard and defend him through life. Note, Malt xviii. 10. That the Jews entertained this opinion is cl&at from their writings. (See Kutnod.) Light fixit thinks that they who were a^sem bled suppo.sed that this angel had assumed the voice and manner of Peter, in <»r«:ier to intimate to tliem that he was about to die. and to excite them to earnest prayer that he mieht die with constancy and firmness. VVhatever their opinions vvpr<», however, it 7>roiv."f nothing on these points. There is no evidence th.at tiiey were in- spired in these opinions, nor are their notions countenanced by the Scriptures They were the mere common traditioni of the Jews and prove nolhintt m regatV
\ D. 4 4. I
CHAPTKK Xil.
S?<3
Tlioii art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it v/as even so. Then said they, It is his " angel.
16 But Peter continued knock- ing : and when they had opened (he door, and saw him, they were astonished.
IT But he beckoning* unto them vvilh the hard, to hold their peace, declared *= unto them how the Lord i.ad brought him out of the prison.
aMatt.18.10. tc.13.16, ePs.66.16
vo the truth of the opinion one way or the other.
16. Were astonished. They were now convinced that it was Peteij»d they were amazed that he had A^Rescued. As yet they were of course ignorant of the manner in which it was done. j|k
17. But he beckoning, &c. To pre\^B the noise, and tumuk, and transport which was Hkely to be produced. His wish was, not that there should be cla- morous joy, but that they sliould listen in silence to what God had done. It was sufficient to awe the soul, and produce deep, grateful feeling. A noise might evcjte the neighbouring Jews, and pro- duce danger. Bat religion is calm and peaceful ; and its great scenes and sur- prising deliverances are rather fitted to awe the soul, to produce calm, sober, and grateful contemplation, than the noise of rejoicing, and the shoutings of exultation. The consciousness of the pre- sence of God, and of his mighty power, does not produce rapturous disorder and tumult, but holy, solemn, calm, grateful emotion. IT Go, shew these things, &c. Acquaint them that their prayer is heard, and that they may rejoice also at the mercy of God. "ir Unto James. James the son of XlpJieus, commonly called the Less. Note, ver. 2. Acts i. 13. Matt. x.2. "^ And to the brethren. Particularly to the other apostles. IT And went into another place. Probably a place of greater safety. Where he went is not known. The papists pre- lend that he went to Rome. But of this there is no evidence. He is mentioned as in Jerusalem again in ch. xv. The meaning is evidently that he went into name place of retirement till the dang-^r was passed.
18. N^mall stir. Amazement that he had e^Pped, and apprehension of the consequences. The punishment which they tad reason to expect, for having suf- fered his escape, was death.
And he said Go, shew these tilings unto James, and to the brethren And he departed, and ^^ent into an- other place.
18 Now as soon as it was day there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Pe- ter.
19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he ex- amined the keepers, and command -
19. He examined the keepers. The sol diers who were intrusted with his custody Probably only those wh'" had the special care of him at that w&ich of the night. The word examine here means to inquire diligently, to make investigation. He subjected them to a rigid scrutiny to as- certain the manner of his escape; for it is evident that Herod did not mean to admit the possibility of a miraculous in- terposition. ^ Should he put to death. Foi having failed to keep Peter. This punish- ment they had a right to expect for hav- ing suffered his escape. H And he wenl down, &c. How .soon after the escape of Peter he went down to Caesarea, or how long he abode there, is not known. Ca3- sarea was rising into magnificence, and the Roman governors made it often theii abode. Note, Acts viii. 40. Comp. Acta XXV. 1. 4. This journey of Herod is re- lated by Josephus, Antiq. b. xix. ch. viii $ 2. He says that it was after he had reigned over all Judea three years. ^ And there abode. That is, till his death, which occurred shortly after. We do not learn that he made any further inquiry after Peter, or that he attempted any further persecutions of the Christians. The guard was undoubtedly put to death ; and thus Herod used all his power to create the im- pression that Peter had escaped by then negligence ; and this would undoiibtedly be believed by the Jews. See JVlatt.xxviii, 15. He might himself perhaps be convinc- ed, however, that the escape was by mi- racle, and be afrpid to attempt any furthej persecutions ; or the affairs of his govern ment might have called off his attentiiri to other things ; and thus, as in the case of the " persecution that arose about Ste- phen," the political changes and dangers might divert the attention from putting Christians to death. Note. ch. ix. 31 Thus by the providence '^f God this per secuti*)!!, that had been CM.nmenced, nol by popular tumult, but hx loyal authoril\
18G
i'HE ACTJS.
[A. D. 44
ed that ihef should be put to death. And he wen; down from Judea to Cesurea, and there abode.
20 And Herod ' was highly dis- pleased with them of Tyre and Si- don : but they came with one ac- cord to him, and, having made Blastus 2 the kincr's chamberlain their friend, desired peace ; because
1 or, hart an hostile mind, intending war. "' That tool over thi kingh Itd-chatnber.
and power, and that wts aimed at the very pillars of the church, ceased. Tlie prayers of the church prevailed ; and the monarch was overcome, disappointed, humbled, and by divine judgment soon put to death
20 And Herod toas highly displeased, &c. Greek, Bare an hostile mind, intend- ing war. See the margin. The Greek word (S^u;u!)/i»%a^■) docs not occur else- where in the New Testament. It means to meditate war; to purpose war in the mind \ or here probably, to be enraged or angry at them. What was the cause of this hostihty to the people of Tyre and Sidon is not mentioned, and conjecture is useless. It is not at all inconsistent, how- ever, with the well known character of Horod. It was probably from some cause relating to commerce. Tyre and Sidon were under the Roman power, and had some shadow of liberty {Grotius)\ and it is probable that they might have eml>ar- rassod Herod in some ol' his regulations respe<iting commerce. IF Tyre and Sidon. Note. Matt. xi. 21. They were north of Cajsarea. IT Thei/ came v>ith one accord. Fearing the effects of his anger, they united in sending an embassage to him to make peace. IT* Blastus the kind's chamberlain. See Rom. xvi. 23. The word chamhejrlain denotes an oflicer who is charged with the direction and manage- ment of a chamber, or chambers, particu- larly a bed-chamber. It denotes here a man who had charge of the bed-chamber of Ilcrod. IT Because their country was nourished, &c. Was supplied by the territories of Herod. The country of Tyre and Sidon included a narrow strip or land on the coast of the Mediterranean. Of course they were dependent ft)r pro- vision.", and fi;r articles of commerce, on the interior connlrv; hut this belonged V) the kingdom of Morod ; and as tliey were entirc'y dependent on his coiuitry, n he had jK)wer to dry up the sources of ^leir Kiip|x»rl and commerce, they were he more orgonl to Hnrure his favour.
their " country was nourished by the king's country.
21 And upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is ^ the voice of a god, and not of a man.
21. Ajid upon a set day. An appointed, public day. This was the second day of the sports and games which Herod cele- brated in Caesarea in honour of Claudius CfEsar. Josephus has given an account of this^teurrence, which coincides re- markara|R^i4h the narrative here. The account is contained in his Antiquities of ^|a Jews, b. xix. ch. viii. ^ 2, and is as fol- Vi^s: " Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Caesarea, which was formerly called Strato's Tower ; and there he ex- hibited shows in honour of Csesar, upon his being informed that there was a cer tain festival celebrated to make vows foi his safety. At which festival a great multitude was gotten together of the principal persons, and such as were of dignity throughout his province. On the second day of which show.s, he put on a garment made wholly of silver," <fec. ir Arrayed in royal apparel. In the appa rel of a king. Joscjihus thus describes the dress which Herod wore on that oc casion. " He put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of wonderful con- texture, and early in the morning came into the theatre [place of the shows and games], at which time the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the first re- flection of the sun's rays upon it, shono after a surprising manner, and was so re- splendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently on him." IT Sat upon his throne. This does not denote a throne in the usual sense of that word, but a high scat in the theatre^ where he sat, and from whence he could have a full view cf the games and sjwrts From tliis place lie made his speech. H Made an oratinn. Addros.sed the people. What was the Hul)ject of this speech is not intimated by Luke or J>)sophus.
22. And the people gave a sh<M^^ loud applause. IT It is the voice f^^^^d, A'o. It is not probable that the Jeu^s jouied ir this acclamation, but thai it was made by the itiolatrons (ieiitiles. Jasephus iri^'Oi
4. 1) 15.]
CHAPTER Xll.
187
23 And lit mediately tlio angel of :he Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten
a similar account of their feehngs au'l con- duct. He says, " And presently his flat- terers cried out, one from one place, and another fiom another (though not for his good), that he was a god , and they added. Be thuu merciful unto us, for although we have hitherrj reverenced thee only as a king.yet shall we henceforth own thee as a superior to mortal nature.' " It is true that Josephus says that this was done when they saw his splendid apparel, and that he gives no account of his address- ing the people ; while Luke describes it as the etfect of his speech. But the dis- cropancy is of no consequence. Luke is as credible an historian as Josephus ; and his account is more consistent than that of the Jewish historiaa It is far more probable that this applause and adoration would be excited by a speech, than simply by beholding his apparel.
23. And immediately the angel of the lA)rd. Diseases and death are in the Scriptures often attributed to an angel. See 2 Sam. xxiv. 16. 1 Chron. xxi. 12. 15. 20. 27. 2 Chron. xxxii. 2). It is not in- tended that there was a miracle m this case, but it certainly is intended by the sacred writer, that his death was a divine judgment on him for his receiving homage as a god. Josephus says of him that he " did neither rebuke them [the people], nor reject their impious flattery. A severe pain arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. And when he was quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and the se- venth of his reign." Josephus does not mention that it was done by an angel, but says that when he looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a rope over his head, and judging it to be an evil omen, he im- mediately Ijecame melancholy, and was seized with the pain. 11 Becauae he gave not God the glory. Because he was will- mg himself to receive the worship due to God. It was the more sinful in him as he was a Jew, and was acquainted with the true God, and with the evils of idola- try. He was proud, and willinj: to be flattered, and even adored. He had sought their applause ; he had arrayed himself in this splentii 1 manner to excite their admiration; and when they carried it even so far as to offer divine homage, he ^id noi reject the impious flatter}, but
of worms, and g-ave up the ghost. 24 But the word of God grew " and multiplied.
a Col, 1.6.
listened still to their praises. Hence he was judged ; and God vindicated his own insuKed honour by inflicting severe pains on him, and by his most awful death IT And he was eaten of worms. The word used here is not elsewhere found in the New Testament. A similar disease Is recorded of Antiochus Epiphanes, in the Apocrypha. 2 Mac. ix. 5, " But the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel smote him with an invisible and incurable plague, for a pain in the bowels that waa remediless, came upon him, and sore tor- ments of the inner parts (ver. 9), so that worms rose up out of the body of this wicke^ man," &c. Probably this was the disease known as morbus pedicula- ris. It is loathsome, offensive, and most painful. See the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, described in 2 Mac. ix. With this disease also Herod the Great, grand father of Herod Agrippa, died. Josephus, Antiquities, b. xvii. ch. G, $ 5. Such a death, so painful, sudden, and loathsome was an appropriate judgment on the pride of Herod. We may here learn, (1.) That sudden and violent deaths are often an act of direct divine judgment on wicked men. (2.) That men, when they seek praise and flattery, expose themselves to the displeasure of God. His glory he will not give to another. (3.) That the most proud, and mighty, and magnificent princes have no security of their lives. God can in a moment — even when they are surrounded by their worshippers and fiatterers — touch the seat of life, and turn them to loathsomeness and putrefaction What a pitiable being is a man of pride receiving from his fellow-men that ha mage which is due to God alone ! See Isa. xiv. (4.) Pride and vanity, in any sta- tion of life, aro hateful in the sight of God. Nothing is more inappropriate to our situation as lost, dying sinners, and nothing will more certainly meet the wrath of heaven. (5.) We have here a strong confirmation of the truth of the sacred narrative. In all essential parti- culars, Luke coincides in his account of the death of Herod with Josephus. This is one of the many circumstances which go to show that the sacred Scriptures were written at the time when they pro- fessed to be ; and that they accord witli the truth. See Lardnsr's Credibility, part i. rh. L <i 6.
1S>3
THt ACTS.
[A D. 4»
•25 And Barnabas and Saul re- i CHAPTER Xlll.
turned from .Jerusalem when they} IVOW there were in the church ministry, ■^^'^ -'-^
had fulfilled their ' ministry, and took with them John, whose sur name was Mark.
1 or, charge, c. 11.29,30.
2-1. But the word of God grew, &c. Great success attended it. The persecu- tions had now ceased , and notwithstand- ing all the attempts which had been made to crush it, still the church increas- ed and flourished. The liheration of Peter and the death of Herod would contribute to extend it. It was a new evidence of divine interposition in be- half of the church ; it would augment the zeal of Christians ; it would humble their enemies; and fill those with fear who had attempted to oppose ant^ crush the church of God.
2.5. Returned from Jerusalem. They had gone to Jerusalem to carry alms, and they now returned to Antioch. ch. xi. 30. IT Whe7i they had. fulfdled their ministry. When they had accomplished the purpose for which they had been sent there ; that IS, to deposite the alms of the church at Antioch, in the hands of the elders of the churches, ch. xi. 30. IT Johi, whose surname was Mark. ISote, ver. 12. From this p-eriod the sacred historian re- cords chiefly the labours of Paul. The labours of the other apostles are, after this, seldom referred to in this book ; and the attention is fixed almost entirely on the trials and travels of the great apostle of the Gentiles. His important labours, his unwearied eflTorts, his eminent suc- cess, and the fact that Luke was his com- panion, may be the reasons why his la- bours are made so prominent in tl^e history. Through the previous chapters we have seen the church rise from small beginnings, until it was even now spread- ing into s'lrrounding regions. We have seen it survive two persecutions, com- /nnnced and conducted with all the power and malice of Jewish rulers. We have seen the most zealous of the persecutors converted to the faith which he once de- ulroyed ; and the royal persecutor put to death by the divino judgment And we lave thus seen that God was the protector jf the church; that no weajwn formed against it could prosper; and that, accord- ing to the promise of the Redeemer, the pales of hell could not prevail against it. In that God and Saviour, who then de- fended the church, we may still confide, tnd mav be assured that He who was
that was at Antioch, certain prophets and teachers ; as Barna- bas, and Simeon tY.-J: was called
then its friend has it still ' engraved or the palms of his hands," and intends tha it shall extend until it fills the earth with light and salvation.
CHAPTER Xni. 1. The church that was at Antioch Note, ch. xi. 20. IF Certain prophets. Note, ch. xi. 27. IT And teachers. Teach- ers are several hmes mentioned in the New Testament as an order of minis- ters, 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29. Eph. iv. 11. 2 Pet. 11. 1. Their precise rank and duty are not known. It is probable that those here mentioned as prophets were the same persons as the teachers. They might discharge both offices, predict- ing future events, and instructing the people. II As Barnahas. Barnabas was a preacher (ch. iv. 35, 36 ; ix. 27 ; xi. 22. 26) ; and it is not improbable that the names " prophets and teachers" here simply de- signate the preachers of the go.«peL H Simeon that was called Niger. Niger is a Latin name meaning black. Why the name was given is not known. No- thing more is known of him than is here mentioned. IT Lucius of Cyrene. Gy- rene was in Africa. Note, Matt, xxvii. 32. He is afterwards mentioned as with the aj)Ostle Paul when he wrote the epis- tle to the Romans. Rom. xvi. 21. ^ And Manaen. He is not elsewhere mentioned in the New Testament. ^ Which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch. Herod Antipas, not Herod Agrippa. He- rod was tetrarch of Galilee. Luke iii. J. The word here translated " which had been brought up," o-uvTf o?o?, denotes one who is educated or nourished at the same time with another. It is not else- where used in the New Testament. He might have been connected wiih tho royal family, and being nearly of the same age, was educated by the iiither of Herod Antipas with him. He was there- fore a man of rank and education, and his conversion shows that the gospel wa not confined entire/y in its iidhience to the poor. IT Aurl Saul. Saul was an apos- tle ; and yet he is here mentioned among tlie " projihets and teachers." Showing that these words denote ministers of the posp(l in general, without reference l« any particular or^ler or rark
A. D. 45. j
CHAPTER XIll.
isf)
N'iger, and Lucius of Gyrene, and Manaen, ' which had been brought dp with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the liord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost
» or J Herod^t foster-brotlter.
2. As they minislered to the Lord. It is probable that this took place on some day get apart for fasting and prayer. The expression " ministered to the Lord," de- notes as they wrre engaged in prayer to the Lord, or as t/iey were engaged in di- vine service The Syriac thus renders the passage. IT Hie Holy Ghost said. Evidently by diiect revelation. H Separate me. Set apart to me, or for my service. It does not mean to ordain, but simply to de- signate, or appoint to this specific work. TT For the work whereunlo I have called them. Not the apostolic office, for Saul was called to that by the express revela- tion of Jesus Christ (Gal. if^). fnd Bar- nabas was not an apostle. T'he " work" to which they were now set apart was that of preaching the gospel in the re- gions round about Antioch. It was not any permanent office in the church, but was a temporary designation to a mis- sionary enterprise in extending the gospel especially through Asia Minor and the adjacent regions. Accordmgly, when, m the fulfilment of this appouitment, they had travelled through Seleucia, Cyprus, Paphos,,PamphyHa, Pi&idia, &c. they re- turned to Antioch, having fulfilled' the work to which they were separated. See Acts xiv 26, 27. "H" Whereunto I have caUed them. This proves that they re- ceived their commission to this work di- rectly from God the Holy Spirit: It is possible that Paul and Barnabas had been influenced by the Spirit to engage m this work, but they were to be sent forth by the concurrence and designation of the church.
3. And when they had fasted. They were fasting when they were command- ed to set them apart. Yet this probably refers to an appointed day of prayer, with reference to this very purpose. The first formal mission to the Gentiles was an important event in the church ; and they engaged in this appointment with deep Holemnitv, and with humbling themselves before God. ^ And prayed. This en terprise was a new one. The gospel nad been preached to the Jews, to Cor- aelius, and to the Gentiles at Antioch. But (here had been no solemn, and pub-
said, Separate ° me Barnabas and Saul for the work ^ wiiereunto 1 have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and pra3'^ed, and laid their hands oo them, they sent theiii away.
aGa!.1.15. 6 lTim.2.7.
he, and concerted plan of sending it to the Gentiles, or of appointing a mission to the heathen. It was a new event, and was full of danger and h irdships. The primitive church felt the need of divine direction and aid in the great work. Two missionaries were to be sent forth among strangers, to be exposed to perils by sea and land ; and the commence- ment of the enterprise demanded prayer. The church humbled itself and this pri- mitive missionary society sought, as all others should do, the divine blessing, to attend the labours of those employed in this work. The result showed that the prayer was heard. IF And laid their hands on them. That is, those who are mentioned in ver. 1. This was not to set them apart to the apostolic office Saul was chosen by Christ himself and there is no evidence that any of the apos- tles were ordained by the imposition of hands. JVote, Acts i. 26. Matt. x. 1—5 Luke vi. 12—16. And Barnabas was not an apostle in the original and pecu- liar sense of the word. INor is it meant that this was an ordination to the minis- try, to the office of preaching the gospel. For both had been engaged in this before Saul received his commission directly from the Saviour, and began at once tc preach. Acts ix. 20. Gal. i.l 1—17. Bar- nabas had preached at Antioch, and was evidently recognised as a preacher by the apostles. Acts ix. 27 ; xi. 22, 23. It follows, therefore, that this was not an ordination in the doctrinal sense of this term, either Episcopal, or Presbyterian, but was a designation to a particu- lar work — a work of vast importance; strictly a missionary appointment by the church, under the authority of the Holy Ghost. The act of laying hands on any person was practised, not only in ordina tion, but in conferring a favour ; and hi setting apart for any purpose. See Lev iii. 2. 8. 13 ; iv. 4. 29 ; xvi. 21. JNum. viii 12. Mark V 23; xvi. 18. Matt. xxi. 4B. It means in this case that they appt^intcd them to a particular field of labour, and by laying hands on them they implored the blessing of God to attend them. T The.v sent them away. The chur'?h bf
(90
thp: acts.
[A. D. 4b
I So Ihey, being senl forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Se- leucia ; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they were at Sala- mis, they preached the word of God in the synagoo^ies of the Jews : and they had also John to their minister.
6 And when they had gone
ita teachers sent them forth under the direction of the Holy Ghost. All missionaries are thus sent by the church ; and the church should not forget its ambassadors in their great and perilous work.
4. Being .sent forth, by the Holy Ghost. Having been called to "this work by the Holy Spirit, and being under his direc- tion. IT Departed unto Seleucia. This city was situated at the mouth of the river Orontes, where it falls into the Mediter- ranean. Anlioch was also built on this rive', some distance from its mouth. H They sailed to Cyprus. An island in the Mediterranean, not far from Seleucia. Note, ch. iv. 36.
5. And when they were at Salamis. This was the principal city and senport of Cy- prus. It was situated on the southeast part of the island, and was afterwards called Constantia. IT In the synagogues of the Jews. Jews were living in all the countries adjacent to Judea; and in those countries they had synagogues. The apos- tles uniformly preached first to them. IT And they had also John to their minister. John Mark. ch. xii. 12. He was their at- tendant; he was with them as a compa- nion, yet not pretending to be equal to them in ofUce. They had been specifically designated to this work. He was with them as their friend and travelling com- panion ; perhaps also employed in making the needful arrangemenLs for their com- fort, and for the supply of their wants in their travels.
6. And when they had gone through the isle. The length of the island, according to Strabo, was one thousand and four hun- dred stadia, or nearly one hundred and seventy miles. IT Unto Paphos. Paphos was a city at the wnslern extremity of the Island. It was the residence of the pro- corynl, and was distinguished for a splen- did temple erected to Venus, who was worshipped throughout the island. Cy- prus w:is fal)l(Ml to bo the place of the birth of this go«l<less. It had, besides- Pa- phot* and Salamis, several towns of note — Uiliura, the birth-placo of Zcno ; Amathu8,
through the isle unto Paph(;s, thcj found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name woa Bar-jesus :
7 Which was with the depnty of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man ; who called for Bar- nabas and Saul, and desired to he*i the word of God.
sacred to Venus, &c. Its present capital is Nicosia. Whether Paul preached at any of these places is not recorded. The island is supposed formerly to have had o million of inhabitants. 11 A certain sor- cerer. Greek, Magus, or magician. See Note, ch. viii. 9. ^ A false prophet. Pre- tending to be endowed with the gift of prophecy ; or a man, probably, who pre- tended to be inspired. IT Bar-jesus. The word Bar is Syriac, and means son. Je- sus, or Joshua, was not an uncommon name among the Jews. The name was given from IHs father — son of Jesus, or Joshua ; as Bar-jonas, son of Jonas.
7. Which was with the deputy. Or with the proconsul. Cyprus was at this time subject to the Roman empire, and was governed by a proconsul appointed bv the emperor. The provinces subject to l^ome were governed by persons who held their oQice originally from the consul, or chief magistrate of the Roman republic. Men of the rank of senators were usually ap- pointed to these offices. See on this sub- ject Lardner's Credibility, parti. ch.i.$ 11, where he has fully vindicated the accu- racy of the appellation which is here given to Sergius by Ltdte. H Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. The word here rendered prudent me.'ins intelligent, wise, learned. It also may have the sense of candid, and may have been given to this man because he was of large and liberal views, of a philosophic and inquiring turn of mind, and was willing to obtain knowledge from any source. Hence he had entertained the Jews; and hence he was willing alsc to listen to Barnabas and Saul. It is not often that men in office, and rnen of rank, are thus willing to listen to the instruc tions of the profcssci ministers ol God. IT Who called for Barnabas and Saul. It is probable that they had preached in Paphos, and Sergius was desirous him self" of hearing the import of their new doctrine. H And desired to hear, &.C There is no evi<lenre that he then wished to listen to this as divine truth, or that he was anxious about his own salvation, but rather as i speculative inquiry. It was 8
A.. 1). 45]
CHAPTER XIll.
191
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) * withstood them, seeking- to turn ^way the deputy from the faith.
^ Then Saul (who also is called
a 2Tiin.3.8.
or )fessed characteristic of many ancient philosophers to be willing to receive in- struction from any quarter. Comp. Acts s1^ 19,20.
8; But Elymas the sorcerer, for so is his name by interpretation. Elymas the ma- gician. Elymas is the interpretation, not of the name Bar-jesu?, but of the word rendered the sorcerer. It is an Arabic »\ord, and means the same as Magus. It seems that he was better known by this foreign name than by his own. H With- stood them. Resisted them. He was sen- sible that if the influence of Saul and Barnabas should be extended over the proconsul, that he would be seen to be an impostor, and his power be at an end. His interest, therefore, led him to oppose the gospel. His own popularity was at stake ; and being governed by this, he opposed the gospel of God. The love of popularity and power, the desire of retaining some political influence, is often a strong rea- son why men oppose the gospel. ^ To turn away the deputy from th'' faith. To prevent tlie influence of the truth on his mind ; or to prevent his becoming the friend and patron of the Christians.
9. Then Saul {who is also called Paul). This is the last time that this apostle is called Saul. Henceforward he is desig- nated by the title by which he is usually Known,' as Paul When, or whv, this change occurred in the name, has been a subject on which commentators are not agreed. From the fact that the change in the name is here first intimated, it would seem probable that it was first used irx relation to him at this time. By whom the name was given him — whether he issumed it himself or w'hether it was first given him by Christians or by Romans — is not intimated. The name is of Roman origin. In the Latin language the name Paulus signifies little, dwarfish ; and some have conjectured that it was given by his parents to denote that he was small when bom ; others, that it was assumed or con- ferred in subsequent years because he was little in stature. The name is not of the same signification as the name Saul. This signifies one that is asked, or desired. After all the conjectures on this subject. It is probable, (1.) That this name was first usen ere ; for before this, even after
Paul), filled with tie Holy Ghost set his eyes on him,
10 And said, O full of all subtiltj and all xnischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteous-
his conversion, he is uniformly called Saul. (2.) That it was given by the Ro- mans, as being a name with which they were more familiar, and one that was more consonant with their language and pronunciation. It was made by the change of a sing'e letter; and probably because the name Paul wa.s common among them, and pronounced perhaps with greater facilitj (3.) Paul suffered himself to be called by this name, as he was employed chiefly among the Gentiles. It was common for names to undergo changes quite as great as this, without our being able to spei ify any particular cause, in passing from oiie language to another. Thus the Hebrew name Jochanan among the Greeks and La':ins was Johannes, with the French it is Jean, with the Dutch Hans, and with us John. {Ddddndgc.) Thus Onias be- comes Menelaus; Hillel, Pollio ; Jakim Alcimus; Silas, Silvanus, &c. {Grotius. IT Filled with the Holy Ghost. Inspired to detect his sin; to denounce divine judg- ment; and to inflict punishment on him. Note, ch. ii. 4. IT Set his eyes on him Looked at him intently.
] 0. O full of all subtilty and mischief. The word subtilty denotes deceit and fraud ; and implies that he was practising an imposition, and that he knew it. The word rendered mischief CexSizv^ylxg) de- notes properly/ac;7i7^ of acting, and then slight of hand ; sly, cunning arts, by which one imposes on another, and deceives hira with a fraudulent intention. It is not elsewhere used in the New Testament The art of Elymas consisted probably in slight of hand, legerdemain, or trick, aid- ed by skill in the abstruse sciences, by which the ignorant might be easily im- posed on. See Note, ch. viii. 9. H Child of the devil. Being under his influence ; practising his arts ; promoting his designs by deceit and imposture, so that he may be called your father. Note, John viii. 44. Satan is here represented as the author of deceit, and the father of lies. IT Ene- my of all righteousness. Practising deceit and iniquity, and thus opposed to right- eousness and honesty. A man who liVef by wickedness will, of course, be the f(re of every form of integrity. A man who lives by fraud will be opposed to the truth ; a pandnr to the vices cf men wV
f92
THE ACTS.
A. I). ^5
ness, wiit thou not cease to pervert the rio^ht ways of the Lord 1
1 1 And now, behold, the hard of tlie Lord is upon thee, and thou ehalt be blind, not seeing the sun
hate the rules of chastity and purity; a manufacturer or vender of ardent spirits \vill be the enemy of temperance socie- ties. ^ \V iU thou not cease to pervert. In what way he had opposed Paul and Bar- nabas is not known. Probably it might h=e by misrepresenling their doctrines ; by representing them as apostate Jews ; and thus by retarding or hindering the pro- t^ress of the gospel. The expression " wilt thou vol cease'' implies that he had been engaged sedulously in doing this, proba- bly from the commencement of their work in the city. IT The right ways of the Lord. The straight paths, or doctrines of the Christian religion, in opposition to the crooked and perverse arts of deceivers and impostors. Straight paths denote in- tegrity, sincerity, truth. Jer. xxxi. 9. Heb. Kii. 13. Comp. Isa. xl. 3, 4 ; xiii. 16. Luke iii. 5. Crooked ways denote the ways of the sinner, the deceiver, the im- postor. Deut. xxxii. 5. Fs. cxxv. 5. Prov. ii. 15. Isa. lix.8. Phil. ii. 15.
11. The hand of the Lord is upon thee. God shall punish thee. By this sudden and miraculous punishment, he would be awed and humbled ; and the proconsul and others would be convinced that he was an impostor, and that the gospel was true. His wickedness deserved such a punishment ; and at the same time that due punishment was inflicted, it was de- signed that the gospel should be extended by this means. In all this there was the highest evidence that Paul was under the inspiration of God. He was full of the Holy Ghost; he detected the secret feel- ings and desires of ihe heart of Elymas: and he inflicted on him a punishment that could have proceeded from none but God. That the apostles had the power of in- flicting punishment in many cases, is ap- parent from various places in the New Testament. 1 Cor. v. 5. 1 Tim. i. 20. The puniMiment inflicted on Elymas, also, would be highly emblematic of the dark- ness and perverseness of his conduct. IT :tot seeing (he sun for <i season. For how long a time this blindness was to continue, is nowhere specifier' It was however in mercy ordained mat the blindness shf)uld not be permanent and final Nothing would be more likely to lead him to reflection nnd re|)entance ii"»ui such a elate of bliidnens. It was
for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness ; and he went about, seek ing some to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the deputy, when he
such a manifest proof that God was op- posed to him; it was such a sudden di- vine judgment; and it so completely cut him off from all possibility of practifiinp his arts of deception, that it was adai^d to bring him to repentance. Acconiingly tliere is a tradition in the early church that he became a Christian. Origen says, that '.' Paul, by a word striking him blinrj, by anguish converted him to godliness." (Clark.) U A mist. The word here used properly denotes a darkness or obscurity of the air; a cloud, &c. But it also de- notes an extinction of sight by the drying up or disturbance of the humours of the eye. (Hippocrates, as quoted by iSchleus- ner.) % And darkness. Blindness ; night What was the precise cause or character of this miracle is not specified. IT And he wejit about, &c. This is a striking account of the effect of the miracle. The chang*" was so sudden that he knew not where to go. He sought some one to guide him in the ways in which he had before been familiar. — How soon can God bringdown the pride of man, and make him helpless as an infant! How easily can he touch our senses, the organs of our most exqui site pleasures, and wither all our enjoy- ments I How dependent are we on him for the inestimable blessings of vision' And how easily can he annihilate all the sinner's pleasures, break up all his plans, and humble him in the dust! Sight is his gift; and it is a mercy unspeakably great that he does not whelm us in thick darkness, and destroy for ever all the pleasure that through this organ is con veyed to the soul.
12. Then the deputy .. ..bclievrd. Was convinced that Elymas was an impostor, and that the doctrine of Paul was true. There seems no reason to doubt that his faith was that which is connected with eternal life; and if so, it is an evidence that the gospel was not always confined to the poor, and to the obscure ranks of life. ^ At the doctrine (f the Lord The word doctrme here seems to denote, not the teaching or instruction, but the won- derful eflfccts which were connected with the doctrine. It was particularly the mi. racle with which ho was astonished ; but he might have been also deeply impressed and amazed at the purity and sublimity of the truths which were now expandM
A.. D. 45. J
OlIAPTEU Xlll.
lyj
saw what "W as done, believed, being- astonished atthe doctrine of theLord. 13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos,.they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John departing " from them, return- ed to Jerusalem.
14 But wh,en they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pi- eidia, and went into the synagogue '' an the Sabbath-day, and sat down.
oc. 15.38. fcc.18.4.
iO his view. We learn nothing further respecting him in the New Testament.
13. Paul and his company. Those with him — Barnabas and John — and perhaps others who had been converted at Paphos; for it was common for many of the con- verts to Christianity to attend on the apos- l!es in their travels. See, ch. ix. 30. IT Loosed from Paphos. Departed from Paphos. ^ They came io Perga and Pam- phylia. Pamphylia was a province of Asia Minor, lying over-against Cyprus, having Cilicia east, Lycia west, Pisidia lorth, and the Mediterranean south. Perga was the metropolis of Pamphylia, md v^as situated, not on the seacoast, but on the river Cestus, at some distance from Its mouth. There was on a mountain near it a celebrated temple of Diana. IF And John departing from (hem, &c. Why he departed from them is unknown. It might have been from fear of danger ; or from alarm in travelling so far into unknown regions. But it is plain from ch. XV. 38, that it was from some cause which was deemed blameworthy, and that his conduct now was such as to make Paul unwilling again to have him as a companion.
14. They came to Antioch in Pisidia. Pisidia was a proj^mce of Asia Minor, and was situated'^St'th of Pamphylia. A.ntioch was not in Pisidia, but within the limits of Phrygia ; but it belonged to Pisidia, and was called Antioch of Pisi- dia to distinguish it from Antioch in Sy- ria. ^ Pliny, Nat. Hist. 5. 27. Strabo, 12. p. 577. {Ruinoel. Robinson's Calmet.) IT Went into the synagogue. Though Paul and Barnabas were on a special mission to the Gentiles, yet they availed them- selves of every c-pportunity to offer the gispel to the Jews first.
15. And after the reading of the law ind the prophets. See P<fote, Luke iv. 16. ^ The rulers of the synagogue. These were persons w ho had the general charge )f the synagogue and its service, tc ke«p
15 And after tlie reading ot the law and the prophets, the ru- lers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and bjethren, if ye have any word '^ of exhorta tion for the people, say on.
16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand, said. Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
17 The God of this people of
cver.27. d Heb. 13.22.
every thing in order, and to direct tke af- fairs of public worship. They designat- ed the individuals who were to read the law ; and called on those whom they pleased to address the people, and had the power also of inflicting punishment, and of excommunicating, &e. {Schleusner.) Mark v. 22. 3d, 36. 38. Luke viii. 49 ; xiii. 14. Acts xviii. 8. 17. Seeing that Paul and Barnabas were Jews, though strangers, they sent to them, supposing it probable that -they would wish to address their brethren. IT Men and brethren. An affectionate manner of commencing a discourse, recognising them as their own countr}'men, and as originally of the same religion. IT Say on. Greek, Speak.
16. Men of Israel. Jews. The design of this discourse of Paul was to introduce to them the doctrine that Jesus was the Mes- siah. To do this, he evinced his usual wisdom and address. To have com- menced at ojice on this would have pro- bably excited their prejudice and rage. He, therefore, pursued a train of argu- ment which showed that he was a firm believer in the Scriptures ; that he was acquainted with the history and promises of the Old Testament ; and that he was not disposed to call in question the doc- trines of their fathers. The passage which had been read, perhaps Deut. i had probably given occasion for him to pursue this train of thought. By going over, in a summary way, their history and recounting the former dealings of God with them, he showed them that he believed the Scriptures ; that a promise had been given of a Messiah ; and that he had actually come according to the promise. IT Ye that fear God. Probably proselytes of the gate, who had not yet been circumcised, but who had re- nounced idolatry, and were accustomed to worship with them in their synagogues. IT Give audience. Hear.
17. The God of this people. Who has manifested himself as the pecuiYar friend
194
THE A(rrs.
(A. D. 4&
Israel chose our fathers, " and ex- alted the j)eo|)le when they dwelt ^ as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high ' arm brought he them out of it.
18 Ajid about the time of forty
a De.7.6,7. i Ps.l0aJ23. c Ei.13.14,16. • dEi.16.35. 1 jT^oa-o~o^>l(r£i', perhaps for «TfO - fi^sfvis-iVj bor',, Ciffrdthevi, a$ a nurte teareth, or
and protector of ihis nation. This im- plied a belief that ho had been particu- larly their tied ; a favourite doctrine of the^Jews, and one that would conciliate their favour towards Paul. II Of Israel. The Jews. IF Chose our fathers. Select- ed the nation to be a chosen and pecu- liar people to himself Deut. vii. 6, 7. H And exalted the people. Kaised them up from a low and depressed state of bondage. He elevated them from a }>rostrate state of slavery to freedom, and to peculiar privdeges as a nation. ^ When they dwell as strangers in Egypt. sv Tj) 77 xc'uxia. This properly refers to their dwelling there as foreigners. They were always strangers there in a strange land. It was not their home. Tliey never mingled with the people; never became constituent parts of the govern- ment ; never united with their usages and laws. They were a strange, se- parate, depressed people there; not less so than Africans are strangers, and foreigners, and a depressed and degraded people in this land. Gen. xxxvi. 7. Kx. vi. 4 ; xxii. 21 ; xxiii. 0. Lev. xiv. 34. Deut. X. 19. ^ And with an high arm. This expression denotes great power. The arm denotes strength, as that ijy which we perform any thing. A high arm, an arm lifted up, or stretched out, denotes that strength exerted to the ut- most. The children of Israel are repre- Honted as having been delivered with an " outstretched arm." Deut. xxvi. 8. Ex. vi. 0. " With a strong hand." Ex. vi. 1. Kefercnce is made in these places to the plagues ir.flicted on Egypt, by which the iHraclitcH were delivered ; to their pas- ftnge through the Red Sea; to their vic- tories over llieir enemies, Arc.
IH. And aluntl the lime of fort if years. They were this time going from Egypt to the land of Canaan. Ex. xvi. Sfi. Num xxxiii. 33. IT Suffered he ihrir manners. 'I'bis passage has bi'cn very variously rendered. See the margin. Syriac, " He iioiirishcJ, th(:m," iVic. Arabic;, " He blessed them, and n<»uri.she(l them," A'c. T'lie word is not eLsowhore iwed in the
^ years anffered ' he iJieir manners in the wilderness.
19 And when he had destroy ea seven nations in the land of Oha^ naan f he divided their land t* them by lot.
fttdelh her child. De.1.31, according to tbe LXX* utd M Chrysostom.
eDe.7.1. /■Jos.l4,&u
New Testament The word prcperly means to tolerate, or endure the condtict of any one, implying that that conduct is evil, and tends to provoke to punishment This is doubtless its meaning here. Pro- bably Paul, referred to the passage in Deut. i. 31. "The Lord thy God bare thee." But instead of this word, iTf07ro^6f)i. <j-cv manyMSS. read irfoeo?3f>io-«v, he sus- tained or nourished. This reading was followed by the Syriac, Arabic, and has been admitted by Griesbach into the text. This is also found in the Septuagint, in Deut. i. 31, which place Paul douDtless referred to. This would well suit the connexion of the passage ; and a change of a single letter might easily have oc- curred in a MS. It adds to the probabi- lity that this is the true reading, that it accords with Deut. i. 31. Num. xi. 12. Deut. xxxii. 10. It is furthermore not probable that Paul would have com- menced a discourse by reminding them of the obstinacy and wickedne.ss of the nation. Such a course would rather tend to exasperate than to conciliate ; but ' by reminding them of the mercies of (^chI to them, and showing them that God had been their protector, he was better fitting them for his main purpose — that of show- ing them the kindness of the God of their fathers, iu sending to them a Saviour. IT In the v)ilderness. The desert through which they passe(hjp going from Egypt to (Canaan.
19. And when he had destroyed. Sub dued; cast out; or extirpated <';.i nations.- It does not mean that all were put to death, for many of them were lef\ in the land ; l)ut that they were subdired a» nations, they were bn)keM up and over come. Deut. vii. 1. "And hath cnsl otJt many natiniiH before them," Arc. If Seven nations. The Hittites, the GirgaBhitet the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perri- zites, the Hivites, and the JebusitcB Det.t vii. 1. Josh. iii. 10. Neh. ix. 8 U In the hind if Canaan. The whole land was called by the name of one of tiin principal nations. This was the pro mixed land ; the hol\' land. »SiC. ^ lit
\. i). 45.]
CHAPTER XIII.
195
20 And after that, he ^rave unto them judges, <* about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until f!>amuel the prophet.
a Judg.2.16. b lSam.8.5. c ISam.lO.I.
divided, &c. See an accouKt of this in Josh. xiv. XV. The lot was often used Eimong the Jews to determine important questions. Note, ch. i. 26.
20. He gave unto them judges. Men who were raised up in an extraordinary manner to administer the affairs of the nation, to defend it from enemies, &c. See Judg ii. 16. IF About the space of four hundred and fifty years. This is a most ditficult passagcand has exercised all the ingenuUy of chronologists. The ancient versions agree with the present Greek text. The difficulty has been to reconcile it with what is said in 1 Kings vi. 1, " And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the chil- dren of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's
reign over Israel he began to build
the house of the Lord." Now if to the forty years that the children of Israel were m the wilderness, there be added the four hundred and fifty said in Acts to have been passed under the administration of the judges, and about seventeen years of the time of Joshua, forty for Samuel and the reign of Saul together, and forty for the reign of David, and three of Solomon before he began to build the temple, the sum will be five hundred and ninety years, a period greater by one hundred and ten years than that mentioned in 1 Kings vi. 1. Various ways have been proposed to meet the difficulty. Dod- dridge renders it, "After these transac- lions,[which lasted] four hundred and fifty years, he gave them a series of judges," &c., reckoning from the birth of Isaac, and supposing that Paul meant to refer to this whole time. But to this there are serious objections. (1.) It is a forced and constrained interpretation, and one mani- festly made to meet a difficulty. (2.) There is no propriety in commencing this period at the birth of Isaac. That was in no manner remarkable, so far as Paul's nar- rative was concerned ; and Paul had not even referred to it. This same solution is offered also by Calovius, Mill, and Lud De Dieu. Luther and Beza think it should he read three hundred, instead of four hundred. But this is a mere conjecture, without any authority from MSS. Vitrin- pa and some others suppo.se that the text b'ia been corraptoJ b/ some tran.sci'iber,
21 And afterward they '- desired a king; and God gave unto thera Saul " the son of Cis, a men of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.
who has inserted this without authority. But there is no evidence of this ; and the MSS. and ancient versions are uniform None of these explanations are satisfac« tory. In the solution of the difficulty we may remark, (1.) That nothing is more perplexing than the chronology of ancient facts. The difficulty is found in all writ- ings; in profane as well as sacred. Mis- takes are so easily made in transcribing numbers where tetters are used instead of writing the words at length, that we are not to wonder at such errors. (2.) Paul would naturally use the chronology which was in current, common use among the Jews. It was not his business to settle such points ; but he would speak of them as they were usually spoken of and refer to them as others did (3.) There is rea- son to believe that that wMch is here mentioned was the common chronology of his time ^ It accords remarkably with that which is used by Josephus. Thus Antiq. b. vii. ch. iii. § 1, Josephus says ex pressly that Solomon " began to build the temple in the fourth year of his reign, five hundred and ninety-two years after the Exodus out of Egypt"," &c. This would allow forty years for their being in the wilderness, seventeen for Joshua, forty for Samuel and Saul, forty for the reign of David, and four hundred and fifty-two years for the time of the judges and the times of anarchy that intervened. This remarkable coincidence shows that this was the chronology which was tlien used and which Paul had in view (4.) This chronology has the authority, also, of many eminent names. See Lightfoot, and Boyle's Lectures, ch. xx. In what way this computation of Josephus and the Jews originated, it is not necessary here to in- quire. It is a sufficient solution of the difficulty that Paul spoke in their usual mariner, without departing from hi.s regu lar object by settling a point of chrono. logy.
21. And afterward they desired a king See 1 Sam. viii. 5. Hos. xiii. 10. It was predicted that they would have a king. Deut. xvii. 14, 13. If Saul the son of Ci.,. Cis is the Greek mode of writing the He- brew name Kish. In the Old Testament it is uniformly written Kish, and it is to be regretted that this has not been retain- eu ia tiie Ne^v Testameiv:. See I Saai
lyo
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 45
1522 And when "■ he had removed him, he raised up unto them David '■ to be their king ; to whom also he ^ave testimony, and said, I have found David the so7i of Jesse, a man 'after mine owm heart, which shall tulfil all my will.
23 Of this man's seed hath God, according to his promise, " raised anto Israel * a Saviour, Jesus :
2-4 When John-^ had first preach-
olSaui.31.6. i2Sain.5.3. c 1 Sam. 13. 14.
ix. 1. ^ By the space (yf forty years. Dur- ing forty years. The Old Testament has not mentioned the time during which Saul reigned. Josephus says (Antiq. b. vi. ch. xiv. ^ 9) that he reigned eighteen years while Samuel was alive, and twenty-two years after his death. But Dr. Doddridge (Note in loco) has shown that this can- not be correct, and that he probably reigned, as some copies of Josephus have it, but two years after the death of Sa- muel. Many critics suppose that the term of forty years here mentioned in- cludes also the time in which Samuel judged the people. This supposition does not violate the text in this place, and may be probable. See Doddridge and Grotius on the place.
22. And when he Jtad removed him. This was done because he rebelled against God in sparing the sheep and oxen and valuable property of Amalek, together with Ag^ng the king, when he was com- manded to destroy all. 1 Sam. xv. 8 — 23. He was put to death in a battle with the Philistines. 1 Sam. xxxi. 1 — 6. The phrase " when he removed him" refers probably to his rejection as a king, and not to his death ; for David was anointed king be- fore the death of Saul, and almost imme- diately after the rejection of Saul on ac- count of his rebellion in the business of Amalek. See 1 Sam. xvi. 12, 13. IT He gate testimony. lie bore witness 1 Sam. xiii. 14. % I have found Vavid,&,c. This is not quoted literally, but contains the $uhstance of what is expre.s.sed in various
F (laces. Compare 1 Sam. xiii. 14, with Ps. xxxix. 20, and 1 Sam. xvi. 1.12. H Aman itfter mine fiivn heart. This exjjression is found in 1 Sam. xiii. 14. The connexion bIiows that it means simply a man who would not be rebellious and disobedient a.s Saul was, l>ut would do his will, and keep ]\iii commandmonln. This refers, doubtless, ratiier to the f)ublic than to the private character of I>nvid ; or to his cha- vBcter an a kincr. It mcui-; ihat he v.ould
ed, before his coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, "Whom think ye that I am 1 I am not he .- but, be- hold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not w^orthy to loose.
20 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and who-
dPs.132.11. eMat'_J.21. /Matt.3.I-M
make the will of God the great rule and law of his reign, in contradistinction from Saul, who, as a king, had disobeyed God. At the same time it is true that the pre- vailing character of David, as a pious, humble, devoted man, was, that he was a man after Gk)d's own heart, and was beloved by him as a saint and a holy man. lie had faults; he committed sin, but who is free from it? He was guilty of great offences; but he also evinced, in a degree equally eminent, repentance (see Ps. li.) ; and not less in his private than his public character did he evince those traits which were prevailingly such a& accorded with the heart, i. e. the earnest desires of God. IT Which shall fxilfiU all my will. Saul had not done it. He had disobeyed God in a case where he had received an express command. The cha- racteristic of David would be that he would ofjcy the commands of God. That David did this — that he maintained the worship of God, opposed idolatry, and sought to promote universal obedience to God among the people — is expressly re corded oi' him. 1 Kings xiv. 8, 9, " And thou [Jeroboam] hast not been as my ser- \ant David, who kept my commandments and xuho followed me with all his heart, U do that orUy which was right in mine eyes" &c. I Kings XV. 3. 5.
23. Of this mail's seed. Of his jK)steritjr IF According to his promise. Note, ActH li. 30. H liaised unto Israel. Note, Acts ii. 30. IT A Saviour, Jfsus. Note, Matt. i. 21.
24. When John had first preached, &c. After John had preached, and prepared the way- Matt. iii.
2.'). And as John fulfilled his course. Aa he was engaged in completing his work. His ministry is called a course or race, that which was to be run, or completed. IT He said, Arc. These are not the precise words which the evangelists have recorded, but the sense is the same. Note, John i. 20 Matt. iii. 11.
2r). Men and brethren. Paul now ex
4 D 45.]
Ch iI#ER Xlll.
lif'
soever among you teareth Gt d, to you * is the word of this salv ition sent.
27 For they tnat dwell at ieru- salem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath-da^ they * have fulfilled them in condemning kbn.
28 And though they found no ause of death iiT him, yet desired
a Matt.10.6. b Hike 24.20,44.
tiorts theni to embrace the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. -He uses therefore the most respectful and fraternal language. IT Chil- dren of the slock of Abraham. Descend- aots of Abraham ; who regard Abraham as your ancestor. He means here to ad- dress particularly the native-born Jews ; and this appellation is used because they valued themselves highly on account of their descent from Abraham (Note, Matt. iii. 9) ; and because the promise of the Messiah had been specially given to him. ^ And whosoever, &c. Proselytes. Note, ver. 16. IF Is the word of this salvation sent. This message of salvation. It -vas sent particularly to the Jewish pecole. The Saviour was sent to that nation (Matt. XV. "54) ; and the design was to offer to them first the message of life. See N^te, ver. 46.
27. Because they knew Mm not. The statement in this verse is designed, not. to reproach the Jews at Jerusalem, but to introduce the fact that Jesus had died, and had risen again. With great v\'isdom and tenderness, he speaks of his murderers in such a manner as not to exasperate, but as far as possible to mitigate their crime. There was sufficient guilt in the murder of the Son of God to overwhelm the na- tion with alarm, even after all that could be said to mitigate the deed. See Act3 ii. 23. 36, 37. When Paul says, "The^- knew him not," he means that they diii not know him to be the Messiah (see 1 Cor. ii. 8) ; they were ignorant of the true meaning of the prophecies of the Old Testament ; they regarded him as vui impostor. (See Note, Acts iii. 17.) IT Nor yet the voices of the prophets. Neither the meanmg of the predictions in the Old Testament, respecting the Messiah. They expected a prince, and a conqueror, but did not expect a Messiah poor and despised, and a man of soirows, and that was to die on a cross. IT Which are read
R 2
they Pilate that he should be slain
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down froi^||lhe tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
30 But God raised him from the dead :
3 1 And he was seen ' many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the peo- ple.
every Sabbath-day. In the synagogues. Though the Scriptures were read so con- stantly, yet they were ignorant of their true meaning. They were blinded by pride, and prejudice, and preconceived opinions. Men may often in this way read the Bible a good part of their lives, and for want of attention, or of a humble mind, never understand it. IF They have fulfilled them, &c. By putting him to death they have accomplished what waa foretold.
28. And though they found, &c. They found no crime which deserved death. This is conclusively shown by the trial itself After all their efforts f after the treason of Judas ; after their employing false witnesses ; still no crime was laid to his charge. The sanhedrim conderau ed him for blasphemy ; and yet they knew that they could not substantiate this charge before Pilate, and they there- fore endeavoured to procure his condem nation on the ground of sedition. Comp Luke xxii. 70, 71, with xxiii. 1, 2 IF Yet desired they Pilate, &c. Matt, xxvii. 1,2. Luke xxiii. 4, 5.
29. They took him down, &c. That is, it was done by the Jews. Not that it was done by those who put him to death, but by Joseph of Arimathea, a Jew, and by Nicodemus, and their companions, Paul is speaking of what w-as done to Jesus by the Je'os at Jerusalem ; and he does not affirm that the same persons put him to death and laid him in a tomb, but that all this was done by Jews. See John xix. 38, 39.
30. But God raised him, &c. Note, cTi. ii. 23, 24.
31. And he was seen. See Note at the end cf Matthew. IT Many days. Forty days. ch. i. 3. IT Of them which came ip. By the apostles particularly. He ^m seen bj; others ; but they are especiallj mentioned as having been chosen fo
198
THE IfcTS.
[A. D. 45
32 And we declare mito you glad lidings, ho'v^ that the promise • which was made unto the fa- thers, ^d^
33 God hath fulfilled the same
Ihis object, to bear witness to him, and as having been particularly qualified fcr it
32. And we. We who are here pre- sent. Paul and Barnabas. IT Declare unto you glad tidings. We preach the gospel — the good news. To a Jew, no- thing could be more grateful intelligence than that the Messiah had come; to a sinner convinced of his sins nothing can be more cheering than to hear of a Sa- viour. ^ The promise, &c. The promise here refers to all that had been spoken in the Old Testament respecting the ad- vent, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ.
33. God hath fulfilled. God has com- pleted or carried into effect by the resur- rection of Jesus. He does not say that all the promise had reference to his re- surrection ; but his being raised up com pleted or perfected the fulfilment of the promises which had been made respect- ing him. IT In the second psalm, ver. 7. IF Thou art my Son. This psalm has been usually understood as referring to the Messiah. See Note, ch. iv. 23. IT 7Vas Jaij have I begotten thee. It is evident that Paul uses the expression here as im- plying that the Lord Jesus is called the Son of God because he raised him up from the dead ; and that he means to im- ply that it was for this reason that he is so called in the psalm. This interpreta- tion of an inspired apostle fixes the mean- ing of this passage in the psalm ; and proves that it is not there used with re- ference to the doctrine of eternal gene- ratioa or to his incarnation, but that he is here called hfs Son because lie was raised from the dead. And this interpre- tation accords with the scope of the psalm. In ver. 1 — 3 the psalmist records the combination of the rulers of the earth against the Messiah, and their ef- forts to cast off his reign. This was done, and the Messiah was rejected. All Ihin pertains, not to his previous existence, but to Ihn Messiah on the earth. In ver. 4, 5, the psilmist shows that their eflf)rts should not l)e HU'ressful ; that God would .aiigh at their (ie>!igriH, lliat is, that their plans should not succeed. In ver. G, 7, he shows that tho Messiah would be es-
unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again ; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou * art my Son, this day have I bes^otten thee.
tablished wa king ; that this wa« tho fil- ed decree, that he had begotten him foT this. All this is represented as subsequent to the raging of the heathen, and to the counsel of the. kings against him, and must, therefore, refer, not to his eternal generation, or his incarnation, but to something succeeding his death ; that is, to his resurrection, and establishment as king at the right hand of God. This in- terpretation by the apostle Paul proves therefore that this passage is not to bo used to establish the doctrine of the eter- nal generation of Christ Christ is called the Son of God from various reasons In Luke i. 35, because he was begotten by the Holy Ghost. In this place, on ac- count of his resurrection. In Rom. i. 4, it is also said, that he was declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead. See Note on that place. Tho resurrection from the dead is represented as in some sense the beginning of life, and it is with reference to this that the terms So?i, and begotten from the dead, are used, as the birth of a child is the beginning of life. Thus Christ is said Col. i. 18, to be "the first-born from the dead," and thus in Rev. i. 5, he is callefl " the first-begotten of the dead," and with reference to this rene^ml or beginning of life he is called a Son. In whatever other senses he is called a Son in the New Testament, yet it is here proved, (f.) That he is called a Son from his re- surrection ; and (2.) That this is the sense in which the expression in the psalm is to be used. IT This day. The day in the mind of the psalmist, and of Paul, of his resurrection. Many efforts have been made, and much learned criticism has been expended, to prove that this refers to eternity, or to his lire-existence. But the signification of tho word, which never refers to eternity, and the con nexion, and tho obvious intention of the sneaker, is against this. Paul underfitood tins manifestly of the reaurrecti(m. This sptllos the inquiry, and this is tho inditt- pi-nsjhle intorprctatioii in the psalm itself IT Have I bvgolirn thee. This evidently cannot be understood in a literal sense. It lilvrallfi refers to tho relation ot an earthly father to his children; but in n*^
>*.. J). 45."]
CHAPTER XIIl.
lUH
34 And as cancerning that he caised him up from the dead, 7iow no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure ' mercies of David.
» Tx OTtXj holy, or, juu things; which word the
Buch sense can it be applied to the re- lation of God the Father to the Son. It must therefore be figurative. The word Bometimes figuratively means to produce, to cause to exist in any way. 2 Tim. ii. 23, " Unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender [beget] strifes." It refers also to the labours of the apostles in securing the conversion of sinners to the gospel. 1 Cor. iv. 15, " In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." Phil. ver. 10, " Whom [Onesi- nms] I have begotten in my bonds." It is applied to Christians (John i. 13), "Which were born [begotten] not of blood, &c. but of God-" iii. 3, " Except a man be born [begotten] again," &c. In all these places it is used in a figurative sense to denote the commencement of spiritual life by the power of God attending the truth ; raising up sinners from the death of sin; or so producing spiritual life as that they should sustain to God the rela- tion of sons. Thus he raised up Christ from the dead ; imparted life to his body ; by his own power restored him ; and hence is said figiiratively to have begotten him from the dead, and hence sustains towards the risen Saviour the relation of J'ather. Comp.Col.i.18. RevAi.||^eb.i.5. 34. A7id as cmicerning. In further proof of that. To show that he actually did it, he proceeds to quote another passage of Scripture. IT No more to return to corrup- tion. The word corruption is usually em- ployed to denote putrefaction, or the moul- dering away of a body in the grave ; its returning to its nadve dust. But it is cer- tain (ver. 35. Note, ch. ii. 27) that the body of Clirist never in this sense saw corrup- tion. The word is therefore used to de- note death, or the grave, the cause and place of corruption. The word is thus used in the Septuagint. It means here gimply that he should not again die. H He said on this wise. He said thus, f outouj.) H I wdl give you. This quotation is made from Isa. Iv. 3. It is quoted from the Sep- tuagint, with a change of but one word, not affecting the sense. In Isaiah the lassage does not refer particularly to the esurrection of the Messiah ; nor is it the design of Paul to affirm that it does. His object m this verse is not to prove that he •would rise from tke dead ; b*^t that beiyig
35 Wherefore he saith also in " another j05«/m, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
LXX, both in the place of Isa.55.3, and in many olie"^ use for that which is in the Hebrew, mescies. H^
aPs.16.10.
risen, he would 7wt again die. That the passage in Isaiah refers to the Messiah there can be no doubt, ver. 1. 4. The passage here quoted is an address tc the people, an assurance to them that ths promise made to David should be per- formed, a solemn declaration that he would make an everlasting covenant with them through the Messiah, the pro- mised descendant of David. ^ The. sure mercies of David. The word mercies here refers to the promise made to David ; the mercy or favour shown to him by promis- ing to him a successor that should not fail to sit on his throne. 2 Sam. vii. 16. Ps. Ixxxix. 4, 5 ; cxxxii. 11, 12. These mercies and these promises are called " sure," as being true, or unfailing ; they should cer- tainly be accomplished. Comp. 2 Cor. i. 20. The word David here does not refer, as many have supposed, to the Messiah, but to the king of Israel. God made to David a promise, a certain pledge ,• he be- stowed on him this special mercy, in pro- mising that he should have a successor w^ho should sit for ever on his throne. This promise was understood by the Jews, and is often referred to in the New Tes- tament, as relating to the Messiah. And Paul here says that that promise here is fulfilled. The only question is, how it refers to the subject on w hich Paul was immediately discoursing. That point was not mainly to prove his resurrection, but to show particularly that he would never die again, or that he would for ever live and reign. And the argument is, that as God had promised that David should have a successor who should sit for ever on his throne ; and as this prediction now termi- nated in the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, it followed, that, as that promise was sure and certain, he would never die again. He must live, if the sure prom.ise was ful- filled. And though he had been put to death, yet under that general promi&a ivas the certainty that he would live again. It was impossible, the meaning is, that tho Messiah, the promised successor of David, the perpetual occupier of his throne,shouId remain under the power of death Under this assurance the church now reposes its hopes. Zion's King now lives, ever able to vindicate and save his people. 35. Wherefore, ^'o. To the same in
200
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 4&
3G For David, ' after he 1 nd serv- ed his own generation by 'he will of God, ° fell on sleep, and > ras laid unto his fathers, and saw corrup- tion :
37 But he, whom God * raised again, saw no corruption.
38 Be it known unto you, there- fore, men and brethren, that through
» or, after lie had in hit mm age served the will of G«L a ;Ki.2.10. i c2.24.
tent, or end. In the proof of the same thing — that he must rise and live for ever. IF He sailh. God says by David ; or David declares the promises made by God. IT In another psalm. Ps. xvi. 10. IT Thou wilt not suffer, 6oC. See this ex- plained in Notes, ch. ii. 27.
36. For David, &c. This verse is de- signed to show that the passage in Ps. xvi. could not refer to David, and must there- fore relate to some other person. In ver. 37, it is affirmed that this could refer to no one, in fact, but to tlie Lord Jesus. IT Af- ter he had served his generation. See the margin. Syriac, ' David in his own gene- ration havmg served the will of God, and elept,' &c. Arabic, ' David served in his own age, and saw God.' The margin probably most correctly expresses the sense of the passage. To serve a gene- ration, or an age, is an unusual and al- most unintelligible expression. ^ Fell on sleep. Greek, Slept ; that is, died. This is the usual word to denote the death of Baifits. It is used of David in 1 Kings ii. 10. Note, Matt, xxvii. 52. IT And was laid unto, Arc. And was buried with his fa- thers, &c. 1 Kings ii. 10. IX A?td saw cor- ruption. Remained in the grave, and re- turned to hi.^ native dust. See this point argued more at length by Peter, in Acts ii. 2'J — 31, and explained in the Notes on that place.
37. But he,v}hom God raised again. The Lord Jesus. IT Saw no corruption. Was raised without undergoing the usual change that succeeds deatii. As David had returned to corruption, and the J^rd Jesus had not, it followed that this pas- Ragn in Ps. xvi. referred to the Messiah.
38. Be It knoum, <Sic. Paul, having proved his resurrection, and shown that ne was the Messiah, now states the bene- fits that wore to be derived from his death. IT Through this man. See Note, Luko xxiv. 47.
39. And by hinu By means of him ; by his sufferings and death, f All tuat be- lieve. Note, Mark xvi. IG T Areju^i/icd.
''this man is preached unto you the forfriveness of sins :
'SO And by him, ''all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken cf in * the prophets ;
e DaD.9.2.1. Lu.24.47. 1Jdo.2.12, d Isa.53.11. Kah 2.4.Roni.3.28; 8.3. e Isa.29.14. Hab.l 6.
Are regarded and treated as if they were righteous. They are pardoned, and ad- mitted to the favour of God, and treated as pardoned sinners, and as if they had not offended. See this point explained in the Notes on Rom. i. 17; iii. 24, 25; iv. 1 — 8. IT From all thi?igs. From the guilt of all offences. All will be pardoned. IT From which ye could nol, &c. The law of Moses commanded wliat was to be done. It appointed sacniices and offer- ings, as typical of a greater sacrifice* Bui the same apostle has fully shown in the epistle to the Hebrews that those sacri* fices could not take away sai. ch. ix. 7 — 14; X. 1 — 4. 11. The design of the lau was not to reveal a way of pardon. That was reserved to be the peculiar purpose of the gospel. ^ The law of Moses. The commands and institutions which he, un- der the direction of God, established.
40. Beware, therefore. Avoid that whiclj is threa^Md. It will come on some ; and Paul exfln^ his hearers to beware lest it should come on them. It was the more important to caution them against lliis danger, as the Jews held that Ihci/ were safe. IT Lest that come. Tiiat calamity , that threatened punishment IT In the prophets. In that part of the Scriptures called " the prophets." The Jews divided the Old Testament into three parts, of which " the book of the prophets" was one. Note, Luke xxiv. 44. The place where this is recorded is Hab. i. 5. It is not taken from the Hebrew, but substan- tially from the Septuagint. The original design of the threatening was toannounca the destruction that would come upon the nation by the Chaldeans. The ori ginal threatening was fulfilled. But it was as applicalilt to the Jews in the lime of Paul a.s in tiio time of Habakkuk. Tlie princi/de of the passage is, I lint if they hold in contrmpt the doings of God, they would jK-risli. The work whii^h God was to do by moans of the Chaldeans was so 'fearful, so unuBual, and so remarkable- Jthat they would not believe if in time t«
A. D. 45.]
CHAPTER Xlll.
J]
41 Behold .ye despisers, and won- der, and perish : for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
lavcid the calamity. In the same way, thsit which God did in giving a Messiah BO little in ascordance with their expecta- tion, the manner of the introduction of hia kingdom by miracles ; and the gift af his Spirit, was so much at variance with their expectations, that they might see it, yet disbelieve it ; they might have the fullest proof, and yet despise it ; they might wonder, and be amazed and as- tonished, and unable to account for it, and yet refuse to believe it, and be de- stroyed. IT Behold, ye despisers. Heb. " Behold, ye among the heathen." The change from this expression to " ye de- spisers," was made by the Septuagint translators, by a very slight change in the Hebrew word — probably trom a va- riation ih the copy which they used. It arose from reading o^ij'ja instead of o^^j3, Bogedim instead of Basgoim. The Sy- riac, the Arabic, as welTas the LXX. fol- low this reading. IT And wonder. Heb. " and regard, and wonder marvellously." IT And perish. This is not in the He- brew, but is in the Septuagint and the Arabic. The word means literally to be removed from the sight, to disappear, and then to corrupt, defile, destroy. Matt. vi. 16, 19. The word, however, may mean to be suffused with shame ; to be over- whelmed, and confounded (Schleusner), and it may perhaps have this meaning here, answering to the Hebrew. The word used here is not that w^hich is com- monly employed to denote eternal perdi- tion ; though Paul seems to use it with reference tc their destruction for reject- ing the gospel, f For I work a work. I do a thing. The thii'g to which the pro- phet Habakkuk referred was, that God would bring upon thtm the Chaldeans, ihat would destroy tlie temple and nation. In like manner faul says, that God in that time might bring upon the nation similar calamities. By rejecting the Mes- v.AA and his gospel, and by persevering m wickedness, they would bring upon themselves the destruction of the tem- ple, and city, and nation. It was this threatened destruction doubtless to which the apostle referred. IT Which ye shall ill no vjise believe. Which you will not believe. So rernarkable, so unusual, so sufoassini:; any thing which had occurred.
42
Anc when the Jews w«ire out of the synagogue, the
gone
Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to thein the » next Sabbath.
1 iyi the week hetwun, or, in the Saitmih between.
The original reference in Habakkuk is ts the destruction of the temj-le by the Chaldeans ; a thing which the Jews would not suppose could happen. The temple was so splendid ; it had begp built by the direction of God ; it Sad been so long under his protection ; that they would suppose that it could not be given into the hands of their enemies to be de- iJlJlished. And even though it were predicted by a prophet of God, still they would not believe it. The same feelings the Jews would have respecting the tem- ple and city in the time of Paul. Though it was foretold by the Messiah, yet they were so confident that it was protected by God, that they would not believe that it could possibly be destroyed. The same infatuation seems to have possessed them during the siege of the city by the Ro- mans. IT Though a man, &c. Though it be i)lainly predicted. We may learn, (1.) That men may see, and be amazed at the works of God, and yet be destroyed. (2.) There may be a prejudice so obsti- nate that even a divine revelation will not remove it. (3.) The fancied security of sinners will not save them. (4.) There are men who will not believe in the pos- sibility of their being lost, though it be de- clared by the prophets, by apostles, bv the Saviour, and by God. They will still re- main in fancied security, and suffer no- thing to alarm or rouse them. But (5.) The fancied security of the Jews furnished no safety against the Babylonians or thp Ro- mans. Nor will the indifference and unconcern of sinners furnish any secu rity against the dreadful wrath of God Yet there are multitudes "vho live amids* the displays of God's pov er and mere} in the redemption of sinners who witness the efTects of his goodness and truth in revivals of religion, who live to despise it all ; who are amazed and confounded by it ; and who shall yet perish.
42. And when the Jews, &c. Tli-ore is a great variety in the MSS. on this vorse ; and in the ancient versions. Griesbach and Knapp read it, " Ana when they were gone out, they besought them thai these words might be spoken," &c. The Syriac reads it, " When they departed from them, they sought from them thai these wowls might be spoken to them n
«02
43 Now wlien the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas : who speaking CO them, persuaded them to con- tinue " m the grace of God.
44 And the next Sabbath-day
ac.l4.22.Heb.6.11,12:12.15.
I HJ^i ACTS. [A. D. 45
I came almost the whole city to. gether, to hear the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting ^ and blaspheming.
Q-30ther Sabbath." The Arabic, "Some of the synagogue of the Jews asked of them that they would exhort the Gentiles with them," &c. If these readings be correct, then the meaning is, that some of the Jews exhorted the apostles to pro- claim these truths at some other timtt; particularly to the Gentiles. The JVfliS. greatly vary in regard to the passage, and it is perhaps impossible to determine the true reading. If the present reading m the English translation is to be regard- ed as genuine — of which, however, there IS very little evidence — the meaning is, that a part of the Jews, perhaps a majority of them, rejected the message, and went out, though many of them followed Paul and Barnabas, ver. 43. IT The Gentiles besought. This expression is wanting in the Vulgate, Coptic, Arabic, and Syriac ver- sions, and in a great many MSS. {Mill.) It is omitted by Griesbach, Knapp, &c. and is piobably spurious. Among other reasons which may be suggested why it is not genuine, this is one, that it is not evident or probable that the Gentiles were m the habit of attending the syna- gogue. Those who attended there were called proselyte.'^. The expression, if genuine, might mean, either that the Gen- tiles besought, or that they besought the Gentiles. The latter would be the more probable meaning. IT The next Sabbath. The 7nargin has probably the correct rendering of the passage. The meaning of the verse is, that a wish was expressed that these doctrines might be repeated to them in the intermediate time before the next Sablmlh.
43. When the congregation. Greek, When the synagogue was dissolved. ^ Broken vp. Dismissed. It does not mean that it was broken up by violence or disorder. It w^as dismissed in the usual way. IT Many of the Jews. Pro- bably the majority of them rejected the message. See ver. 45. Still a deep im- pression was made on many of them. T And religions proselytes. See ver. 10. f'omp. Note, Matt, xxiii. 15. Greek, J'rosdytes vjot shipping. IT Persuaded Oiem to continue, &e It would ajipear
from this, that they professedly received the truth and embraced the Lord Jesus, This success was remarkable, and shows the power of the gospel when it is preached faithfully to men. H In the grace of God. In his favour — in the faith, and prayer, and obedience, which would be connected with his favour. The gospel is called the grace or favour of God, and they were exhorted to per- severe in their attachment to it.
44. And the next Sabbath-day This was the regular day for worship, and it was natural that a greater multitude should convene on that day than on the other days of the week. ^ Cavte almost the whole city. Whether this was in the synagogue is not affirmed ; but it is pr()- bable that that was the place where the multitude convened. The news of the presence of the apostles, and of theit doctrines, had been circulated doubtless by the Gentiles who had heard them, and curiosity attracted the multitude t» hear them. Comp. Note, ver. 7.
45. They were filed vnth envy. Greek, Zeal. The word here denotes v^ralh, in- dignation, that such multitudes should be disjx)scd to hear a message which they rejected, and which threatened to over- throw their religion. IT Spahe against. Opposed the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah ; that the Messiah would be humble, lowlv, despised, and put to death, <fec. if Contradicting. Contra- dicting the apostles. This was evidently done in their presence, ver. 46, and would cause great tumult and disorder. IT Ana blaspheming. Note, Matt. ix. 3. The sense evidently is, that they reproached and vilified Jesus of Nazareth ; they spake of him with contempt and scorn. To speak thus of him is denominated blasphemy. Luke xxii. 05. When men are enraged, they little regard the word> which thev utter, and little care how they may be estimated by God. When men attached to sect and party, in religion or ;iolilics, have no good ayguincnts to employ, they attemjtt to overvhelm (heir adversaries by bitter and reproachful wordw Men in the heit of striie. r<nJ ir
.i. D. 45.]
CHAPTER XIII.
'203
46 Then Paul and Barnabas wax- ed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first " have been spoken to you : but see- ing 3^e put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we ^ turn to the Gentiles.
a ilalMO.S. Lu.24.47. Rom.1.16.
professed zeal for peculiar d Dctrines, and ibr sect and party, more frequently utter blasphemy than they are aware. Precious and pure doctrines are often thus vilified, because loe do not believe them; and the heart of the Saviour is pierced anew, and his cause bleeds by the wrath and wick- edness of his professed friends. Comp. ch. xviii. 6.
46. Waxed bold. Became bold ; spake boldly and openly. They were not ter- rified by their strife, or alarmed by- their opposition. The contradictions and blas- phemies of sinners often show that their oonsciences are alarmed ; that the truth has taken effect ; and then is not the time to shrink, but to declare more fearlessly the truth. 5r It was necessary. It was so designed ; so commanded. They regard- ed it as their duty to offer the gospel Jirst to their own countrymen. Note, Luke XXIV. 47. ^ Ye put it frem you. Ye re- ject it V And judge yourselves. By your jonduct, by your rejecting it, you de- r;lare this. The word judge here does not mean they expressed such an opinion, or that they regarded themselves as unwor- thy of eternal life; for they thought just the reverse ; but that by their conduct tliey CONDEMNED themselves. By such conduct they did in fact pass sentence on themselves, and show that they were un- worthy of eternal life, and of having the offer any farther made to them. — Sinners by their conduct do in fact condemn themselves, and shov/ that they are not only unfit to be eaved, but that they have advanced so far m wickedness that there is no hope of their salvation, and no pro- priety m offering them, any farther, eter- nal life. Note, Matt. vii. 6. IT Unworthy, &c. Unfit to be saved. They had deli- berately and solemnly rejected the gospel, and thus shown that they were not fitted to enter into everlasting life. — When men, even but once, deliberately and solemnly reject the offers of God's mercy, it greatly endangers their salvation. The jnobabi- li,.y is, that they then put the cup of salva- ion for ever away from themselves. The fospol produce sin effect wherever it is orear.hed An. when sinners are hard-
47 For so hath the Lord com manded us, saying, *= I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of 'o e-xrth
48 And when the Gentiles heaid this, they were glad and gioiified
b Deut.32.21. Matt.21.43. Hom.l0.19. c Isa.49.6.
ened, and spurn the gospel, it may often be the duty of ministers to turn their ef- forts towards others, where they may have more prospect of success. A man will not long labour on a rocky, barren, sterile soil, when there is near him a rich and fertile valley that will abundantly reward the pains of cultivation. II Lo, we turn, &c. We shall offer salvation to them, and devote ourselves to seeking their sal- vation.
47. For so, &c. Paul, as usual, appeals to the Scriptures in order to justify his course. He here appeals to the Old Tes- tament, rather than to the command of the Saviour, because the Jews recognised the authority of their own Scriptures, while they would have turned in scorn from the command of Jesus of Nazareth. IT 1 have set thee, &c. I have constituted or appointed thee. This passage is found in Isa. xlix. 6. That it refers to the Pvlessiah there can be no doubt. From the xlth chapter of Isaiah to the end of the pro- phecies, Isaiah had a primary and main reference to the times of the Messiah. IT To be a light. Note, John i. 4. ^ To the Gentiles This was in accordance with the uniform doctrines of Isaiah. Isa. xlii. 1 ; liv. 3 ; Ix. 3. 5. 16 ; Ixi. 6. 9 ; Ixii. 2; Ixvi. 12. Comp. Rom. xv. 9—12. IT ^or salvation. To save sinners. IT Unto tht ends of the earth. To all lands ; in all nations. Note, ch. i. 8.
48. When the Gentiles heard this. Heard that the gospel was to be preached to them. The doctrine of the Jews had been that salvation was confined to themselves. The Gentiles rejoiced that from the mouths of Jews they now heard a different doctrine. ^ Tliey glorified the word of the Lord. They honoured it as a message from God ; the}- recognised and received it as the word cf God. The GS pression conveys the ided o£ praise on ai>- count of it, and of reveraice for the mes- sage as the word of God IT And as man.p as were ordained, 'oo-oi Jjo-av Tsray/^ls/o* Syriac, " Who were destined," or consti tuted. Vulgate, " As mt^ny as were fore- ordained (quotquot eran-: prjEordinati) to
' eternal life believed." There has beeir
204
THE ACTS. [A.D.4SI
the word of llie Lord : and " as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50 But the .lews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and
o c.2.47. Roin.8.30,
nrivich difTereuce of opinion in regard to this expression. One class of comnieiifa- iors have supposed that it refers to the doctrine of ele:tion — to God's ordaining men to eternal life ; and another class, to their being disponed themsdves to embrace the gospel — to tliose among them who did not reject and despise the gospel, bnt who were disposed and inclined to em- brace it. The main inquiry is, what is the meaning of the word rendered or- dained? The word is used but eight times in the New Testament. Matt, xxviii. IG, " Into a mountain where Jesus ?iad ap- pointed them," i. e. previously appointed, or commanded them — before his death. Luke vii. 8, " For 1 also am a man set un- der authority ;" appointed, or designated, as a soldier, to be under the authority of another. Acs xv. 2, " They determined that Paul and Bamabas, &c. should go to Jerusalem." Acts xxii. 10, "It shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do." xxviii. 23, " And w hen they liad appointed him a day," &c. Rom. xiii. 1, "Tne powers that be, are ordained of God." 1 Cor. xvi. 15, "They have ad- dicted themselves to the mmistry of samts." The wori T»o-(r<« or Tirruj pro- perly means to place ; to place in a certain rank or order. Its meaning is derived from arranging or disposing a body of soldiers in regular order; to arrange in military order. In the places which liave been mentioned above, the word is used to denote the following things: (1.) 7'o command, or to designate. Ma't. xxviii. IG. Acts xxii. 10; xxviii. 23. (2) To in- Btitute, constitute, or ap{)oint. Rom. xiii. 1. ('omp. 2 Sam. vii. 11. 1 Sam. xxii. 7. ['3.) To determine, to take counsel, to re- solve. Acts XV. 2. (4.) To su])ject to the authority of another Luke vii. 8. (5.) To ftddict to; to devote to. 1 Cor. xvi. 15. The meaning may be thus cxiiresKcd : i\.) The word is never used I" denote an internal disposition or inclimAion arising from one'.s own self It doi « not mean that they disposed tkenisclvt» to embrace eternal life. (2.) It has uniformly the no- Uoii of an ordcrinp, dispnsinp, or arrang- wg from without, i. e. fron\ nome other Miur<e than iho iri<]ividiia1 himself; as of
the chief men of the city, and '' rais ed persecution against Paul ani Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
51 But they shook * off the d-jis of their feet against them, and camt unto Iconium.
i2Tim.3.11. cMar.6.11. Lu.9.5. c.18.6.
a soldier, who is arranged or classified according to the will of the proper officer In relation to the.se persons it means therefore, that they were disposed or in clined to this from some other source than themselves. (3.) It does not proper- ly refer to an eternal decree, or directly to the doctrine of election ; though tliai may be inferred from it ; but it refers to their being then in fact disposed to em brace eternal life. They were then in clined by an influence from without them selves, or so disposed as to embrace eter nal life. It refers not to an eternai decree, but that then there was such an influence as to dispose them, or incline them, to lay hold on salvation. That this was done by the influence of the Holy Spirit, is clear l"rom all parts of the New Testament. Titus iii. 5, G. John i. 13. It was not a disposition or arrangement ori- ginating with themselves, but with God. (4.) This implies the doctrine of election. It was 171 fact that doctrine expressed. It w^as nothing but God's disposing them to embrace eternal life. And that he does this according to a plan in his own mind — a plan which is unchangeable as God himself is unchangeable — is clear from the Scriptures. Comp. Acts xviii. 10. Rom. viii. 28— 30; ix, 15, IG. 21. 23. Eph. i. 4, 5. 11. The meaning may be expressed in few words — who were then disposed and in good earnest determined, to embrace ete-fial life, by the operation of the grace of iJod on their hearts IF Eternal life. Sal vation. Note, John lii. 3G.
."JO. But the Jews stirred vp. Excited opposition. IT Honourable v:imien. Note, Mark xv. 43. Women of influence, and connected with families of rank. Perhaps they were proselytes, and were connected with the magistrates of the city. IT And raised ])ersccntion Probably on the ground that they produced disorder ond excitement. The aid of " cA/V/rRcrt' hat often been called in to oppo.'je revivais of religion, and to put a period, if possible, t;) the spread of ihe gospel. H Out of then coasts. Out of the regions of their coun try; out of iheir province.
51 Jhit they shnok off the dust, &c. Sec N(»te Malt. x. 14 f Aiid came into Iro
1. 1). 'i5.J
t H AFTER XIV
205
51 And the disciples were filled •vith joy, " and with the Holy txhost.
CHAPTER XIV.
A ND it came to pass in Ico- -^-^ nium, that they went both to- gether into the synago^e of the -ews, and so spake, that a great '•fultitude, both of the Jews and
isc of the GreekS; believed.
2 But the unbelieving Jews stir- fA up the Gentiles, and made beii minds evil-affected against Ue brethren,
3 Lonj time therefore abode
aMatt.5.12. IThess.l.G.
uiiLin. This was the capital of Lycaonia. It IS now called Cogni, or Konieh, and is the capital of Caramania.
52. And the disciples. The disciples in Antioch. ^ Were filled v)i!h jo;/. This happened even in the midst of persecu- tion, and is one of the many evidences that the gospel is able to fill the soul with joy even in the severest trials. CHAPTER XIV.
1. In Iconium. Note, ch. xiii. 51. In this place it appears tliat Timothy be- came acquainted with Paul and his man- ner of life. 2 Tim. iii. 10, 11. IT So spake. Spake with such power — their preaching was attended so much with the influence of the Spirit. ^ And of the Greeks. Probably proselytes from the Greeks, who were in the habit of attend- ing the synagogue.
2. But the unbelieving Jews, &c. Note, ch. xiii. 50. II And made their minds evil- effected. Irritated, or exasperated them. it Against the brethren. One of the com- mon appellations by which Christians were known.
3. Long time therefore. In this city they were not daunted by persecution. It seems probable fhat there were here no forcible or public measures to expel them, as there had been at Antioch (ch. xiii. 50), and they therefore regarded it Bs their duty to remain. God granted them here also great success, which w-as the main reason for their continuing a long time. Persecution and opposition may be attended often with signal success to the gospel. IT Spake boldly in the Lord. In tlie cause of the Lord Jesus ; or in his name and authority. Perhaps also the expression includes the idea of their trusting in the Lord. ^ Which gave testi- ■nonu Bore witfss to the truth of their
, they speaking boldly in the Lord, which * gave testimony unto th« word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4 But the multitude of the city was divided ; and " part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.
5 And when there was an as- sault made, both of the Gentilea and also of tbe Jews, with their rulers, to use the7n despitefully, and to stone them,
G They were ware of it^ and fled ^ unto Lystra, and Derbe, citieg
b Mark 1G.20. Heb.2.4. c c.28.24, d Matt,10.23
message b^ working miracles, &c Comp. Mark xvi. 20. This was evidently the Lord Jesus to whom reference is here made, and it shows that he was still, though bodily absent from them, clothed . with power, and still displayed that power in the advancement of his cause The conversion of sinners accomplished by him is always a testimony as decided as it is cheering to the labours and mes- sages of his servants. IT Unto the word of his grace. His gracious word, or mes- sage IT And granted signs, &c. Mira- cles See Note, Acts ii. 22.
A. Was divided. Into parties. Gi'eek, There was a schism, E^xiVr>i. IT A pari held with the Jews. Held to the doctrines of the Jews, in oppositionto the »»stles. A revival of religion may prooroe ex citement by the bad passions of opposers The enemies of the truth may form par- ties, and organize opposition. Jt is no uncommon thing even r^ow for such parties to be formed ; but the fault is not in Christianity. It lies with those who form a party against religion, and who confederate themselves, as was done here, to oppose it.
5. An assault made. Greek, A rush, lei^'<- It denotes an impetuous excite- ment, and aggression ; a rush to put them to death. It rather describes a po- pular tumult than a calm and deliberate purpose. There v.'as a violent, tur?ultu- ous excitement. IT Both of the Gentiles, &c. Of tliat part of them which was opposed to the Apostles. H To use them despitefully. Note, Matt. v. 44. To reproach them; to bring contempt upon them ; to injure them. IT To stone them. To put them to death by stoning ; proba- bly as blasphemers, \cti3 vii. 57 — 59.
0. They were ware of ii. Thev wnr»>
206
THE ACTS.
[A. D i6
of Lycai nia and (into the region that lieti i rou nd about :
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 steadfastly beholding him,
in some way informed of the excitement and of their danger. IT And Jled unto Lystra Tliis was a city of Lycaonia, arid was a few miles south of Iconium. It is now called Jjalik. If And Derbe. Derbev.as a short distance er;st of Lystra. 1! Cities of Lycaonia. Lycaonia was one of the proviiices of Asia Minor. It had Gslatia north, Pisidia south, Cappadocia east, and Phrygia west. It was formerly ^ within the limits of Phrygia, but was ' erecied into a separate province by Au- f.' '-las. IF And unto the region. &c. The ai.j icent country. Though persecuted, they still preached ; and though driven from one city, they fled into another. This was the direction of the Saviour. Matt. X. 23.
8. And there sat. There dwelt. Matt, IX. 16. Acts xviii. 11. Margin. The word sal, however, indicates his usual posture ; his helpless condition. Such persons commonly sat at the way eide.Qtin sora©.. public place to ask for alm3fl|^ark«rf?,4r). U Impuient in his feet, ir.rzro?.-' Without any power. Entirely deprived of the use oi" his feet. T Being a cripple. Lame. ^ Who never had walked. The miracle therefore would be more remarltablc, as the man would be well known, and there coidd be no plea that there was an imposition. As they were persecuted from place to place, and opposed in every manner, it was desirable that a signal miracle shoiild be performed to carry fjrward and establish the work of the gospel
9. Who steadfastly beholding him. Fix- ing his eyes intently on him. Note, AcLsi. 10. IT ArtrZ perceiving. IIow he perceived this is not said. Perhaps it was indicated by the ardour, luimility, and atrring desire depicted in his conn- tenanco. lie had heard Paul, an<l per- haps fho apr)sllo had dwelt [larticnlarly >n the mirarlrx with which the gosjiel had been attested. The miracles wrought also in Iconium had doubtless also been ••leard of in fivstra. ^ Had faith to be
and perceiving that he nad faith to be healed,
10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leap- ed '^ and walked.
11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lift up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The '^ gods are come down to us, in the likeness of mea.
h Matt.9.2S.29, c Isa.35.36. d cJ9.6.
healed. Compare, JMatt. ix. 21, 22. 28, 29. Luke vii. 50 ; xvii. 19; xviii. 42.
10. Said with a loud voice. Note John xi. 43. IT And he leaped. Note. Acts iii. 8. Comp. Isa. xxxv. 6 .
11. T/tey lift up their voices. The> spoke with astonishment,- such as might be expected when it was supposed thai the gods had come down. IT In die speech of Lycaonia. What this language was has much puzzled commentators. It was probably a mixture of the Greek and Syriac. In that region generally the Greek was usually spoken with more or less purity ; and from the fact that it was not far from the regions of Syria, it is pro- bable that the Greek language was cor- rupted with this foreign admixture. IT The gods, &c All the region was idolatrous. The gods which were wor- shipped there were those which were worshipped throughout Greece. II Are come down. The miracle which Paul had wrought led them to suppose this It was evidently beyond human ability, and they had no other way of accounting for it than by supposing that their gods had personally appeared. IF In the like ness of men. Many of their gods were heroes, whom they worshipped after they were dead. It was conmion among them to suppose that the gods appeared to men in human form. The poems of Homer, of Virgil, &c. are fdled with accounts of such appearances, and the only way in which they supposed the gods to take knowledge of human aflliirs, and to aid men, was by their personally appearing in this form. See Homer's Odyssey, xvii 485. Catullus, 64. 384 Ovid's Metamor phosis, i. 212. {Kuinoel) Thus Homcf says :
For in similitude of strancers oft
The gods who can with case ali shapes an
siimc, Repair to popuhms citicn, wliore thoy mark Th' oiitratieniis and the rightcoim ilivds of
men. ('ouTKR.
Among the Hindo<w, the opic'on lin*
A. D. 4G.]
CHAPTER XIV.
ao:
12 And iAey called Barnabas, /upitor; and Paul, Mercurius, bo- cause he "vas the chief speaker.
13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought Dxen and g-arlands unto the g-ates, and " would have done sacrifice with the people.
14 TPTiich, when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard o/, they
a Dan.2.46. b Matt.26.65 c c.10.26. James
B.17. Rev.19.10.
been prevalent that there have been many incarnations of their gods.
12. A7id they called Barnabas, Jupiter. lupiter was represented as the most pow- erful of all the gods of the ancients. He vvas represented as the son of Saturn and Ops, and was educated in a cave on mount Ida, in the island of Crete. The worship of Jupiter was almost universal. He was the Ammon of Africa, the Belus of Babylon, the Osiris of Egypt. His common appellation was, the father of gods and men. He was usually repre- sented as sitting upon a golden or an .very throne, holding in one hand a thun- derbolt, and in the other a sceptre of cy- press. His power was supposed to extend over other gods; and every thing was subservient to his v/ill, except the fates. There is the most abundant proof that he was worshipped in the region of Lycao- nia, and throughout Asia Minor. There was besides a fable among the inhabit- ants of Lycaonia that Jupiter and Mer- cury had once visited that place, and had been received by Philemon. The whole fable is related by Ovid. Metam«. 8. 61], &c. IF And Paul, Mercurius. Mercury, called by the Greeks Hermes; was a cele- brated god of antiquity. No less than five of this name are mentioned by Cicero. The most celebrated was the son of Ju- piter and Mala. He was the messenger of the gods, and of Jupiter in particular; -he was the patron of travellers and shep- herds ; he conducted the souls of the dead into the infernal regions ; and he presided over orators, and dedaimers, and mer- chants; and he was also the god of thieves, pickpockets, and all dishonest persons. He was regarded as the god of '.loquence ; and as light, rapid, and quick in his movements. The conjecture of Chr3'sostom is, that Barnabas was a large, Rlhleti-c man, and was hence taken for lupiler; and that Paul was small in his pnrson and was hence supposed to be Mercurv. ^Because he was the chief
* rent their clothes, and ran ir among the people, crying out,
15 And saying-. Sirs, why do ye these things 1 We '^ also are men of like passions with you, anc preach unto you, that ye should turn from these vanities '^ unto * the living God, which made>" hsavep and earth, and the sea, and al things that are therein :
d lSam.12.21. lKi.16.13. Jer.14.22. Jno.2.8. lCon8.4 e lThess.1.9. / Gen.1.1. Ps.33.G; 146.6. Rev.14.7.
speaker. The office of Mercury was to deliver the messages of the gods ; and as Paul only had been discoursing he was supposed to be Mercury
13. Then the priest of Jupiter. He whose office it was to conduct the wor- ship of Jupiter, by offering sacrifices, &c. "ir Which tvas before their city. The word " which" here refers not to the priest, but to Jupiter. The temple or image of Ju- piter was in front of their city, or near the gates. Ancient cities were supposed to be under the protection of particular gods; and their image, or a temple for their worship, was placed commonly in a conspicuous place at the entrance of the city. IF Brought oxen. Probably brought two — one to be sacrificed to each. It was common to sacrifice bullocks to Jupiter. IT And garlands. The victims of sacrifice were usually decorated with ribands and chaplets of flowers. See Kuinoel. ^ Unto the gates. The gates of the city where were the images or tem'ple of the gods. IT Would have done sacrifice. Would have offered sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul. This the priest deemed a part of his office. And here we have a remarkable and most affecting instance of the folly and stupidity of idolatry.
14. Which, when the apostles. Barnabas is called an apostle because he was serU forth by the church ofTa particular mes- sage (ch. xiii. 3. Comp. ch. xiv. 26) ; not because he had been chosen to the pecu- liar work of the apostleship — to bear wit- ness to the life and resurrection of Christ See Note, t;h. i. 22. IT They rent their clothes. As an expression of their abhor- rence of what they were doing, and of their deep grief that they should thus de base themselves by offering worship t<! men. See Note, Matt. xxvi. G5.
15. And saying. Sirs. Greek, Me7i. IT Why do ye these things? This i^ an expression of solemn remonstrance at the folly of their conduct in worshipping thase wio were men. The abhorrence which
'20S
THE ACTS
LA. .0. 4b
16 Who ■ in times past sulTered all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Nevertheless, *• he left not
o Ps.81.12. c. 17.30. b Rom.l.2a
ihey evinced at this, may throw strong light on the rank and character of the t^rd Jesus Christ. When an offer was made to worship Paul and Barnabas, they shrank from il with strong expressions of indignation and abhorrence. Yet when similar worship was offered to the Lord Jesus, when he was addressed by Thomas in the language of worship, "My Lord and my God" (John xx. 28), he commend- ed the disciple. For this act he uttered not the shyhtest reproof. Nay, he ap- proved it ,• and expressed his approbation of others who should also do it. ver. 29. Comp. John v. 23. How can this differ- ence be accounted for, except on the sup- position :hat the Lord Jesus was divine ? Would he, if a mere man, receive homage as God, when his disciples rejected it with horror? % Of like passioiis with you. We are men like yourselves. We have no claim, no pretensions to any thing more. The word " passions" here means simply that they had the common feelings and propensities of men; we have the nature of men ; the affections of men. It does not mean that they were subject to any improper passions, to ill temper, &c. as some have supposed; but that they did not pretend to be gods. ' We need food and drink; we are exposed to pain and sickness, and death.' The Latin Vulgate renders it, ' We are mortal like your- Belves.' The expression stands opposed to the proper conception of God. who is not subject to these affections, who is most blessed and immortal. Such a Being only is to bo worshipped; and the apos- tles remonstrated strongly with them on the folly of paying religious homage to beitgs like them^ves. Comp. James v. 17, '• Elias [Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as we are," &c. ^ iViat ye should turn from these vanities. That you should cease to WDrship idols. Idols are often called van.ties, or vain things. Deut. xxxii. 21. 2 Kings xi'ii. 15. 1 Kings xvi. 13. 26. Jer. ii. 5; viii 19; x. 8. Jonah li. 8. They are called vanities, and oflen a lie, or lying vanities, as opposed to the living and true God, because they are unreal, because they have no iK)vver to help, because confidence in them is vain. V Unto the living (Jod. 1 Thcss. i. 9. Ho tf" called ihoZtt'in^God to distinguish hin. Torn idols. See Note. Matt. xvi. HV
himself without wituess, in that he did good, and gave us rain " from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladnsss.
c Job 5.10. P8.147.8. Matt.5.45.
IT Which made heaven, &.c. Whe thua showed that he was the only proper ob- ject of worship. This doctrine, that thers was one God, who had made all thingi was new to them. They worshipped multitudes of divinities ; and though they regarded Jupiter as the father of gods and men, yet they had no conception tha all things had been formed from nothing by the wdl of one Infinite Being.
IG. \\ ho in times past. Previous to the gospel ; in past ages. IT Suffered all na lions. Permitted all nations; that is, all Gentiles. Acts xvii. 30, " And the times of this ignorance God winked at." IT To walk in their own ways. To conduct them- selves without the restraints and instruc- tions of a written law. They were per milted to follow their own .reason and passions, and their ow n system of religion. He gave them no written laws, and seni to them no messengers. Why he did this we cannot determine. It might have been, among other reasons, to show to the world conclusively, (I.) The insufficiency of rea- .fon to guide men in the matters of reh gion. The experiment was made un'Jer the most favourable circumstances. The most enlightened nations, the Greeks and Romans, were left to pursue the inquiry, and failed no less than the most degraded tribes of men. The trial was made for four thousand years, and attended with the same results every where. (2.) It showed the need of revelation to guide man. (3) It evinced, beyond the possi bility of mistake, the depravity of man In all nations, in all circumstances, nien had shown the same alienation from God. By suffering them to walk in their own ways, it v\a3 seen that those ways were sin, and that some power more than human wasnecessary to bring men baclt. to God. ^
17. Neverthdess. Though he gave thera no revelation. Ti He left not himself with- out witness. He gave demonstration of his existence, and of his moral character. H In that he did f^ood. By tloing good. The manner in which ho did it, he imme* diately specifies. Idols did not do good or confer favours, and werf therefore un- worthy of their (confidence. H And gave us rain from heaven. Rain from alx)VO fmm the clouds. Mark viii. H. Luke ii M: xvii. 29; xxi. 11 lohn vi. 3L 32
A. D. 46.]
CHAPTER XIV.
208
18 And with these sayinfrs source restrained they the people , that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
19 And there came thither :er-
Rain is oiio of the evidences of his good- ness Man could not cause it ; and with- out it, regulated at proper intervals of time, and in proper quantities, the earth wouL'l £Oon be one wide scene of desola- tion. There is scarcely any thing that mor<! certainly indicates unceasing care and -^tsdom than the needful and refresh- ing s:iowers of rain. The sun and stars move by fixed laws, whose operation we 3an see and anticipate. The falling of rain and dew is regulated by laws which 've cannot trace, and seems therefore to De poured, as it were, directly from God's hollow hand. Ps. cxlvii. 8, " Who cover- eth the heaven with clouds; who prepar- eth rain for the earth."
* He sends his show'rs of blessings down,
To cheer the plains below ; He makes the grass the mountains crown,
And corn in valleys grow. "The cheering wind, the flying cloud.
Obey his mighty word ; With songs and honours sounding loud.
Praise ye the sovereign Lord." — Watts. % And fruitful seasons. Seasons when the earth produces abundance. It is re- markable, and a shining proof of the di- vine goodness, that so few seasons are unfruitful. The earth yields her increase ; and the, labours of the hiisbandman are crowned with success: and the goodness of God demands the expressions of praise. His ancient covenant God does not forget (Gen. viii. 22), though man forgets it, and disregards his great Benefactor. IT Filling our hearts with food. The word hearts is here used as a Hebraism, to denote ;?er- sons themselves; filliag iis with food, &c. Comp. Matt. xii. 40. IT Gladness. Joy; comfort — the comfort arising from tiie supply of our constantly returning wants. This is proof of ever watchful goodness. It is demonstration at once that there is a God, and that he is good. It w^ould be easy for God to withdraw these blessings, and leave us to want. A single word, or a single deviation from the fulness of be- nevolence, would blast all these comforts, and leave us to lamentation, wo, and death. Ps. cxlv. 15, 16.
' The eyes of all wait upon thee, -^
And thou givest them their food in duesea- Thou openest thine hand, ['son.
^nd satisfies* the desire of all thp Uving." s 2
tarn Jews from Ar.tioch and Iconi- um, who persuaded the people, and having " stoned Paul, drew him om of the city, supposing he had been dead.
18. And with these sayings. With tlies€ arguments. IT Scarce restrained they the people. They were so fully satisfied that the gods had appeared, and were so full of zeal to do them honour.
1 9 And there came thither certain Jews Not satisfied with having expelled thera from Antioch and Iconium, they still pur sued thera. — Persecutors often exhibit a zeal and perseverance in a bad cause, which It would be well if Christians evinced in a holy cause. Men will often travel farther to do evil than they will to do good ; and many men show more zeal in opposing the gospel than professed Christians do in advancing it. ^ Antioch and Iconium. Note, ch. xiii. 14. 51. IF Who persuaded the peojde. That they were impostors; and who excited their rage against them. IT And having stoned Paul Whom they were just before ready to worship as a god ! What a striking in stance of the fickleness and instability of idolaters ! and what a striiung instance of the instability and uselessness of mere popularity. Just before, they were ready to adore him; now, they sought to put him to death. Nothing is more fickle than mere popular favour. The unbounded admiration of a man may soon be chang- ed into unbounded indignation and con tempt! It was well for Paul that he was not seeking this popularity, and that he did not depend on it for happiness. He had a good conscience ; he was engaged in a good cause ; he w as under the pro- tection of God ; and his happiness was to be sought from a higher source than the applause of men, fluctuating and uncer- tain as the waves of the sea. To this transaction Paul referred v.'hen he enu- merated his trials, in 2 Cor. xi. 25, " Once was I stoned.'' IT Dreio him out of the city. Probably in haste, and in populai rage, as if he was unfit to be in the city, and was unworthy of a decent burial; for it does not appear that they contem plated an interment, but indignantly drag ged him beyond the walls of the city to leave him there. Such sufferings and trials it cost to establish that religion in the world which has shed so many bless- ings on man, and which now orowns ui with comfort, and saves us from the abo rainationa and degradations of idolatrj
^lo
THE ACT!S.
[A.D. ib.
20 Howbeit, as th3 disciples stood round abojt him. he rose up, ind came inta the city : aivd the next day he departed with Barna- bis to Dcrbe.
21 And wh&a they had preached
here, and from the pains of hell, hereafter, fl lSupposi7ig he had been dead. The next verse shows that he was really not dead, though many commentators, as well as the Jews, have supposed that he was, and was miraculously restored to life. It is remarkable that Barnabas was not expos- ed to this popular fury. But it is to be remembered that Paul was the chief speaker, and it was his peculiar zeal that exposed him to this tumuh.
20. Howbeit. But. Notwithstanding the supposition that he was dead. IT As the disciples stood round about him. It would seem that they did not suppose that he was dead ; but might be expecting that he w'ould revive. 11 He rose up, &c. Most commentators have supposed that this was the effect of a miracle. They have maintained that he could not have risen 50 soon, and entered into the city, w ithout the interposition of miraculous power. (Calvin, Doddridge, Clark, &c.) But the commentators have asserted that which is not intimated by the sacred penman. Nor is there propriety in supposing the intervention of miraculous agency where it is not necessary. The probability is, that he was stunned by a blow — perhaps a single blow — and after a short time re- covered from it. Nothing is more com- mon than thus by a violent blow on tlie head to be rendored apparently lifeless, the effect of which soon is over, and the person restored to strength. Prica3us and VVetstein suppose that Paul feigned him- self to be dead, and when out of danger rose and returned to the city. But this is wholly improbable. ^ And came into [he city. It is remarkable that he should have returned again into the same city. But probably it was only among the now 'jonverta that he showed himself The Jews 8up{)oaed that lie was dead i and it Joes not appear that he again exposed aimself to their rage, IF And the next daj^ fcc The opposition here was such that 't was vain to attempt to preach there any lOngor. Having beeri seen by the disci- ples after his suppf)sod death, their faith was confirmed, and lie dcfrdrted to preach Ui another place. ^\ To Derbc. vcr. G.
21. Had taught many. Or rathe,*, had (uulo many diacip'es (margin). V To
the gospel Zo that city, and ' had taught many, they returned agaiL to Lystra, and to Iconium, and An tioch,
22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to
» Had made many diiciple*.
Lystra. ver. 6. IT And to Iconium. ver. 1. We have here a remarkable instance of the courage of the apostles. In these very places they had been persecuted and stoned, and yet in the face of danger they ventured to return. The welfare of the infant churches they deemed of more consequence than their own safety ; and they threw themselves again into the midst of dar.ger, to comfort and strengthen those JHst converted to God. There are times when ministers should not count their own lives dear to them (Acts xx. 24), but wnen they should fearlessly throw themselves into the midst of danger, con- fiding only in the protecting care of their God and Saviour.
22. Confirming. Strengthening. 'Esrio-- TVi^il,avrt;. The expression " to confirm" has in some churches a technical signifi- cation, denoting " to admit to the full pri- vileges of a Christian, by the imposition of hands." (Johnson.) It is scarcely ne- cessary to say that the word here refers to no such rite. It has no reference lo any imposition of hands, nor to the thing which is usually supposed to be denoted by the rite of " confirmation." It means simply, that they established, strengthened, made firm, or encouraged by thepresen- tation of truth, and by the motiv^ of the gospel. Whether the rite of confirmar tion, as practised by some churches, bo founded on the authority of the New Testament or not, it is certain that it can receive no support from this passage The truth was, that these were young converts ; that they were surrounded by enemies, exposed to temptations, anci to dangers ; that they had as yet but a slight acquaintance with the truths oi the gospel, and that it was therefore im- portant that they should be further" in- structed in the truth, and established in the faith of the gospel. This was what Paul and Barnabas returned to accora j)lish. Tiiore is not the slightest evi« dence that thoy had not been admitted to the full privileges of the church before, or that any ccremoni/ was now performed in confirming or strengthening th«m ^ Wte souls. The minds, tfio hearts ; or the disciples themselves, t Disciples They were as vet itrhotars, or learnmt
A- D. 52.J
CHAPTER XIV.
aii
continue " in the faith, and that * wo, must throucrh much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 23 And wbftn they had ordained
ac.13.43. iRom.8.17. 2Tim.3.12.
and the apostles leturned to mstruct them further in the doctrines of Christ. IF And xhorting them, &c. ch. xiii. 43. ^ In the faith, in. the "^eUef of the gospel. ^ And that we musi. <«< 'on Ssi. That it s fit or proper that we should, &c. Not Sliat it is in itself fixed hy any fatal ne- cessity i but that such is the nature of religion, and such the wickedness and opiX)sition of the world, that-it will hap- pen. We are not to expect that it will be otherwise. We are to calculate on it when we become Christians. Why it is
S roper, or fit, the aposile did not state, lut we may remark that it is proper, (1.) Because such is the opposition of the world to pure religion, that it cannot be avoided. Of this they had had striking demonstration in Lystra and Iconium. ,2.) It IS necessary to reclaim us from wandering, and to keep us in the path of duly. Ps. cxix. 67. 71. (3.) It is neces- sary to wean us from the world , to keep before one's mind the great truth, that we have here " no continuing city, and no abiding place." Trial here, makes us pant for a world of rest. The opposition of sinners makes us desire that world where "the wicked shall cease firom trou- bling," and where there shall be eternal friendship and peace. (4.) When we are Dersecuted and afflicted, we may remem- ber that it has been the lot of Christians from the beginning. We tread a path that has been watered by the tears of the saints, and rendered sacred by the shed- ding of the best blood on the earth. The Saviour trod that path ; and it is enough that the " disciple be as his master, and the servant as his lord." Matt. x. 24, 25. % Through much tribulation. Through many afflictions. IT Enter into the king- dcm of God. Be saved. Enter into hea- ven. Note, Matt. iii. 2.
23. Arid when theif had ordained. Xsj^o. rovvjroevTfc- The word ordain we now use in an ecclesiastical sense, to denote a setting apart to an office by the imposi- tion of hands. But it is evident that the word here is not employed in that sense. That imposition of hands might have oc- curred in setting apart afterwards to this office is certainly possible, but it is not im- plied in the word employed here, and did not tako place in the transaction to which this word refers.. The word occurs but
them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they com- mended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
in one other place in the New Testament, 2 Cor. viii 19, where it is applied to Luke, and translated, " who was also chosen of the church (i. e. appointed o? elected by suffrage by the church- es), to travel with us" &c. The verb properly denotes to stretch out the hand ; and as it was customary to elect to office, or to vote, by stretching out or elevating the hand, so the word simply means to elect, appoint, or designate to any office. The word here refers simply to an elec- tion or appointment of the elders. It is said indeed that Paul and Barnabas did this. But probably all that is meant by it is'^that they presided in the assembly when the choice was made. It does not mean that they appointed them without consulting the church ; but it evidently means that they appointed them in the usual way of appointing officers, by the suffi-ages of the people. See Schleusner, and the notes of Doddridge and Calvin. IT Ordained them. Appointed for the dis- ciples, or for the church. It is not meant that the elders w^ere ordained for the apostles. IT Elders. Greek, Presbyters Literally this word refers to the aged. Note, ch. xi. 30. But it may also be a word relating to office, denoting those who were more experienced than others, to preside over and to instruct the rest. What was the nature of this office, and what was the design of the appointment, is not intimated in this word. All that seems to be implied is, that they were to take the charge of the churches during the absence of the apostles. The apostles were about to leave them. They wero just organized into churches ; wero in- experienced; needed counsel and di- rection ; were exposed to dangers ; and it was necessarj.% therefore, that persons should be designated to watch over the spiritual interests of the brethren. The probability is, that they performed all the fiinctions that were required in the in- fant and feeble churches ; in exhorting instructing, governing, &;c. The more experienced and able would be most likely to be active in exhorting and in- structing the brethren ; and all would be useful in counselling and guiding the flock. The same thing occurred in the church at Ephesus. See Notes on Acts XX. 17 -28. It is not improbable
212
THE ACTS
A. D. 52.1
24 And after they had passed throug^hout Pisidia, they came to Paraphylia.
25 And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia :
26 And thence sailed to Antioch,
that the business of ir»structing, or teach- ing, would be gradually confined to the more talented and able of the elders and that the others would be concerned mainly in governing and directing the general affairs of the church. IT In every church. It is imphed here that there were elders in each church ; that is, that in each church there was more than one. See ch. xv. 21. where a similar phraseolo- gy occurs, and where it is evident that there was more than one reader of the law of Moses in each city. Titus i. 5, •' I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst
. . . ordain elders in every city." Acts xx. 7 " And from Miletus he sent to Ephe- sus. and called the elders of the church." It could not mean, therefore, that they appointed a single minister or pastor to each church, but they committed the V, hole affairs of the church to a bench of ciders. IT And had prayed with fasting. With the chnrch. They were about to leave them. They had intrusted the in- terests of the church to a body of men chosen lor this purpose ; and thev now commended the church and its elders to- gether to God. Probably they had no prospect of seeing them again ; and they parted as ministers and people should part, and as Christian friends .should part, with humble prayer, commending them- selves to the protecting care of God. IT I'hey commended them, &c. They rr/mmilled the infant church to the guar- dianship of the Lord. They were fee- ble, inexperienced, and exposed to dan- gers ; but in his hands they were safe. li To the Lord, ^c. The Lord Jesus. The • •onnexion shows that he is particularly referred to. In his hands, the redeemed are secure. When we part with Chris- tian friends, we may, with confidence, leave them in his holy care and keeping.
24 Throughout Pisidia. Note ch. xiii. II. 1i They came to Famphylia. Note, rli. xiii. 13. These places they haa visit- ed before.
2.'». In Pergn. Note, ch. xiii. 13. II They vent doum into Attalia. This was n city of Pnmphvlia. situated on the 8ca-Khore. It was built by A'talus Phila- lelptiufi, king of Pergamus who gave it
" from whence they had been re commended to * the grace of Go(* for tlie work which they fulfilled 27 And when they were corner and had gathered the church toge- ther they rehearsed " all that God had done with them, and how he
his own name. It is now called Aniali. (Rob. Cat)
26. And thence sailed to Antioch. Note, ch. xi. 19. tl From whence they had been recommended, &.C Where they had been appointed to this missionary tour by the church, ch. xiii. 1 — 4. IT 7o the grace oj God. Ills favour and protection had been implored for them in their perilous undertaking. IT For the work which they fulfilled. This shows conclusively, (1.") That they had accomplished fully the work which was originally coiite'm- plated. It was strictly a missionary tour among the Gentiles'. It was an im- portant and hazardous enterprise; ana was the first in which the church for mally engaged. Hence so much import ance is attached to it, and so faithful a record of it is preserved. (2.) It shows that the act by which they were set apart to this (Acts xiii. 1 — 3) was not an ordination to the ministerial office. It was an appointment to a missionary tour. (3.) It shows that the act was not an ap pointment to the apostleship. Paul was an apostle before by the express ap}X)intmenl of the Saviour; and Barnabas was never an apostle in the original and proper sense of the term. It was a designation to a tem- porary work, which was now fulfilled.
We may remark, also, in regard to this missionary tour (1.) That the work of missions is one which early engag- ed the attention of Christians. (2.) It entered into their plans, and was one in which the church was deeply interested. (3.) The work of missions is attended wilh danger. Men are now no less hostile to the gospel than they were in Lystra and Iconium. (4.) Missionari^'s should be sus- tained by the prayers of the church. And,. (.5.) In the conduct of Paul and Barnabas, missionaries have an example in founding churches, and in regard to their own fu- els and persecutions. If Paiil and Bama has were persecuted, mis.sionarics may bo now. And if the grace of (Christ was suf- ficient to sustain them, it is not the le.^ sufficient to sustain Ihose of our own times amidst all the dangers attending the preaching of the cross in pagan lands.
27. T/iey rehearsed, &c ch. xi-4 T^t
.\.D. 4tJ.]
CHAPTER XV
213
nad opened " the door of faith unto the Geiitiles.
28 And there they abode long time with the disciples.
X lCor.l6.9. 2Cor.2.12. Rev.t>.&
reteted what had happened ; their dan- gers an 1 their success. This they did because they had been sent out by the cnurch, and it was proper that they should ^'ive an account of their work ; and because it furnished a suitable occa- sion of gratitude to God for his mercy. H All (hat God had done, &c. In protect- ing, guarding them, &c. All was traced to God. IT Had opened the door of faith. Had furnished an opportunity of preach- nig the gospel to the Gentiles. 1 Cor. xvi. 9. 2 Cor. ii. 12.
28. And there they abode. At Antioch. T[ Long time. How long is not intimated ; but we hear no more of them until the council at Jerusalem, mentioned in- the next chapter. If the transactions record- ed m this chapter occurred, as is sup- posed, about A. D. 45 or 46, and the coun- cil at Jerusalem assembled A. D. 51 or 53, as IS supposed, then here is an interval of trom tive to eight years in which we have n.:i account of them. Where they were, or what was their employment in this interval, the sacred historian has not in- tormed us. It is certain, however, that Paul made several journeys of which we iiave no particulaafclrecord in the New Testament ; and it is possible that some of thc«e journeys occurred during this interval. Thus he preached the gospel as far as lUyricum. Rom. xv. 19. And in 2 Cor. xi. 23 — 27, there is an account of trials and persecutions, of many of which we have no distinct record, and which might have occurred during this interval. We may be certain that these holy men were not idle. And we may learn from their example to fill up our time with use- fulness ; to bear all persecutions and trials without a murmur; and to acknowledge the good hand of God in our preservation in our travels ; in our defence when we are persecuted ; in all the opportunities *vhich may be open before us to do good ; and in all the success which m.ay attend our efforts. Christians should remember that it is God who opens doors of useful- ness ; and they should regard it as a mat- ter of thanksgiving that such doors are opened, and that they are permitted to rpread the gospel, whatever toil it may cost, whatever persecution they may endure, whatever perils they may en- counter.
CHAPTER XV.
A ND ^ certain men which came
-^ down from Judea, taught the
brethren, and said., Except ■= ye be
6Gal.2.12. eJno.7 22.
CHAPTER XV
1. And certain men. These were men undoubtedly who had been Jews, bu who were now converted to Christianity. The fact that they were willing to refer the matter in dispute to the apostles and elders (ver. 2), shows that they had pro- fessedly enjbraced the Christian religion. The account which follows is a record of the first internal dissension which occur red in i\i$ Christian church. Hitherto they had been struggling against external foes. Violent persecutions had raged, and had fully occupied the attention of Chris- tians. But now the churches were al peace. They enjoyed great external pros- perity in Antioch. And the great ene- my of souls took occasion then, as he has often done in similar circumstances since, to excite contentions in tne church itself; so that when external vio- lence could not destroy it, an effort was made to secure the same object by inter- nal dissension and strife. The history, therefore, is particularly important, as it is the record of the first unhappy debatb which arose in the bosom of the church. It is further important, as it shows the manner in which such controversies were settled in apostolic times ; and as it estab- lished some very important principles re- specting the perpetuity of the religious rites of the Jews. IT Came down from Judea. To Antioch, and to the regions adjacent which had been visited by the apostles, ver. 23. Judea was a high and hilly region, and going from that toward the level countries adjacent to the -sea, was represented to be descending or going down. IT Taught the brethren. That is, Christians. They endeavoured to con- vince them of the necessity of keeping the laws of Mcses. T ExcejA ye be circum- cised. This was the leading or principal rite of the Jewish religion. It was indis- pensable to the name and privileges of a Jew Proselytes to their religion wore Circumcised as well as native-born Jews, and they held it to be indispensable to salvation.— It is evident from this, iJTiat Paul and Barnabas had dispensed with this rite in regard to the Gentile converts, and that they intended to found the Chris- tian church on the principle that tlie Jewish ceremonies were trt cease. When however, it was necp.s.sary to conciliate
lU
THE ACTS
[A. D. 5i4
circumcised after " the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 Wlier therefore Paul and Bar- nabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they deter-
a I/ev.12.3.
the minds of the Jews and to prevent con- tention, Paul did not hesitate to practise fircumcision. ch. xvi. 3. ^ After the mari- •a«r of Moses. According to the custom which Moses commanded ; according to the Mosaic ritual. IF Ye cannot be saved. The Jews regarded this as indispensable to salvation. The grounds on which they would press it on the attention of Gentile converts would be very pimisible, and such as would produce much embarrass- ment. For, (1.) It would be maintained that the laws of Moses were the laws of God, and were therefore unchangeable ; and, (2.) It would doubtless be maintained that the religion of the Messiah was only a completing and perfecting of the Jew- ish religion ; — that it was designed sim- ply to carry out its principles according to the promises, and not to subvert and de- 8trov any thing that had been established by divine authority. — It is usually not dif- ficult to perplex and embarrass young converts with questions of modes, and rites, and fbr^ns of religion ; and it is not uncommon that a revival is followed by some contention just like this. Opposing sects urge the claims of their peculiar rites, and' seek to make proselytes, and in- troauce contention and strife into an otherwise peaceful and happy Christian community.
2. Had no small dissension and dispu- tation. The word rendered dissension (o-rio-s-) denotes sometimes sedition or in- testine war, and sometimes earnest and violent disputation or controversy. Acts xxiii. 7. 10. In this f)lace it clearly de- notes that there was earnest and warm discussion; but it is not implied that there was any improper heat or temper on the part of^ Paul and Barnabas. Im- portant princijjles were to he settled in regard to Ihe organization of the church. tXictrines were advanced by the Judaiz- uig teachers which were false, and which tended to great strife and disorder in the c\ iirch. Those doctrines were urged Wi ih great zeal, were declared to be es- sential to salvation, and would therefore tend greatly to distract the minds of f'hristian.H, and lo produce great anxiety. It bof-ame llierefi>rc necessary to meet Ihem wilh a de'ermined pur|Kise, and to '>stanliRh tiio tnilh on :ui inunoveable
mined that * Paul and Barnabas, and certain Dther of them, should go up to Jerusalem, unto the apos- tles and elders, abov*t thja ques- tion.
basis. — And the case shows that it is right to*" contend earnestly for tiie faith" (Jude 3) ; and when similar cases occur it ia proper to resist the approach of error with all the arguments which may be at our command, and with all the weapons which truth can furnioh. It is further implied here, that it is the duty of the ministers of the gospel to defend the truth and to oppose error. P&ul and Barnabas regarded themselves at. set for this pur- pose (comp. Phil. i. 17 "Knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel") ; and Christian ministers -should be (juali- fed to defend the truth • and should Do willing with a proper spirit and with great earnestness to maintain (he doctrines re- vealed. IT They determined. There was no prospect that the cointroversy would be settled by contention and argument It would see'ra, from this statement, that those who came down fnjm Judea were also willing that the whole matter shoulo be referred to the apostles at Jerusalem. The reason for this may have been, (1.) That Jerusalem would be regarded by them as the source of authority in the Christian church, aMit had been among the Jews. (2.) Mos^f tho apostles and the most experienced Christians were there. They had listened to the instruc- tions of Christ himself; had been long in the church ; and were supposed to be better acquainted with its design and its laws. (3.) Those who came from Judea would not be likely to acknowledge the authority of Paul as an apostle : the au- thority of those at Jerusalem they would recognise. (4.) They might have had a very confident expectation that the de- cision there would be in their favour. The question had not been agitated there. They had all been Jews. And it is cer- tain that they continued as yet to attend in the temple service, and to conform t» the Jewish customs. They might h*ive expected therefore, with great confidence, that the decision would be in their fiivour, and they were willing to refer it to those at Jerusalem. H Certain other of thrm Of the brethren ; probably of each party They Jid not go to drhale ; or to givf their ojiinion ; or to vo*e in tho case then, selves; l)nt lo lay the question fnirly bo fore the aiiosllcs and elders. If Ihitr tk$
A.. D. 52.J
CHAPTER XV.
215
3 And being " brought on their /ray by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, de- claring the conversion* of the Gen- tiles : 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
a Rom. 15 24. lCor.16.6,1 1.3 Jno.6. b c.14.27.
3 Luke 15.7,10.
apostles. The authority of the apostles in such a case would be acknowledged by all. They had been immediately instructed by the Saviour, and had the promise of infal- lible guidance f?l the organization of the church. Notes, JNIatt. xvi. 19; xviii. 18. T Aiid elders. Note, ch. xi. 30. Gr. Presby- ters. See Note, ch. xiv. 23. Who these were, or what was their office and authori- ty, it is not easy now to determine. It may <»fer to the 2!^ed men in the church at Jerusalem, or to those who were ap- pointed to rule and to preach in connexion with the apostles. As in the synagogue it was customary to determine questions by the advice of a bench of elders, there s no improbabihty in the supposition that the apostles would imitate that cus- tom, and appoint a similar arrangement in the Christian church. (Grodus.) It is generally agreed that this is the journey »o which Paul refers in Gal. ii. 1 — 10. If 60, it happened Iburteen years after his conversion. Gal. ii. 1. It was done in ac- cordance with the divine command, " by revelation." Gal. ii. 2. And among those ivho went with him was Titus, who was afterwards so much distinguished as his companion. Gal. ii. 3. IT Abottt this ques- tion The question whether the ceremo- nial laws of Moses were binding on Chris- tian converts. In regard to the nature and design of this council at Jerusalem, see Note on yer. 30, 31.
3. And being brought on their way by the church. Being attended and conduct- ed by the Christian brethren. See Note, Rom. XV 24. It was customary for the Christians to attend the apostles in their travels. Comp. 1 Cor. xvi. 6.11. 3 John 6. % Through Phenice. Note, ch. xi. 19. ^And Samaria. These places were directly on their route to Jerusalem. IT Declaring the conversion, &c. Of the Gentiles in Anti- och, and in the regions in Asia Minor through which they had travelled. These remarkable events they would naturally communicate with joy to the Christians .vrtli whom thev would have intercourse
elders; and tl ey "* ceclared aL things that G( d had done witk them.
5 But • there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which be- lieved, saying, ' That it was need- ful to circumcise them, and to com- mand them to keep the law of Mo- ses.
dc.21.19. e ver.l.
or, rose up, said thev, urtatn
in their journey. IT Caused great joy. A the news of the extensive spread of the gospel. It was an indication of their deep feeling in the interests of religion, that they thus rejoiced. Where Christians are themselves awake, and engaged in the service of Christ, they rejoice at the news of the conversion of sinners. Where they are cold, they hear such news wuth indif- ference, or with the utmost unconcern.. One way of testing our feelings on the subject ol religion is, by the emotions which we have when we hear of exten- sive and glorious revivals of religion. Comp. Note, Acts viii. 8.
4. They were received of the church. By the church, in a hospitable and friendly manner. They were acknowledged as Christian brethreii^ and received with Christian kindness. See Gal. ii. 9. IT And they declared. Paul and Barnabas, and those with them. That is, they stated the case ; the remarkable conversion of the Gentiles, the evidence of their piety, an<l the orig-n of the present dispute.
5. But there rose up, &c. It has beec doubted whether these are the words of Paul and Barnabas, relating what occur red at Antioch ; or whether they are the words of Luke, recording what took place at Jerusalem. The correct exposition ia probably that which refers it to the latter For, (1.) This seems to be the most obvi ous interpretation. (2.) The use of the words "rose up" implies that. Those who disturbed the church at Antioch are said to have come down from Judea (ver 1) ; and if this place referred to that oc- currence, the same words would have been retained. (3.) The parncular spe- cification here of " the sect of the Phari- sees," looks as if this was an occurrence taking place at Jerusalem. No such S3e- eification exists respecting those wno came down to Antioch; but it would Beem here, as if this party in Jerusalera resolvea still to abide by th'^ law, and tc impose those rites jn the Christian coD' verts However, this interpretation \s
j21o
THE ACTS.
[A.D. 5-2
(j And ihe .ipostles and elders came togetker, ' for to consider of this matter.
7 And \v}iea there had been much disputing-, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know ^ how that a good wliile ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
oMalt.lS.20. i Matt. 16.18.19. c.10.20.
by no means certain. IT ^\hich believed. Who maintained, or taught, IT That it was needful, &c. Note, ver. 1.
6. And the apostles and elders, &c. They came together in accordance with the au- thority in Matt xviii. 19, 20. It would seem, also, that the whole church was convened on this occasion; and that they concurred, at least, in the judgment ex- pressed in this case. See ver. 12. 22, 23. ^For to consider this matter. Not to decide it arbitrarily, or even by authority, with- out deliberation ; but to compare their views, and to express the result of the whole to the church at Antioch. It was a grave and difficult question, deeply af- fecting the entire constitution of the Chris- tian church, and theljptherefore solemnly engaged in deliberation on the subject
7. Much disputing. Or rather, much inquiry, or deliheration. With our word disputing we commonly connect the idea of heat and anger. This is not necessa- rily implied in the word used here. It might have been calm, solemn, dehberate inquiry, and there is no evidence that it was conducted with undue warmth or anger. IT Peter rose up and said. Peter was probably the most aged, and was most accustomed to speak, ch. ii. 14, &c. i'.. G. 12. Besides, there was a particular reason for his speaking here, as he had oeen engaged in similar scenes, and un- derstood the case, and had had evidence that (iod had converted sinners vnlhoui the Mosaic rites, and knew that it would have been inexpedient to have imposed Uiese rites on those who had thus been converted. IT A good while ago. See ch. X. Some time since. So long since that there had been opportunity to ascertain whether it was necessary to observe the laws of Moses in order to the edification of the church. U Gcxl made choice, &c. That is, of all the r.jx)st)es, he designated me to engage in this work. Comp. Note, Matt. XVI. \H, with Acl.s x IT That the (jenliles. Cornelius, aiul tho.se who were
8 And God, which ''knowcth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as ht did unto us ;
C And put no difference between us and them, purifying ** their heartfi by faith.
10 ISow therefore why tempt yt God, to put a yoke ' upon the neet of the disciples, which neither oui fathers nor we were able to bear !
cc.1.24. dHeb.9.13,14. lPet.1.22. eGal.5.1.
assembled wdth him at Caesarea. Thi*> was the first case that had occurred, and therefore it was important to appeal to ii
8. And God, which Jmoweth th", hearts ch. i. 24. God thus knew whether they were true converts or not, and gave a de ifionstration that he acknowledged theiri as his. IT Giving them the Holy Ghost, &c ch. X. 45, 46.
9. A?id put no difference, Arc. ^ougb they had not been circumcised, and though they did not conform to the lavv' of Moses. Thus God showed that the observance of these rites was not neces- sary in order to the true conversion ol men, and to acceptance with hirn. H«s did not give us, who are Jews, any ad vantage over them, but justified f.nd puri fied all in the same manner. H I'urifyin^ their hearts. Thus giving the best evi dence that he had renewed them, and admitted them to favour with h.m. IT By faith. By believhig on the Lord Jesus Christ This showed that the plan on which God was now about to show fa vour to men, was not by external rites and ceremonies, but by a scheaie which required faith as the only condition of ac ceptance. It is further implied here, tha'. there is no true faith which dees not pu rily the heart.
10. Why tempt ye God ? Why provoke him to displeasure ? Why, since he hah shown his determination to accept them without such rites, do you provoke him bj attempting to impose on his own people rites without his authority, and againsi his manifest will ? The argument is, thai God had already accepted them. To at tempt to impose these rites would be Id provoke him to anger; to Introduce ob servances which he had show n it was hif purpose should now be abolished. If Tt put a yoke. That which' would ho bur dcnsonie and oppressive, or which woulo infringe on their just freedom, ns the chi'- drcn of God. It is called in Gal. v. 1 •* 6 yoke of bondace." Note. Malt, xxiii. 4
K, 1>. 52.]
CHAPTER X\
211
11 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 audience to Bar- nabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought ' among the Gentiles by them.
a Rom.2.3i. Epa.2.8. Tit.3.4,5. i 0.14.37.
A yoke is an emblem of slavery or bond- dge (1 Tim. vi. 1) ; or of affliction (Lam. iii. 27); or of punishment (Lam. i. 14); or of oppressive and burdensome ceremo- nies, as in this place ; or of the restraints of Christianity. Matt. xi. 29, 30. In this place they are called a yoke because, ;l.) They were burdensome and oppres- sive ; and, (2.) Because they would be an infringement of Christian freedom. One design of the gospel was to set men free from such rites and ceremonies. The yoke here referred to is not the moral law, and the just restraints of religion ; but the ce- remWiial laws and customs of the Jews. IT Which neither our fathers, &c. Which have been found burdensome at all times. They were expensive, and painful, and oppressive ; and a.s they had been found to be so, it was not proper to impose them on the Gentile converts, but should rather rejoice at any evidence that the people of God might be delivered from them. ^ Were able to bear. Which are found to be oppressive and burdensome. They were attended with great inconvenience, and many transgressions, as the conse- quence.
11. But we believe. We apostles, who have been with them, and have seen the evidences of their acceptance with God. IT Through the grace, &c. By the grace or mercy of Christ alone, without any of the rites and ceremonies of the Jews. T We shall be saved, even as they. In the same manner, by the mere grace of Christ. So far from being necessary to their sal- vation, they are really of no use in ours. We are to be saved not by these ceremo- nies, but by the mere mercy of God in the Redeemer They should not, there- fore, be imposed on others.
12. Tkeyi all the multitude. Evidently the multitude of private Christians who were assembled on this occasion. That it does not refer to a synod of ministers and elders merely, is apparent, (1.) Be- cause the church, the brethren, are repre- sented as having been present, and con- «urring in the final opinion (ver. 22, 23^ ;
T
13 And after they had held theii peace,James answered, saying, JNlen a7id brethren, hearken unto me ;
14 Simeon hath declared = how God at the first did visit the Gen- tiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets ; as it is written,**
cLu.2.31,32. d At^9.: l,ii.
and, (2.) Because the word multitude (tJ ^;-.,jrc,-) would not have been used in de scribing the collection of apostles and elders merely. Comp. Luke i. 10, 11. 13, T. 6; vi. 17; xix. 37. John v. 3; xxi. 6. Acts iv. 32 ; vi. 2. Matt. iii. 7. IF Gav^ audience. Heard, listened attentively to. II Barnabas and Paul. They were deeply interested in it ; and they were qualified to give a fair statement of the facts as they had occurred. IT Declaring what miracles and wonders, &c. The argu- ment here evidently is, that God had ap- proved their work by miracles ; that he gave evidence that what they did had his approbation ; and that as all this was done without imposing on them the rites of the Jews, so it would fdlow that those were not now to be commanded.
13. James answered. James the Less, son of Alpheus. See Note, ch. xii. 1. IT Hearken unto me. This whole transac- tion shows that Peter had no such autho- rity in the church as the Papists pretend, for otherwise his opinion would have been followed without debate. James had an authority not less than that of Pe- ter. It is possible that he might have been next in age (comp. 1 Cor. xv. 7), and it seems morally certain that he re- mained for a considerable part of his life in Jerusalem. Acts xii. 17 ; xxi. 18. Gal i. 19; ii.9. 12.
14. Simeon. This a Hebrew name The Greek mode of writing it commonly was Simon. It was one of the names of Peter. Matt. iv. IS. IT To fake out of them a people. To choose from among the Gen- tiles those who should be his friends.
15. The words of the prophets. Amo» ix. 11. i2. It was a very material point with them, as Jews, to inquire whether this was in accordance with the predic- tions of the Scriptures. The most power- ful revivals of religion, and the most striking demonstrations of the divine pre- sence, will be in accordance with the Bible ; and should be tested by them. Thi? habit was always manifested by the apostles ar.d early Christians, and should
21H
IHE ACTS.
[A D. 52
16 After this I will ruturn, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down ; and 1 will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up :
be followed by Christians at all times. Unless a supposed work of grace accords «vith the Bible, and can be defended by •t, it must be false, and should be opposed. Ccmp. Isa. viii. 20.
16. After this. This quotation is not made literally cither from the Hebrew, or the Septuagint, which diflers also from the Hebrew. The 17ih verse is quoted literally ii-om the Septuagint; but in the 16lh the general sense only of the passage is retained. The rnairi point of the quo- tation, as made by James, was, to show that according to the prophets it was con- templated that the Gentiles should be in- troduceij to the privileges of the children of God ; and on diis point the passage has a direct beanng. The prophet Amos (ix. y— 10) had described the calami'ies that shoidd come u[K)n the nation of the Jews, by their being scattered and driven away. This implied that the city of Jerusalem, and the temple, and the walls of the city should be destroyed. But after that (Heb. •' on that day," ver. 11, that is, the day when he should revisit them, and recover themj, he would restore them to their fc;rmer privileges ; would rebuild their temple, their city, and their walls, ver. 11. And not only so, not only should the blessing descend on the Jews, but it tihould also be extended to others. The " remnant of Edom," "the heathen upon whom" his "name would be called" (.'\mos ix. 12), should also partake of the mercy of God, and be subject to the Jew- i.sh people ; and a time of general pros- perity and of permanent blessings should follow. Amos ix. 13 — 15. James under- stands this as referring to the times of the Messiah, and to the introduction of the gospel to the Gentiles. And so the pas- fcage (Amos ix. 12) is rendered in the Sep- tuagint. See ver. 17. IT / will return. When the people of God are subjected to • calamities and trials, it is often represented a.s if Go<l hr.d denarted from them. This retnrninfr, theremre, is an image of their restoration to his favour, and to prosperity. This is not, however, in the Hebrew, in AmoH ix. 11. 11 / v}ill build again. In the ralamitios that should come upon the nation (Amos ix. 8). it is implied that the temple and the city should be deatroyed. To bind them again would !)e a proof of k'iB ret'ir ling favour. If 77ie tabernacle of
17 'J'hat the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doetb all these things.
David. The <en< of David. Here it meana the house, or royal residence of David, and the kings of Israel. That i*, he would restore them to thr.ir former gloiy and splendour, as his people. The reference here is not to the temple, which was the work of Solomon ; but to the magnificence and splendour of the dwelling place of David ; that is, to the full enjoyment of their former high privileges and blessings. IT Which is falUn down. Which would be destroyed by the capiivity under the king of Babylon, and by (he long neglect and decay resulting from their being car- ried to a distant land. IT The ruins there- of. Heb. " close up the breaches thereof" That is, it should be redtored to its formei prosperity and magnificence ; an emblem of the favour of (iod, and of the spiritual blessings that should in future times de- scend on the Jewish people. *■
17. That the residue of men. This verse is quoted literally from the Septuagint and differs in some respects from the He- brew. The phrase "the residue of men" here, is evidently understood, both by the LXX. and by James, as referring to others than Jews, to the Gentiles. The rest of the world — implying that many of them would be admitted t« the friendship and favour of God. The Hebrew is, " that they may possess the remnant of Edom." This change is made in the Septuagint by a slight difference in the reading of two Hebrew words. The LXX., instead of the Hebrew iz'n^i, shall inherit, read •]tt'm>, shall seek of thee ; and instead ol CDnX, Edom, they read dik. Man, or mankind, i. e. men. Why this variation occurred, cannot be explained ; but the sense is not materially different. In the H3brew, the word Edom has undoubted reference to another nation than the Jewish ; and the expression means, thai in the great prosperity of the Jews, after their return, they sliould extend the in- fluence of iheir religion to other nations; that is, as James applies it, the Genlilet might be bro-ipht to tlic jtrivileges of the children of God. 1' And also the Gentiles Heb. All the heathen; i. e. all whc were not Jews. This was a clear predic- tion that othor nations were to bo. favoured wall the light of the true roligion, Ud3 that without any mention of their OOD
A D. 52.]
CHAPTER XV.
'219
18 Known" unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world.
19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which
a Num.23.19. l3a.4S.10.
forming to thej-ites of the Jewish people. Ti Upon whom my name is called. VVho are called by my name, or who are re- garded by me as my people. ^ Who doeth ail these ihingx. That is, who will cer- tainly accomplish this in its time.
18. Known unto God,, &c. Note, eh. i. 24. The meaning of this verse, in this connexion, is this. God sees every thing future ; he knows what he will accom- plish ; he has a plan ; and all his works are so arranged in his mind, that he sees all things distinctly and clearly. As he foretold these, it was a part of his plan ; lind as it was a part of his plan long since foretold, it should ncyt be opposed and re- sisted by U.S.
19. My se>itencr,. Gr. I judge (xfiVx.); Jhat is, I give my opinion. It is the usual language in which a judge delivers his opinion ; but it does not imply here that Jarries assumed authority to settle the case, but merely that he gave his opinion, or counsel. IT That we trouble not them. That we do not molest, disturb, or oppress them, by imposing on them unneces- sary and burdensome rites and ceremo- nies.
20. Thai we write unto them. Express- mg our judgment, or our views of the case. This verse has greatly perplexed commentators. The main grounds of difficulty have been, (1.) Why fornica- tion— an offence against the moral law, and about which there could be no dis- pute— should have been included , and. (2.) Whether the prohibition to abstain from blood is still binding. IF l^hat they abstain. That they refrain from these things, or whollv avoid them. IT Pollii- lions of idols. The word rendered poZZ«- Uons means any kind of defilement. ■ But nere it is evidently used to denote the fiesh of those animals that were ofTered in sacrifice to idols. See ver. 29. That Jlesh, after being offered in sacrifice, was often exposed for sale in the markets, or ivas se^l^ up at feasts. 1 Cor. x. 25— 29. It eHPme a very important question whether it was right for Christians to partake of it. The Jews would contend that it was, in fact, partaking of idolatry. The Gentile converts would albge that lh6\- 'iid not eat it a.« a sacrifice t" idols, or
from among the Gc.itiles are tarned to God :
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from jjollutions
|
of <= idols. |
and from fornication," |
|
fclThess.1.9. 2.14,20; 9.20. |
cEx.20.4,5. lCor.8.1,&c. 10.23. Rt?. dlCor.6.9,18. Col.3.5 lThesa.4.3. |
lend their countenance in any way to the idolatrous worship where it had been offered. See this subject discussed al length in 1 Cor. viii. 4—13. As idolatry was forbidden to the Jews in every form, and as partaking even of the sacrifices to idols, in their feasts, might seem to countenance idolatry, the Jews would be utterly opposed to it ; and for the sake ol peace, James advised that they be recom- m.ended to abstain from this. To partake of that food might not be morally wrong (1 Cor. \iii. 4), but it would give occasion for scandal and offence \ and, therefore, as a matter o( expediency, it w'as advised that they should abstain from it. 11 And from fornication. The word used here {^'.gviiu) is applicable to all illicit inter course ; and may refer to adultery, incest and licentiousness in any form. There has been much diversity of opinion in re gard to this expression. Interpreters hav€ been greatly perplexed to understand why this violation of the moral law ha» been introduced amidst the violations of the ceremonial law \ and the question is naturally asked, whether this was a sin about which there could be any debiito between the Jewish and Gentile coi> verts ? Were there any who would prac- tise it, or plead that it was lawful ? If not, why is it prohibited here ? Various interpretations have been proposed. Some have supposed that James refers here to the offerings which harlots would make of their gains to the service of religion, and that James would prohibit the recef>- tion of it. Beza, Selden, and Schleusner suppose the word is taken for idolatry, aa It is often represented in the Scriptures a8 consisting in unfaithfulness to God, and as it is often called adultery. Heringius supposes that marriage between idolaters and Christians is here intended. But, after all, the usual interpretation of the word, as referring to illicit intercourse of the sexes of any kind, is undoubtedly here to be retained. There is no reason for departing from the ordinary and ueual meaning of the word. If it be asked, then, why this was particularly forbidden, and was introduced in this connexion, we may reply, (1.) That tnis vice prevaded every where among the (Jpntiles. and
220
THE ACTS.
l^A. D. 52
'"■■ni from things strangled, aiid in every city them that preach him from * blood. being ^ read in the synagogues
31 For Moses of old time haih every sabbath-day :
Ac. 13,15^.
The eating of blood was strictly forbidden to the Jews. The reason of this was that it contained the life Lev. xvii. 11. 14. See Note on Rom. iii. 25. The use of blood was common among the Gentiies. They drank it often at their sacrifices, and in making covenants or compacts. To separate the Jews from them in this respect was one design of the prohibition. See Spencer, De Leg. Hebra;. pp. 144, 145 169. 235 rt77. 381. 594. Ed. 1732. See also this whole passage examined at length in Spencer, pp 588 — 626. The primary reason or the prohibition was, that It wa.« thus used in the feasts and compacts of idolaters. That blood was thiis drank bv the heathens, particularly by the Sabians, in their sacrifices, is fully prnv(-d by Spencer, De Leg. pp. 377 — 380 But the prohibition specifies a higher rea- son, that the life is in the blood, and that therefore it should not be eaten. On this opinion see Note, Rom. iii. 25. This rea- son existed before any ceremonial law ; IS founded in the nature of things ; has no particular reference to any custom of the Jews ; and therefore is as forcible in any other circumstances as in theirs. It was proper, therefore, to forbid it to the early Christian converts ; and for the same reason its use should be abstained from every where. It adds to the force of these remarks, when we remember that the same principle was settled be- fore the laws of^ Moses were given ; and that God regarded the fact that the life was in the blood as of so much im{X)rtance as to make the shedding of it worthy of death. Gen. ix. 4 — 6. It is supposed, therefore, that this law is still obligatory. Perhaps also there is no food more un- wholesome than blood ; and it is a further circumstance of some moment that all men naturally ievolt from it as an article of food.
21. For Moses. The meaning of thia verse is, that the law of Moses, prohibit- ing these things, was read in the syna- gogues constantly. As these commands were constantly read, and as the Jewish
a Lev.17.14. Deut.12. 16,03.
was that to which all were particularly exposed. (2.)That it was not deemed oy the Gentiles disgraceful. It WM practised without shame, and without remorse. Terance, Adelph. 1, 2. 21. See (irotius. It was important, tiierefore that ibe pure laws of C hritianity on this su bject should be known, ;ind that special pains should be taken to instruct the early converts roin paganism in those laws. The same dung IS necessary still in heathen lands. .3.) This crime was connected with re- ligion. It was the practice not only to ntroduce indecent pictures and emblems jito their worship, but also for females to devote themselves to the service of par- lieu lar temples, and to devote the avails of indiscnminate prosi tntion to the ser- vice of the god, or the g-Tddess. The vice was connected with no sniai part o*^ the pagan worship , and ihe images, the em- blems, and the cu«ioms of idolatry every where ten.'ed to sanction and promote it. A mass of e- .dence on this subject, which sickens the heart — but which would be too long and too indelicate «o introduce here — may be seen in Tholuck's Nature and Moral Influence of Heathenism, in the Biblical Rei)0.si.ury, for July, 1832, pp. 441 — 464. As this vice was almost universal ; as it was practised without shame or disgrace ; as there were no laws among the heathen to prevent it ; as it was connected with all their views of idol worship, and of religion; it was im- portant for the early Christians to frown upon and to oppose it, and to set a pecu- liar guard against it in all the churches. It was the sin to which, of all others, they were the most exposed, and which was most likely to bring scandal on the Chris- tian religion. It is for this cause that it •s so often and so pointedly forbidden in ths New Testament. Rom. i. 29. 1 Cor. vi. 13 18. Gal. v. 19..Eph. v. 3. 1 Thess. IV. 3 IT Avd from things strangled. That is, from animals or birds that were killed witjiout shedding their blood. The rea.sfm why these were considered by the leivs unlawful to be eaten was, that thus thoy would bo under a neceasitv of eat- rng blo(Ml, which was positively f»rbiddcn by the law. Ucnco it was commanded in the law, that when any beast or fowl was taken in a nnare, the blood should be poured out before it was lawful to be •&ten Lev. Kvii. 13. 'i An4 from Idnod.
converts would not sotui leajg^that their ceremonial law had ceastd f^&ii binding, it was deemed to be a matter of expe- diency that no needless offence shoulil be given to them. F'or the sake of peace, it was iK'ttor that they should abstain from meat offered to idols than to give offeno*
A D. 52. J
CHAPTEK XV.
32 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas ; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, ' and Silas, chief men among the brethren :
23 And wrote letters by them after this manner : The apostles and elders, and brethren, send greet- ing unto the brethren which are of
a c.1.23.
to the Jev/ish converts, t-^omp. 1 Cor. vui. 10—13. 'HOfotdtime. Greek, From an- cient generations. It is an estabhshed custom ; and therefore his laws are well known, and have, in their view, not only the authority of revelation, but the vene- rableness of antiquity. IT In every city. Where there were .Tews. This was the case in all the cities to which the discus- sion here had reference. ^ Them that preach him. That is, by reading the law of Moses But in addition to reading the law, it was customary also to offer an explanation of its meaning. See Notes on Luke iv. 16—22.
22. Then it pleased. It seemed fit and proper to them. IT The apostles a7id elders. To whom the business had been particu- larlv referred, ver. 2. Comp. ch. xvi. 4. IT With the whole church. All the Chris- tians who were there assembled together. They concurred in the sentiment, and ex- pressed their approbation in the letter that was sent. ver. 23, Whether they were consulted, does not particularly appear. But as it is not probable that they would volunteer an opinion unless they were consulted, it seems most reasonable to suppose that the apostles and elders sub- mitted the case to them for their approba- tion. It would seem that the apostles and elders deliberated on it, and decided it; but still, for the sake of peace and unity, they also took measures to ascertain that their decision agreed with the unanimou.= sentiment of the church. ^ Chosen men. Men chosen for this purpose. IT Of their oiim company. From among themselves. Greater weight and authority would thus be attached to the»r message. ^ Judas, surnamed Barsalas. Possibly the same who was nominated to the vacant place in the apostleship. ch. i. 23. But Grotius supposes that it was his brother. ^ And Silas. He was afterwards the travelling companion of Paul. ver. 40. ch. xvi. 25. 29; xvii. 4. 10. 15. He is also the same person, probably, who is mentioned bv the t3
221
Antioch, and Syria*,
the Gentiles in and Cilicia :
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, ihat certain * which went cut from us have troubled *= you with words, "* subverting your souls, saying. Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law : to whom * we gave no swA commandment:
25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send
iver.l, cGal.5.12. d Gal.5.4. e Gal. 2.4.
name of Silvanus. 2 Cor. i. 19. 1 Thess. i. 1. 2 Thess. i. 1, 1 Pet. v. 12. H Chief men among the brethren. Greek, Leaders. Comp, Luke xxii. 26. Men of influence, experi- ence, and authority in the church. Judas and Silas are said to have been prophets. ver. 32. They had, therefore, been en- gaged as preachers and rulers in the church at Jerusalem.
23. And ivrote letters. Greek, Having hritten. It does not mean that they wrot€ more than one epistle. IT By them. Greek, By their hand. IT After this manner Greek, These things. H Send greeting. A word of salutation, expressing their de- sire of the happiness (z^'f^") of the per- sons addressed. Comp. Matt. xxvi. 49; xxvii. 29. Luke i. 28. John xix. 3. IT In Antioch. Where the difficulty first arose. IT And Syria. Antioch was the capital of Syria, and it is probable that the dis pute was not confined to the capi II And Cilicia. Note, Acts vi. 9. Cili» was adjacent to Syria. Paul and Pan bas had travelled through it; and it is probable that the same difficulty would exist there which had . disturbed tho churches in Syria.
24. Foraxmuch. Since we have heard H That certain. That some. ver. 1. '^ Have troubled you with words. With doctrines They have disturbed your minds, and produced contentions, if Subverting yom souls. The word here used occurs no- whei-e else in the New Testament (»i'xj- xivi^ovTsg). It properly means to collect together the vessels used in a house — the household furniture — for the«purpos of removing it. It is applied to marauders, robbers, and enemies, who remove and bear off property ; thus producing distress, confusion, and disorder. It is thus used in the sense of disturbing, or destroying ; and here denotes that they unsettled their minds ; that they produced anxiety, di.s- turbance, and distress, by these docirines about Moses. IT To whom we gave no suet commandment. They went. therefojr«
ilB-
£22
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 52.
chosen men unlo you, N-sith our be- loved IJarnabas and Paul,
26 Men that have hazarded " their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, v/ho shall also tell you the same things by ' mouth.
2S For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burthen * than these necessary things ;
a c.13.50: 14.19. i. vcord. i Rev.2.24.
without authority. Self-constituted and self-sent teachers not unfrequently pro- duce disturbance and distress. Had the apostles been consulted on this subject, the difliculty would have been avoided. By thus saying that they had not given tliem a command to teach these things, they practically assured the Gentile con- verts that they did not approve of the course which those who w'ent from Judea had taken.
26. Men that have hazarded their lives, &c. See ch. xiv. This was a noble tes- timony to the character of Barnabas and Paul. It was a commendation of them to the confidence of the churches, and an' implied expression that they wished their authority to be regarded in the establish-
nt and organization of the church. ~'or the name. In the cause of the Jesus.
27. The same things. The same things that we wrote to you. They shall con- firm all by their own statements.
28. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost. This is a strong and undoubted claim to iris[)iration. It was with special reference to the organization of the church, that the Holy Spirit had been promised to them by the Lord Jesus. Matt, aanii. 18—20. John xiv. 2G. IT No greater burthen. -To impose no greater restraints; to enjoin no other observances. See Note, ver. 10. 1 Than these necessary things. Necessary, \1.) In order to preserve the peace of the fchurth. (2.) To conciliate the minds of ihc Jewi-sh converts, ver. 21. (3.) Neces- sary in their circumstances, particularly, because the crime which is specified — licentiousness — wasone to which all early converts were particularly exposed. Note, ver. 20.
29. From meats offered to idols. 7'his txplains what is meant liy " pollutions of tiola." ver. 20. M Ye shal do well. You
29 That ye abstam ' from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if yc keep ''yourselves, ye shall do well Fare ye well.
30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch ; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle :
31 H'hic/i, when they had read, they rejoiced for the '^ consolation.
c ver.20. d 2Cor.ll.9. Jam.1.27. lJco.S.21. Jude
20,21. '■» or, exhortation.
will do what ought to be done in regard to the subjects ol' dispute.
3]. They rejoiced/or the consolation. They acquiesced in the decision of tha apostles and eiders, and rejoiced that they were not to be subjected to the burden some rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion. This closes the account of the first Christian council. It was conducted throughout on Christian principle?, in a mild, kind, conciliatory spirit; and is a model for all similar assemblages. It came together, not to promote, but to silence disputation; not to persecute the people of God, but to promote their peace ; not to be a scene of harsh and angry re- crimination, but to be an example of all that was mild, and tender, and kind Those who composed it came together, not to carry a point, not to overreach their adversaries, nol to be party men. but to mingle their sober counsels, to uj- quire what was right, and to express, in e. Christian manner, that which was prope>' to be done. Great and important princi- f)les were to be established, in regard to the Christian chur-.-h; and they engaged in their work evidendy with a deep sense of their responsibility, and with a just view of their dependence on the aid of die Holy S|)irit. How haj)py would it have been il' this spirit had been posses* ed by all professedly Christian councils. How happy, if all had really sought the peace and harmony of the ctiurches ; and if none had ever been convened tc kindle the fires of persecuUon, to evince the spirit of party, or to rend and destroy the church of God !
This council has been u.sually appealen to as the authority (or councils in the church, as a permanent arrangement; and especially as an authority for courts of appeal and contri 1. But it e.^tablishea neither, and should 1)6 brought as an au
A D. 5-2.]
CHAPTER XV
223
32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed " them.
33 And after they had tarried
Thority for neither. For, (\.) It was not a court of appeal in any intelligible sense. It was an assembly convened for a spe- cijil purpose ; designed to settle an in- quiry which arose in a particular part of ttie church, and which required the col- lected wisdom of the apostles and elders to settle. (2.) It had none of the marks or appendages oio. court. The term court, or judicature, is nowhere applied to it; nor to any assembly of Christian men, in the New Testament. Nor should these terms be used now in the churchf^. Courts of judicature imply a degree of authority, which cannot be proved from tKe New Testament to have been con- ceded to any ecclesiastical body of men. (3.) There is not the slightest intimation that any thing like permanency was to be attached to this council ; or that it would be periodically or regularly repeated. It will prove, indeed, that when cases of difficulty occur; when Christians are per- plexed and embarrassed ; or when con- tentions arise, it will be proper to refer to Christian men for advice and direction. Such was the case here ; and such a course is obviously proper. If it should be maintained that it is well that Chris- tian ministers and laymen should assem- ble periodically, at stated intervals, on (he supposition that such cases may arise, this is conceded ; but the example of the apostles and elders should not be pleaded as makmg such assemblies of divine right and authority, or as being essential to the existence of a church of God. Such an arrangement has been deemed to be so desirable by Christians, that it has been adopted by Episcopalians in their reg\ilar annual and triennial conventions ; by Methodists in their conferences; by Pres- byterians in their general assembly; by Friends in their yearly meetings ; by Bap- tists and Congregationalists in their asso- ciations, &c. But the example of the council summoned on a special emergency at Jerusalem, should not be pleaded as giving divine authority to all, or to any of these periodical assemblages. They are wise and prudent arrangements, con- tributing to the peace of the church; and the example of the council at Jerusalem ^an be adduced as furnishing as much divine authority for one as for another ;
there a epace, ihey were let go ^ in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.
34 ^Notwithstanding, it pleased Silas to abide there still
b lCor.l6.11.2Jno.!0.
that is, it does not make all or either of them of divine authority, or as obligatory on the church of God. (4.) It should be- added, that a degree of authority (conp. ch. xvi. 4) would, of course, be attached to the decision of the apostles and elders at that time, which cannot be to any body of ministers and laymen now. Besides it should never be forgotten — what, alas, it seems to have been the pleasure and thw interest of ecclesiastics to forget — thai neither the a^-ostles nor elders asserted any jurisdiction over the churches of Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia; that they did not claim a right to have these cases referred to them ; that they did not attempt " to lord it" over their laith or their consciences. The case was a single, specific, definite question, referred to them; and they de- cided it as such. They asserted no ab- stract right of such jurisdiction ; they sought not to intermeddle with it; they enjoined no future reference to them, to their successors, or to any ecclesiastical tribunal. They evidently regarded the churches as blessed with the most ample freedom ; and evidently contemplated no arrangement of a permanent character, asserting a right to legislate on articles of faith, or to make laws for the direction of the Lord's freemen.
32. Being prophets. See Note, ch. xi. 27. This evidendy implies that they had been preachers before they went to An tioch. What was the precise nature of the office of a prophet in the Christian church, it is not easy to ascertain. Possi- bly it may imply that they were teachers of unusual or remarkable ability. H Con- firmed them,. Strengthened them ; that is. by their instructions and exhortations Note, ch. xiv. 22.
33. A space. For some time. IT They were let go in peace. An expression im plying that they departed with the affec- tionate regard of the Christians to whom they had ministered, and with their high- est wishes f^r their prosperity. 1 Cor. xvi. 11. 2 John 10. Silas, however, it seems chose to remain. IT Unto the apostles. At Jerusalem. Many MSS. however, in stead of " unto the apostles," read, " unto those who had sent them." Ttie sense is not materially different.
34 Notwithstandins &c. This whcl«=»
£24
35 Paul also and Barnabas con- tinued in Anti.och, 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 Ihey do.
37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John * whose sur- name was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to
ic. 12.12,25. Col.4.10.
THE ACTS. jA. D 52,
take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
3D And the contention was so sharp between them, that they de- parted asunder one from the other ; and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus :
40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended "* by the brethren unto the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming * the churches.
cc.13.13. dc. 14.26; 20.32. ec.l63
\erse is wanUng in many MSS. in the Syriao, Arabic, and Coptic versions; and is regarded as spurious by Mill, Gries- bach, and by other critics. It was proba- bly introduced by some early transcriber, who judged it necessary to complete the narr-ative. The Latin Vulgate reads, " It seemed good to Silas to remain, but Ju- das went alone to Jerusalem."
35. Paul also, and Barnabas continued m Anfioch. How long a time is unknown. It is probable that at this time the unhap- py incident occurred between Paul and Peter, which is recorded in Gal. ii. 11 — 14.
36. Let us go again and visit our bre- thren. That is, in the churches which they had established in Asia Minor, ch. xiii. xiv. This was a natural wish ; and was an enterprise that might be attended with important advantages to those feeble churches.
37. But Barnabas determined. Greek, Willed, or was disposed to (J^ouXsOtrctro). ^ John, &c. Note, ch. xii. 12. He had been with them before as a travelling com- panion, ch. xii. 25; xiii. 5. He was the son of a sister of Barnabas (Col. iv. 10), and it is probable that Barnabas' affection for his nephew was the main reason for iu- 'iucing him to wish to take him with him
n the journey.
38. But raid thought not good. Did not think it proper. Because he could not confide in his perseverance with them in the toils and perils of their journey. ^ Who departed from them, &.C. ch. xiii. 13. Why he did this is not known. It was evidently, however, for some cause which Paul did not consider satisfactory, and which in his view disqualified him from being their atfcr.'Jp.nt again. H To the v)orh. Of prenchinif the gospeJ.
39. And the contention was so sharp. The word used here (jrotfojuo-zitij) is that
from which our word paroxysm is derived It may denote any excitement of mind, and is used in a good sense in Heb. x. 24. It here means evidently a violent alterca- tion that resulted in their separation for a time, and in their engaging in different spheres of labour. 1 Aiid sailed unto Cyprus. This was the native place ot Barnabas. Note, ch. iv. 36.
40. Being recommended. Being com- mended 1 ' prayertoGod. Note.ch. xiv.26
41. ^'' r/a and Cilicia. These were countries lying near to each other, which Paul, in company with Barnabas, had before visited. H Co7iJirming the churches. Strengthening them by instruc- tion and exhortation. It has lio reference to the rite of confirmation. See Note, Acts xiv. 22.
In regard to this unhappy contention between Paul and Barnabaj, and the- separation from each other, we may makt the following remarks. (1 ) That no apo- logy or vindication of i: is offered by the sacred writer. It was undoubtedly im- proper and evil. It was a melancholy instance in which even apostles evincetl an improper spirit, and engaged in im- proper strife. (2.) In this contention it is probable that Paul was, in the main, right. Barnabas seems to have been in- fluenced by attach^rent to a relative ; Paul sought a helper who would not shrink from duty and danger. It is clear that Paul had the sympathies and prayer* of the church in his favour (ver. 40^. and it is more tlian probable that Barna- bas departed without any such sympathy, ver. 39. (3.) There is reason to think that this contention wascverruled for the furtherance of the gospel. They went to difforont |)laces, and preached to different
t)Coi)le. It often happon.s that the im lappy and wicked strifes of Chnstiaa
A D 53.
CHAPTER XVI.
!^3a
CHAPTER XVI. npHEN came he to Derbe " and ^ Lystra : and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timo- theus, ^ the son of a '^ certain wo- man, which was a Jewess, and be- lieved ; but his father was a Greek : 2 Which was well ** reported of
a c. 14.6. «;iE.1.5.
2;c.l9,22. Rom. 16.21. lCor.4.n. d c.6.3. lTim.5.10. Heb.U.2.
are the means of exciting their zeal, and of extending the gospel, and of establish- ing churches. But no thatiks to their contention ; nor is the guilt of their anger and strife mitigated by this. (4.) Ihis difference was afterwards reconciled, and Paul and Barnabas again became travel- ling companions. 1 Cor. ix. 6. Gal. li. 9. (5.) There is evidence that Paul also be- came reconciled to John Mark. Col. iv. 10. Philem. 24. 2 Tim. iv. 11. How long ikis separation continued is not known ; '■ut perhaps in this journey with Barnabas, John gave such evidence of his 'lourage and zeal as induced Paul again to admit nim to his confidence as a tiavelling com- oanion, and as to become a profitable fel- low-labourer. See 2 Tim. iv. 11, "Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is profitable to me for the ministry." (6.) This account proves that there was no colbision or agreement among the apostles to impose upon mankind. Had there iieen such an agreement, and had the books of the New Testament been an im- posture, the apostles would have been re- presented as perfectly harmonious, and as united in all their views and efforts. What impostor would have thought of the device of representing the early friends of the Christian religion as divided., and contending, and separating from each other ? Such a staffiment "has an air of candour ar)d honesty, and at the same time is apparently so much against the truth of the system, that no impostor vould have thought of resorting to it. CHAPTER XVI. 1. TTien came he. That is, Paul, in conpany with Silas- Luke does not give us the history of Barnabas, but con- fines his narrative to the journey of Paul. *i To Derbe and Lystra. Note, ch. xiv. 6 f A7tl behold a certain disciple named Ti- m.olheus. it was to this disciple that Paul afterv'vards addressed the two epistles which bear his name. It is evident that he was a native of one of these places, but whether of Derbe or Lystra it is im- po-ssible to determine. ^ The .«nn of a
by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to g-o forth with him ; and took and cir- cumcised him, * because of the Jews f which were in those quar- ters ; for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
e Gal.2.3-8; 5.1-3. / lCor.9.20.
certain woman, &c. Her name was Euni-oe. 2 Tim. i. 5. IT And believed. And was a Christian. It is evident also that her mother was a woman of distinguished Christian piety. 2 Tim. i. 5. It was not lawful for a Jew to marry a woman of another nation, or to give his daughter in marriage to a Gentile. Ezra ix. 12. But it is probable that this law was not re- garded very strictly by the Jews who lived in the midst of heathen nations. If is evident that Timothy, at this time, was very young ; for when Paul besought him to abide at Ephesus, to take charge of the church there (1 Tim. i. 3) he ad- dressed him then as a young man. 1 Tim. iv. 12, " Let no man despise thy youth." IT But his father was a Greek. Evidently a man who had not been circumcised, fox had he been, Timothy would have been also.
2. Which. That is, Timothy. The con- nexion requires us to understand this of him. Of the character of his father no- thing is known. If Was well reported of Was esteemed highly as a young man of piety and promise. Note. ch. vi. 3. Comp. 1 Tim. V. 10. Timothy had been reli- giously educated. He was carefully trained in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and was therefore the better qualified for his work. 2 Tim. iii. 15.
3. Him would Paul have, &c. This was an instance of Paul's selecUng young men of piety for the holy ministry. It shows (1.) That he was disposed to look up and call forth the talent that might be in the church, that might be usefully employed. It is quite evident that Timothy would not have thought of this, had it not been suggested by Paul. The same thing. Edu- cation societies are attempting now to ac- complish. (2.) That Paul sought proper qualifications, and valued them. Those were, (a) That he had a good reputation for piety, &c. ver. 2. This he demanded as an indispensable qualification for a minister of the gospel. 1 Tim. iii. 7 " Moreover he (a bishop) must nave 8 eood report of them which are r/ithnut'
W6
THE ACTS.
[A. L bd.
4 And as they W3iit through the nties, they deliver'id them the de- ;rces for to keep, that were ordain- ed " of the apostles and elders •vhich were at Jerusalem.
5 And so were the churches ^ es- ■^blished in the faith, and increased 'n number daily.
Jomp. Acts xxii. 12. (6) Paul esteemed him 10 be a young man of talents and prudence. His admitting him to a part- nership in his labours, and his intrusting to him the afTairs of the church at Ephe- sus, prove this, (c) He had been care- fully trained in tlie Holy Scriptures. A foundation was thus laid for usefulness. And this qualification seems to have been deemed by Paul of indispensable value fit the right discharge of his duties in 'his holy office. H A7id he took and cir- cumcised him. This was evidently done to avoid the opposition and reproaches of the Jews. It was a measure not binding in Itself (comp. ch. xv. 1. 28, 29) ; but the neglect of which would expose to conten- tion and opposition among the Jews, and greatly retard or destroy his useful- ness. It was an act of expediency for tiie sake of peace, and was in accordance with Paul's uniform and avowed princi- ple of conduct. 1 Cor. ix. 20, " And unto ihe Jews I became as a Jew, that I might *ain the Jews." Comp. Acts xxi. 23 — 26.
4. And as (hey went through the cities. The cities of Syria, Cilicia, &c. IF They delivered them. Paul and Silas delivered k) the Christians in those cities. IT The decrees. Ti iiyf^xTx. The decrees in re- gard to the four things specified inch. xv. 20. 29. The word translated decrees oc- curs in Luke ii. 1, "A decree from Cffisar Augustus;" in Acts xvii. 7, "The de- crees of Caesar;" in Eph. ii. 15, and in Col. ii. 14. It properly means a law or edict ol a king, or legislature. In this instance it was the decision of the coun- cil in a case submitted to it ; and implied an obligation on the Christians to submit to that dec i.sion. The laws of the apoe- ibs would, and ought to be, in such cases, eslceined to be binding. It is probable (hat a correct and attested copy of the l«ltor (ch. XV. 23—29) would be sent to ihe various churclies of the Gentiles. 1[ I'o kf-e/). To obey, or to observe. «j 7yiat were ordainnl. Gr. That were adjudged, or determined.
6. EslaHirhcd in the faith. Confirmed
6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of "= Galatia, and were forbidden of ** the Holy Ghost to preach tha word in * Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia they assayed to go into Bythinia; but the Spirit sutiered them not.
cGal.l.2. IPet.l.l. d Amos 8.11,12. Cor.l2.1f
c Rev. 1.4,11.
in the belief of the gospel. The efleet of the wise and conciliatory measure was to increase and strengthen the churches.
6. Throughout Phrygia. This was the largest province of Asia Minor. It had Byihinia noith ; Pisidia and Lycia south; Galatia and Cappadocia east; and Lydia and Mysia west. % And the region of Galatia. This province was directly east of Phrygia. The region was formerly conquered by the Gauls. They settled in it, and called it, after their own name Galatia. The Gauls invaded the country at different times, and no less than three tribes or bodies of Gauls had possession of it. Many Jews were also .settled there. It was from this cause that so many par- ties could be formed there, and that so much controversy would arise between the Jewish and Gentile converts. See the Epistle to the Galatians. H And wer^ forbidden. Probably by a direct revela- tion. The reason of this was, doubtless, that it was the intention of God to extend the gospel farther into the regions of Greece than would have been done if they had remained in Asia Minor. This prohibition was the means of the first in- troduction of the gospel into Europe. H In Asia. See Note, ch. ii. 9. This was doubtless the region of proconsular Asia. This region was also called Ionia. Ol this region Ephesus fyas the capital ; and here were situated also the cities of Smyrna, Thyatira, Philadelphia, &c., within which the seven churches men- tioned in Rev. i. ii. iii. were established. Cicero speaks of proconsular Asia as con- taining the provinces of Phrygia, Mysia, Caria, and Lydia. In all this region the gospel was afterwards preached v^itb great snccess. But now a more imp(jrtant and a wider field was opened before Paul and Barnabas, in the extensive' country of Macedonia.
7. Mi/sia. This was a province of Asia Minor, having Propontis on the norlh, Byiliinia on the cast, Lydia on the sontli, and the /Egean sea on the west. IT Thef assayed. They endeavoured ; they at
V.D, 5-2.]
CHAPTER XVI.
8 And they passing by Mysia, came down to " Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the nig-ht ; There stood a man ^ of Macedonia, and prayed him, say- ing, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately v/e endeavour- ed to go'" into Macedonia, assuredly g-athering that the Lord had called
a, 8Cor.2.12. 2Tim.4.13. i c.19.30. c 2Cor.2.13.
tempted. ^ Irdo Bytkinia. A province of Asia Minor, lying east of Mysia.
8. Came down to Troas. I'his was a city of Plirygia or Mysia, on the Helles- Bont, between Troy north, and Assos south. Sometimes the name Troas, or Troad, is used to denote the whole coun- try of the Trojans, the province where the ancient city of Troy had stood. This region was much celebrated in the early periods of Grecian history. It was here that the events recorded in the Iliad of Homer are supposed to have occurred. The city of Troy has long since been completely destroyed. Troas is several times mentioned in the New Testament 2 Cor. ii. 12. 2 Tim. iv. 13. Acts xx. 5.
9. And a vision. Notceh.ix. lO.ITTAere stood a man, &c. The appearance of a man, who was known to be of Macedonia,
frobably, by his dress and language. Vhether this was in a dream, or whether It was a representation made to the senses while awake, it is impossible to tell. The will of God was at different times nade known in both these ways. Comp. Matt. ii. 12. Note, Acts x. 3. Grotius «upposes that this was the guardian angel of Macedonia, and refers for illustration o Dan. X. 12, 13. 20, 21. But there seems to be no foundation for this opinion. % Of Macedonia. This was an extensive coun- try of Greece, having Thrace on the north, rhessaly south, Epirus west, and the /Egean sea east. It is supposed that it was peopled by Kittim, son of Javan. Gen. r. 4. The kingdom rose into celebrity chiefly under the reign of Philip and his eon Alexander the Great. It was the first region in Europe in which we have any record that the gospel was preached. f And help us. That is, by preaching Ihe gospel. This was a call to preach the gospel in an extensive heathen land, amidst many trials and danger^. To this cail, notwithstanding all this prospect of JangeiV they cheerfr.ily resporded, and
227
preach the gospel unto
us for to
them.
• 1 1 Therefore loosing from Troas,
we came with a straight course to
Samothracia, and the r^^xt day to
Neapolis ;
12 And from thence to Pbilippi,* which is the ' chief city of tl at pan of Macedonia, and a colony. And we were in that city abiding cer tain days.
dPhil.l.l. 1 or, t/i«yir»v.
gave themselves to the work. Their con duct was thus an example to the church. From all portions of the e'arth a similar call is now coming to the churches. Openings of a similar character, for the introduction of the gospel, are presented in all lands. Appeals are coming from every quarter; and all that seems now necessary for the speedy conversion of the world is, for the church to enter into these vast fields with the self denial, spi rit, and zeal which characterized the apos- tle Paul.
10. We endeavoured. This is the first instance in which Luke refers to himself as being in company with Paul. It is hence probable that he joined Paul and Silas about this time; and it is evident that he attended him in his travels, as re corded throughout the remainder of the Ads. *^ Assuredly gathering. Being cer tainly convinced.
11. Loosing from Troas. Setting sail from this place. IF To Samothracia. This was an island in the yEgean sea, not far from Thrace. It waf peopled by inhabit ants from Samos and from Thrace, and hence called Samothracia. It was about twenty miles in circumference ; and was an asylum for fugitives and criminals. ^And the next day to Neapolis. This was a maritime city of Macedonia, near the bor- ders of Thrace. It is now called Nnpnli.
12. And from thence to Philippi, The former name of this city was Dathos. It was repaired and adorned by Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, and afie» him was called Philippi, It was famous for having been the place where several battles were fought in the civil wars of the Romans, and among others, for the decisive battle between Brutus and An- tony. At this place Brutus killed himself To the cnurch in this place Paul after- wards wrote the epistle which bears iLs name. H Which is the chief city of that part of Maci'uoma. This vrholn regJTi
028
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 5a
13 And on the • sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer " was wont to be made : and ■^'c sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted tJiither.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thy atira, which worshipped God, heard m5.- whose heart ' the Lord
t tabbath-day « c.tl.5. b Luke 24.43.
had been conquered by the Romans un- der Paulus Emilius. By him it was di- vided into four parts or provinces. {Livy.) Vhe Syriac version renders it, " a city of \\\e first part of Macedonia ;" and there is a medal extant which also describes this region by this name. It has been pro- posed, therefore, to alter the Greek text in accordance with this, since it is known that Amphipoiis was made the chief city by Pauhis Emilius. But it may be re- marked, that although Amphipoiis was the chief city in the time of Paulus Emi- lius, it may have happened that in the lapse of two hundred and twenty years from that time, Philippi might have be- come the most extensive and splendid city. The Greek here may also mean simply that this was ihe first city to which ihey arrived in their travels. IT And a colony. This is a Latin word, and means that this 'A'as a Roman colony. The word denotes a city or province which was planted or occupied by Roman citizens. On one of the coins now extant, it is re- corded that Julius Caesar bestowed the advantages and dignity of a colony on P)iilil)pi, which Augustus afterv»'ards con- firmed and augmenied. See Rob. Cal. Art. Philippi. ^\ Certain days. Some days. 13. And on the Sabbath. There is no doubt that in this city there were Jews. In the time of the apostles they were scat- tered extensively throughout the known world, f J}y a river side. What river tliia was, is not known. It is known, how- ever, that the Jews were accustomed to provide water, or to build their syna- gogues and oratories near water, for the convenience of the numerous washings bcfiireand during t'.ieir religious services. 1 Where prayer. Where there was a j.rosLiuha:, or place of prayer; or where prayer was commonly onered. The Greek >vill bear either; but the sense is the Karae. Places for prayer were erected by the lews in the vicjnily of cities and lowriH, anfl particularly where there were not Jewish liinulics cncugh, or where iliev were forbidden by the nH)i)(iutrate to
opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought * us, saying. If 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
erect a synagogue. These proseiichce, or places n p'ayer, were simple enclosujpes made of stones in a grove, or under a tree, where there woul9 be a retired and eon venient place for worship. IT Was wont. Was accustomed to be offered ; or where it was established by custom. IT Ana spake unto the women, &c. This was pro- bably before the regular service of the place commenced.
14. A seller of purple. Purple was a most valuable colour, obtained usually from shell-fish. It was chiefly worn by princes and by the rich ; and the traffic in it might be very profitable. T 7'Ae city of Thyatira. This was a city of Lydia in Asia Minor, now called Ak-hsar. The art of dying was particularly cultivated, as appears from an inscription found there. (See Kuinoel.) IT Which worship- ped God. A religious woman, a prose- lyte. Note, ch. siii. IG. IT Whose heart the Lord opened. See Note, Luke xxiv. 45.
15. And when she w<is baptized. Appa- rently without any delay. Comp. Acts ii. 41 ; viii. 38. U was usual to be baptized immediately on believing. IF And her household. Greek, Her house (J o7xo5 iuT^i). Her family. No mention is made ofthei? having believed. And the case is one that affords a strong presumptive proof that this was an instance of household or infant baptism. For, (1.) Her believing is particularly mentioned. (2.) It is not in timated that they believed. On the con trary, it is slroiigly-implied that ihey did not. (3.) It is manifestly implied that the^ were baptized because she believed. It was the offering of her family to 'he Ijord It is just such an account as would now be given of a household or family that were baptized on the fauh of the parent. IT If ye have judgrd me to be faithful. If you deem me a Christian, or a believer. il And .-ihe ronslramtd vs. She urged ua This was an instance'of grent hospitality and nl.so an evidence of her desire for fur- ther in.struction in the dcclrinos of leli
gion.
10. As we went to jtrayir
:rvk.>
\. D. 53.]
went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed * with a spirit of ' divi- nation met us, rtrhich brought her masters much gain * by soothsay- ing :
17 The same followed Paul and as, and cried, saying. These men are the servants of the most high '^
CHAPTER XV!.
229
a )Saa> 28.7. ftja.l4 18-22.
or, Python.
A i were going to the proseuchcs, the place of prayer, ver. 13. Whether this was on the same day in which the conversion of Lydia occurred, or at another time, is not ■iientioned by the historian. IT A certain ■lamsel. A maid, a young woman. IT Pos- sessed vjilk a spirit of divijiation. Gr. Py- thon, See the margin. Python, or Pythios, was one of the names of Apollo, the Gre- cian god of the fine arts, of music, poetry, medicine, and eloquence. Of these he was esteemed .o have been the inventor. He was reputed to be the third son of Jupiter and Latona. He had a celebrated temple and oracle at Delphi, which was resorted to from all parts of the world, and which was perhaps the only oracle that was in universal repute. The name Python is said to have been given him because, as soon as he was born, he destroyed with ar'-ows a serpent of that name, that had been sent by Juno to persecute Latona ; hence his common name was the Pythian Apollo. He had temples on mount Par- nassus, at Delphi, Delos, Claros, Tenedos, &c. , and his worship was almost univer- sal. In the celebrated oracle at Delphi, the priestess of Apollo pretended to be inspired i became violently agitated during the periods of pretended inspiration , and during those periods gave such responses to inquirers as were regarded as the ora- cles of the god. Others would also make pretensions to such inspiration ; and the art of fortune-telling, or of jugglery, was extensively practised, and wa.s the source of much gain. See Note, ch viii. 8 — 10. What was the cause of this extensive de- lusion in regard to the oracle at Delphi, it is not necessary now to inquire. It is plain that Paul regarded this as a case of demoniacal po.ssession and treated it ac- cordingly. '^ Her mjstei s. Those in whose employ she was. IT By soothsaying. Pre- tending to foretell future events.
i7. The same followed Paul, &,c. Why she old this, or under what pretence, the sacred v»riter has not informed us. Vari- ous conjectures have been formed of the reason why ihis was done. It may have IT
God, which shew unto ds the way of "^ salvation.
18 And this she did many days. But Paul, bein^ 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.
d C.1S.26. Heb.10.20. 16.17.
e Mark 1.25,i4. / Mark
been. (1.) That as she prophesied for gain, she supposed that Paul and Silas would reward her if she publicly pro- claimed that they were the servants of God. Or, (2.) Because she was conscious that an evil spirit possessed her, and that she feared that Paul and Silas would expel that spirit; and that, by proclaiming them to be the servants of God, she hoped to conciliate their favour. Or, (3.) More probably, it was because she saw evident tokens of their being sent from God, and that their doctrine would prevail ; and by proclaiming this she hoped to acquire more authority, and a higher reputation v for being herself inspired. Comp. Mark v 7.
18. Bnl Paul, being grieved. Being molested, troubled, offended. Paul w^ grieved, probably, (1.) Because her pre- sence was troublesome to him; (2.) Be- cause It might be said that he v. as in alliance with her, and that his pretensiom were just like hers; (3.) Because what she did was for the sake of gain, and was a base imposition ; (4.) Because her state was one of bondage and delusion, and it was proper to free her from this demoni acal possession ; and, (5.) Because the sys- tem under which she was acting was a part of a vast scheme of delusion and im posture, which had spread over a large portion of the pagan world, and which was then holding it in bondage. Through- out the Roman em.pire, the inspiration of the priestesses of Apollo was believed in, and temples were every where reared to perpetTiate and celebrate the delusion Against this extensive system of impos- ture and fraud, Christianity must oppose Itself; and this was a favourable instance to expose the delusion, and to show the power of the Christian religion over all the arts and powers of imposture. The mere fact that in a very few instances — of which this was one — they spoke tho truth, did not make it improper for Paul to interpose. That fact would only tend to perpetuate the delusion, and to make his interposition more proper and neces
30
19 And when her masters saw inat the h .pe of their orains " w as gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew theta into ' the market- place, unto ^ the rulers,
20 And brouoht them to the ma-
tt Mark c. 19.24,27.
or, cxturt.
rKK ACTS. [A. D. 53
gistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble *= our city,
2\ And teach customs which are not lawiul for us to receive, neithei to ob.serve, being Romans.
c IKings 18.17. c.17.6.
gar}'. The expulsion of the evil spirit would also aflbrd a signal proof of the fact tliat ihe apostles were really from God. A far better proof than her noisy and troublesome proclamation of it would furnish. 1 In the name (if Jesus Christ. Or, by th« authority of Jesus Christ. See Note, ch. iii. 6.
19. The hope of their gains was gone. It was this that troubled and enraged them. And this is as likely to enrage men as any thing. Instead of regarding the act as proof of divine power, they were intent only on their profits. And their indigna- tion furnishes a remarkable illustration of ihe fixedness with which men wdl re- gard wealth ; of the fict that ihe love of it will blind them to all the truths of reli- gion, and all the proofs of the power and presence of God ; and of the fact that any interposition of divine power that destroys their hopes ef gain, fills them with wrath and hatred and murmuring. Many a man has been opitosed to God and his gospel, because, if religion should be extensively prevalent, the hopes of gain would be gone. Alany a slave-dealer, and many a trafficker in ardent spirits, and many a man engaged in other iirdawful modes of gain, have been unwilling to abandon their employments, simply because the hopes of their gain would be destroyed. ]\o small part of the opposition to the gos- pel arises fr<jm the fact, that if embraced, it would strike at so much of the dislion- ourable employments of men, and make them honest and conscientious. H The rnarket-place. The court or forum. The marketplace was a j)!ace of concourse ; and the courts were ofien held in or near those places. 11 The rulers. The term used here refers commonly to civil ma- t;i si rates.
20. A ufl hroughl them to the magistrates. To the military rulers {<rrexT^,yc:;'\. or prc- t'jrs. Phillippi wa.s a Roman colony ; and it is probable that ihe ofJicrrs of He army exercised the double function ( f civil and military rulers. % Do cxtecdivply trouhle our riti/. In what way they did it lluy Bpecifv in the next vcrne. The char^'o whii;h they wish."(i to substantiate was, Jial of l>oinp[ disl irbrr« of tb'^ public
peace. All at once they became con scientious. They forgot the subject of their gains, and were greatly distressed about ihe violation of the laws. There is nothing that will make men more hy jMJcritically conscientious, than to de nounce, and detect, and destroy their ui^ lawful and dishonest practices. Men who are thus exposed, become suddenly filled with reverence for the law or for religion; and they, who have heretofore cared no- thing for either, become greatly alarmed lest the public peace should be disturbed Men slumber quietly in sin, and pursue their w icked gain^ ; they hate or despise all law and all forms of religion ; but the moment their course of life is attacked and exposed, they become full of zeal for laws that they would not themselves hesi- tate to violate, and for the customs of re- ligion, which in their hearts they tho roughly despise. Worldly-minded men often thus complain that their towns, and cities, and villages are disturbeu by re- vivals of religion ; and the preaching of the truth and attacking vice often arouses this hypocritical conscientiousness, ana makes them alarmed for the laws, and f()r religion, and for order, which they at other times are the first to disturb and disregard.
21. And teach aistoms. The word cus- toms here {Ibr.) refers to religious riles or forms of worship. See IS'ote, ch. vi. 14. They meant to charge the aposlles with introducing a new mode of worship and a new religion, which was unauthorized by the Koman laws. This was a cunning and artful accu.'iation. it is perfecllv ev i- dent that they cared nothing either for the religion of the Romans or of the JewH. ]\or were they really concerned alM>ut any change of religion. Paul had de- Ktn)yed their hopes of gain; and as they could r<ot prevent that except by securing his punishment or exi>ulsion, and as they had no way of revenge excejit by en- deavouring lo excite indignalion against him and Silas for violaling ihe laws, they endeavoured to conviil ihriii of such violation. This is one, among many ru' Plances. where wicked and unprindiiUd men will endeavour Jo make reliKion th?
K D i>3.j
CHAPTER XVI.
•231
22 And the multitude rose up to- gether against them : and the ma- ^ristrates rent otf their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many » stripes upon them, they cast them
o2Cor.6.5; 11.23,25. lThe8S.2.22.
means of promoting their own interest. It they can make money by it, they vvill become its professed friends; or if they can annoy Christians, they will at once have remarkable zeal for the laws and for the puriiy of religion. Many a man opposes revivals of religion and the real progress of evangelical piety, from pro- fessed zeal for truth and order. IT Which are iiot lawful for ns to receive. There were lawx of the Roman empire under which they might shield themselves in this charge, though it is evident that their zeal was, not because they loved the laws ninre^ but because they loved Christianity leas. Thus Servius on Virgil, ^Enead, viii. 187, says, "Care was taken among the Athenians and the Romans, that no one should introduce new religions. It was on this account that Socrates was condemned, and the Chaldeans or Jews were banished from the city." Cicero ,de Legibus ii. 8) says, "No person shall have any separate gods, or new ones ; nor shall he privately worship any strange jods, unless they be publicly allowed." VVetstein (in loco) says, " The Romans would indeed allow foreigners to worship their own gods, but not unless it were dune secretly, so that the w'orship of fo- reign gods would not interfere with the allowed worship of the Romans, and so that occasion for dissension and contro- vecsy might be avoided. Neither was it lawful among the Romans to recommend a new religion to the citizens, contrary to that which was confirmed and established by the public autliority, and to call off the people I'rom that. It was on this account that there was such a hatred of the. Ro- mans against the Jevi's." {Kuinoel.) Ter- tullian says, that "there was a decree that no god should be consecrated, unless approved by the senate." (Grofins.) See many other authorities quoted in bishop W^atson's " Apology for Christianity." V To observe. To do. IT Being Romans. Having the privileges of Roman citizens. Note, \er. 12.
22. And tke rmdlilude, &;c. It is evi- dent th^it t'.iis was done in a popular tu- rt?a)r. and vithnut oven the lorm of law. ')f this, Paul afierwarJa justly coraolain-
into prison, cnarging the jailer to keep them safely :
24 Who having- received such a charge, thrust them into the innei prison, and m'ade their feet fast in the stocks.
ed, as it was a violation of the privilege* of a Roman citizen, and contrary to the laws. See Note, ver. 37. It was one in- stance in which men affect great zeal for the honour of the law, and yet are among the first to disregard it. i. And the ma- gistrates, ver. 20. They who should have been their protectors until they had had a fair trial according to law. IT Rent off their clothes. This was always done when one was to be scourged or whip- ped. The criminal was usually stripped entirely naked. Livy saj-s (ii. 5), " The lictors, being sent to inflict punishment, beat them with rods, being naked." Ci- cero against Verressays, " He commanded the man to be seized, and to be stripped naked in the midst of the forum, and to be bound, and rods to be brought." ^Aiid commanded to beat them. 'VxoSiCav. To beat them with rods. This was done by lictors, whose office it was, and was "a common mode of punishment among the Romans. Probably Paul alludes to thih when he says (2 Cor. xi. 25), "Thrice was I beaten with rods."
23. And when they had laid many stripes on them. The Jews were by law prohi bited from inflicting more than forty stripes, and usually inflicted but thirty- nine. 2 Cor. xi. 24. But there was no such law among the Romans. They were unrestricted in regard to the number of lashes ; and probably inflicted many more. Perhaps Paul refers to this when he says 02 Cor. xi. 23), " In stripes above measure," i. e. beyond the usual measure among the Jews, or bej^ond moderation. IT They cast them into prison. The ma- gistrates (ver. 36, 37), as a punishment, and probably with a view hereafter of taking vengeance on them, more accord ing to the forms of law.
24. Thrust them into the inner prison. Into the most retired and secure part oi the prison. The cells in the interior ot the prison would be regarded as more safe, being doubtless more protected, and the difficulty of escape would be greater IT And made their feet fast in the stocks Greek, And made their leet secure t«f' wood. The word stocks, with us, denotes a machine made of two piece* of tiraijer
'23ti
I'HE A(J'r«.
[A. D 53
'25 And at midnight Paul and bilas prayed" and sang^ praises anto God : and the prisoners heard them
21) And suddenly there was a
belsveen which the feet of the criminals are placed, and in which they are thus made secure. The account here does not imply necessarily that they were secured precisely in this way, but that they were fastened or secured by the feet, probably by cords, to a piece or beam of wood, so that they could not escape. It is sup- posed that the legs of the prisoners were bound to large pieces of wood, which not only encumbered them, but which often were so placed as to extend their feet to a considerable distance. In this condition it might be necessary for them to lie on their backs; and if this, as is probable, was on the cold ground, after their severe scourging, their sufferings must have been very great. Yet in the midst of this they eang praises to God.
25. A7id at midnight. Probably their painful posture, the sufferings of their re- cent scourging, prevented their sleeping. Vet though they had no repose, they had a quiet conscience, and the supports of religion. H Prayed. Though they had suffered much, yet they had reason to ap- prehend more. They sought, therefore, the sustaining grace of God. H And .sang praiaes. Nothing but religion would have enabled them to do this. They had en- dured much, but they had cause still for gratitude. A Christian may find more true joy in a prison, than the monarch on his throne. IF And the prisoners heard them. And doubtless with astonishment. Prayer and praise were not common in a priison. The song of rejoicing and the language of praise is not usual among men lying bound in a dungeon. From this narrative we may learn, (1.) That the Christian has the sources of his happiness within him. External circumstances can- not destroy his peace and joy. In a dun- geon he may find as real happiness as on a throne. On the cold earth, beaten and bruised, he may be as truly happy as on a bed of down. (2.) The enemies of Christians cannot destroy their j)eace. They may incarcerate the body, but they cannot iond the spirit. They may ex- clude from cfirlliiv c((mf()rTs, but they cannot shut them out from the presence and sustainuig gr.ice of God. (3.) We see the value of a good conecience. No- thing else can give peace • and amidst
great earthquake, sn"^ that the foun dations of the prison vere shaken and immediately ^ all the dooia were opened, and every one's band? w'ere loosed.
tllsa.42.'i c.5.19: 12.7,10.
the wakeful hours of the night, whelhei in a dungeon or on a bed of sickness, it ia of more value than all the wealth of the world. (4.) We see the inestimable worth of the religion of Christ. It fits for all scenes ; supports in all trials ; up- holds by day or by night; inspires the soul with confidence in God ; and puts into the lips the songs of praise and thanksgiving. (5.) We have here a sub- lime and holy scene, which sin and infi- delity could never furnish. What more sublime spectacle has the earth witnessed than that of scourged and incarcerated men, suffering from unjust and cruel in- flictions, and anticipating still greater sorrows; yet, with a calm mind, a pure conscience, a holy joy, pouring forth their desires and praises at midniglit, into the ear of the God who always hears prayer I The darkness, the stillness, the loneliness, all give sublimity to the scene, and teach us how invaluable is the privilege of ac- cess to the throne of mercy in this suffer- ing world.
26. And sudde7ily. While they were praying and singing. IF A great earth quake. Matt, xxviii. 2. An earthquake, m such circumstances, was regarded as a symbol of the jjrcsence of God, and as an answer to prayer. See Note, ch. iv. 31. The design of this was, doubtless, to fur- nish them proof of the presence and pro- tection of God, and to provide a way for them to escape. It was one among the series of wonders by which the gospel was established, and the early Christiana protected amidst their dangers. IT And immediatelij all the doors were ojiened. An effect that would naturally follow from the violent concussion of the earthquake. (Jomp. ch. V. 19. IT Every one's bandk were loosed. This was evidently a mi- racle. Some have supposed that their chains were di.-solved by electric fluids but the narrative gives no account of any such fluid, even supposing such ar. effect to be possible. It was evidently a direct inferpo'iition of divine power. But fJ)r what purpose it was done ia not recorder!. Grotius sujiposcs that it was tliat they might know that t'-e njiostics might ne useful to them and to others, anti that by thom their sjiiritual bonds might be loosed Probably the desian was to impress all thi
\ D 5.1. J
CHAPTER XVI.
233
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and see- ing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have kill- ed himself, supposing that the pri- soners had been fled.
28 But " Paul cried with a loud
a PrjT.24.11,12. ITheas.S.lo.
■^iiiionsts vAth the conviction of the pre- sence and power of God, and thus to pre- pare them to receive the message of hfe from the lips of his servants Paul and Si- as. They had just before heard them singing and praying; they were aware, doubtless, of the cause for which they were imprisoned ; they saw evident to- kens that they were the servants of the Most High, and under his protection ; and their own minds were impressed and awed by the terrors of the earthquake, and by the fact of tneir own liberation.
voice, saying. Do th yse If * no harm ', for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trem- bling, " and fell down before Paul and Silas •
30 And brought them out, and
b ZccLSAI. cJer.5.22.
themselves no harm. They would pr> mote their own best interests here, and their eternal welfare hereafter.
29. Then he called for a light. Greek, Lights, in the plural. Probably severa] torches were brought by his attendants. IT Aiid came tremhling. Alarmed at the earthquake, and amazed that the prison- ers were still there, and probably not a little confounded at the calmness of Paul and Silas, and overwhelmed at the proof of the presence of God. Comp. Jer. v. 22, ■' Fear ye not me, saith the Lord I wdl ye
[t renders this scene the more remarkable, j not tremble at my presence ?" &c. IT And that chough the doors were opened, and \fell down, &c. This was an act of pro-
the prisoners loosed, yet no one made any attempt to escape.
27. Would have killed himself. This was .ill done in the midst of agitation and alarm. He supposed that the prisoners had fled. He pVesumed that their escape would be charged on him. It was cus- tomary to hold a jailer responsible for the safe keeping of prisoners, and to subject him to the punishment due them, if he suffered them to escape. See ch. xii. 19. It should be added, that it was common and approved am.ong the Greeks and Ro- mans for a man to commit suicide when he was encompassed with dangers from which he could not escape. Thus Cato was guilty of self-murder in Utica ; and thus, at this very place — at Philippi — Bru- tus and Cassius, and many of their friends, fell on their own swords, and ended their lives by suicide. The custom was thus sanctioned by the authority and example of the great; and we are not to wonder that the jailer, in a moment of alarm, should also attempt to destroy his own Ufe. It is not one of the least benefits of Christianity, that it has proclaimed the e -il of self-murder, and that it has so much to drive it from the world.
"38. Do thyself no harm. This is the isrAeian command of religion yu his case, and in all others. It enjoins on men to do themselves no harm — by self-murder, whether by the sword, the pistol, the hal- ter or by intemperance, and lust, and dissipadon. In all cases, Chnslianitv ieeks the true welfare of man. In all naseg, h" it were obeyed, men would do u2
m
found reverence. See Note, Matt. ii. 11 It is evident that he regarded them as the favourites of God, and was constrained to recognise them in their character as reli- gious teachers.
30. And brought them out. From the prison. IT Sirs. Greek, xuj.oi, lords — an address of respect ; a title usually given to masters, or owners of slaves. IT What must I do to he saved ? Never was a more important question asked than this. It is evident that by this question he did not refer to any danger to which he might be exposed from what had happened. For (1.) The apostles evidenUy understood him as referring to his eternal salvation, as is manifest from their answer ; since to believe on the Lord Jesus would have no effect in saving him from any danger of punishment to which he might be expos- ed from what had occurred. (2.) He could scarcely consider himself as exposed to punishm.ent by the Romans. The prison ers were all safe ; none had escaped, oi showed any disposition to escape : and be- sides, for the earthquake and its effects he could not be held responsible. It is not improbable that there was much confu- sion in his mind. There would be a rush of many thoughts ; a state of agitation and alarm, and fear ; and in view of all he would na'.u rally ask those whom h« now saw to be men sent by God, and un der his protection, what he should do tr obtain the favour of that great Being undei whose protection he saw mat they mani festly were Perhaps the following thoughts might have go:)'? to j^rt^'ui-e this
S34
said. Sirs, what saved 1
THE ACTS
LA. D. 53
must I do to be
state ot agitation and alarm. (\.) They had been designated by the Pythoness (ver. 17) as religious teachers sent from God, and appointed to "show the loay of salvfitioti," and in her testimony he m'ight have been disposed to put confidence, or it might now be brought fresh to his re- collection. {2.) lie manifestly saw that they were under the protection of God. A re- markable interposition— an earthquake — an event which all the heathen regarded as ominous of the presence of the divinity —had showed this. (3.) The guilt of their imprisonment might rush upon his mind ; and he might suppose that he, the agent of the imprisonment of the servants of God, would be exposed to his displeasure. (4 ) His own guilt in attempting his own life might overwhelm him with alarm. (5.) The whole scene was fitted to show him the need of the protection and friend- ship of the God that had thus interposed. In this state of agitation and alarm, the apostles directed him to the only source of peace and safety — the blood of the atonement. The feelings of an awaken- ed sii.ner are often strikingly similar to chose of this jailer. He is agitated, alarm- ed, and fearful; he sees that he is a sin- ner, and trembles; the sins of his life rush over his memory, and fill him with deep anxiety, and he inquires what he must do to be saved. Often too, as here, the pro- vidence of God is the means of awaken- .ng the sinner, and of leading to this in- quiry. Some alarming dispensation con- vinces him that God is near, and that the soul IS m danger. The loss of health, or property, or of a friend, may thus alarm the soiil; or the presence of the pesti- lence, or any fearful judgment, may ar- rest the attention, and lead to the inquiry, " What must I do to be saved ?" Reader, have you ever made this inquiry? Have you ever, like the heathen jailer at Phi- lippi, seen yourself to be a lost sinner, and been willing to ask the way to life ?
In this narrative we see the contrast which exists in periods of distress and alarm between Christians and sinners. The puilty jailer was all agitation, fear, distress, and terror; the apostles, all peace, calmness, joy. The one was filled with thjughts of self murder; the others, intent on savinj; life and doing pwtd. This dif- ference is 1[> be traced to religion. It was i'r>nfi('ence in God that gave f)eace to Ihem ; it was the want of that, which led to agitation and alarm n him It is so
31 And they said, Believo * od the Lord Jesus Christ, and then
b Hab.2.4. Jno.3.16,36; 6 47. c.13.3?.
Still. In the trying scenes of this life, the same difference is still seen. In bereave menls, in sickness, in times of pestilenci>, in death, it is still so. The Christian isi calm ; the sinner is agitated and alarmed. The Christian can pass through sucfe scenes with peace and joy ; to the sinner, they are scenes of terror and of dread. And thus it will be beyond the grave. In the morning of the resurrection, the Chria» tian will rise with joy and triumph ; the sinner, with fear and horror. And thus at the judgment-seat. Calm and serene, the samt shall witness the solemnities ot that day, and triumphantly hail the Judge as his jriend : fearful and trembling, the sinner shall regard these solemnities, and with a soul filled with horror, shall listen to the sentence that consigns him to eter- nal wo! With what solicitude, then, should we seek, without delay, an interest in that religion which alone can give peace to the soul !
31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ This was a simple, a plain, and an effec- tual direction. They did not direct hira to use the means of grace, to pray, or to continue to seek for salvation. They did not advise him to delay, or to wait for the mercy of God. They told him to believe at once ; to commit his agitated, and guilty, and troubled spirit to the Saviour, with the a.ssurance that he should find peace. Thoy presumed that he would understand what it was to believe ; and they commanded him to do the thinp. And this was the unif()rm direction which the early preachers gave to those inquiring • the way to life. See Note, Matt. xvi. IG. Comp. Note, Acts viii. 22. IT And thy house. And thy family. That is, the same salvation is equally adapted to, and offered to your family. It does not mean that hia family woulcl be saved simply by his be- lieving ; but that the offers had reference to them as well as to himself; that they might be saved as well as ho. His atten- tion was thus called at once, as every Bq's should be, to his family. He wfia lindcd that they i;^<'ded salvation ; and was presented with the assurance that they miglit unite with him in the peace aiul jov o^ redooniing mercy. Comp. Note, ch. ii. 39. It mni/ he im|)lied here that the faith of a father may je ex poctcd to hi' the moans of the salvation of his fiuiily It often is so in fart : but the direct meaning of this is, ihnt salva tion was ofli-red to his family as well os
A. D 5'i.\
(JHAFTKK XVI.
235
bhalt be saved, and ihj * house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and '' to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same aour of the night, and washed their stripes ; and was baptized, he, and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat "
ac.2.39. iRom.l. 14,16. Luke 5.29.
himself; implying that if they beUeved, they should also be saved.
32. To all thai were m his house. Old and young. They instructed them in the doctrines of religion, and doubtless in the nature of the ordinances of the gospel, and then baptized the entire family.
•33. And he took tliem. To a convenient place for washing. It is evident from this, that though the aposdes had the gift of miracles, that they did not exercise it in regard to their own sufferings, or to heal their own wounds. They restored others to health ; not themselves. 11 And washed their stripes. The wounds which had been inflicted by the severe scourg- ing which they had received the night before. We have here a remarkable in- stance of the effect of religion in produc- ing humanity and tenderness. This same man, a few hours before, had thrust them into the inner prison, and made them fast in the stocks. He evidently had then ^^no concern about their stripes or their ^ijfcvvounds. But no sooner was he convert- ->• ad.and his heart changed, than one of his first acts was an act of humanity. He saw them suffering; he pitied the'm, and hastened to minister to them and to heal their wounds. Till the time of Christian- icy, there never had been a hospital or an almshouse. Nearly all the hospitals for the sick since, have been reared by Chris- tians. They who are most ready to mi- nister to the sick and dying are Chris- tians. They who are willing to encoun- ter the pestilential damps of dungeons to aid the prisoner, are, like Kov.-ard, Chris- tians. Who ever saw an infidel attending a dying bed, if he could help it? and where has infidelity ever reared a hospi- tal or an almshouse, or made provision for the widow and the fatherless ? Often one of the most striking changes that oc- curs in conversion is seen in the disposi- tion to be kind and humane to the suffer- ing. Comp. James .. 27. IT And was bap- tized. This was done straightway ; that us immediately. As ' . is altogether im
before them, and rejoiced,'' believ- ing in God with all his house.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the Serjeants, say- ing, Let those men go.
36 And the keeper of the prisoL told this saying to Paul, The ma^ gistrates have sent to let you go : now therefore depart, and go in peace.
d Rom. 5. 11.
probable that either in his house or in the prison there would be water sufficient for immersing them, there is every reason to suppose that this was performed in some other mode. All the circumstances lead us to suppose that it was not by immer- sion. It was at the dead of night; in a prison; amidst much agitation; and evi- dently performed in haste.
34. He set meat before them. Food. Gr. He placed a table. The word 7neat for- merly meant food of all kinds. IT And rejoiced. This was the effect of believ- ing. Religion produces joy. See Note, ch. viii. 8. He was free from danger and alarm ; he had evidence that his sins were forgiven, and that he was the friend of God. The agitating and alarming scenes of the night had passed away ; the pri- soners were safe ; and religion, with its peace, and pardon, and rejoicings, had visited his family. What a change to be produced in one night ! What a difference between the family, when Paul was thrust into prison, and when he was brought out and received as an honoured guest- at the very table of the renovated jailer I Such a change would Christianity produce in every family, and such joy would it dif- fuse through every household. II With all his house. With all his family. Whe- ther they believed before they were bap- tized, or after, is not de<!lared. But the whole narrative would lead us to suj> pose, that as soon as the jailer believed, he and all his family were baptized. It is subsequently added that they believed also. The joy arose from the fact, that they all believed the gospel ; Ihe baptism appears to have been performed on ac- count of the faith of the head of the fa mily
35. And when it was dai , &c. It is evi dent from the narrative that it was not contemplated at first to release them so soon. ver. 22 — 24. But it is not know* what produced this change of purpose in the magistrates. It is probable, however that they had been brought to reflection
236
37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly un- f^ondemned, * being Romans, and
THE ACTS. |A. D. ^
have cast us into piison; and i JW do they thrust us out privily 1 Nay, verily ; but let them co.xie them,
somewhat as the jailer had, by the earth- quake; and that their consciences had been troubled by the fact that in order to please the multitude, they had caused strangers to be beaten and imprisoned without trial, and contrary to the Roman laws. An earthquake is always fitted to alarm the guilty ; and among the Romans it was regarded as an omen of the anger of the gods, and was therefore fitted to pro- duce agitation and remorse. Their agi- tation and alarm were shown by the fact that they sent the officers as soon as it was day. The judgments of God are eminent- ly adapted to alarm sinners. Two an- cient RISS. read this, " The magistrates, U>ho were alarmed by the earthquake, sent," &c. (JJuddridge.) Whether this reading be genuine or not, it doubtless expresses the true cause of their sending to release the> apostles. ^\ The sergeants. g^iScvx^^;- Literally, those having rods ; the lictors. These were public officers, who went be- fore magistrates with the emblems of au- thority. In Rome, they bore before the senators the fasces ; that is, a bundle of rods with an axe in its centre, as a sym- bol of office. They performed somewhat the same office as a beadle in England, or as a constable in our courts.
37. They have beaten us openly uncon- dermied. There are three aggravating circumstances mentioned, of wliich Paul complains. (1.) That they had been beaten, contrary to the Roman laws. (2.1 That it had been public; the disgrace had been in the presence of the people, and the reparation ought to be as public ; and, •3.) That it had been done without a trial, and while they were uncondemned ; and therefore the magistrates ought them- selves to come and release them, and :hus publicly acknowledge their error. Paul knew the privileges of a Roman citizen ; and at proper times, when the interests of justice and religion required it, he did not hesitate to assert them. In all this, he understood and accorded with the Roman laws. The Valerian law declared, that if a citizen appealed from the magis- trate to the ppojile, it should not be lawful fiir the magistnile to beat him with rods, or lo belicad him. Plutarch, Life of P. ValoriuK Publicola. Livy, ii. 8. By the Porcian law, it was expressly forbidden tlia*. a citizen should bo beaten. Livy, iv. 9 Cicero (Pro. Rabir ch. 4) says, that
the body of every Roman citizen was in^ violable. "The Porcian law," he adds, " has removed the rod from the body of every Roman citizen." And in his cele brated oration against Verres, he eays, " A Roman citizen was beaten with rodi in the forum, O judges; where, in the mean time, no groan, no other voice of this unhappy man was heard, except the cry, ' I am a Roman citizen !' Take away this hope," he says, " take aw ay this de fence from the Roman citizens, let there be no protection in the cry / am a Roman citizen, and the pra?tor can with impunity inflict any punishment on him who de Clares himself a citizen of Rome," &c. IT Being Romans. Being Romans, or hav- ing the privilege of Roman citizens. They were born Jews, but they claimed thai they were Roman citizens, and had a right to the privileges of citizenship. On the ground of this claim, and the reason why Paul claimed to* be a Roman citizen, see Notes, ch. xxii. 28. II Privily. Pri- vately. The release should be as public as the unjust act of imprisonment. As they have publicly attempted to disgrace us, so they should as publicly acquit us. This was a matter of mere justice ; and as it was of great iniportance to their charac- ter and success, they insisted on it. H Aay, verily ; but let them c(me, &c. It was pro- per that they should be required to do£L this, (1.) Because they had been illegally imprisoned, and the injustice of the ma- gistrates should be acknowledged. (2.) Because the Roman laws had been vio- lated, and the majesty of the Roman peo- ple thus insulted, and honour should be done to the laws. (3.) Injusiic^iad been done to Paul and Silas, and they had a right to demand just treatment and protec- tion. (4.) Such a public act on the part of the magistrates would sirenpihen the young converts, and show them that the apostles were not guilty of a violation of the 'aws. (5.) It would tend to the honoui anu to the furtherance of religion. It would be a public acknow Irdgnient of their \r no cence ; and would go far towards Irfid ing to ihcm the sanction oi tlie laws as reli gious teiichers. We may loam from ihit a so, (1.) That though Christiaritv requires meekr.oss in the reception of irijurips, yet that there are occasions where" ChriKtiBM may insist on their rights acconling to tho laws. Comp. John xviii. 23. (2.) That
\. 1) bS
(mAPTER XVI.
231
selves, " and fetch us out.
.38 And the snrjeants told these words unto the magistrates ; and ihey feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
39 And they came and besought* thern, and brought the?7i out, and
« DaD.6,18,19. Matt.19.16.
6Sx.ll.9.Rev.3.9.
this is to be done, particularly where the honour of rehgion is concerned, and where by it the gospel will be promoted. A Christian may bear much as a man in a private capacity, and may submit, with- out any effort to seek reparation ; but where the honour of the gospel is con- cerned ; where submission, wuhout any effort to obtain justice, might be followed by disgrace to the caase of religion, a higher obligation may require him to seek a vindication of his character, and to claim the protection of the laws. His name, and character, and influence belong to the church. The laws are designed as a pro- tection to an injured name, or of violated property and rights, and of an endangered life. And when that protection can be had only by an appeal to the laws, such an appeal, as m the case of Paul and Silas, is neither vindictive nor improper. My private interests I may sacrifice, if I choose ,• my public name, and character, and principles belong to the church and the world ; and the laws, if necessary, may be called in for their protection.
38. They feared token they heard, &c. They were apprehensive of punishment for having imprisoned them in violation of the lawfj of the empire. To punish unjustly a Roman citizen was deemed an jff'ence to the majesty of the Roman peo- ple, and was severely punished by the laws. Dionysius Hali. (Ant. Rom.ii.) says, that " The punishment appointed for those who abrogated or transgressed the Vale- rian law was death, and the confiscation of his property." The emperor Claudius deprived the inhabitants of Rhodes of freedom for having crucified some Roman citizens. Dio. Cass. lib. 60. (See Kuvidcl and Grotius.)
39. And Ihey came and besought them. A most humiliating act for Roman magis- trates, but in thi3 case it was unavoidable. The apostles had them completely in their power, and could easily effect their dis- grace and ruin. Protkably they besougld
desired" them to depart out of the city.
40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia : ^ and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.
c Mitt.8.54. d Ter.i4.
them by declaring them innocent; by af- firming that they were ignorant that they were Roman citizens, &c. IT Ajid desired them to depart, &c. Probably, (1.) To save their own character, and be secure from their taking any further steps to convict the magistrates of violating the lafts; and, (2.) To evade any further popular tumult on their account. This advice they saw fit to comply with, after they had seen and comforted the brethren, ver. 40. They had accompbshed their main pur pose in going to Philippi ; they had preached the gospel ; had laid the foun- dation of a flourishing church (comp. the Epistle to the Philippians) ; and they were now prepared to prosecute the purpose of their agency into surrounding regions. Thus, the opposition of the people and the magistrates at Philippi was the occasion of the founding of the church there ; and thus their unkind and inhospitable re- quest that they should leave them, was the means of the extension of the gospel into adjacent regions.
40. They comforted thern. They exhort- ed them, and encouiaged them to per- severe, notwithstanding ihe opposition and persecution which they might meet with. . •ff And departed. That is, Paul and Silas departed. It would appear probable that Luke and Timothy remained in Philippi, or, at least, did not attend Paul and Silas For Luke, who, in ch. xvi. 10, uses the first person, and speaks of himself as with Paul and Silas, speaks of them now in the third person, implying that he was not with them until Paul had arrived at Troas, where Luke joined him from Phi- lippi. ch. XX. 5, 6. In ch. xvii. 14, also, Timothy is mentioned as being at Berea in company with Silas, from which it ap- pears that he did not accompany Paul and Silas to Thessalonica. Comp. ch. xvii. 1. 4. Paul and Silas, when they de- parted trom Philippi, went to Thessalo nica. ch. xvii. L
Me
THK /VCTS.
[A b. 53
CHAPTER XVII.
lyi OW when they had passed ^^ through Amphipolis and Apol- lonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews : 2 And Paul, as his manner was,**
a Luke 4.16, c.9.20: 13.5,14.
CHAPTER XVII. 1. Amphipolis. This was the capital of the eastern province of Macedonia. it was originally a colony of the Athe- nians; but under the Romans it was made the capital of that part of Mace- donia. * It was near to Thrace, and was situated not far from the mouth of the river Strymon, which flowed around the cili/,and thus occasioned its name, around the city. In the middle ages it was called Chrysopolis. The village which now stands upon the site of the ancient city, is called Empoli or Yamboli, a corruption of Amphipolis. {Rob. Cal.) IT And Apol- Ionia. Tliis city was situated between Amphipolis and Thessalonica, and was formerly much celebrated for its trade. IT They came to Thessalonica. This was ft seaport of the second part of Macedonia. It is situated at the head of the bay Ther- niaicus. It was made the capital of the second division of Macedonia by yEmilius Paulus, when he divided the country into four districts. It was formerly called Therma, but afterwards received the name of Thessalonica, either from Cas- sander, in honour of his wife Thessalo- iiica, the daughter of Philip, or in honour of a victory which Philip obtained over the armies of Thessaly. It was inhabited by Greeks, Romans, and Jews. It is now called Saloniki, and is a w retched place, though it has a population of near sixty thousand. In this place a church was collected, to which Paul afterwards ad- dressed the two epistles to the Thessalo- nians. IT Where was a synagogue. Gr. Where was thk synagogue (;, a-wxywyr,) of the Jews. It has been remarked by Grotius and Kuinoel, that the article used here is emphatic, and denotes that there was probably no synagogue at Amphipo- lis and Apollonia. "This was the reason why I hey jtassed through those places witho'it making any delay.
2. His manner v>as. His custom was to attend on the worship of the synagogue, and to preach the gospel to his country- man first, cli. ix. 20 ; xiii. 5. 14. IT Reason- *a with them. Discoursed to them, or at- templed to prove that ^esuswasthe Mes-
ffcnt in unto them, and three sab bath-days reasoned with Ihcm ou* of the Scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, thai Christ must * needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead ; an** that this ' Jesus, whom I preach
b Luke 24.26,.:6. c.18.28. Gal.9.1. lTheM.1.5,6,
« or, whotn, said he, I preach.
siah. The word used here (^u^jj-eto, means often no more tharl to make a pub- lic address or discourse. Note, ch. xxiv 25. IT Out of the Scriptures. By manj critics this is connected with the follow- ing verse, 'Opening and alleging fi-om the Scriptures, that Christ must needs have sutiered,' &c. The sense is not va^ ried materially by the change.
3. Opening. C^ixvaiyj^v. See Luke xxiv. 82. The word means, to explain, oi to unfold. It is usually applied to that which is shut, as to the eyes, &c. Then it means to explain that which is con- cealed or obscure. It means here, thai he explained the Scriptures in their true sense. ^^ And alleging, nx^xzibimvoi Laying down the proposition; that is, maintaining that it must be so. IT That Christ must needs have suffered. That there was a fitness and necessity in his dying, as Jesus of Nazareth had done. The sense of this will be better seen by retaining the word Messiah. ' That there was a fitness or necessity that the Messiah expected by the Jews and predicted in their Scriptures, should suffer.' Thia point the Jews were unwilling to admit; but it was essential to his argument in proving that Jesus was the Messiah, to show that it was foretold that he should die for the sins of men. On the necessity of this, see Note, Luke xxiv. 2(), 27 ^ Have suffered. That he should die- 11 And that this Jesus. And that this Jes" of Nazareth, who has thus suffered and risen, whom, said he, I preach to you, j- the Messiah.
The arguments by which Paul probabiy proved that Jesus was the Messiah, were, (1.) That he corresponded with the prophe- cies respecting him, in the following par ticulars. (u) lie was born at Bethlehem Micah V. 2. {h) lie was of the tribe of Judah. Gen. xlix. ]0. (r) He was de scended from Jesse, and of the royal line of David. Isa. xi. 1. 10. (rf) lie came sf the time predicted. Dan. ix. 24 — 27. (e His appearance, character, work &c. coi resjKtnded with the predictions. Isa. liii (2.) His mirnclcB proved I hat lie was th« Messiah, for he pro/essea to be. and God
\. D. 54.
CHAPTER XV n.
25t)
unto you, is Christ
4 i^nd some " of them believed, and '' consorted with Paul and Si- las ; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a fev^^
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser
Mk sort, and orathered a company, and set all tlie city on an uproar, and assault- ed the house of Jason, '^ and sought
oc.28.24. i2Cor.8.5. cRoni.16.21.
would not work a miracle to confirm the claims of an impostor. (3.) For the same reason, his resurrection from the dead proved that he was the Messiah.
4. And consorted. Literally, had their lot with Paul and Silas; that is, they united themselves to them, and became their disciples. The word is commonly applied to those who are partakers of an inheritance. ^And of the devout Greeks. Religious Greeks ; or, of those who wor- shipped God. Those are denoted who had renounced the worship of idols, and who attended on the worship of the sy- nagogue, but who were not fully admit- ted to the privileges of Jewish proselytes. They were called, by the Jevvp, proselytes of the gate. IT And of the chief women. Note. ch. xiii. 50.
5. Moved with envy. That they made so many converts and met with such success. IT Certain lewd fellows of the baser sort. This is an unhappy transla- tion. The word lewd is not in the original. The Greek is, 'And having taken certain wicked men of those who were about the forum,' or market-place. The forum, or market-place, was the place where the idle assembled, and where those were gathered together that wished to be em- ployed. Matt. XX. 3. Many of these would be of abandoned character, — the idle, the dissipated, and the worthless ,• and, there- fore, just the materials for a mob. It does not appear that they felt any particular interest in the subject; but they were, like other mobs, easily excited, und urged n tr any acts of violence. The pretence )n which the mob was excited was, that they had every where produced disturb- ance, and that they violated the laws of the Roman emperor, ver. 6, 7. It may be observed, however, that a mob usually regards very little the cause in which thev are enp:aged They may be ^oused
to bring them out to the people.
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying-. These '' that have turned the world upside down, are come hither also ;
7 Whom Jason hath received : and these all do contrary ' to the decrees of Cesar, saying- that there is another king-, one Jesus.
8 And they troubled-^ the people,
d Luke 23.5. c.l6.2( /iMatt.2.3. Jao.11.48.
e Luke 23.2. Jdo.19.1i;.
either for or against religion, and become as full of zesl for the insvUed honour of religion as against it. The profane, the worthless, and the abandoned thus often become violently enraged for the honour of religion, and full of indignation ani tumult against those who are accused of violating public peace and order. H The house of Jason. Where Paul and Silas were. ver. 7. Jason appears to have been a relative of Paul, and for this reason it was probably that he lodged with him. Rom. xvi. 21.
6. These that have turned the world up side down. That have excited commo- tion and disturbance in other places. The charge has been often brougiit against the gospel, that it has been the occasion of confusion and disorder.
7. Wltom Jason hath received. Has re- ceived into his house, and entertained kindly. IT These all do contrary to the de- crees of Cesar. The charge against them was that of sedition and rebellion against the Roman emperor. Grotius on this verse remarks, that the Roman people, and after them the emperors, would not permit the name of king to be mentioned in any of the vanquished provinces, ex- cept by their permission. IT Saying that there is another king. This was probably a charge of mere malignity. They pro- bably understood, that when the apostles spoke of Jesus as a king, they did not do it as of a temporal prince. But it was easy to pervert their words, and to give plausibility to the accusation. The same thing had occurred in regard to the Lord Jesus himself Luke xxiii. 2.
8. And they troubled the people. They excited the people to commotion and alarm. The rulers feared the tumub that was exciteu^jand the people feared the Romans, when they heard the charge that there were rebels ajrainst the go rem
240
and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 And when tliey had taken se- 3urity of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
10 And the brethren immediately ;ent away ** Paul and Silas by night into Berea: who coming thither^
TilE ACTS. [A. D. 64
went int^^ the synagogue of the Jews.
1 1 These were more * noble that those in Thessalonica, in that thej received the word with all readi- ness *= of mind, and searched th« Scriptures '^ daily, whether thost things were so.
iPs. 11 9.99, 100. c Jam.1.21. lPet.2.2. cls».
84.16. Luke 16.29; 24.44. Jno.5.39.
ment in their city. It does not appear that there was a disposition in the rulers or the people to persecute the apostles; but they were excited and alarmed by tlie representations of the Jews, and by the mob that they had collected.
9. And when they had taken security of fason. This is an expression taken from courts, and means that Jason and the other gave satisfaction to the magistrates for the good conduct of Paul and Silas, or became responsible for it. Whether it was by de- positing a sum of money, and by thus giv- ng bail, is not quite clear. The sense is, that they did it in accordance with the Roman usages, and gave sufficient secu- rity for the good conduct of Paul and Si- las. Heuman supposes that the pledge given was, that they should leave the city. Michaelis thinks that they gave a pledge that they would no more harbour them ; but that if they returned again to them, they would deliver them to the magis- trates. IT And of the other. The other Drethren (ver. 6) who had been drawn to the rulers of the city.
10. And the brethren immediately sent away Paid and Silas. Comp. ch. ix. 25. They did this for their safety. Yet this was not done until the gospel had taken deep root in Thessalonica. Having preach- ed there, and laid the foundation of a church ; having thus accomplished the purpose for which they went there, they were prepared to leave the city. To the church in this city Paul afterwards ad- dressed two epistles. IT Unto Berea. This was a city of Macedonia, near Mount Cithancs. There is a medal of Berea extant, remarkable for being in- scribed, "of the second Macedonia."
11. These were more noble. Evyivia-Tt. ««>. This literally means more noble by birth ; descended from more illustrious ancestors. But here the word is used to denote a quality of mind and heart; they were more generous, liberal, and noble m their feelings ; more disposed to inquire candidly into the truth of the doctrines *dv»inred i)v Paul and Silas It is always
proof of a noble, liberal, and ingenuorj disposition, to be willing to examine into the truth of any doctrine presented. Th« writer refers here particularly to the Jews. IT Li that. Because. H They re- ceived the word, &c. They listened atten- tively and respectfully to the gospel They did not reject and spurn it, as un worthyjof examination. This is the first particular In which they were more noble than those in Thessalonica. IT And searched the Scriptures. That is, the Old Testament. Note, John v. 39. The apos ties alwg,ys affirmed that the doctrines which they maintained respecting the Messiah were in accordance with the Jewish Scriptures. The Bereans made diligent and earnest inquiry in respect to this, and were willing to ascertain tho truth. IT Daily. Not only on the Sab- bath, and in the synagogue ; but they made it a daily employment. It is evi- dent from this, that they had the Scrip- tures ; and this is one proof that Jewish families would, if possible, obtain the ora- cles of God. IT Whether these things toere so. Whether the doctrines stated by Pau! and Silas were in accordance with the Scriptures. The Old Testament they re- ceived as the standard of truth, and what- ever could be shown to be in accordance with that they received. On this verse we may remark, (1.) That it is proof of true nobleness and liberality of mind to be willing to examine the proofs of the truth of religion. What the friends of Christianity have had most cause to la ment and regret is, that so many are un- willing to examine its claims ; that they spurn it as unworthy of serious thought, and condemn it without hearing. (2.) The Scriptures should be examined daily. If we wish to arrive at the truth, they should be the olyect of constant study. That man has very little reason to expect that he will grow in knowledge and grace who does not peruse, with candour and with prayer, a pxirtion of the Bible every day. (3.) The constant searching of the Scriptures is the best way to keep the
^ J> 54.
CHAPTER XVII.
•241
12 Therefore many of them be- lieved ; also of honourable women which, were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
13 But when the Jews of Thes- salonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul
*
mind from error. He who does not do it dal.y may expect to " be carried about vvith every wind of doctrine," and to have DO settled opinions. (4.) The preaching of ministers should be examined by the Scriptures. Their doctrines are of no value unless they accord with the Bible. Ever>' preacher should expect his doc- trines to be examined in this way, and to be rejected if they are not in accordance with the word of God. The church, in proportion to its increase in purity and knowledge, will feel this more and more ; and it is an indication of advance in piety when men are increasingly disposed to examine every thing by the Bible. How immensely important then is it, that the young should be trained up to diligent nabits of searching the word of God. And how momentous is the duty of pa- rents, and of Sabbath-school teachers, to inculcate just views of the interpretation of the Bible, and to form the habits of the rising generation so that they shall be disposed and enabled to examine every doctrine by the sacred oracles. Tlie pu- rity of the church depends on the exten- sion of the spirit of the noble-minded Be- reans; and that spirit is to be extended mainly by the instrumentality of Sabbath- schools.
12. Therefore. As the result of their examination. They found that the doc- trines of Paul and Silas accorded with the Old Testament. This result will commonly follow when people search the Scriptures. Much is gained when men can be induced to examine the Bi- ble. We may commonly take it for granted that such an examination will re- sult in their conviction of the truth. The most pfominent and invariable cause of infidelity is found in the fact that men will not investigate the Scriptures. Many infidels have confessed that they had never carefu-ly read the New Testament. Thomas Paine confessed that he wrote the first part of the " Age of Reason" without having a Bible at hand ; and without its being possible to procure one where lie then was (in Paris). " I had," «ays he, " neither Bible nor Testament to X
at Berea, they came, thither 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 Timotlieus abode there still.
15 And they that conducted Paul
a Luke 12.51. i Matt.10.23
refer to, though I was writing against both; nor could I procure any." Age of Reason, p. 65. Ed. 1831. Also p. 33. None have ever read the Scriptures with candour, and with the true spirit of prayer, who have not been convinced of the truth of Christianity, and been brought to submit their souls to its influence and its consolations. The great thing which Christians desire their fellow men to do is, candidly to search the Bible; and when this is done, they confidently expect that they will be truly converted to Gori. IT Of honourable women. Note, ch. xiii. 5C
13. Stirred up the people. The word used here {(rxKiCsiv) denotes properly to agitate, or excite, as the waves of the sea are agitated by the wind. It is with grea( beauty used to denote the agitation and excitement of a popular tumult, from its resemblance to the troubled waves of the ocean. The figure is often employed by the classic writers, and also occurs in the Scriptures. See Ps. Ixv. 7. Isa. xvii. 12, 13. Jer. xivi. 7, 8.
14. The brethren. Those who were Christians. IT Sent away Paul. In order to secure his safety. A similar thing had been done in Thessalonica. ver. 10. The tumult was great; and there was no doubt, such was the hostility of the Jews, that the life of Paul would be endan- gered, and they therefore resolved to se« cure his safety. ^ As it were. Rather, 'even to the sea,' for that is its significa- tion. It does not imply that there was any feint or sleight in the case, as if they intended to deceive their pursuers. They took him to the sea-coast, not far from Berea, and from that place he probably went by sea to Athens.
15. Unto Athens. This was the first visit of Paul to this celebrated city ; and perhaps the first visit of a Christian minister. His success in this city, for some cause, was not great. But his preaching was attended with the con* version of som.e individuals. See ver. 34. Athens was the most celebrated city of Greece, and was distinguished for the military talents, learning, eloquence, and politeness of its inhabitants. It waa
U2
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 54
brought him unto Athens : and re- ceiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus * for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
ac.18.5.
•ounded by Cecrops and an Egyptian ci)lony, about 155G years before the Christian era. It was called Athens in honour of Minerva, who was cniefly v.orshipped there, and to whom the city v\ as dedicated. The city, at first, was buiit on a rock in the midst of a spacious plain ; but in process of time the whole plain was covered with buildings, which were called the lower city. No city of Greece, or of the ancient world, was so much dis- tinguished for pliilosophy, learning, and the arts. The most celebrated warriors, poets, statesmen, and philosophers were either born or flourished there. The most celebrated models of architecture and statuary were there ; and for ages it held its pre-emiEence in civilization, arts, and arms. The city still exists, though it has been often subject to the calamities of wr.r, to a change of masters, and to the mouldering nand of time. It was twice burnt by the Persians ; destroyed by Philip II. of Macedon ; again by Sylla ; was plundered by Tiberius ; desolated by the Goths in the reign of Claudius ; and the whole territory ravaged and ruined by Alaric. From the reign of Justinian to the thirteenth century, the city remain- ed in obscurity, though it continued to be a town at the head of a small slate. It was seized by Omar, general of Mahomet the Great, in 1455; was sacked by the Venetians in 14G4 ; and was taken by the Turks again in 1G88. In 1812, the popu- lation was 12,000 ; but it has since been desolated by the sanguinary contests be- tween the Turks and the Greeks, and left almost a mass of ruins. It is now free; and efforts are making by Chris- tians to restore it to its former elevation in learning and importance, and to impart to it the blessings of the Christian reli- gion. Two American missionaries are labouring in the place where Paul preach- ed almost two thousand years ago ; and Kchools under tiieir immediate 8U})erin- tendence and care, are established by American Christian missionaries, in the place that was once regarded as " the eye of Greece," and the light of (he civihzed world. In tho revohitions of ages it has been ordered tliat men should i)ear tho torch of learning to Atliena from a land unknown to its uncTent philosophers, and •tinvev th« bleKsiiifc:K of citilizalion t^)
16 Now while Paul waited foi them at Athens, ^ his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city 1 wholl) given to idolatry.
b Fa. 1 19.136. 2PiV, 2.8. t or, full of idols.
them by that gospel which in the time of Paul they rejected and despised. IT And receiving a commandment. They who accompanied Paul received hii commands to Silas and Timothy. IT With all speed. As soon as possible. Perhaps Paul expected much labour and succesa in Athens, and was therefore desirous ol' securing tiieir aid with him m his work. 10. Now while Paid waited. How long he was there is not intimated ; but doubt- less some time would elapse before they could arrive. In the mean time, Paul had ample opportunity to observe the state of the city. IT His spirit was stirred within him. His mind was gready ex- cited. The word used here {-TT-^.q^lyviTo) denotes any excitement, agitation, or paroxysm of mind. 1 Cor. xiii. 5. It here means that the mind of Paul was greatly concerned, or agitated, doubUess with pity and distress, at their folly and danger. IF The city wholly given to idolatry. Gr. y(.uThS'u>\ov. It is well translated in the margin, "or full of idols." The word is not elsewhere used in tne New Testa ment. That this was the condition of the city is abundantly testified by profane writers. Thus Pausanias (in AUic. i. 24, says, "the Athenians greatly surpassed others in their zeal for religion." Lucian (T. i. Prometh. p. 180) says of the city of Athens, "On every side there are altars, victims, temples, and festivals." Livy (45. 27) says, that Athens " was full of the images of gods and men, adorned with every variety of material, and with all the skill of art." And Petronius (Sat. xvii.) says humorously of the city, that " it was easier to find a god than a linan there." See Kuinoel. In this verse we may see how a splendid, idolatrous city will strike a pious mind. Athens then had more that was splendid in architec ture, more that was briilifint in science, and more that was beautifiJl in the arts, than any other city of the world ; perhapf more than all the rest of the world united Yet there is no account that t)ie mind of Paul was filled with admiration; there is no record that he spent his time in examining the works of art; there i- no evidence that he forgot his high pi"- |V).=;e in an idle and useless contcmplalii'i of temples and statuary. His was r Christian mind ; aad he conlomplatod aP
A D.54.]
CHAPTER XVr.
213
17 Theretore diapiited he in the y-ynagogue with the Jews, and with the devout " persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
►nis with a Christian heart. That heart was deeply affected in view of the amaz- ing guih of a people that were ignorant of the true God, and that had filled their city with idols reared to the honour of imaginary divinities ; and who, in the midst of all this splendour and luxury, were going down to the gates of death. So should every pious man feel who treads the streets of a splendid and guilty city The Christian v.'ill not despise the productions of ant; but he will feel, deeply leel, for the unhappy condition of those who, amidst wealth and splendour and adorning, are withholding their affections from the living God, bestowing them on the works of their own hands, or on ob- jects degraded and polluting ; and who are going xmredeemed to eternal wo. Happy would it be if every Christian traveller who visits cities of wealth and splendour, would, like Paul, be affected in view of their crimes and dangers, and happy if, like him, men could cease their unbounded admiration of magnificence and splendour in temples and palaces and statuary, to regard the condition of mind, not perishable like marble ; and of the soul, more magnificent even in its ruins than all the works oi' Phidias or Praxiteles.
17. Therefore disputed he. Or reasoned. Fie engaged in an argument with them. ^ With the devout persons. Those wor- shipping God after the manner of the Jews. They were Jewish proselytes, who had renounced idolatry, but who had not been fully admitted to the privi- leges of the Jews. See Note, ch. x. 2. IT And in the market. In the forum. It was not only the place where provisions were sold, but was also a place of great public concourse. In this place the phi- losophers were not unfrequently found engaged in public discussion.
18. Then certain philosophers. Athens was distinguished, among all the cities of Greece and the world, for the cultiva- tion of a subtle and refined philosophy. This was their boast, and the object of their constant search and study- 1 Cor. i. 22. If Of the Epicureans. This sect of philosophers was so named from Epi- eurus, who lived about 300 years before ♦ht» Cluristlan erti- They denied that the
18 I'hen certain philosophers ' of the Epicuieans, . and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this ' babbler say 1 Other some, He seemeth to be a
6C0I.2.8. 1 or, fcose/eZtottf.
world was created ty God, and that the gods exercised any care or providen over human affairs, and also the imm( tality of the soul. Against these positioj of the sect, Paul directed his main argu ment, in proving that the world was ere ated and governed by God. One of the distinguishing doctrines of Epicurus was, that pleasure was the summum honum, or chief good, and that virtue was to be practised only as it contributed to plea- sure. By pleasure, however, Epicurua did not mean s-ensi;al and grovelling ap- petites, and degraded vices, but rational pleasure, properly regulated and govern- ed. See Good's Book of Nature. But whatever hia views were, it is certain that his follov/ers had embraced the doc- trine that voluptuousness and the plea- sures of sense were to be practised with- out restraint. Both in principle and prac- tice, therefore, they devoted themselves to a life of gayety and sensuality, and sought happiness only in indolence, effe- minacy, and voluptuousness. Confident in the belief that the world was not un- der the administration of a God of justice, they gave themselves up to the indul- gence of every passion ; the infidels of their time, and the exact example of the gay and fashionable multitudes of all times, that live without God, and thai seek pleasure as their chief good. IF And of the Stoics. These were a sect of phi- losophers, so named from the Greek o-to», Stoa, a porch, or portico, because Zeno, the founder of the sect, held his school and taught in a porch, in the city of Athens. Zeno was bom in the island of Cyprus, but the greater part cf his life was spent at Athens in teaching phi- losophy. After having taught publicly 48 years, he died at the age of 96, two hun- dred and sixty-four years before Christ The doctrines of the sect, were, that the universe was created by God ; thai ^11 things were fixed by fate ; that even G-jd was under the dominion of fatal neces- sity ; that the fates were to be submitted to ; that the passions and affections were to be suppressed and restrained; that happiness consisted in the insensibility of the soul to pa.n ; and that a man shoulG -^ain an absolute mastery over all the pa.-5sions and affectioiis of hi^ nature
»
^44
setter forth of strange gods : be- cause he preached unto them Jesus, and tlie resurrection.
THE ACTS. [A. D. 54.
19 And ^hey took him, and brought him unto ' Areopagus, saying, May we know v/hat this
1 or, Afarj' hill. It was the highest court in Athena.
pos
riiey were stern in thsir views of virtue, and, like the Plmrisees, prided themselves on their own righteousness. They sup- posed that matter was eternal, and that ~od was either the animating principle il of the world, or that all things re a part of God. They fluctuated much in their views of a future state; some of them holding that the soul would exist only until the destruction of the universe, and others that it would finally be absorbed into the divine essence, and become a part of God. It will be readily seen, therefore, with what pertinency and address Paul discoursed to ihem. The leading doctrines of both sects were met by him. IT Encountered him. Con- tended with him; opposed themselves to him. IF And some said. This was said in scorn and contempt. He had excited attention ; but they scorned the doctrines that should be delivered by an unknown foreigner from Judea. IT SVhat will this babbler say ? Margin, base fellow. Greek, r7rie/^o?.oy-oc. The word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means one who collects seeds, an4 was ap- plied by the Greeks to the poor persons who collected the scattered grain in the fields after harvest, or to gleaners ; and also to the poor, who obtained a preca- rious subsistence around the markets and in the streets. It was also applied to birds that picked up the scattered seeds of grain in the field, or in the markets. The word came hence to have a two-fold sig- nification. (1.) It denoted the poor, needy, and vile ; the refuse and off-scouring of society; and, (2.) From the birds which W'ere thus employed, and which were troublesome by their continual unmusical sounds, it came to denote tliose who were talkative, garrulous, and opinionated ; those who collected the opinions of others, or scraps of knowledge, and retailed them fluently, without order or method. It was a word, thereft)ro, expressive of their coTilempt for an unkno\Tn foreigner who should pretend to instruct the learned men and fihiiosophers of Greece. Doddridge renders if, " retailer of scraps." Syriac, "collector of words." IT Other some. Others. If He seemelh to be a setter forth. He announces or declares the existence of strange gods. The reason why they stipposed this, was, that he made the rapi- l>al fioinl.s of his preac'tjing to bo Jesus '.nl iho renurreclion, wlii(>h thev mistook
for the names of divinities. IT 0/ strange gods. Of foreign gods, or demons. They worshipped many gods themselves, and as they believed that every country had its own peculiar divinities, they supposed that Paul had come to announce the ex- istence of some such foreign, and to them unknown divinities. The word translated gods (^xi/xov:u,v)denotes properly the genii, or spirits who were superior to men, but inferior to the gods. It is, however, oflen employed to denote the gods themselves ; and is evidently so used here. The gods among the Greeks were such as were supposed te have that rank by nature. The demons were such as had been ex- alted to divinity from being heroes and distinguished men. IT He preached unto ihem Jesus. He proclaimed him as the Messiah. Tne mistake which they made, by supposing that he was a foreign divi- nity, was one which was perfectly na'^-<j- ral for minds degraded like theirs by idolatry They had no idea of a pure God ; they knew nothing of the doctrine of the Messiah ; and they naturally sup- po.«ed, therefore, that he of whom Paul spoke so much must be a god of some other nation, of a rank similar to their own divinities. IT A7id the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus, and through him the resnrrection of the dead. It is evident, I thmk, that by the resurrection (W;uivio-Tx<rii) they understood him to refer to the name of some goddess. Such was the interpretation of Chrysostom. The Greeks had erected altars to Shame, and Famine, and Desire (Pans. i. 17), and it is probable that ihey supposed ' the resurrection,' or the Anastasis. to be the name also of some unknown goddess who presided over the resurrection. Thus they regarded him as a setter forth of fieo foreign or strange gods — Jesus, and the Anastasis, or resurrection.
19. And brought him unto Areopagus. Margin, or Mars' hill. This was tho place or court in which the Areopngitee, the celebrated supreme judges of Athens, a.s.seml)led. It was on a hill almost in the middle of the city; l)tit nothing now remains by which we ran dptermiuo the form or construction of the tribunal The hill is almost entirely n mass of stone, and 19 not easily accessil)lo. its sides being steep and abrupt. On many nccountt. tlui; was the most celebrated tribunal in the world. Itt» derisions won' dislip
A. D. 54.J
CHAPTER XVll.
2U
new * doctrine, whereo*' *Kri speak- est, is?
•20 For thou bringest «Ktain * strange things to our e?^n : we would know therefore what -Aiese things mean.
A Jno.I3.W. lJno.2.7,8. i Hos.S.K*-
guished for justice and correctness , nor was tiiere any court in Greece in w hich so much confidence was placed. Th:s court took cognizance of murders, impie- ties, and immoralities ; they punished vices of all kinds, including idleness ; ttiey rewarded the virtuous ; they were pe- ' culiarly attentive to blasphemies against the gods, and to the performance of the sacred mysteries of religion. It was, therefore, with the greatest propriety that Paul was questioned before this tribunal, as being regarded as a setter forth of strange gods, and as being supposed to wish to introduce a new mode of wor- ship. See Potter's Antiquities of Greece, b. i. ch. 19 ; and Travels of Anacharsis, vol. i. 136. 185 ; ii. 292—295. IT May we know. We would know. This seems to have been a respectful inquiry ; and it does not appear that Paul was brought there for the sake of triuL There are no accusations ; no witnesses ; none of the forms of trial. They seem to have re- sorted thither because it was the place where the subject of religion was usually discussed, and because it was a place of confluence for the citizens and judges and wise men of Athens, and of foreign- ers. The design seems to have been, not to try him, but fairly to canvass the claims of his doctrines. See ver. 21. It was just an instance of the inquisitive spirit of the people of Athens, willing to near before they condemned, and to ex- amine before they approved.
20. Certain strange things. Literally, something pertaining to a foreign coun- try, or people. Here it means something unusual, remac^ble, to which we are not accustome<JF It was something dif- ferent from what they had been accus- tomed to hear from their philosophers and religious teachers. tT What these things mean. We would understand more clearly what is affirmed respecting Jesus and the resurrection.
21. For all the Athenians This was their general character. ^ And stran- gers ivMri were there. Athens v.^as greatly 3is;ingnishcd for the celebrity of its schools of philosophy. It was at that time at the head of the literary world.
s2
21 (For all the Athenians, and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but eithei to tell or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the mids of Mars' ' Hill, and said, Ye meD
I or, tfie court of the Areopagites.
Its arts and its learning were celebrated in all landa. It is known, therefore, thai it was the favourite resort of men of other nations, who came there to become ac- quainted with its institutions, and to listen to its sages. IT Spent their time in nothing else. The learned and subtle Athenians gave themselves much to speculation, and employed themselves in examining tho various new systems of philosophy th^i were proposed. Strangers and fo- reigners who were there, having much leisure, would also give themselves to the same inquiries. II But either to tell or to hear some new tiling. Greek, some- thing m^er. k-^^votsp-.v. The latest news ; or the latest subject of inquiry proposed. This is well known to have been the character of the. people of Athens at all times. " Many of the ancient writers bear witness to the garrulity, and curiosity, and intemperate desire of novelty, among the Athenians, by which they inquired respecting all things, even those in which they had no i:iterest, whether of a public or private nature." {Kuinoel.) Thus Thu- cyd. (3. 38) says of them, " you excel in suffering yourselves to be deceived with novelty of speech-" On which the old Scholiast makes this remark, almost in the words of Luke : " He (Thucydides) here blames the Atheniar?s, who care for no- thiflg else but to tell or to hear something new." Thus ^lian (5. 13) says of tb^ Athenians, that they ere versatile in no- velties. Thus Demosthenes represents the Athenians " as inquiring in the place of public resort if there wsre any news ?" T£i;6ts^ov. Meursius has shown, also, that there were more than uhree hundred public places in Athens of public resort, where the principal youth and reputable citizens were accustomed to rji<?et for the purpose of conversation and inquiry.
22. Then Paul. This commences Pauf-s explanation of the doctrines which he had stated. It is evident that Luke has re corded but a mere summary or outline of the discourse ; but it is such as to ena- ble us to see clearly his course of thotif^ht, and the manner in which he met the > wo principal sects of their philosophers, t ^h themiditcf Mars' hill. Greek, AreoT»a|
246
all
of Athens, I perceive that in things ye are too superstitious. " '23 For as 1 passed by, and be^
THE ACTS. [A. D. 54
held your devotions, ' I found an al tar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom there-
1 or, gods that ye loorskip. G»1.4.8.
This should hive been retained in the translation. ^ Ye men of Athens. This language was perfectly respectful, not- withstanding his heart had been deeply affected by their idolatry. Every thing about this discourse is calm, grave, cool, and argumentative. Paul understood the character of his auditors, and did not commence his discourse by denouncing them, or suppose that they would be con- evinced by mere dogmatical assertion. No happier instance can be found, of cool, collected argumentation, than is furnished in this discourse. IT / perceive. He per- ceived this by his observations of their forms of worship, in passing through their city. ver. 23. IT In all things. In respect to all events. IT Ye are too superstitious. ^ii(riSxiy.0M£(rTi(i:-jg. This is a most Un- happy translation. We use the word su- perstitious always in a bad sense, to de- note being over-scrupulous and rigid in religious observances, particularly in smaller matters ; or to a zealous devotion to rites and observances which are not commanded. But the word here is de- signed to convey no such idea. It pro- perly means reverence for the gods or de- mons. It is used in the classic writers in a good, sense, to denote piety towards the gods, or suitable fear and reverence for them ; and also in a bad sense, to de- note improper fear or excessive dread of their anger; and in this sense it accords with our word superstitious. But it is al- together improbable that Paul should have used it in a bad sense. For, (1.) ^t was not his custom needlessly to blame or offend his auditors. (2.) It is not pro- bable that he would commence his dis- course in a manner that would only ex- cite their prejudice and opposition. (3.) In the thing which he specifies (ver. 23) as proof on the subject, he does not intro- duce it as a matter of blame, but rather aH a proof of their devotedness to the cause of religion, and of their regard for (}<)(]. (1.) The whole speech is calm, dig- nified, and argumentative — such as be- Ctime surh a place, such a speaker, and guch an audience. The meaning of the expression is, therefore, 'I perceive that yon are grcatlv devoted to reverence for religion ; tliat it is a characteristic of the people to hoiiMiir the gods, to rear altars to them, and to rocoL'tuse the divine agency in times yf trial.' The proof oi'
this was the altar reared to the unknown God ; its bearing on his purpose was, thai such a state of public sentiment must be favourable to an inqjiiry into the truth of what he was about to state.
23. For as I passed by. Greek, 'For I, coming through, and seeing,' &:c. 1 And beheld. Diligently contemplated ; atten tively considered {y-vu^iM^iiv). The wor ship of an idolatrous people will be an object of intense and painful interest to a Christian. If Your devotions. Ta c-s&^-xa-.uaru.. Our word devotions refers to the act of worship — to prayers, praises, &:c. The Greek word here used means properly any sacred thnig ; any object w hich ia worshipped, or v.hich is connected with the place or rites of worship. Thus it is applied either to the gods themselves, or to the temples, altars, shrines, sacrifices, statues, &c., connected with the worship of the gods. This is its meaning here It does not denote that Paul saw them engaged in the act of worship, but that he was struck with the numerous tem- ples, altars, statues, &c., which were reared to the gods, and which indicated the state of the people. Syriac, "The temple of your gods." Vulgate, " your images." Margin, " gous that ye wor- ship." IT / found an aUar. An altar usually denotes a place for sacrifice Here, however, it does not appear that any sacrifice was offered ; but it was probably a monument of stone, reared to commemorate a certain event, and dedi- cated to the unknown God. IT To the unknown God. 'Ayvu-a-Tw fc)sa. Where this altar was reared, or on what occa- sion, has been a subject of much debate with expositors. That there was such an altar in Athens, though it may not have been specifically mentioned by the Greek writers, is rendered proh|ble by the fol- lowing circumstances, ^w) It was cus- tomary to rear such altars. Minutius Felix says of the Romans, " they build altars to unknown divinities." (2.) The term unknown God was used in relation to tlie worship of the Athenians. Luciari, in his Philopatris, uses this form of an oath : " I swear by the unknown God at Athens," the very expression used by the apostle. And again he says (ch. xxix. IHO), •' We have found out the unknou.n God at Athens, and worsliippcd him with our liands stretched up to hs-avcn," &o.
A. I). 51 I
CHAPTER XVII.
247
fore ye ignorant/y worship, him de- eJare I unto you.
24 God ** that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that
(3.) There were ahars at Athens inscribea to the unknown gods. Philostratus «ays (in Vita. Apollo, vi. 3), "And this at Athens, where there are even altars to the Unknown gods." Thus Pausanius (in Attic, ch. 1) says, that " at Athens Siere are altars of gods which are called the UNKNOWN ones." Jerome, in hia commentary (Epistle to Titus i. 12), says that th^whole inscription was, " to the gods of Asia, Europe, and Africa ; to the unknown and strange gods." (4.) There was a remarkable altar reared in Athens in a time of pestilence, in honour of the unknown god which had granted them deliverance. Diogenes Laertius says that Epimenides restrained the pestilence in the following manner : " Taking white and black sheep, he led them to the Areo- pagus, and there permitted them to go where they Vv'ould, commanding those who followed them to sacrifice (Ti Treoa-n- KovTi d-soj) to the god to whom these things pertained [or who had the power of averting the plague,, whoever he might be, without adding the name], and thus to allay the pestilence. From which it has arisen, that at this day, through the villages of the Athenians, altars are found without any name." Dioge. Laer. b. i. $ 10. This took place about 600 years before Christ, and it is not improbable that one or more of those altars remained until the time of Paul. It should be added that the natural inscription on those altars would be, " to the unknown god." None of the gods to whom they usually sacrificed could deliver them from the pestilence. They therefore reared them to some unknown Being who had the power to free them from the plague. IT Whom therefore. The true God, who had really delivered them from the plague. IF Ye ignoranliy wor- ship. Or worship without knowing his name. You have expressed your homage for him by rearing to him an altar. IT Hiin eclare I unto you. I make known to you nis name, attributes, &c. There is re- markable address and tact in Paul's seiz- tig on this circumstance ; and yet it was perfectly fair and honest. God only ;^ould deliver in the time of the pesti- enco This altar had, therefore, been teaily reared to him, though his name wag unknown. The san'e Being who
he ij ' Lord of heaven and earth, d welleth •= not in temples made with hands ;
25 Neither is worshipped with
had interposed at that time, and whose interposition was recorded by the build- ing of this altar, was He wtc had made the heavens ; who ruled over ail ; and whom Paul was now about to make known to them. There is another fea- ture of skill in the allusion to this altar. In other circumstances it might seem to be presumptuous for an unknown Jew to- attempt to instruct the sages of Athens. But here they had confessed and pro- claimed their ignorance. • By rearing this altar they acknowledged their need of instruction. The way was, therefore, fairly open for Paul to address even these philosophers, and to discourse to them on a point on which they acknowledged their ignorance.
24. God that made the world. The main object of this discourse of Paul is, to convince them of the folly of idolatry (ver. 29), and thus to lead them to repent- ance. For this purpose he commences with a statement of the true doctrine re- specting God as the Creator of all things. We may observe here, (1.) That he speaks here of God as the Creator of the world — thus opposing indirectly their opinions that there were many gods, (2.) He speaks of him as the Creator of the world, and thus opposes the opinion that matter was eternal ; that all things were controlled by fate ; and that he could be confined to temples. The Epicureans held that matter was eternal, and that the world was formed by a fortuitous con course of atoms. To this opinion Paul opposed the doctrine that all things were made by one God. Comp. ch. xiv. 15 IT Seeing that, &c. Gr. " He heing Lord of heaven and earth." IT Lord of heaven and earth. Proprietor and Ruler of heaven and earth. It is highly absurd, therefore, to suppose that he who is present in heaven and in earth at the same time, and who rules over all, should be confined to a temple of an earthly structure, or dependent on man for any thing. IT Dwelkth not, &c. See Note, ch. vii. 48.
25. Neither is worshipped with men^i hands. The word here rendered wor- shipped (d-sexTrivsTXi) denotes to server to wait upon , and then, to render reli- gious service or homage. There is refer- ence here, undoubtedly, to a not-'on pre
24b
THE ACTS.
[A. L. a
.Tien's hands, as though he " needed any ihing- ; seeing he * giveth to all, life, and breath, and " all thincfs ;
c Rom. 11. 36. i
valent among the heathen, that the gods were fed or nourished by the offerings made to them. The idea is prevalent among the Hindoos, that the sacrifices which are made, and which arc offered in the temples, are consumed by the gods themselves. Perhaps, also, Paul had re- ference to the fact that so many persons were employed in their temples in serv- mg them v>ith their hands ; that is, in pre- paring sacrifices and feasts in their honour. Paul affirms that the great Creator of all things cannot be thus de- pendent on his creatures for happiness ; and consequently that that mode of w-or- (ship must be highly absurd. The same idea occurs in Ps. 1. 10, 11, 12 :
For every beast of the fore.st is mine ; And the cattle upon a thousand hills. I knowal! the fowls of the mountain ; .\nd tlie wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not toll thee ; For t iie world is mine, and th e fuhiess thereof
T Seeing hegiveth. Gr. He having given to all, Ac. ir Jjfe. He is the source of life ; and therefore he cannot be depend- ent on that life which he has himself im- parted. ^ And breath. The power of t)reathing, by which life is sustained. He not only originally gave life, but he gives it at each moment ; he gives the power of drawing each breath by which life is supported. It is possible that the phrase " life and breath" may be the figure ?ien- dyadcs, by which one thing is expressed by two words. And it is highly probable that Paul here had reference to Gen. ii. 7 : " And the Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." The same idea occurs in Job xii. 10 :
In whose hand is the life (jnargin) of every
livjnjjthinij:; And the breath of all mankind. TT And all thir.gx. All things necessary (o sustain life. We may see here how dependent man is on God. There can ho no more absolute dependence than that for every breath. How easy it would be fi)r Ciod to suspend our breathing! How incessant the care, how unreasing the Providence by which, whether we sleep or wake — whether we remember )r forget him, he heaves our cheet; fills Dur lungs; restores the vitality of our hi jod ; find infuses vigr)ur into our frame • (Jorap. Note, Rom. xi. 3G
2G And liath made of one '' blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth ; and hath determined the times ' before ap-
dMa!.2.10. e Ps-aMi.
26. And hath made of one blood . All the families of men are descended from one origin, or stock. However different their complexion, features language, &c., yet they are derived from a common pa- rent. The word blood is often used to denote race, stock, kindred. This passage completely proves that all the human family are descended from the same an- cestor ; and that, consequently, all the variety of complexion, &c., is to be traced to .some other cause than that there were originally different races created. See Gen. i. Comp. Mai. ii. 10. The design of the apostle in this affirma- tion was, probably, to convince the Greeks that he regarded them all as brethren; and that, although he was a Jew, yet he was not enslaved to any narrow notions or prejudices in reference to other men. It follows also from this, that no one nation, and no individual, can claim any pre-eminence over others in virtue of "birth or blood. All are in this respect equal, and the whole human family, however they may differ in com- plexion, customs, and laws, are to be re- garded and treated as brethren. It fol- lows, also, that no one part of the race has a right to enslave or oppress any other part, on account of difference of complexion. JVor has man a right because
lie finds his follow <juilty of a skin
Not coloiiriHi like his own ; and having power
T' enforcethe wrong, for sue ha worthy cause
to Doom and devote him as his lawful prey.
IF For to dwell, &c. To cultivate and til the earth. This was the original corn mand (Gen. i. 28) ; and God, by his provi- dence, has so ordered it that the descend ants of one family have found their way to all lands, and nave become adapted to the climate where he has placed them- ^ And halh determined. Gr. c^.Va,-. Hav ing fixed, or marked out a l)oundary. Note, lioin i. 1. The word is usually applied to a. field, which is designated by a boundary. It means here that God hatb marked out, or ilesignated in his puriiose their future abodes. IT The times before appointed. This evidently refers lo the dispersion and migration of nation.s. Ana it means ihiit CJod had, in his plan, fixer, the limes when each couutr- should b"
A. D. 64.]
pointed, and the bounds liabitation :
'27 That they should seek the f40Td, if haply they might feel after
CHAPTER XVII.
* of their
249
■ettled ; the time of the location, the rise, the prosperity, and the fall of each nation. It implies, (1.) That these times had been before appointed ; and, (2.) That it was done in wisdom. It was his plan; and the different continents and islands had not, therefore, been set- tled by, chance, but by a wise rule, and in accordance with his arrangement and design. IT And the bounds of their habita- tion. Their limits, and boundaries as a people. He has designated the black man to Africa ; the white man to northern re- gions ,• the American savage he fixed in the wilds of the western continent, &c. By customs, laws, inclinations, and habits, he fixed the boundaries of their habita- tions, and disposed them to dwell there. We may learn, (1.) That the revolutions and changes of nations are under the di- rection of infinite wisdom; (2.) That men should not be restless, and dissatisfied with the place where God has located them ; (3.) That God has given sufficient limits to all, so that it is not needful to in- vade others ; and, (4.) That wars of con- quest are evil. God has given to men their places of abode, and we have no right to disturb those abodes, or to attempt to displace them in a violent manner This strain of remark by the apostle was also opposed to all trie notions of the Epi- curean philosophers, and yetkSO obviously true and just, that they could not gainsay or resist it.
27. That they should seek the Lord. Gr. To seek the Lord. The design of thus placing them on the earth—of giving them their habitation among his works — was, that they should contemplate his wisdom in his works, and thus come to a know- ledge of his existence and character. All nations, though living in different regions and climates, have thus the opportunity of becoming acquainted with God. Rom. 1. 19, 20. The fact, that the nations did not thus learn the character of the true God, shows their great stupidity and wickedness^ The design of Paul in this was, doubtless, to reprove the idolatry of Uie Athenians. The argument is this: ' God has given to each nation its proper opportunity to learn his character. Idol- atry, therefore, is folly and wickedness; since it is po.ssible to find out the existence of the onefiod from his works.' IT If haply.
him, and find him, thouf^h * he be not far from every one of us :
28 For in ' him we live, and move, and have our being; as ''cer-
d a^ays If perhaps — implyuig that it was possible to find God, though it might be attended with some difficulty. God has placed us here that we may make the trial ; and has made it possible thus to find him. IF They might feel after him. The word used here (^vi^atfsiTs.xv) means properly to touch, to handle (Luke xxiv. 39. Heb. xii. 18), and then to asceriain the qualities of an object by the sense of touch. And as the sense of touch is re- garded as a certain way of ascertaining the existence and qualities of an object, the word means to search diligently, that we may know distinctly and certainly. The word has this sense here. It means to search diligently and accurately for God, to learn his existence and perfec- tions. The Syriac renders it, " that they may seek for God, and find him from his creatures." T And find him. Find the proofs of his existence. Become ac- quainted with his perfections and laws. IT Though he be not far, &c. This seems to be slated by the apostle to show that it was possible to find liim ; and that eve n those who were without a revelation, need not despair of becoming acquainted with his existence and perfections. He is near to us, (1.) Because the proofs of his existence and power are round about us every where. Ps. xix. 1 — 6. (2.) Be- cause he fills all things in heaven and earth by his essential presence. Ps. cxxxix. 7—10. Jer. xxiii. 23. 24. Amos ix. 2—4. 1 Kings viii. 27. We should learn then, (1.) To be afraid to sin. God is present with us, and sees all. (2.) He can pro- tect the righteous. He is ever with them. (3.) He can detect and punish the wick- ed. He sees all their plans and thoughts, and records all their doings. (4.< We should seek him continually. It ij» the design for which he has made us ; and he has given us abundant opportunities to learn his existence and perfections.
28. For in him we live. The expression " in him" evidently means by him ; by his originally forming us, and continually sustaining us. No words can better ex- press our constant dependence on him lie is the original fountain of life ; and he upholds u? each moment. A similar sentiment is found in Plautus (5. 4. 14) " O Jupiter, who dost cherish and noi> rish the ra^^e of njan ; bv whom we Hva
S50
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 54,
tain also cf your own poets have
Baid, For wo are also his offspring'.
29 Forasmuch tlien as we are
the offspring of God, we ought not
and with whom is the hope of the life of all men." (Kuinoel.) It does not appear nowever that Paul intended this as a quotation ; yet he doubtless intended to Btate a sentmient with which they were familiar, and with which they would agree. H A7id move. Kti/oi/^s j». Dod- dridge translates this, " And are moved." It may however be in the middle voice, and be correctly rendered as in our ver- sion. It means that we derive strength to move from him ; an expression denot- ing constant and absolute dependence. There is no idea of dependence more striking than that we owe to him the ability to perform the slightest motion. ^ And have our bein^. Kxi io-f^ev. And are. This denotes that our continued ex- istence is owing to him. That we live at all is his gift; that we have power to move is his gift ; and our contmued and prolonged existence is his gift also. Thus raul traces our dependence on Him from the lowest pulsation of life to the highest powers of action and of continued ex- istence. It would be impossible to ex- press in more emphatic language our ontire dependence on God. H As certain zlso. As some. The sentiment which he quotes was found substantially m se- veral Greek }X)ets. IT Of your own poets. He does not refer particularly here to poets of Athens, but to Greek poets — po- ets who had written in their language. IT For we are also his offspring. l*nis pre- cise expression is found in Aratus (Phae- nom. V. 5), and in Cleanthus in a hymn to Jupiter. Substantially the same senti- ment is found in several other Greek poets. Aratus was a Greek poet of Cili- cia, the native place of Paul, and flou- rished about 277 years before ChrisU As Paul was a native of the same country, it is highly probable he was accjuainted with his writings. Aratus passed much of his lime at the court of Antigonus Gonatas, king of Macedonia. His principal work was the Phenomena, which is here q noted , and was so highly esteemed in Greece that many learned men wrote commen- taries on it. TFie sentiment here quoted was directly at variance wilt '''^ views of the Epicureans; and it is proof of Paul's address and skill, as well as his acquaint- ance with his auditors, and with the reek poets, that ho was able tJ a'lduce
"to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, gra» ven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this igno-
5 Isa.40.18,&c.
a sentiment so directly in point, and that had the concurrent testimony of so many of the Greeks themselves. It is one in- stance among thousands where an ac- quaintance with profane learning may bl of use to a minister of the gospel.
29. Forasmuch then. Admitting or as- suming this to be true. The argjament which follows is drawn from the conces- sions of their own writers. H Wt ought not to think. It is absurd to suppose. The argument of the apostle is this : ' Since we are formed by God ; since we are hke him, Uving and intelligent beings ; since we are more excellent in our nature than the most precious and ingenious works of art; it is absurd to suppose that the original source of our existence can be like gold, and silver, and stone. Man himself is far_ more excellent than an image of wood and stone; how much more excellent still must be the great Fountain and Source of all our wisdom and inteUigence.' See this thought pur- sued at length in Isa. xl. 18—23. IF The Godhead. Th'e divinity ij° ©siov), the di- vine nature, or essence. The word used here is an adjective employed as a noun, and does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. ^ Is like mito gold, &^c. All these things were used in making images, or statues of the gods. It is absyrd to think that the source of all life and intel- ligence resembles a lifeless block of wood or stone. Even degraded heathen, one would think, might see the force of an argument tike this. IT Graven. Sculp- tured ; wrought into an image.
30. And the times of this ignorance. The long period when men were igno- rant of the true God, and when they worshipped stocks and stones. Paul here refers to the times preceding the gospel. H God winked at. 'T^rs^ .Jcuv. Overlooked, connived at; did not come forth to pun- ish. In ch. xiv. 16, ii is expressed thus, " Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways." The sense is, he passed over those times without punishing them, as if he did not see them. For wise purposes he suffered them to- walk in ignorance, and to make the fail experiment to show what men would do; and how much necessity there was for a revelation to instruct them m ihe true knowledge of God. Wo are not to suf
A. D. 53.]
CHAPTER XVll.
251
raiice God winked * at, but now » commandeth all ra en every where to repent : 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judg-e the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained ; where- of he hath given assurance ' unto
aRoi».3.23. 6 Luke 24.47. Tit.2.11,12.
Rom.2.I6. I or, offered faith.
pose that God regarded idolatry as inno- cent, or the crimes and vices to which idolatry led as of no importance ; but their ignorance was a mitigating circum- stance, and he suffered the nations to live without coming forth in , direct judgmeiKt against them. Comp. Notes on ch. iii. IT, xiv. 16. ^ But noiv commandeth. By the gospel. Luke xxiv. 47. %lMl men. Not Jews only, who had been favoured with peculiar privileges, but all nations. The barrier was broken down, and the call to repentance was sent abroad into all the earth. IF To repent. To exercise sorrow for their sins, and to forsake them. If God commands all men to repent, we may observe, (1.) That it is their duty to do it. There is no higher obligation than to obey the command of God. (2.) It can be done. God would not command an impossibilit)^ (3.) It is binding on all. The rich, the learned, the great, the gay, are as much bound as the beggar and the slave. There is no distinction made. It pertains to all people, in all lands. (4.) It must be done, or the soul lost. It is not wise, and it is not safe, to neglect a plain law of God. It will not be well to die reflecting that we have all our life neglected and despised his plain com- mands. (5.) We should send the gospel to the heathen. God calls on the na- tions to repent, and to be saved. It is the duty of Christians to make known to ihem the command, and to invite them to Ihe blessings of pardon and heaven.
31. Because he hath appointed a day. This is given as a reason why God com- mands men to repent. They must be judged ; and if they are not penitent and pardoned, they must be condemned. See Note, Rom. iL 18. '^ Judge the world. The whole world — Jews and Gentiles. IT In righteousness. According to the princi- ples of strict j istice. See Matt. xxv. '^ Whom he hath ordained. Or whom he r.as constituted or appointed as judge. See Note, ch. x. 42. John v. 25. IT Hath ^iven assurance. Has afforded evidence ^f this. That evidence consists, (1) In
all jnen, in that he l.ath raised hiia from the dead.
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, '^ some mocked : and others said. We wiL hear thee again * of this maiter.
33 So Paul departed from amor-g them.
d c.26.8. e Luke 14.18. e 24.25.
the fact that Jesus declared that he would judge the nations (John v. 25, 26. Matt, xxv.) ; and, (2.) God confirmed the truth of his declarations by raising him from the dead, or gave his sanction to what the Lord Jesus had said, for God would not work a miracle in favour ot an im- postor.
32. Some mocked. Some of the philo- sophers derided him. It was believed by none of the Greeks ; it seemed incredi- ble ; and they regarded it as so absurd as not to admit of an argument. It has not been uncommon for even professed phi- losophers to mock at the doctrines of reli- gion, and to meet the arguments of Chris- tianity with a sneer. The Epicureans! particularly would be likely to deride this, as they denied altogether any future state. It is not improbable that this deri- sion by the Epicureans produced such a disturbance as to break off Paul's dis- course, as that of Stephen had been by the clamour of the Jews. ch. vii. 54. IT And others said. Probably some of the Stoics. The doctrine of a future state was not denied by them ; and the fact, affirmed by Paul, that one had been rais- ed up from the dead, would appear more plausible to them, and it might be a mat- ter worth inquiry to ascertain w^hether the alleged fact did not furnish a new argument for their views. They, there- fore, proposed to examine this further at some future time. That the inquiry waa prosecuted any further does not appear probable, for, (1.) No church was or ganized at Athens. (2.) There is no ac count of any future interview with Paul. (3.) He departed almost immediately from them. ch. xviii. 1. Men who defer in- quiry on the subject of religion, seldom find the favourable period arrive. Those who propose to examine its doctrines at a future time, often do it to avoid the inconvenience of becoming Christiana now; and as a plausible and easy way^^ of rejecting the gospel altogether, with-'iiL out appearing to be rude, or to give cf fence
'<i6-J
34 Hotvbeit certain men clave »into him, and believed : among f.he which was Dionysius the Areo- paaite, and a woman named Da- mans, and others with them.
THE AOT!S. [A. D. 53.
CHAPTER XVni. A FTER these things, Paul de- ■^-^ parted from Athens, and came to Corinth:
2 And found a certain Jew named
33. So Paul departed. Seeing there was little hope of saving them, ft was not his custom to labour long in a barren field, or to preach where there was no prospect of success
34. Clave unto Jam. Adhered to him fir.'^ly ; embraced the Christian religion. ^ Dionysius. Nothing more is certainly known of this man than is here stated. IT The Areopagite. Connected with the court of Areopagus, but in what way is not known. It is probable that he was cnc of the judges. The conversion of oite man was worth the labour of Paul. And the secret influence of that conver- Kion might have had an extensive influ- ence on others.
In regard to this interesting account of the visit of Paul to Athens — probably the only one which he made to that splendid capital — we may remark, (1.) That he was indefatigable and constant in his great work. (2.) Christians, amidst the splendour and gayeties of such cities, should have their hearts deeply affected in view of the moral desolations of the people. (3.) They should be willing to do their duty, and to bear witness to the [lure and simple gospel in the prpjence of the great and the noble. (4.) They should not consider it their main business to admire splendid temples, and statues, and paintings — the works of art ; but their main business should be, to do good as they may have opportunity. (5.) A dis- course, even in the midst of much wick- edness, and idolatry, may be calm and dignified ; not an appeal merely to the passions, but to the understanding. Paul reasoTKd with the philosophers of Athens ; he did not denounce them; he endea- voured calrnly to convince them, not harshly to censure them. (G.) The ex- ample of Paul is a good one for all Chris- tians. In all places — cities, town.s, or country; amidst all people — philo.sophers, and the rich, and the poor; among friends •jnd countrymen, or among strangers and fIjrrMgners, the great ol)jf'ct should l>e to ilo good, U> instruct mankind, and to seek (o elevate the human character, and j)ro- te human •ha[)pinf'S8, by dilfusing the
iM n».d [lure jirccepLe of the gos[K;l ri»t.
CHAPTER XVIII
I A/ier these things. After what oc- curred at Athens, as recorded in the pre- vious chapter. ^ Came to Corinth. Co- rinth was the capital of Achaia, called anciently Ephyra, and was seated on the isthmus which divides the Peloponnesua from Attica. The city itself stood on a little island ; it had two ports, Lechseum on the west, and Cenchrea on the east, ^was one of the most populous and wealthy cities of Greece ; and, at the same time, one of the most luxurious, effeminate, pitud, ostentatious, and disso- lute. Lasciviousness here was not only practised and allowed, but was conse crated by the worship of \'enus; and no. small part of the wealth and splendour of the city arose from the offerings made by licentious passion in the very temples of this goddess. IS'o city of ancient times was more profligate. It was the Paris ol antiquity; the seat of splendour,and show and corruption. Yet even here, notwith- standing all the disadvantages of splen- dour, gayety, and dissoluteness, Paul en- tered on the work of rearing a church , and here he was eminently successful. The two epistles which he afterwards wrote to this church show the extent of his success ; and the well-known charac- ter and propensities of the people will account for the general drift of the admo- nitions and arguments in those epistles. Corinth was destroyed by the Romans 146 years before Christ; and during the con- flagration, several metals in a fused state running together, produced the compoei- tion known as Corinthian brass. It was afterwards restored by Julitis Cffisar, who planted in it a Roman colony. It soon regained its ancient splendour, and soon relapsed into its former dissipation and licentiousness, Paul arrived there A. D 52 or 53.
2. And found a certain Jew. Aquilais elsewhere mentioned as the friend of Paul. Rom. xvi.3. 2 Tim. iv. 19. 1 Cor xvi. 19. Though a Jew by birth, yet it is evident tiial he became a convert to the Christian faith. H Horn in Pontns. Note, cii. ii. 9. 11 lyifeli/come from Italy Tiiough the command of Claudius ex. tended only to Rome yet it was probabh
A.. D. 54.
CHAPTER XVIII.
•25?
"' Aquila, born in Pontua, lately- come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; "(because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome ;) and came unto them. 3 And because he was of the 8amo craft, he abode with them,
a Rom. 16.3.
Jeemed not safe to remain, or it might 43ve been difficult to procure occupation in any part of Italy. IT Beeause that Claudius. Claudius was the Roman em- peror. He commenced his reign A. D. 41, and was poisoned A. D. 54. At what time in his reign this command was is- sued is not certainly known. H Had com- manded, &c. This command is not men- tioned by Josephus ; but it is recorded by Suetonius, a Roman historian (Life of Claudius, eh. 25), who says, that " he ex- pelled the Jews from Rome, who were constantly exciting tumults under their leader, Chrestus." Wlio tl.is Chrestus >vas, is not known. It might have been a foreign Jew, who raised tumults on some occasion of which we have no know- ledge ; as the Jews in all heathen cities were greatly prone to excitements and insurrections. Or it 7nay be that Sueto- tiius.^itlle acquainted with Jewish atfairs, mistook this for the name Christ, and supposed that he was the leader of the Jews. This explanation has much plau- sibility ; for, (1.) Suetonius could scarcely be supposed to be intimately acquainted with the affairs of the Jews. (2.) There IS every reason to believe, that before this, the Christian religion was preached at Rome (3.) It would produce there, as every where else, great tumult and contention among the Jews. (4.) Clau- dius, the emperor, might suppose that such tumults endangered the peace of the city, and resolve to remove the cause at once by the dispersion of all the Jews. (5.) A Roman historian might easily mis- take the true state of the case ; and while tHae> were contending about Christ, he might suppose that it was under him, as a leader, that these tumults were excited. Ail that IS material, however, here, is Ihe fact, in which Luke and Suetonius agree, that the Jews were expelled from Rome during his reign.
3. The same croft. Of the same trade, or occupation. *\ And wrought. And worked at that occupation, ^\hy he did It, the historian d(^s not affirm ; but it seems pretty evident that it was because he had no other means of maintenance.
and ^ wrought : for by tneir oco pation they were tent-makers.
4 And he reasoned in tho' syna- g-og-ue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5 And when '^ Silas and Timo theus were come from Macedonia
ic.20.34. ic.n.2. dc.17.14,16.
He also laboured for his own support in Ephesus (Acts xx. 34), and also at Thes- salonica. 2 Thess. iii 9, 10. The apostle was not ashamed of honest industry for a livelihood ; nor did he deem it any dis- paragement that a minister of the gospel should labour with his own hands. II For hy their occupation. By their trade ; that is, they had been brought up to this business. Paul had been de- signed originally for a lawyer, and had been brought up at the. feet of Gamaliel. But it was a regular custom among the Jews to train up their sons to some use- ful employment, that they might have the means of an honest livelihood. Even though they were trained up to the liberal sciences, yet they deemed a handicraft trade, or some honourable oc- cupation, an indispensable part of educa- tion. Thus Maimonides (in the Tract Talmud. Tora, c. i. § 9) says, that " the wise generally practise some of the arts, lest they should be dependent on the charity of others." See Grotius. The w isdom of this is obvious ; and it xa equally plain that a custom of this kind now might preserve the health and lives of many professional men, and save from ignoble dependence or vice, in future years, many who are trained up in the lap of indulgence and wealth. IT They were tent-makers. Xy.y,va7rclo!. There have been various opinions about the meaning of this word. Many have sup* posed that it denotes a weaver of tapestry, Luther thus translated it. But it is proba ble that it denotes, as in our translation, a manufacture! of tents, made of skin, or cloth. In eastern countries, where there was much travel ; where there were no inns ; and w here many were shepherds, such a business might be useful, and a profitable source of living. It was so honourable occupation^ and Paul was nDt ashamed to be employed in it.
4. And he reasoned, &/c. Note, cb xvii. 2.
5. And when Silas and Tiinotheus, &jt> They came to Paul according to his re quest, which he had sent by the brelhroB who accompanied him from Theswalo
254
THE ACTS.
i A. 1) 5'^.
i^.. > as pressed in spirit, ano tes- tified 0 the Jews that Jesus * was Christ,
6 And when they opposed " them- selves, and blasphemed, he shook'' his raiment, and said unto them, Your *= blood be upon your own heads : I am clean : from hence- forth 1 will go unto the Gentiles.
7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain maw's house, named Justus, o?ie that worshipped
I or, is the Christ. a 2Tim.2.25. fc Neh.5.13.
c Ezek.33.4.
nica. ch. xvii. 15. IT Paul wan pressed. Was urgfid ; was borne away by an un- usual impulse. It was deeply impressed on him as his duty. IT In spirit. In his min'd, in his feelings. His love to Christ was so great, and his conviction of the truth so strong, that he laboured to make known to them the truth that Jesus was the Messiah IF That Jesus was Christ. 'i'!. ii Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. Coir p. ch. xvii. 16. Ihe presence of Si- las and Timothy animated him ; and the certainty of aid in his work urged him to zeal in making known the Saviour.
G. And v)he7i thejj opposed themselves. To him and his message. IT A7)d blas- phemed. Note, ch. xiii. 45. H He shook his raiment. As an expre.?sive act of shaking off" the guilt of their condemna- tion. Comp. ch. xiii. 45. He shook his raiment to show that he was resolved Henceforward to have nothing to do with them ; perhaps, also, to express the fact that God would soon shake them off", or reject them. {Doddridge.) 1i Yotir blood, &.C. The guilt of your destruction is your own. You on-ly are the cause of the destruction that is coming upon you. See Note on Matt, xxvii. 25. IT / am dean. I am not to blame for your de- struction. I have done my duty- The gospel had been fairly offered, iind deli- berately rejected ; and Paul was not to blame for their ruin, which he saw was coming upon them. H I will go, &c. See ch. xiii. 40.
7. A certain man's house. Probably ae had become a convert to the Christian faith. IT Joined hard. Was near to the synagogue
8. And Crispns. He is mentioned in 1 Ojr. i. 14, as having been one of the few whom Paul baptized with hi.s own nanils 'i'ho (inversion of such a man must iinve trnde.! creatly to exasperate
God, whose house joined hard ti the synagogue.
8 And '' Crispus, the chief rulei of the synagogue, believed on the Lord, with all his house : and m-awy of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized.
9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision. Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace :
10 For 1 * am with thee, and no
d lCor.1.14. e Matt.2S.20.
the other Jews, and to further the pro- gress of the Christian faith among the Corinthians. ^ With all his house. With all his family, ch. x. 2. IF And many of the Corinthians. Many even in this voluptuous and wicked city. Perhaja the power of the gospel was never more signal than in converting sinners in Co- rinth, and rearing a Christian church in a place so dissolute and abandoned. If it was adapted to such a place as Co- rinth; if a church, under the power of Christian truth, could be organized there ; it is adapted to any city; and there is none so corrupt that the gospel c^not change and purify it.
9. By a vision. Comp. Note,ch.ix. 10' xvi. 9.^ Be not a/raid. Perhaps, Pau might have been intimidated by the learning, refinement, and splendour of Corinth ; perhaps, embarras.«;ed in view of hio duty of addres.sing the rich, the polite, and the great. To this he may al- lude in 1 Cor. ii. 3: "And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." In such circumstances it pleased God to meet him, and disarm his fears. This he did by assuring him of success. The fact that God had much people in that city (ver. 10), was employ- ed to remove his apprehensions. The prospect of success in the mmistry, and the certainty of the prcpence of God, will take away the fear of the rich, the learn ed, and the great.
10. For lam with thee. I will attend, ble-ss, and protect you See Note, Mall xxviii. 20. IT No man shall set on thee. No one who shall rise up aeainKt thee Bhall be ai)lo to hurt ihce Hia life was in God's hands, and he would preservo him, in order that his people mipht be collertod into the church. If For i have. Gr. There is to me ; i e. I |K)sse88, oi there belongs to me. 1l Much peoph
A.. I). 5G.]
CHAPTER XVIII.
25f
man shall set on thee t- Inirt thee : for I liavo much people in this city.
11 And he ' continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among- them.
12 And when Gallio was the de- nuty of Achaia, the Jews made in-
Many who should be regarded as his true friends, and who should be saved. V. hi this lity. In that very city that was so voluptuous ; so rich ; so effeminate ; and where there had been already so de- cided opposition shown to the gospel. This passage evidently means that God had a design or purpose to save many of that people. For it was given to Paul as an encouragement to him to labour there, evidently meaning that God would grant him success in his work. It cannot mean that the Lord meant to say that the great mass of the people, or that the moral and virtuous part, if there were any such, was then regarded as his people ; but that he intended to convert many of those guilty and profligate Corinthians to him- self, and to gather a people for his own service there. We may learn from this, (I.) That God has a purpose in regard to the salvation of sinners. (2.) That that purpose is so fixed in the mind of God that he can say that those in relation to whom it is formed are his. There is no chffnce ; no hap-hazard ; no doubt in re- gal J to his gathering them to himself (3.) This is the ground of encouragement to the ministers of the gospel. Had God no parpose to save sinners, they could have no hope in their work. (4.) This plan may have reference to the most gay, and guilty, and abandoned population ; and ministers should not be deterred by the amount or the degree of wickedness from attempting to save them. (5.) There may be more hope of success among a dissolute and profligate population, than among proud, and cold, and skeptical philosophers. Paul had little success in philosophic Athens ; he had great success in dissolute Corinth. There is often more hope of converting a man operdj^ dissolute and abandoned, than one who prides himself on his philosophy, and is confident in his own wisdom.
11. And he continued, &c. Paul was Mot accustomed to remain long in a place. At Ephesus, indeed, he remained three jrears (Acts xx. 31) ; and his slay at Co- hnth was caused by his success, and by «he necessity of placing a church, collect- j
surrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judo-- ment-seat, "
13 Saying, This fellow persuad- eth men to worship God contrary to the law.
14 And when Paul was now
ed out of such corrupt, and dissolute ma terials, on a firm foundation.
12. And Gallio. After the Romans had conquered Greece, they reduced it to. two provinces, Macedonia and Achaia, which were each governed by a procon- sul. Gallio was the brother of the cele- brated philosopher Seneca, and was made proconsul of Achaia A. D. 53. His proper name was Marcus Annsus Novatus, but having been adopted into the family of Gallio, a rhetorician, he took his name. He is described by ancient writers as having been of a remarkably mild and amiable disposition. His brother Seneca (Prasf Quest. Natu. 4) describes himliis being of the most lovely temper : " No mortal," says he, " v.'as ever so mild to any one, as he was to all ; and in him there was such a natural power of good- ness, that there was no semblance of art or dissimulation." ^ Was deputy. See this word explained in Acts xiii. 7. It means here proconsul. % Of Achaia This word, in its largest sense, compre bended the whole of Greece Achaia proper, however, was a province of which Corinth was the capital. It embraced that part of Greece lying between Thes- saly and the southern part of the Pelo- ponnesus. IT The Jews made hisurreclion. Excited a tumult, as they had in Philippi, Antioch, &c. IT Ajid brought him to the judgment-seat. The tribunal of Gallio ; probably intending to arraign him as a disturber of the peace.
13. Contrary to the law. Evidently in- tending contrary to all law — the laws of the Romans and of the Jews. It was permitted to the Jews to worship God ac- cording to their own views in Greece ; but they could easily pretend that Paul had departed from that mode of worship- ping God. It was easy for them to main- tain that he taught contrary to the laws of the Romans, and their acknowledged re- ligion ; and their design seems to have been to accuse him of teaching men to worship God in an unlawful and irregular way, a way unknown to any of the laws of the empire.
14. About to open his mouth. In self
2.3b
THE ACTS.
A. D. 5b
about to open his mouth, Galiio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, « reason would that I should bear with yo j :
15 But jf it be a question of
a Rom. 13.0.
defence, ever ready to vindicate his con- act. IF A matter af wrong. Injustice, or »yime, such as couid be properly brought before a court of justice. IT Or wicked /euxiness. Any flagrant and gross offence. The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It denotes pro- perly an act committed by him who is Bkilled, facile, or an adept in iniquity — an act of a veteran offender. Such crimes Galiio was willing to take cognizance of IF Reason would, &c. Greek, ' I would bear with you according to reason.' There would be propriety or fitness in my hearing and trying the case. That is, it would fall within the sphere of my duty, as^ppoiiited to guard the peace, and to [yunish crimes.
15. Ofvwrds. A dispute about t»or<?s, for such he would regard all their con- troversies about religion to be. IF And names. Probably he had heard something of the nature of^ the controversy, and un- derstood it to be a dispute about names, I. e. whether Jesus was to be called the Messiah or not. To him this would ap- pear as a matter pertaining to the Jews alone, and to be ranked with their other disputes arising from the diflerence of sect and name. 1l Of your law. A question resjiecting the proper interpretation of the law, or the rites and ceremonies which it commanded. The Jews had many such disputes, and Galiio did not regard them as coming under his cognizance as a ma- gistrate. IF Look ye to it. Judge this among yourselves,- settle the difliculty as yon can. Comp. John xviii. ol. IF For I will he 710 judge <tc I do not regard such questions as pertaining to my office, or deem myself called on to settle them.
IG. And he drave them, &c. He refused to hear and decide the controversy. He commandAl them to depart from the court. The word used here docs not de- note that there was any violence used by (iallio, but merely that he dismissed them in an aulhorilalive manner.
17. Then all the (i reeks. The Greeks who had witnessed the persecution of Paul by the Jews, and who had seen the tumult which tlioy hnd excited. H Taok ^ns/Jienex, &.c. An he was the ciiief ruler
w^ords and names, and of your law * look ye to it ; for I will be na judge of such mutters.
IG And he drave them from thfl judgment-seat.
17 Then all the Greeks toot
I Jdo. 18.31. c.23.29; 25.11,19.
of the synagogue, he had probably beer a leader in the opposition to Paul, and ir^ the prosecution. Indignant at the Jews at their bringing such questions beforf the tribunal ; at then bigotry, and rage and conlentious spirit, they probably ieW upon him in a tumultuous and disorderly manner as he was leaving the tribunal The Greeks would feel no small measure of indignation at these disturbers of the public peace, and they took this opportu- nity to express their rage. IF And beal him. tTU5TTov. This word is not thai which is commonly used to denote a ju dicial act of scourging. It probably meanf that they fell upon him, and beat Kim witb their fists, or with whatever was at hand IF Before the judgment- seat. Probablj while leaving the tribunal. Instead ol "Greeks" in this verse, some MSS. read " Jews," but the former is probably the true reading. The Syriac, Arabic, and Coptic read it " the Gentiles." It is pro- bable that this Sosthenes afterwards be^ came a convert to the Christian faith, ana a preacher of the gospel. See 1 Cor. i. 1, 2, " Paul, and ISosthenes our brother unto the church of God which is at Co- rinth." IF And Galiio cared, &c. This has been usually charged on Galiio as a matter of reproach, as if he w ere wholly indifferent to religion. But the charge in unjustly made ; and his name is often most improperly used to represent the indifle- rent, the wor'dly, the careless, and the skeptical. Bui "by the testimony of an cient writers, he was a most mild and amiable man; and an upright and just judge. Ps'or is there the least evidence that he was indifferent to the religion of his country, or that he was of a thought- less and skeptical turn of mind. All that this passage inr,)lics is, (1.) That he did not deem it to be his duty, or a part of bin offlce, to settle questions of a theological nature that were «tarlcd among the Jews. (2.) That he was unwilling to make this Buijject a matter of legal discussion and investigation. (:i) That he would not in- terfere, either on one side or the other, in the (piostion about making proselytei eilh'?r to or from Judaism. So far certain- ly his cundiict was exemplary aad pro|ier
A. D. 56.]
CHAPTER XVIil.
2b''
Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synaj^ogue, and beat hi?7i before the judgment-seat. And Gallic cared for none of those things.
f4 ) That he did not choose to interpose, and rescue Sosthenes from the hands of the znob. From some cause he was will- ing that he should feel the effecta of the public indignation. Perhaps it was not easy to quell the riot; perhaps, he was not unwilling that he who had jomed in a furious and unprovoked persecution, should feel the effect of it in the excited passions of the people. At all events, he was but following the common practice among the Romans, which was to regard the Jews with contempt, and to care little how much they were exposed to popular fury and rage. In this he was wrong ; and it is certain also that he was indiffer- ent to the disputes between Jews and Christians; but there is no propriety m defaming his name, and makmg him the type and representative of all the thought- less and indifferent men on the subject of religion in subsequent times. Nor is there propriety in using this passage as a text as applicable to this class of men.
18. And sailed thence into Syria. Or set sail for Syria. His design was to go to Jerusalem to the festival which was soon to occur, ver. 21. H Having shorn his head. Many interpreters ha\e sup- posed that this refers to Aquila, and not to Paul. But the connexion evidently re- quires us to understand it of Paul, though the Greek construction does not with cer- tainty determine to which it refers. The Vulgate refers it to Aquila, the Syriac to Paul. IT In Cenchrea. Cenchrea was the eastern port of C'jrinth. A church was formed in that place. Rom. xvi. 1. IT For he had a vow. A vow is a solemn promise made to God respecting any thing. The use of vows is observable throughout the Scripture. Jacob going into Mesopo- tamia, vowed the tenth of his estate, and prorh:sed to offer it at Bethel to the honour of God. Gen. xxviii. 22. Mos^s made many regulations in regard to vows. A man might devote himself or his children to the Lord. He might devote any part of feis time or property to his service. The vow they were required sacredly to ob- serve (Dent, xxiii. 21, 22), except in cer- tain specified cases they were permitted to redeem that which had been thus de- voted. The most remarkable vov- among the Jews was that of the Nazar te ; by Y 3
18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and thci? took his leave of tlie brethren, ano sailed thence into Syria, and with
which a man made a solemn promJse to God to abstain from wine, and all intoxicat- ing liquors, to let the hair grow, and not to enter any house polluted by having a dead body in it, or to attend any funeral. This vow generally lasted eight days, sometimes a month, sometimes during a definite period fixed by themselves, and sometimes during their whole lives. When the vow expired, the priest made an offering of a he-lamb for a burnt-offer- ing, a she-lamb for an expiatory sacrifice, and a ram for a peace-offering. The priest then, or some other person, shaved the head of the Nazarite at the door of the tabernacle, and burnt the hair on the fire of the altar. Those who made the vow out of Palestine, and who could not come to the temple when the vow was expired, contented them.selves with ob- serving the abstinence required by the law, and cutting off the hai4- where they were. This I suppose to have been the case with Paul. His hair he cut off at the expiration of the vow at Cenchrea, though he delayed to perfect the vow by the pro- per ceremonies until he reached Jerusa- lem. Acts xxi. 23. 24. Why Paul made this vow, or on what occasion, the sacred historian has not informed us, and con jecture perhaps is useless. We may ob serve, however, (1.) That it was common for the Jews to m^e such vows to God, as an expression W gratitude or of devo- tedness to his service, when they had been raised up from sickness, or delivered from danger or calamity. See Josephus b. 2. 15. Vows of this nature were also made by the Gentiles on occasions of de- liverance from any signal calamity. Ju- venal Sat. 12. 81. It is possible that Paul may have made such a vow in conse- quence of signal deliverance from s.ome of the numerous perils to which he was exposed. But, (2.) There is reason t« think that it was mainly with a design to convin:.e the Jews, that he did not de- spise tb.eir law, and was not its enemy See ch. xxi. 22, 23, 24. In accordance with the custom of the nation, and in compliance with a law which was nol wrong in itself, he might have made this vow, not for a time-serving purpose, bul in order to conciliate thern, and to mitigat* their anger against the gospel But when
258
THE ACTS.
FA. I). 5G.
him Prisciila and Aquila; having shorn " his head in Cenchrea : * for he had a vow.
19 And he came to Ephesus, and eft them there : but he himself en- 'tered into the synagogue, and rea- soned <= with the Jews.
•20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;
21 But bade them farewell, say- ing, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem : ^ but I will return again unto you, if * God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
aNum.6.I8. c.21.24. i Rom. 16.1, c c.17.2.
<ec.l9.21:2C.16. e lCor.4.19. Jam.4.15.
nothLig is reconled, conjecture is useless. Those who Wi.sh to see the subject dis- cussed, may consult Grotius and Kuinoel :n loco, and Spencer de Legibus Hebras. p. 862, and Calmet's Die. art. Nazarite.
19. And he came to Ephesus. This was a celebrated city in Ionia, in Asia Minor, about forty miles south of Smyrna. It was chiefly famous for the temple of Diana, usually reckoned one of the seven -won- ders of the world. Pliny styles this city the ornament of Asia. In the times of the Romans it was the metropolis of Asia. This city is now under the dominion of the Turks, and is almost in a state of ruin. Dr. Chandler, in his travels in Asia Minor, eays — " The inhabitants are a few Greek peasants, living in extreme wretchedness, dependence, and insen^pity ; the repre- uentatives of an illustrious people, and in- habiting the wreck of their greatness ; some ill the substructions of the glorious edifices which they raised ; some beneath the vaults of the stadium, once the crowd- ed scene of their diversions ; and some in the sepulchres which received their ashes." Travels, p. 131, Oxford, 1775. The Jews, according to Josephus, were very numerous in Ephesus, and had ob- tained the privilege of citizenship. ^ J^ft them there. That is, Aquila and Priscilla. ver. 24 — 20. IT Reasoned with the Jews. Note, eh. xvii. 2.
21 Keep this feast Probably the Pass- over in liero referred to. Why he was ■o finxious to celebrate that feast at Jeru- bbI jin, the historian has not informed us. It is probable, however, that he wished to meet as many of his countrymen as pos- lible, and to remove, if practicable, the
22 And when he had landed a» Cesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to An- tioch.
23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia f and Phrygia in order, strengthening = all the disciples.
24 And a certain Jew named '' Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, a7id mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent » in the spirit, he spake and
/ Gal.1.2. e c.14.22; 15.32,41. h lCor.l.l2|
3.5,S. Tit.3.I3. tRom.12.11, Jain.5.l6.
prejudices which had every where been raised against him. ch. xxi. 20, 21. Per- has, also, he supposed that there would be many Christian converts present, whom he might meet also. IT But I will return, &c. This he did (ch. xix. 1), and remained there three years, ch. xx. 31.
22. At Cesarea. Note, ch. viii. 40 IF Ajid gone vp. From the ship. IT And saluted the church. Having expressed for them his tender regard and affection IT To Antioch. In Syria. Note, ch. xi. 19-
23. The country of Galatia and Phry- gia. He had been over these regions be- fore, preaching the gospel, ch. xvi. 6. IT Strengthening. Establishing them by exhortation and counsel. Note, ch. xiv. 22.
24. And a certain Jew named Apollos. Apollos afterwards became a distinguish- ed and successful preacher of the gospel. 1 Cor. i. 12 ; iii. 5, 6 ; iv. 6. Titus iii. 13. Nothing more is known of him than is stated in these passages. IT Born at Alex- andri^. Alexandria was a celebrated city in Egypt, foynded by Alexander the Great. There were large numbers of Jews resident there. Note, ch. vi. 9. IT An eloquent man. Alexandria was fa mous for its schools, and it is probable that Apollos, in addition to his natural endow- ments, had enjoyed the benefit of these schools. IT Mighty in the Scriptures. Well instructed, or able in the Old Testa- ment. The foundation was thus laid for future usefulness in the Christian church Nole, Luke xxiv. 19.
25. 'J'his man vxts instructed. Greek was catechised. He was instructed, m some degree into the knowledge cf the
i.D.5G.]
CHAPTER XVIIl.
25S
taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing " only the baptism of John.
2G And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue : whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them^ and ex- pounded unto him the way of God
Christian religion. By wliom this was done, we have no information. See Note, ch. ii. 9 — 11. ^ In the right way of the Lord. The word way often refers to doc- trine. Matt. xxi. 32. It means here that he had been correcdy taught in regard to the Messiah j yet his knowledge was im- perfect, ver. 26. The amount of his knowledge seems to have been, — (1.) He had correct views of the Messiah to come — views which he had derived from the study of the Old Testament. He was expecting a Saviour that should be hum- ble, obscure, and a sacrifice, in opjxjsition to the prevailing notions of the Jews. (2.) He had heard of John ; had embraced his doctrine ; and probably had been baptized with reference to him that was to come. Comp. Matt. iii. 2. Acts xix. 4. But it is clear that he had not heard that Jesus was the Messiah. With his correct views m regard to the coming of the Messiah, he was endeavouring to instruct and reform his countrymen. He was just in the state of mind to welcome the announcement that the Messiah had come, and to em- brace Jesus of Nazareth as the hope of the nation. ^ Being fervent in the spirit. Being zealous and ardent. See Note, Rom. xii. 11. IT Taught diligently. De- fended with zeal and earnestness his views of the Messiah. IF The things of the Lord. The doctrines pertaining to the Messiah as far as he understood them. T Knowing only the baptism of John. Whether he had heard John, and been baptized by him, has been made a ques- tion, and cannot now be decided. It is not necessary, however, to suppose this, as it seems that the knowledge of John's preaching and baptism had been propa- gated extensively into other nations be- sides Judea. ch. xix. 1 — £ The Messiah was expected about that time. The fo- reign Jews would be w^aiting for him ; and the news of John's ministry, doctrine, and success would be rapidly propagated from synagogue to synagogue into the sur- rounding nations. John preached repent- ance, and baptized with reference to him •feat was to com ) after him. (oh xiy 4),
more ^ perfectly.
27 And when 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
i Heb.6.1.2Pet.3.18. e lCor.3.6. d Eph.2.8.
and this doctrine Apollos seems tc have embraced.
26. And expounded. Explained. IT The. way of God. Gave him full and ample instructions respecting the Messiah aa having already come, and respecting the nature of his work.
27. Into Achaia. Note, ch. xviii. 12. IT The brethren wrote. The brethren at Ephesus. Why he went, the historian does not inform us. But he had heard of the success of Paul there; of the church which he had established ; of the opposition of the Jews ; and it was doubt- less with a desire to establish that church, and with a wish to convince his unbe- lieving countrymen that their views of th j Messiah were erroneous, and that Jesuis of Nazareth corresponded with the pre- dictions of the prophets. Many of tlw Greeks at Corinth were greatly captivat ed with his winning eloquence (1 Cor. i 12 ; iii. 4, 5), and his going there was the occasion of some unhappy divisions tha« sprung up in the church. But in all this, he retained the confidence and love of Paul. 1 Cor. i. iii. It was thus shown tha* Paul was superior to envy, and that great success by one minister need not excit« the envy, or alienate the confidence and good will of another. Ii Helped them much. Strengthened them, and aided them in their controversies w'ith the un- believing Jews. IT Which nad believed through grace. The words " througi- grace" may either refer to Apollos, or to the Christians who had believed, if to hi7n, it means that he was enabled by grace to strengthen the brethren there , if to them, it means that they had been led to believe by the grace or favour cf God. Either interpretati(^*fcakes good sense. Our translation has^Wopted that which is most natural and obvious.
28. For he mightily convinced the Jews He did it by strong arguments ; he bore down all opposition, and effectually si- lenced them. H And that publicly. In his public preaching in the synagogue and elsGwhere. IT Showing by the Scriptures Proving from the Old TestamenL Sbs?F
!«60
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 56
the Jews, and thai publicly, show- ing by » the Scrii)tures that Jesus ' was Christ.
CHAPTER XIX. A ND it came to pass, that while -^^ Apollos ^ was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts, came to P^phesus; and find- ing certain disciples,
:2 He said unto them, have ye
a Jiio.e.M. 1 or, w llie. Chritt, ver.5. b ICor.
<ng that Jesus of Nazareth corresponded with the account of the Messiah given by the prophets. See Note, John v. 39. f That Jesus was Christ. See the mar- gin. That Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.
CHAPTER XIX.
1. ^Vhile Apollos was at Corinth. It is probable that he remained there a con- siderable time. IT Paul having passed through the upper coasts. The upper, or more elevated regions of Asia Minor. The writer refers here particularly to the provinces of Fhrygia and Galatia. ch. xviii. 23. These regions were called upper, because they were situated on the high table-land in the interior of Asia Minor, while Ephesus was in the low maritime regions, and called the /ouj coun- try. % Came to Ephesus. Agreeably to his promise, ch. xviii. 21. ^ Ajidfniding certain disciples. Certain persons who had been baptized into John's baptism, and who had embraced John's doctrine, that tiie Messiah was soon to appear, vcr. 3, 4. It is very clear that they had not yet heard that he had corpe, or that the Holy Ghost was given. They were evidently in the same situation as Apollos. Notes, ch. xviii. 25.
2. Have ye received the Holy Ghost? Have ye received the extraordinary effn- Hiona and miraculous influences of the Holy Ghost? Paul would not doubt that, if they had " believed," they had received the ordinary converting influ- ences of the Holy Spirit — lor it was one of his favourite doctrines, that the Holy S[)irit rene\v^|[^e heart. But, besides this, the miraculotIB inlluences of the Spirit were conferred on most societies of be- hevers. The power of «fpeakirig with torignes, or of working miracles, was im- parled as an cvideiire of the presence of Go<i, and of their acceptance with liini. ch. X 4"), 40. 1 Cor. xiv. It was natural P)r Paul to ask whether this evidence of the divine favour had been granted to
received the Holy Ghost since ye believed 1 A'nd they said unto him, We have not '^ so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
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 re- pentance, ^ saying unto the people,
cc.8.16. lSiin.3.7. d c.18.25. eMatt.S.ll
/Jno.l. 15,27 30.
them. IT Since ye believed. Since you embraced the doctrine of John, that the Messiah was soon to come. II We have 7iot so much as heard, &c. This seems to be a very remarkable and strange an- swer. Yet we are to remember, (1.) That these were mere disciples of Jah7i's doc- trine, and that his preaching related par- ticularly to the Messiah, and not to the Holy Ghost. (2.) It does not even appear that they had heard that the Messiah had come, or had heard of Jesus of Nazareth ver. 4, 5. (3.) It is not remarkable, there fore, that they had no clear conceptions of the character and operations of the Holy Ghost. Yet, (4.) They were just in that state of mind, that they were willing to embrace the doctrine when it was proclaimed to them ; thus showing that they were really under the influence of the Holy Spirit. God may often produce imjKjrtant changes in the hearts and lives of sinners, even where they have no clear and systematic views of religious doc- trines. In all such cases, however, as in this, there will be a readiness of heart to embrace the truth where it is made known.
3. Unto what. Unto what faith, or doc trine. What did you profess to believe when you were baptized. IT Unto John's baptism. Note, ch. xviii. 25.
4. Johii verily baptized. Jolin did in- deed baptize. "11 With the baptism of re- pentance. Having special relation to re- pentance, or as a profbs.^ion that they did repent of^ their sins. Note. Matt. lii. 6 H Saying tnito the people. The design of his coming was, to turn the people from their sins, and to prepare them for the eoming of the Messiah. He therefore di- rected their attention principally to him that was to come. John i. 15. 22 — 27. IT Tint is on Christ Jesus. These are the words of i'aul, explaining what John taught. He taught ti\cm to believe in the Messiah, and that the Messiah was Jesui of Nazareth. The argument of Paul ih
\. D. 56.]
CHAPTER XIX
26i
that the} snould believe on him which should come after him, that ^s, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name ** of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid ' his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them ; " and they spake with tongues, '^ and prophesied.
a C.8.1C. lCor.1.13. (ilCor.l4.l,&c.
cc.2.4; 10.46.
that it was highly proper for them now to profess publicly that Saviour to whom John had borne such explicit testimony. ' Jesus is the Messiah for whom John came to prepare the way ; and as you have embraced John's doctrine, you ought now puWicly to acknowledge that Redeemer by baptism in his name.'
5. When they heard this. When they heard what Paul had said respecting the nature of John's baptism. H They were baptized, &c. As there is no other in- stance in the New Testament of any persons having been rebaptized, it has been made a question by some critics, whether it was done here ; and they have supposed that all this is the narrative of Luke respecting what took place under the ministry' of John, to wit : that he told them to beheve on Christ Jesus, and then baptized them in his name. But this is a most forced construction ,• and it is evi- dent that these persons were rebaptized by the direction of Paul. For, (1.) This is the obvious interpretation of the pas- sage— that which would strike all persons as correct, unless there were some pre- vious theory to support. (2.) It was not a matter of fact that John baptized in the name of Christ Jesus. His was the bap- tism of repentance ; and there is not the slightest evidence that he ever used the name of Jesus in the form of baptism. (3.) If this be the sense of the passage, that John baptized them in the name of Jesus, then this verse is a mere repetition of ver. 4; a tautology of w'hich the sa- cred writers would not be guilty. (4.) It is evident, that the persons on whom Paul laid his hands (ver. 6), and those who were baptized, were the same. But these were the persons who heard (ver. 5) what was said. The narrative is continuous, all barts of ii cohering together as relat- ing to a transaction that occurred at the same time. If the obvious interpretation of the passage be the true one, it follows, that the baptism of John waa not strictly
7 And all the men were abou' twelve.
8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing, ^ and per- suading f the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9 But when divers were harden- ed, ^ and believed not, but spake evil '' of that * way before the mul*
ec.18.19. /C.2S.23. g Roni.11.7. Heb.S 13.
h 2Tiin.l.l5. 2Pet.2.2. Jude 10. t ver.23.
Christian baptism. It vvas the baptism of repentance ; a baptism designei^to prepare the way for the introductioaPr the kingdom of the Messiah. It will not follow, however, from this that Christian baptism is now ever to be repeated. For this, there is no warrant, no example in the New Testament. There is no con* mand to repeat it, as in the case of the Lord's supper; ynd the nature and de- sign of the ordinance evidently supposes that it is to be performed but once. The disciples of John were rebaptized, not be- cause baptism is designed to be repeated, but because they never had been, in fact, baptized in the manner prescribed by the Lord Jesus. IT In the name of the Lord Jesus. Note, ch. ii. 38.
6. And when Paul laid his hands, &c. Note, ch. viii. 17. IT Ajid they spake with tongues. N( tes, ch. ii. 4 ; x. 46. t" And prophesied. Notes, ch. ii. 17; xi. 27.
7. And all the men. The whole num- ber.
8. Persuading the things. Endeavour- ing to persuade them of the truth of what was affirmed respecting the king- dom of God
9. But when divers. When some were hardened. ^ Were hardened. When their hearts were hardened, and they became violently opposed to the gospel. When the truth made no impression on them. The word harden, as applied to the heart, is often used to denote insensibility, and opposition to the gospel. *II But spake evil of that ivay. Of the gospel — the way, path, or manner in which God saves men. See Acts xvi. 17 ; xviii. 26. Matt. vii. 13, 14. H Separated the disciples. Removed them from the influence and society of those who were seeking to draw them away from the faith. This is often the best way to prevent the evil influence of others. Christians, if they wish to pre. serve their minds calm and peaceful ; if they wish to avoid the agitations of con- flict, and the temptations of thos« who
wJti'J
THE ACTS.
LA D.5«L
dtude, lie departed <* from them, and separated the disciples, dis- puting daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
10 And this continued by the space * of two years ; so that all they which dwelt in Asia " heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both
would lead them astray, may often find it necessary to withdraw from their society, and should seek the fellowship of their Clirislian brethren, li^ Disputing daily. 'r|u id not a happy translation. The y^KL used here [^i-j.Ktyz,uivai) does not of necessity den6te disputation or conten- tion, but is often used in a good sense of reasoning (Acts xvii. 23 xviii. 4. 19; xxiv. 25), or of pubUc preaching. Acts xx. 7. 9. It is used in this sense here, and denotes that Paul taught publicly, or reasoned on the subject of religion in this place. IT In the school of one Tyrannus. Who this Tyrannus was, is not known. It is proba- ble that he was a Jew, who was engaged in this em{)loyment, and who might not be unfavourable to Christians. In his Bchool, or in the room which he occu- pied for teaching, Paul instructed the peo- ple when he was driven from the syna- gogue. Christians at that time had no churches, and they w ere obliged to assem- ble in any place w here it might be con- venient to conduct public worship.
10. This contijuied. This public instruc- tion. II By the space, &c. For two whole years. II So that all. That is, the great ma.ss of the people. H That dwelt in Asia. In that province of Asia Minor of which Ephesus was the principal city. The name Asia was used sometimes to denote that single province. See Note, Acts ii. 9. Ephesus was the capital ; and there was, of course, a constant and large in- flux of people there for the purposes of commerce and worship. H Heard the word of the Lord Jesus. Heard the doctrine respecting the L<jrd Jesus.
1 1 . Special miracles. Mirac es that were remarkable ; that were not common, or that were very unusual (du tu; Tv/^ovT^i). This) expression is cla.ssic Greek. Thus Longinus says of Moses, that he was no common man. 'Ouz' 0 tux^v ^v/.e.
12. So that from his body. That is, those handkerchiefs which had been ajn plied to his liody, which he had t.'Bcd, or which ho had touched. An instance somewhat similar to this occurs in the f^iae of the wu<Aiiin w';*.) v\ii8 henled by
Jews and Greeks.
11 And God wrought special* miracles by the hands of Paul :
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs * or aprons, and the diseases de- parted from them, and the evil spi rits went out of them.
touching the hem of the Saviour's gar ment. Matt. ix. 20—22. H Unto the sick. The sick who were at a distance, and who were unable to go where he was. If it be asked why this v^as done, it may be observed, (1.) That the working of mira- cles in that region would greatly contri- bute to the spread of the gospel. (2.) We are not to suppose that there was any efficacy in the aprons thus brought, or in the mere fact that they had touched the body of Paul, any more than there was in the hem of the Saviour's garment which the woman touched, or in the clay which he made use of to open the eyes of the blind man. John viii. 6. (3.) In this instance, the fact, that the miraclet w ere wrought in this manner by garments which had touched his body, was a mer$ sign, or a?i evidence to the persons con cerned, that \i, was done by the instrumen tality of Paul, as the fact that the Savioui put his fingers into the ears of a deaf man, and spit and touched his tongue (Mark vii. 33), was an evidence to those who saw it, that the power of healing came from him. The bearing of these aprons to the sick was, therefore, a mere sign, or evidence to all concerned, that miraculou power was given to Faxd. H Handker chiefs. The word used here (o-ouJi^.se) is of Latin origin, and properly denotes a piece of linen with which sweat was wiped from the face ; and then any piece of linen used for tying up, or containing any thing. In Luke xix. 20, it denotes tho " napkin" in which the talent of the un- profitable servant was concealed ; in Johr xi. 44; XX. 7, the "napkin" which wan used to bind up the fai e of the dead, ap- plied to La/arus and to our Saviour. II Or aprons, ii'fx.nivbix. 'J'his is also a Latin word, and means literally a Art//"-/7ir(//j — a piece of cloth which was girded round the wai.st to i)rrserve the clothes of those who were engaged in any kind Qf work. Tho word onrons rxprcs.sos the idea H And the diseases depurtnl. The f'wh were healed. H And the evil spirits. See Notes, Matt. iv. 24. It is evid«'nt thai thiri po.\ef of vvork^.g uiiraclei* wouU
ii.D. 58.]
CHAPTER XIX,
26i
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them ' to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure ^ you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answ^ered
o Mark 9.38. Luke 9.49, b Josh.6.28.
contribute greatly to Paul's success among the people.
13. The vagabond Jews. Gr. Jews going about. ni^n^xofiiVMv. The word vaga- bond with us is now commonly used in a bad sense, to denote a vagrant; a man who has no home ; an idle, worthless fel- low. The word, however, properly means one wandering from place to place, with- out any settled habitation, from whatever cause it may be. Here it denotes those Jews W'ho wandered from place to place, practising exorcism. IT Exorcists. E:.oe- KiTTwv. This word properly denotes those who went about pretending to be able to expel evil spirits, or to cure diseases by charms, incantations, &c. The word is de- rived from o€>'-oj, orkos, an oath, and from of^'C'-", to bind with an oath. It was ap- plied in this sense, because those who pretended to be able to expel demons used the formula of an oath, or adjured them, to compel them to leave the pos
ssed personSMiPomp. Matt. xii. 27. They mmonly useothe name of God, or called on the demons in the name of God to leave the person. Here they used the name Jesus to command them to come out. IF To call over them. To name, or to use his name as sufficient to expel the evil spirit. IT The name of the Lord Jesus. The reasons why they attempted this were, (1.) That Jesus had expelled many evil spirits ; and, (2.) That it was in his name that Paul had wrought his mira- cles. Perhaps they supposed there was some charm in this name to expel them. T We adjure you. We bind you by an oath ; Tie command you as under the so- iemnJ.ty of an oath. " Mark v. 7. 1 Thoss. V 27. It is a form of putting one under oath. 1 Kings ii. 43. Gen. xxiv. 37. 2 Kings xi. 4. Neh. xiii. 25. (Septuagint.) That this art was practised then, or at- tempted, is abundantly proved from Irai- neus, Origen, and Josephus. (Ant. b. viii. ch. 2. § 5.) See Doddridge. The common na.iie which was used, Was the incom-
and said, Jesus 1 kttow, and Paul 1 know ; tut who are ye "l
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leapt •= 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 the Jews and G/eeks also dwelling at Ephesus ; and fear ^ fell on them
c Luke 8.29. d Luke 1.65. c.2. 43 : 5.5,1 1.
municable name of God, Jehovah, by pronouncing which, in a peculiar vi'ay it was pretended they had the power of expelling demons.
14. One Sceva. Sceva is a Greek name, but nothing more is known of him. IT Chief of tks priests. 'A^x'^ef^-i. This cannot mean that he was high-priest among the Jews, as it is wholly irapreba- ble that his sons would be wandering exorcists. But it denotes that he was of the sacerdotal order. He was a Je wish chief priest ; a priest of distinction, anxl that had held the office of a ruler. The word chief priest, in the New Testament, usually refers to men of the sacerdotal order who were also rulers in the san- hedrim.
15. Jesus I know. His power to casi out devils I know. Corap. Matt. viii. 29 IT Paul I know. Paul's power to cast oul devils, ver. 12. IT But who are ye? What power have you over evil spirits ? By what right do you attempt to expel them? The meaning is, 'you belong neither to Jesus nor Paul ; you are not of their party ; and you have no right or authority to attempt to work miracles in the name of either.'
16. Leapt on them. Several such m stances are recorded of the extraordinary power and rage of those who were pos- sessed with evil spirits. . Mark v. 3 ; ix 29. Luke ix. 42.
17. The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Acquired increasing honour. The transaction showed that the mira- clee performed in the name of the Lord Jesus, by Paul, were real, and were wrought in attestation of the truth of the doctrine whach he taught. Impostors could not work such miracles ; and they who pretended to be able to do it only exposed themselves to the rage of the evil spirits. It wa.= thus shown that there was a real, vJal difference be- tween Paul an I these impostors; and their failure orJy served to e.xtejnd his
8(J4
THE ACTS
[A. D. 58
all, and the name cf the I ord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many that belicTed, came,
reputation and tlie power of the gos- pel.
18 Their deeds. Their actions ; their . evil course of life. Their deeds of ini- quity in their former state. The direct reference here is to the magical arts which had been used, but the word may also be designed to denote iniquity in general. They who make a profession of religion will be willing to confess their transgressions. And no man can have evidence that he is truly renewed who is not willing to confess as well as to forsake his sins. Rom. x. 10. Prov. xxviii. 13. " He that covereth his sins shall not prosper ; but whoso con- fesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy."
19." Curious arts. Arts or practices requiring skill, address, cunning. The word used here {m^lisyu) denotes pro- perly those things that require care, or skill ; and was thus applied to the arts of magic, and jugglery, and sleight of hand, that were practised so extensively ui eastern countries. That such arts were practised at Ephesus is well known. The Ephesian tellers, by which incanta- tions and charms were supposed to be produced, were much celebrated. They eeem to have consisted of certain combi- nations of letters or words, which, by be- ing pronounced with certam intonations of voice, were believed to be effectual m expelling diseases, or evil spirits; or whicli, by being written on parchment and worn, were supposed to operate as amuhls, or charms, to guard from evil spirits, or from danger. Thus Plutarch iSympos. 7) says, " the magicians compel those w!io are possessed with a demon to recile and pronounce the Ephesian letters, in a certain order, by themselves." Thus Clemens Alex. (Strwm. ii.) says, " Andro- cydes, a Pythagorean, says that the let- ters which are called Ephesian, and which are so celebrated, are .symbols," Arc. Erasmus says (Adagg. Cent. 2), that there were certain marks and magical wortls among the Ephesians, by using which they succeeded in every under- taking. Eustha. ad Homer Odys. t says, •* that those letters were incantalions which Cncflua used when on the funeral
1)ile, and which greatly befriended him." le adds, that in the war between the Miiesianp and Ephesians. the latter were
and confessed, * and shewed thai: deeds.
"9 Many also of them which
o Matt.3.6. RomTlO.lO.
thirteen times saved irom ruin by the use of these letters. See Grolius and Kuinoel in loco. *>\ Brought their books. Books which explained the arts ; oi which contained the magical forms and incantations — perhaps pieces of parch- ment, on which were written the letters which were to be used in the incanta- tions and charms. H And burned them before nil me-ji. Publicly. Their arts and offences had been public, and they sought now to undo the evil, as much as lay in their power, as extensively as they had done it. IT And, they counted 1'he price was estimated. By whom this wa* done does not appear. Probably it waa not done by those who had been engaged in this business, and who had suffered the loss, but by the people, who were amazed at the sacrifice, and who were astonished at their folly in thus destroy- ing their own property. 11 Fifty ihou' sand pieces of silver. What coin the word (a^yuf ioi) here translated silver de- notes, it is impossible to tell ; and conse- quently the precise value of this sacrifice cannot be ascertained. If it refers to the Jewish shekel, the sum would be $25,000, as t'ne shekel was worth about half a dollar. If it refers to Grecian or Roman coin — which is much more probable, as this was a heathen country, where the Jewish coin would not pi^bably be much used — the value would be much less. Probably, however, it refers to the Attic drachm, which was a silver coin worth about 9d. sterling, or not far from 17 cents ; and then the value would be about SS-fJOO. The precise value is not mate* rial. It was a larj^e sum ; and it is re- corded to show that Christianity had power to induce men to forsake arts that were most lucrative, and to destroy the means of extending and perpetuating those arts, however valuable in a pecu- niary point of view they might be. We are to remember, however, that this was not the ijitrinsic value of these books, but only their value as books of incanta- tion. In themselves they might have been of very little worth. The universal prevalevre if ChristiaTtity vmdd make much that is now esteemed valuable pro- vrrti/ utterly vorthless — afv e. p. all that IS uHod in gambling; in fraud ; in coun terfeiting; in distilling ardent spirite for drink ; m the slave-trade ; and in at
l\. D. 5'J.J
CHAPTER XIX,
263
dsed curioi.s arts, brought their books tooe.her, anc burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty Choasand pieces o/ silver.
•20 So mightily grew * the word cf God, and prevailed.
erapts to impose on and defraud man- Und.
20. So mi^hlily So powerfully. It had such efficacy and power in this wicked city. The power must have Deen mighty that would thus make them willing, not only to cetise to practise im- position, but to give up all hopes of future gains, and to destroy their proper- ty. On this instructive narrative, we may remark, (1.) That religion has power to break the hold of sinners on unjust and dishonest means of living. (2.) That those who have been engaged in an un- christian and dishonourable practice, will abandon it when they become Chris- tians. (3.) That their abhorrence of their former course will be, and ought to be, expressed as publicly as was the offence. (4.) That the evil practice will be abandoned at any sacrifice, however great. The only question will be, what is right ; not, what will it cost. Property, in the view of a converted man, is no- thing when compared with a good con- science. (5.) This conduct of those who had used curious arts shows us what ought to be done by those who have been engaged in any evil course of life, and who are then converted. If their conduct was right — and who can doubt It? — it settles a great principle on which young converts should act. If a man has been engaged in the slave-trade, he will abandon it ; and his duty will not be to sell his ship to one who he knows will continue the traffic. His property should be withdrawn from the business publicly, either by being destroyed, or by being converted to a useful purpose. If a man has been a distiller of ardent spirits as a drink, his duty will be to forsake his evil course. Nor will it be hi§ duty to sell his distillery to one who will continue the business ; but to withdraw his pro- ^rty frcim it publicly, either by destroy- ing it, or converting it to some useful purpose. If a man has been engaged in the traffic in ardent spirits, his duty is not to sell his stock to those who will con- tinue the sale of the poi«on, but to wit'n- dravv it from puMic use ; converting it to y Z
21 After ' these thii^gs were etid- ed, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Ma- cedonia and Achaia, to go to Jeru- salem, saying. After I have been there, I must also see Rome. '
22 So he sent into Macedonia
c Rom.l5.23-2S.
some useful purpose, if he can ; if not, by destroying it. All that has ever been said by money-loving distillers, or vend- ers of ardent spirits, about the loss whii-h they would sustain by abandoning the business, might have been said by these practitioners of curious arts in Ephesus And if the excuses of rum-selling men are valid, their conduct was folly : and they should either have continued the business of practising " curious arts" after they were converted, or have sold their " books" to those who would have cou tinned it. For assuredly it was not worse to practise jugglery and fortune-telling than it is to destroy the bodies and souls of men by the traffic in ardent spirits. And yet, how few men there are in Christian lands who practise on the prin^ ciple of these honest, but comparatively unenlightened men at Ephesus !
21. After these things were ended. Af- ter the gospel was firmly established at Ephesus, so that bis presence was no longer necessary. IT Purposed in the spirit. Resolved in his mind. IT When he had passed through Macedonia ana Achaia. In these places he had founded flourishing churches. It is probable that his main object in this visit was to take up a collection for the poor saints at Je- rusalem. See Note, Rom. xv. 25, 26. IT To go to Jerusalem. To bear the con tribution of the Gentile churches to the poor and oppressed Christians in Judea. IT I must also see Rome. See Note, Rom XV. 24. He did go to Rome, but he wen in chains, as a prisoner.
22. Timotheus. Timothy. He was a proper person to send there to visit the churches, as he had been there before with Paul, when they were established, ch. xvi. 3 ,• xvii. 14. II And Erastus Erastus was chamberlain of Corinth (Rom. xvi. 23), or more properly the trea- surer of the city (see Note on that place) ; and he was, therefore, a very proper per- son to be sent with Timothy, for the pur- pose of making the collection for the poor at Jerusalem. Paul kad wisdom enough to employ a man accustomed to moneyed transactions in making a collection (la
2m
TIU'] ACTy. [A. D. 59
uvo ot therii that ministered unto hitn, Timotheus and Erastus ; <* but lie himself stayed in Asia for a season.
23 And the same time there arose no small stir * about that way.
21 For a certain man named De- metrius, a silversmith, which made
cRoTO.lG.23. 2Tim.4.20. fc2Cor.l.8; G.9
this collection his heart was intent, and he afterwards went up with it to Jerusa- l^m. See 2 Cor. viii. ix., and Notes, Rom. xv. 25, 26. IT Sfai/ed in Asia. At Ephe- sjis. IT For a staso?}. How long is un- certain. He waited for a convenient op- portunity to follow them ; prohahly in- tending to do it as soon as they had fully prepared the way for the collection. See Paley's HorsB Paulince, p. i. ch. ii.
23. No small stir. Wo little excitement, disturbance, or tumult (rif k%o,). Comp. ch. xvii. 4, 5. IT About that way. Re- spechng the doctrines of Christianity which Paul preached. Note, ch. ix. 2; xviii. 2G ; xix. 9
24. A silversmith. The word used here denotes one who works in silver in any way, either in making money, in stamping silver, or in forming utensils of it. It is probable that the employment of this man was confined to the business here speci- fied, that of making shrines ; as his com- plaint (ver. 26, 27) implied, that destroying diis would be sufficient to throw them all out of employment. IT Silver shrives, jix'.vi. Temples. The word shrine pro- .*rly means a case, small chest, or box ; .«irticularly applied to a box in which sa- .red things are deposited. Hence we aear of the shrines for relics. ( Webster.) The word shrines here denotes small portable temples, or edifices, made of sil- ver, so as to resemble the temple of Dia- na, and probably containing a silver image of the goddess. Such shrines would be purchased by devotees and by worshippers of the goddess, and by stran- gers, who would be desirous of possessing m representation of one of the seven won- ders of the world. See Note on ver. 27.
The great number of persons that came lo Ephesus for her worship would con- .«titute an ample sale for productions of this kind, and make the manufacture a profitable employment. It is well known that pagans every where are accustomed to carry with them small images, or re- presentations of their gods, as an amulet, or charm. The Romans had such images in nil their houf-ts, called relates, or liuii-i-hnlil roil.. A ^i•]|lla' lliiui/ is iiicil-
silver shrines' for Diana, brought nt small '^ i;ain unto the craftsmen ;
25 Whom he called '^ togeihei with the workmen of like occiipa tion, and said. Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have o ir wealth.
26 Moreover, ye see and hea?, that not alone at Ephesus, but al-
cc.16.16.19. dHev.18.11.
tioned as early as the time of Laban (Gen. xxxi. 19), whose images Rachel had stolef and taken with her. Comp. Judg. xvii. 5. " The man Micah had an house of gods." 1 Sam. xix. 13. Hos. iii. 4. These images were usually enclosed in a box, case, or chest, made of wood, iron, or sil- ver ; and probably, as here, usually made to resemble the temple where the idol was worshipped. IT Diana. This was a cel.5brated goddess of the heathen, and one of the twelve superior deities. In the heavens she was Luna, or Meni (the moon) ; on earth Diana ; and in hell He cate. She was sometimes represented with a crescent on her head, a bow in her hand, and dressed m a hunting-habit, at other limes with a triple face, and witl, instruments of torture. She was com- monly regarded as the goddess of hunt ing. She was also worshipped under th# various names of Lucina, Proserpine, Trivia, (fee. She was also represented with a great number of breasts, to denote her being the fountain of blessings, or as distributing her benefits to each in theii proper station. She was worshipped in Egypt, Athens, Cilicia, and among hea- then nations generally ; but the mos* celebrated place of her worship wae Ephesus — a city peculiarly dedicated to her. ^ To the croft smen. To the labour- ers employed under Demetrius in the manufacture of shrines.
25. With the workmen of liJce occtipatioi]. Those who were in his employ, and all others engaged in the same business. As they would bo all affected in the same way, it was easy to produce an excite- ment among them all. Ii Sirs. Gr. Men. IT By this craft. By this business, or oc- cupation. This is our trade. H Our wealth. Gr. Our acquisition ; our proper ty. We are dependent on it for n living It does not mean that they were rich, but that they relied on this for a subsistence That it was a lucrative business is appa rent; but it Is not affirmed that they wer? in fact rich.
26. Ye see ami hear. You see at Epho siis ; and you hear the same of olhoi l.laces. V l'hroif^/,(ul all Asi.f. All Asit
.\. D. 59.]
CHAPTER XIX.
26;
most throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away- much people, saying that " they be no g-ods which are made with liands ;
a P8.115.4. l8a.44.1(K20.
Minor; ot perhaps the province of which Ephesus was the capital. Note, ch. ii. 9. ^ This Paid hath persuaded. We have here the noble testimony of a heathen to the zeal and success of the ministry of Paul. It is an acknowledgment that his labours had been mosi strikingly success- ful in turning the people from idolatry. IT Saying that they be no gods, &c. Note, ch. xiv. 14, 15.
27. So that not only, &c. The grounds of the charge which Demetrius made against Paul were two ; — first, that the business of the craftsmen would be de- stroyed— usually the first thing that strikes the nlind of a sinner who is in- fluenced by self-interest alone; and second, that the worship of Diana would cease if Paul and his fellow-labourers were suffered to continue their efforts, f This our craft. This business in which we are engaged, and on which we are dependent. Gr.This part (to i«£?3;) which pertains to us. IT To be set at nought. To be brought into contempt. It wilf become 80 mucTi an object of ridicule and con- tempt that we shall have no further em- ployment. Gr. ' Is in danger of coming into refidationJ" Et'i isrsXsy^dv. As that which is refuted by argument is deemed useless, so the word comes also to signify that which is useless, or which is an ob- ject of contempt or ridicule. We may here remark, (1.) That the extensive pre- valence of the Christian religion would destroy many kinds of business in which men now engage. It would put. an end to all that now ministers to the pride, va- nity, luxury, vice, and ambition of men. Let religion prevail, and wars would cease, and all the preparations for war which now employ so many hearts and hands would be useless. Let religion prevail, and temperance would prevail also ; and consequently all the capital and labour now employed in distilling and vending ardent spirits would be with- drawn, and the business be broken up. Let religion prevail, and luxury ceases, and the arts which minister to licentious- ness would be useless. Let Christianity nrevail, and all that goes now to minister K) idolatry, and the corrupt passions of men, would be destroyed. No small part of the talent, also, that is now vwrse than
27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought ; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, ^ and her magnificence should be de-
iZeph.;J.li
wasted in corrupting others by ballads and songs, by fiction and licentious tales, would be withdrawn. A vast amount of capital and talent would thus be at once set at liberty, to be employed in no- bler and better purposes. (2.) The effect of religion is often to bring the employ- ments of men into shame and contempt A revival of religion often make? the business of distilling an object of j^bhor- rence. It pours shame on those who are engaged in ministering to the vices and luxuries of the world. Rehgion reveals the evil of such a course of life, and those vices are banished by the mere prevalence of better principles. Yet, (3.) The talent and capital thus disengaged is not rendered useless. It may be directed to other channels and other employments Religion does not make men idle. It de- votes talents to useful employments, and opens fields in which all may toil use- fully to themselves and to their fellow- men. If all the capital, and genius, and learning which are now wasted, and worse than wasted, were to be at once withdrawn from their present pursuits, they might be profitably employed. There is not now a useless man who might not be useful ; there is not a cent wasted which might not be employed to advan- tage in the great work of making the world better and happier. IT But also that the temple of the great goddess Diana shoidd be despised. This temple, so cele- brated", was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the world. It was two hun- dred and twenty years in building, be- fore it was brought to perfection. It wap built at the expense of all Asia Minor. The original object of worstiip among the Ephesians was a small statue of Diana, of elm, or ebony, made by one Canitias, though commonly believed in those days to have been sent down from heaven by Jupiter. It was merely an Egyptian hie- roglyphic, with many breasts, represent- ing the goddess of Nature — under which idea Diana was probably worshipped at Ephesus. As the original figure became decayed by age, it was propped up by two rods of iron like spits, which were carefully copied in the image which was afterwards made in imitation of the first A temple, most magnificent in struclurs
268
THE ACTS.
an*' ib.e
[A. D 5S.
stroyed, whom all Asia world " worshippeth.
28 And when they heard these say bigs, they were full of wrath, * and cried out, saying, Great is Dia-' na of the Ephesians !
29 And the whole city was filled with confusion ; and having caught
o IJdo.5.19. ReT.13.S. b Jer.50.38.
was built to contain ihe image of Diana, wlikh appears to have been several times built and rebuilt. The first is said to have been completed in the reign of Ser- vius Tullius, at least 570 years before Christ. Another temple is mentioned as having been designed by Ctesiphon, 5-10 years before the Christian era, and nhich was completed by Daphnis of Mi- letus, and a citizen of Ephesus. This temple was partially destroyed by fire on the very day on which Socrates was poi- isoned, 400 years B. C, and again 356 years B. C, by the philosopher Ilerostra- tus, on the day on which Alexander the Great was born. He confessed, on be- ing put to the torture, that the only mo- :ive which he had was to immortalize his name. The four walls, and a few columns only, escaped the flames. The temple was repaired, and restored to more than its former magnificence, in which, says Pliny (Lib. xxxvi. c. 14), 220 years were required to bring it to completion. It was four hundred and twenty-five feet in length, two hundred and twenty in breadth, and was supported by one hun- dred and twenty-seven pillars of Parian marble, each of which was sixty feet high. These pillars were furnished by as many princes, and thirty-six of them were curiously carved, and the rest were finely {Kjlinhed. Each pillar, it is sup- [josed, with its ba.se, contained one hun- dred and fifty tons of rnarljle. The doors and pannehng were made of cypress wood, the roof of cedar, and the interior was rendered splendid by decorations of gold, and by the finest productions of an- cient artists. This celebrated edifice, after suffering various partial demolitions, WQS finally burnt by the Goths, in tlieir third naval invasion, in A. D. 260. Tra- vellers are now left to conjecture wliere Its site was. Amidst the confu.^ed ruins of ancient Ephesus, it is now imjKWKible to tell wher(; was this celebrated temple, once one of the wonders of tlic world. "So passes away the glory oftliis world." See Edinburgh Ency. art. EphesuH ; also -^nacharsih' Travels, vol. vi. 1H8. Ancient
Gaius « and Aristarchus, ** men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the dis- ciples suffered him not.
31 And certain of the chief of
c Rom.16.23. lCor.1.14. d c.4.10.
Universal History, vol. vii. 416 ; and Po- cocke's Travels. IT A7id her magnificence. Her majesty and glory ; i. e. the splendour of her temple and her worship. II Whom all Asia. All Asia Minor. IT And the icorld. Other parts of the world. The temple had been built by contributions from a great number of princes ; and doubtless multitudes from all parts of the earth came to Ephesus to pay their homage to Diana.
28. Were full of wrath. Were greatly enraged — probably at the prospec* of los- ing their gains. IT Great is Diana, &a Tlie term great was often applied by the Greeks to Diana. Thus in Xenophon (Ephes. i.) he says, " I adjure you by your own goddess, the great (t>;!i ^«> uxv;i') Diana of the Ephesians.' The design of this clamour was doubtless to produce a per- secution against Paul ; and thus to secure a continuance of their employment. Often, when men have no arguments, they raise a clamour ; when their employ- ments are in danger of being ruined, they are filled with rage. We may learn, also, that when men's pecuniary intereste are aflected, they often show great zeal for religion, ana expect by clamour in behalf of some doctrine, to maintain their own interest, and to secure their own gains.
29. Confusion. Tumult; disorder. IT Gaius. lie had lived at Corinth, and had kindly entertained Paul at his house 1 Cor. i. 14. Rom. xvi. 23. IT Aristarchu.'i He attended Paul to Rome, and was there a prisoner with him. Col. iv. 10. IT With one accord. Tumultuously ; or with one mind, or purpose. IT Into the theatre. The theatres of the Greeks were not oidy
t)laces for public exhibitions, but also for loldiiig assemblies, and often for courts elections, Arc. The }»oo])le, therefore, naturally rushed there, as being a suita- ble place to decide this matter.
30. Would have entered in unto the people Probably to have nidressed them, aiHi to defend his own cau»e.
31. Certain of the chief of Asia r:.v 'ATi:'..xav. OfiheAsiarchs. These
A.. D. 5i).]
CHAPTER XIX.
269
Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring " him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
32 Some ^ therefore cried one thing-, and some another; for the assembly was confused: and the more part knew not w^herefore they were come together.
33 And they drew Alexander out
ac.21.12. ic.21.34.
were persons who presided over sacred things, and over the public games. It was their business to see that the proper services of religion were observed, and that proper honour was rendered to the Roman emperor in the public festivals, at the games, &c. TLey were annually elected, and their election was confirmed at Rome before it was valid. They held a common council at the principal city within their province, as at Ephesus, Smyrna, Sardis, &c., to consult and delibe- rate about the interests committed to their charge in their various provinces. (Kui- noel and Schleusno.r.) Probably they were assembled on such an occasion r.ow ; and during their remaining there they had heard Paul preach, and were friendly to his views and doctrines. IF. Which were his friends. It does not appear from this that they were Christian converts ; but Ihey probably had feelings of respect to- wards him, and were disposed to defend him and his cause. Perhaps, also there might have existed a present acquaint- aHce and attachment. ^ Would not ad- venture. Would not risk his life in the tumult, and under the excited feelings of the multitude.
32. Some therefore cried one thing, &c. This is an adrai^fcle description of a mob, assembled for what purpose they knew not; but agitated by passions, and strifes, and tumults. IF And the most part knew not, &c. The greater part did not know. They had been drawn together by the noise and excitement ; but a small part would know the real cause of the commotion. This is usually the case in tumultuous meetings.
33. And they drew Alexander. Who Oiis Alexander was, is not known. Gro- ttus supposes that it was " Alexander the c-oppersmith," who had in some way done Paul much harm (2 Tim. iv. 14); and whom, v^ith Philetus, Paul had excommu- nicated. He supposes that it was a de- vice of the Jews to put forward one w'ho had been of the Christian party, in order
« a
of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander ' beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice, about the space of two hours, cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephe- sians !
C lTif.lJ20. 2Tit.4.14.
to accuse Paul, and to attempt to cast th« odium of the tumult on him. But it is not clear that the Alexander whom Paul had excommunicated was the person con cerned in this transaction. All that ap ^ pears in this narrative is, that Alexandei was one who was known to be a Jew ; and who wished to defend the Jews from being regarded as the authors of this tu- mult. It would be supposed by the hea- then that the Christians were only a sect of the Jews, and the Jews wished doubt- less to show that they had not been con- cerned in giving occasion to this tumult, but that it was to be traced wholly to Paul and his friends. IT The Jews putting him forward. That he might have a con- venient opportunity to speak to the peo- ple. H Would have made his defence Our translation, by the phrase "his de- fence," would seem to imply that he was personally accused. But it was not so. The Greek is simply, ' was about to apo- logize to the people ;' that is, to make a defence, not of himself particularly, but of the Jews in general. The translation should have been ' a defence.'
34. But when they knew. When they perceived or ascertained. IT That he tvas a Jew. There was a general prejudice against the Jews. They were disposed to charge the whole difficulty on Jews— • esteeming Christians to be but a sect of the Jews. They were, therefore, indig- nant and excited, and indiscriminate in their wrath, and unwilling to listen to any defence. IF With oiie voice. Unitedly in one continued shout and clamour '^ About the space of two hours. The day from sunrise to sunset, among the Greeks and Romans, was divided into twelve equal parts. John xi. 9. An hour, there- fore, did not differ materially from an hour with us. It is not at all improbable that the tumult would continue f)r m long a time, before it would be possible to allay the excitement. IT Cried out, &c This they at first did to silence Alexa» der. The excitement, however- was oon
270
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 59
35 And when the town-clerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men ° of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a
a Eph.2.12.
Imued in order to evince their attach- ment to Diana, as would be natural in an excited ajid tumultuous mob of debased heathen worshippers.
35. And when the lown-clerk. 'O y^x/a/^u- n-Ji. The scribe; the secretary. The word is often used in the JNJew Testa- iient, and is commonly translated scribe, md is applied to public notaries in the synagogues ; to clerl--.s, and to those who iranscnbed books, and hence to men Akilled in the law or in any kind of learn- ing. Comp. 2 Sam. viii. 17. 2 Kings xii. 11. Ezra vii. 6. 11, 12. Matt. v. 20; xii. 38 ; xiii. 52 ; xv. 1 ; xxiii. 34. 1 Cor. i. 20. It is, however, nowhere else applied to a heathen magistrate. It probably denoted a recorder ; or a transcriber of the laws ; or a chancellor. {Kuinoel, Doddridge.) This officer had a seat in their deliberative assemblies; and on him it seems to have devolved to keep the peace. The Syriac, Prince of the city.' The Vulgate and Arabic, ' Scribe.' IT Had appeased the people. KxTx<rT'uka;. Having restrained, quieted, tranquillized, so as to be able to address them. IF What man is there. Who is there that can deny this ? It is universally known and admitted. This is the language of strong confidence, of reproof, and of indignation. It implied, that the worship of Diana was so well established, that there was no danger that t could be destroyed by a few Jews ; and he therefore reproved them for what he deemed their unreasonable alarms. But he little knew the jx)vver of that religion which had been the innocent cause of all this t.imult; nor that, at no very dis- tant period, this then despised religion would overturn, not only the worship of Diana at E|)hesus, but the splendid idola- try of the mighty Roman empire. IT Is a worshipper. N-^xofOf. Margin. Temple- keeper The word here used does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It is derived from iswj for v^di a temple, and x5f = «, to sweej), to cleanse. But am(»ng the ancients, the oiTice of keeping their temples was by no means as humble as that of sex ion is w.th ns. It was esteemed to be an Girice of honour and dignity to have charge of the temples of the gods, and to keep iheui in order. The bamo was a.Uo given \i the cities that
' worshipper ol 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
» The temple-huper.
were regarded as the peculiar patrons or worshippers of certain gods and goddess- es. They esteemed it an honour to be re- garded as the peculiar keepers of their temples and images ; and as having adopt- ed them as their tutelar divinities. Such was Ephesus in regard to Diana. It was esteemed a high honour that the city was known, and every w here regarded as be- ing intrusted with the worship of Diana, or with keeping the temple regarded by the whole world as peculiarly her own. See Scldeusner on this word. IT And of the image. A special guardian of the image, or statue of Diana. IT Which fell down, &c. Which was feigned or be- lieved to have been sent down from heaven. Of what this image was made is not known. Pliny says (Hist. Nat. xvi 79) that it was made of a vine. Mucian (on Pliny) says, that the image was never changed, though the temple had been seven times rebuilt, ii is probable that the image was so ancient that the maker of it was unknown, and it was therefore feigned to have fallen from heaven. It was for the interest of the priests to keep up this impression. Many cities pretend- ed to have been favoured in a simdar manner with images or statues of the gods, sent directly from heaven. The safety of Troy was supposed to depend on the PaUadium, or image of Pallas Mi- nerva, which was believed to have fallen from heaven. INuma pretended that the anciia, or sacred shields, had descended from heaven. Thus*M-odian expressly affirms, that " the PhemSans had no statue of the sun polished by the hand, but only a certain large stone, circular below, and terminated acutely above in the figure of a cone, of a black colour, and that they believe it to have fallen from heaven." It has been supposed that this image at Ephesus was merely a conical or pyra- midal stone which fell from the cloud.'; — a meteorite — ami that it was regarded with superstitious reverence, as having been sent from heaven. See the Edin burgh Ency. art. Meteorites. If From Ju pitrr. Sec Note, ch. xiv. 12.
30. Seeing then, &c. Since this is es- tablished and admitted. Since no oiws can call in question the zeal of the Ephp- sians on this subject, or doubt the sin
/I. D. 5i>.J
o be quiet, and to do <* nothing rashly.
37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither ^ rob- bers of churches, nor yet blasphe- »ners of your goddess.
38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and
a Frov.14.29. b c.25.8.
cerity of their belief. And since there can be no dangff that this well-established worship is to be destroyed by the efforts of a few evil-disposed Jews, there is no occasion for this tumult. IT Be quiet. Be appeased. The same Greek word which IS used in ver. 35, " had appeased the peo- ple." IT To do nothing rashly. To do no- thing in a heated, inconsiderate manner. There is no occasion for tumult and riot. The whole difficulty can be settled in perfect consistency with the maintenance of order.
37. For ye, &c. Demetrius and his friends. The blame was to be traced to them. IT Which are neither robbers of churches. The word churches we now apply to edifices reared for purposes of Christian worship. As no such churches had then been built, this translation is unhappy, and is not at all demanded by the original. The Greek word (i'«f oo-uxou?) is applied properly to those who commit sacrilege, who plunder temples of their sacred things. The meaning here is, that Paul and his companions had not been guilty of robbing the temple of Diana, or any other temple. The charge of sacrilege could rot be brought against them. Though they liad preached against idok and idol worship, yet they had of- fered no violence to the temples of idola- ters, nor had they attempted to strip them of the sacred utensils employed in their service. What they had done, they had done peaceably. IT Nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. They had not used narsh or reproachful language of Diana. This had not been charged on them, nor IS there the least evidence that they had done it. They had opposed idolatry ; had reasoned against it ; and had endeavour- ed to turn the people from it. But there 19 not the least evidence that they had ever done it in harsh or reproachful lan- guage. And it shows that men should employ reason, and not harsh or reproach- ful language against any pervading evil ; Mid that the way to remove it, is, to C7i- Ughten the minds of men, and to convince them of the error of their ways. Men eain nothing by bitter and reviling words ;
CHAPTER XIX.
27!
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 concerning other matters, it shall
1 or, th* fourt-dayi are kept.
and it is m.uch to obtain the testimony of even the enemies of religion — as Paul did of the chancellor of Ephesus — that no such words had been used in describ- ing their crimes and follies.
38. Have a matter against any man. Have a complaint of injury; if injustice has been done them by any one. "IT 7'he law is open. See the margin. 'Aya^ixToi xyovTxi, i, e. y,fi'cex,t. There are court days i days which are open, or appointed for judicial trials, where such matters can be determined in a proper manner. Per haps the courts w-ere then held, and the matter might be immediately determined 1^ And there are deputies. Roman pro- consuls. Note, ch. xiii. 7. The cause might be brought before them w-ith the certainty that it might be heard and de- cided. The Syriac reads this in the sin- gular number — ' Lo, the proconsul is in the city.' IT Let them implead one another. Let them accuse each other in the court ; i. e. let thera defend their own cause, and arraign one another. The laws are equal, and impartial justice will be done.
39. But if ye inquire. If you seek to determine any other matters than that pertaining to the alleged wrong which Demetrius has suffered in his business. IT Other matters. Any thing respecting public affairs ; any thing pertaining to the government and the worship of Diana ^ Ina lavful assembly. In an assembly convened, not by tumult and riot, but in . conformity to law. This was a tumultu ous assemblage, and it was proper in the public officer to demand that they should disperse ; and that, if there were any public grievances to be remedied, it should be done in an assembly properly convened. It may be remarked here that the original word rendered assembly, is that which is usually in the New Tes- tament rendered church. 'Ex.y.Ki,(r!x. it is properly rendered by the word assem- bly— not denoting here a mixed (jr tumul- tuous assemblage, but one convened m the legal manner. The proper meaning of the word is, that which is called out The church, the Christian asseviblv of tiV
612
THE ACTS.
[A. J). 61,
be determined in a lawful assem- bly.
40 For we are in daiigrer to bo called in question for this day's uproar, there beincr no cause where- by we may give an account of this concourse.
41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. °
CHAPTER XX.
A ND after the uproar * was ceas-
■^^ ed, Paul called unto /urn the
disciples, and embraced them, and
i or, ordinary. o2Cor.l.8-10. fcc.19.40.
faithful, is marie up of those who are called out from the world.
40. To be called in question. By the government; by the Roman authority. Such a tumult, continued for so long a time, would be likely to attract the atten- tion of the magistrates, and expose them to their displeasure. Popular commotions were justly dreaded by the Roman go- vernment; and .such an assembly as this, convened without any good cause, would not escape their notice. There was a Roman law which made it capital for any one to be engaged in promoting a riot. Sui costum, et concur sum fecerit, ca- vile puniatur : 'He who raises a mob, let nim be punished with death.'
41 Dismissed the assembly. Tf.vUxxyia-iuv. The word usually translated church. Here it is applied to the irregular and tumultu- ous assemblage which had conv-ened in a riotous manner.
CHAPTER XX.
1. The vproar. The tumult excited by Demetrius and the workmen. Alter It had been quieted by the lown-clerk- ch. xix. 40, 41. TT Embraced them. Sa- luted them, gave them parting expres- sions of kindness. Comp. Nou>, J^uko vii. 45. Rom. xvi. 16. 1 Cor. xvl '20. 2 Cor. \iii. 12. 1 The.ss. v. 26. 1 Peter v. 14. The Syriac translates this, ' Paul called the disciples, and consoled them, and kissed them.' H 'J'o go to Macedonia. On his way to Jerusalem, agreeably to his pur- pose, recorded ch. xix. 21.
2. Over those parts. The parts of coun cry in and near Macedonia. He probably went to Macedonia by Troas, where ho expected to find Titus (2 Cor. ii. 12); biU not finding him there, he went by hini- Belf to Philippi, Theesalonica, &.C., and then returned to Greece proper. H liifo Greece. Into Gieecc proper, of which
departed, for to go into Macedo nia.
2 And when he had gone ovei those parts, and had given thero much ** exhortation, he came into Greece,
3 And there abode three months» And when the Jews laid wait ' foi him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.
4 And there accompanied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea ; aYid
clCor.16.5. lTim.1.3. d lThe5S.2.3,ll. e c.23 12;25.3. 2Cor.ll.26.
Athens was the capital. While in Mace- donia, he had great anxiety and trouble, but was at length comforted by the com- ing of Titus, who brought him intelli gence of the liberal disposition of the churches of Greece in regard to the col- le<:;tion for the poor saints at Jerusalem. 2 Cor. vii. 5 — 7. It is probable that the second epistle to the Corinthians was written during this time in Macedonia, and sent to them by Titus. See Note of Doddridge.
3. And there abode. Why he remained here is unknown. It is probable, thai while in Greece, he wrote the epistle to the Romans. Comp. Rom. xv. 25 — 27. H Laid wait. There was a design formed against him by the Jews, which they sought to execute. Why they formed this purftose, the historian has not in- formed us. II As he was about to sail. If would seem from this, that the design of the Jews was to attack the ship in which he was about to sail, or to arrest him on ship-board. This fact determined him to take a much more circuitous route by land, so that the churches of Macedonia were favoured with another visit from him. IT Into Syria. On his way to Jeru- salem. IT He purposed, &c. He resolved to avoid the snare which they had laid for him, and to return by the same way in which he had come into Greece.
4. Ajid there accompar^ied him. It wa« usual for some of the dis .iplcs to attend the apostles in their journeys. IT Into Asia, It is not meant that they attended hira from Greece through Rlaccdonia ; but that they went with him to Asia, having gone before him, and joined him at Troas. IF Sopater 0/ Berea. Perliap.s the same person wlio, in Rom. xvi. 21, is callei^ Sosijxitcr, and who is there said to haw been a kinsman of Paul lli Aristarchtu
V. D. 60.J
CHAPTER XX.
yr.,
of the The3salonians, Aristarchiis " and Secundus ; and Gains of Der- be, and '' Timotheus ; and of Asia, Tychicus " and '^ Trophimus.
5 These going before, tarried for as at Troas.
6 And we sailed away from Phi- rippi after the days of * unleavened Dread, and came unto them at Troas ' in five days ; where we abode seven days. »
a C.I9.2&. b c.16.1. c Eph.6.21. Col.4.7. 2Tim. 1.12. Tit.3.12. dc.2\.29. 2Tiis.4.20. eEx.23.13. /2Tim. 4.13.
ch. xiy, 29. T Gains of Derhe. Note, ch. xix. 29. IT Tychicus This man was high n the confidence ana affection of Paul. In Eph. vi. 21, 22, he siyles him "a be- loved brotlier, and faithful minister in the Jjord." IT And Trophimus. Trophimus was from Ephesus. ch. xx. 29. When Paul wrote his second epistle to Timo- thy, he was at Miletum, sick. 2 Tim. iv. 20.
5. These going before. Going before Paul and Luke. Dr. Doddridge supposes that only Tychicus and Trophimus went before the others. Perhaps i^he Greek most naturally demands this intorpreta- tion. H Tarried for us. The word "^ us" here, shows that Luke had again joined Paul as his companion. In ch. xvi. 12, it appears that Luke was in Philippi, in the house of Lydia. Why he remained there, or why he did not attend Paul in his jour- ney to Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, &c. is not known. It is evident, however, that he here joined him again. IT At Troas. Note, ch. xvi. 8.
6. Afer the days of unleavened bread. After the seven days of the passover, during which they ate only unleavened bread. See Ex.' xii. IT In five days. They crossed the iEgean sea. Paul, when he crossed it on a former occasion, did it in two days (ch. xvi. 11, 12); but the navigation of the sea is uncertain, and they were now probably hindered by contrary winds.
7. And upon the first day of the week. Showing thus, that this day was then ob- served by Christians as holy time. Comp. I Cor. xvi. 2. Rev. i. 10. IT To break b'-eud. Evidently to celebrate the Lord's supper Comp. ch. ii. 46. So the Syriac understands it, by translating it, ' to break the eucharist,' i. e. the eucharistic bread, [t is probable that the apostles and eai-ly Christians celebrated the Lord's supper >a every Lord's-day. IT And coniivued
7 And upon the first ^ day oi the week, when the disciples Ccitne to- gether to break '' bread, Paul preached unto them, re^y to de- part on the morrow ; anc^ontinued his speech unti'. midnight.
8 And there were many lights i the upper ' chamber, where the} were gathered together.
9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Euty
? 1 Cor. 16.2. Rev.1.10. h c.2.42.46. ICor.lO.Kfc 5 1.20-34. t c.1.13.
his speech until midnight. The discourse of Paul continued until the breaking of day. ver. 11. But it was interrupted about midnight by the accident that oc- curred to Eutychus. The fact that Paul was about to leave them on the next day, probably to see them no more, was the principal reason why his discourse W'as so long continued. We are not to sup- pose, however, that it was one continued or set discourse. No small part of the time might have been passed in hearing and answering questions, though Paul was the chief speaker. The case proves that such seasons of extraordinary devo t;on may, in peculiar circumstances, be proper. Occasions may arise where il will be proper for Christians to spend a much longer time than usual in public w^orship. It is evident, however, that such seasons do not often occur.
8. And there were many lights. Why this circumstance is mentioned is not ap parent. It, however, meets one of the slanders of ths early enemies of Chris- tianivy, that Christians in their assemblica were accustomed to extinguish all the lights, and to commit every kind of abo- mination. Perhaps the mention of many lights hero is designed to intimate that il was a place of public worship, as not only the Jews, but the Gentiles were ac- customed to have many lights burning in such places. ^ In the upper chamber Note. ch. i. 13.
9. And there sat tr. a windov). The window was left open pirtbably to avoid the malice of their enemies, who might be disposed otherwise to charge thera with holding their assemblies in df^rknesa for purposes of iniquity. The window was a mere opening in the wall to let in light, as there was no glass known attha( time; and as the shutters of the window were not closed, there was nothing to pre vent Eutychus from fallingf down. Ii TA»
21 1
THE ACTS.
[A. D 60.
chus, beinff lallen into a deep Sxeep ; and as Paul was long preaching-, he sunk down with sleep, and^U down from the third loft, and \^s taken up dead.
10 And Paul went down, and fell " on him, and embracing him^ said, ^ Trouble not yourselves ; for his life is in him.
1 1 When he therefore was come op again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
12 And they brought the young
s IKings 17.21. 2Kiugs 4.34. h Matt.9.24.
third loft. The third story. IT And was taken up dead. Some have supposed that he was merely stunned with the fall, and that he was still alive. But the obvious, and therefore the safest interpretation is, that he was actually killed by the fall, find was miraculously restored to life. This is an instance of sleeping in public worship tiiat has some apology. The late hour of the night, and the length of the services, were the excuse. But, though the thing is often done now, yet how sel- dom is a sleeper in a church furnished with an excuse for it. No practice is more shameful, disrespectful, and abomi- nable, than that so common of sleeping in the house of God.
10. And ftlL on him, &c. Probably Btretching himself on him as Elisha did on the Shunammite's son. 2 Kings iv. 33 — 35. it was an act of tenderness and compa-ssion, evincing a strong desire to restore him to life. IT Trouble not your- selves. They would doubtless be thrown into great consternation by such an event. Paul therefore endeavoured to compose their minds by the assurance that he would live. IT For his life is in him. He is restored to life. This has all the ippearance of having been a miracle. Life was restored to him as Paul spoke.
11. Come tip apain. To the upper room. ver. 8. H And had. broken bread, and eaten. Had taken refreshment. As this is spoken of Paul only, it is evidently distinguished from the celebration of the liord's supper.
12. Not a Utile comforted. By the fact that he was alive ; perhaps also strength- ened by the evidence that a miracle had been wrought.
13. Sailed unto Assos. There were neveral cities of this name. One was ill Lv;ia: one in the territory of Eolis;
man alive, and were not a Ijtle comforted.
13 And he went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intend- ing to take in Paul : for so had he aj)pointed, minding himself to go afoot.
14 And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.
^ And we sailed thence, and came the next dcii/ over agains", Chios ; and the next dai/ we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyl-
one in Mysia ; one in Lydia ; and another in Epirus. The latter is the one intended here. It was between Troas and Mitylene. The distance to it from Troas by sea was much greater than by land, and accordingly Paul chose to go to it on foot. IF Minding himself. Choos ing or preferring to go on foot. Most of his journeys were probably performed in this way.
14. Came to Mili/lene. This was the capital of the island of Lesbos. It was distinguished by the beauty of its situa- tion, and the splendour and magnificence of its edifices. The island on which it stood, Lesbos, was one of the largest in the ^gean sea, and the seventh in the Mediterranean. It is a few rniles distant from the coast of Aeolia, and is alx)ut on© hundred and sixty-eight miles in circum- ference. The name of the city now is Castro.
15. Over-agaxnsl. Opposite to. Into the neighbourhood of; or near to it. II Chios, called also Coos, an island in the Archipelago, between Lesbos and Samos. It is on the coast of Asia Minor, and is now called Scio. It will long he remem bered as the seat of a dreadful massacre of almost all its inhabitants by the Turks in 1823. ^ At Samos. This was also an island of the Archipelago, lying off the coast of Lydia, from which it is separated by a narrow strait. These islands were celebrated among the ancients ibr their extraordinary wines. IT TrogijlUum This was the name of a town and pro- montory of Ionia in Asia Minor, between Ephesus and the mouth of the river Me- ander, opposite to Samos. The promon- tory is a spur of mount Mycale. IT MiU' ins. Called also Miletum. It was a city and scajKirt, and the ancient capital of Ionia. It was originally composed ot a
\ D. 60.J
CHAPTER XX.
27£
tiuin; and the next day we came to ] Miletus.
16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia ; for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be * at Jerusalem the day of ' Pentecost.
17 And from Miletus he sent to
a C.1S.21: 24.17
c.2.1, lCor.16.8,
colony of Cretans. It be<|(re extremely powerful, and sent out colonies to a great number of cities on the Euxine sea. It was distinguished for a magnificent tem- ple dedicated to Apollo. It is now called by the Turks Melas. It was the birth- place of Thales, one of the seven wise men of Greece. It was about forty or fifty miles from Ephesus.
16. To sail by EpkesiLS. The word hy m our translation is ambiguous. We say to go by a place, meaning either to take It in our way, to go to it, or to go past it. Here it means the latter. He intended to Bad past Ephesus without going to it. IT For he hasted, &c. Had he gone to Ephesus, he would probably have been 80 delayed in his journey that he could not reach Jerusalem at the. time of Pen- tecost. IF The day of Pentecost. Note, ch.. ii. 1.
17. He sent to Ephesus. Perhaps a dis- tance of forty miles. IT The elders of the church. Who had been appointed vvhile he was there to take charge of the church. Note, ch. xv. 2.
18. And when they were come unto him. The discourse which follows is one of the most tender, affectionate, and eloquent which is any where to be found. It is strikingly descriptive of the apostle's manner of life while with them ; evinces his deep concern for their welfare ; is full of tender and kind admonition ; expresses the firm purpose of his soul to live to the glory of God, and his expectation W be persecuted still ; and is a most affection- ate and solemn farewell. No man can read it without being convinced that it came from a heart full of love and kind- ness; and that it evinces a great and noble purpose to be entirely employed in one great aim and object — the promotion of the glory of God, in the face of danger and of death. IF Ye know. From your owTi observation. He had been with them three years, and could make this solemn appeal to themselves, that he had led a faithful and devoted life. How 'jRiinr is it, when a minister can thus ao-
Ephesus, and c^alled the elders of the church.
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day *= that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 Serving the Lord with all '^ humility of mind, and with many
c c.l9.1,10. d lCor.15.9,10.
peal to those with whom he has laboared, in proof of his own sincerity and fidelity.' How comforting to himself", and how full of demonstration to a surrounding world, of the truth and power of the gospel which is preached. We may further re- mark, that this appeal furnishes strong proof of the purity and holiness of Paul's life. The elders at Ephesus must have had abundant opportunity to know him. They had seen him, and heard him pub- licly, and in their private dwellings. A man does not make such an appeal unless he has a consciousness of integrity, nor unless there is conclusive ^roq/' of his in- tegrity. It is strong evidence of the holi- ness of the character of the apostles, and proof that they were not impostors, that they could thus appeal with the utmost assurance to those who had every oppor- tunity of knowing them. ^ From the first day. He was with them three years, ver. 31. ^ Into Asia. Asia Minor. They would probably know not only how he had demeaned himself while with them, but also how he had conducted in other places near them. ^ After what manner I have been with you. How 1 have lived and acted. What has been my manner of life. What had been his mode of life, he specifies in the following verses. IT At all seasons. At all times.
19. Serving the Lord. In the discharge of the appropriate duties of his apostolic office, and in private life. To discharge aright our duties in any vocation, is serv- ing the Lord. Religion is often repre sented in the Bible as a service rendered to the Lord. IT With all humility. With- out arrogance, pride, or a spirit of dicta- tion; without a desire to '.'lord it over God's heritage," without being elated with the authority of the apostolic office, the varietyof the miracles which he was enabled to perform, or the success which attended his labours. What an admira bie model for ail who are in the ministry, fnr all who are endowed with talents and learning, and for all who meet with re- markable success in their \york. The
376
THE ACTS.
l^.D. 6t
tears, " and temptations, * whicli befell me by ' the lying in wait of the Jews :
proper effect of such success, and of such »alent, will be to produce true humility. Eminent success in the work of the mi- nistry tends to produce lowliness and hninbleiiess of mind; and the greatest ordovvnients are usually connected with oha most simple and childlike humility. V And with many tears. Paul, not unfre- quenlly, gives evidence of the tender- ness of his heart, and his regard for the souls of men, and his deep solicitude for the salvation of sinners, ver. 31. Phil. Hi. 18. 2 Cor. li. 4. The ^ar/icuZar thing, however, here specified as producing weeping, was the opposition of the Jews. But it cannot be supftosed that those tears were sJied from an apprehension of per- soiial danger. It was rather becau.se the opposition of the Jews impeded his work, and retarded his progress in winning souls to Christ. A minister of the gospel will, (1.) Feel, and deeply feel for the salvation of his people. He will weep over their condition when he sees them going astray, and in danger of perishing. lie will, (2.) Be especially affected with opposition, because it will retard his work, and prevent the progress and the triumph of the gospel. It is not because it is a personal concern, but because it is ihe cause of his Master. IT And tempta- tions. Trials, arising from their opposi- tion. We use the word temptation in a more limited sense, to denote inducements offered to mie to lead him into sin. The word in the Scriptures most commonly denotes trials of any kind. IF Which be- fell me. Which happened to me ; which I encountered. II 13 y the lying in vait, &c. B\' their snares and plots against my life. Comp. ver. 3. Those snares and plans were designed to blast his reputa- .ion, and to destroy his usefulness.
20. / kept back nothing, S^c. No doc- trine, no admonition, no labour. What- ever he judged would promote their sal- vation, he had faithfully and fearlessly delivered. A minister of the gos|)ol must be the judge of what will be profitahle to the people of his charge. Ilis aim ehuuld 1)0 to promote their real welfare — to preacri that which will be profitable. His object will not be to please their fanny; to gratify their taste; to flaller their pride; or to proriiole his own popu- larity. * All Sc.'ipture U jmififable" (2 ''^ X '.J ^) ; and it wil' lie ilis aim to
20 Jlnd how «* I kept back no- thing- that was profitable unto you^ but have shewed you, and have
declare that only which will tend to pro- mote their real welfare. Even if it be unpalatable ; if it be the language of re- proof and admonition; if it be doctrine to which the heart is by nature opposed ; if it run counter to the nahve prejudice« and passions^f men ; yet, by the grace of God, it %dHfed be, and will be deli vered. JN'o docrrinc that will be profita- ble should be kept back ; no plan, no la- bour, that may promote the welfare of the flock, should be withheld. IT Bui have shewed you. Have announced or declared to you. The word here used {y.vxyyi7Kxi) is most commonly applied to preaching in public assemblies, or in a public manner, IT Have taught you pub- licly. In the public assembly ; by public preaching. H And from house to house. Though Paul preached in public, and though his time was much occupied in manual labour for his own support (ver 34), yet he did not esteem hispublic preach ing to be all that was required of him ; nor his daily occupation to be an excuse for not visiting from house to house. We may observe here, (1.) That Paul's exam- ple is a warraat and an implied injunc- tion for family visitation by a pastor. If proper in Ephesus, it is proper still. If practicable in that city, it is in other cities. If it was useful there, it will be else- where. If it furnished to him consola- tion in the retrospect when he came to look over his ministry, and if it was one of the things which enabled him to say "I am pure from the blood of all men,'' it will be so in other cases. (2.) The design for which ministers should visit should be a religious design. Paul did not visit for 'mere ceremony, nor for idle gossip, or chit-chat ; nor to converse on tUlmere news or }x)litics of the day. His aim was, to show the way of salvation, and to teach in private what he taught in public. (3.) How much of this is to be done is, of course, to be left to the dis- cretion of every minister. Paul, in pri- vate visiting, did not neglect public in struction. The latter he evidently con sidcred to be his main or chief business. His high v.rws of the ministry ore evinced in his life, and in his letters tc Timothy and Titus. Yet, while public preaching is the main, the prime, tho leading business of a minister, and w«ilo his first <*tt">rt« "hould ]yi d''»':f«'J to pre
CHAPTER XX.
and ^ from
\. D, GO.]
taught you publicly, house to house,
21 Testifying- both to the .Tews and also to the Greeks, repentance * toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
a 2Tim.4.2. b Mark 1.15. Luke 24.47.
277
{larsition for that, he may and should find time to enforce his public inotructions by going from house to house i and often he will find that his most immediate and ap- parent success will result from such fami- ly instructions. (4.) If it is his duty to visit, it is the duty of his people to receive him as becomes an ambassador of Christ. They should be willing to listen to his instructions , to treat him with kindness, and to aid his endeavours in bringing a family under the influence of reli- gion.
21. Testifying. Bearing witness to the necessity of repentance towards God. Or teaching them the nature of. repentance, &c., and exhorting them to repent and believe. Perhaps the word testifying in- cludes both ideas of giving evidence, and of urging with great earnestness and af- fection that repentance and faidi were necessary. See I Tim. v. 21. 2 Tim. ii. 14; where the word here used, and here translated testify, is there translated, cor- rectly, charge, in the sense of strongly urging, or entreating with great earnest- ness. IT And to the Greeks. To all vvho were not Jews. The Greeks properly denoted those who lived in Greece, and who spoke the Greek languag3. But the phrase, ' Jews and Greeks,' among the Hebrews, denoted the whole human race. He urged the necessity of repentance and faith in all. Religion makes no dis- tinction, but regards all as sinners, and as needing salvation by the blood of the Redeemer. H Repentance toward God. Note, Matt. iii. 2. Repentance is to be exercised "toward God," because, (1.) Sin has been committed against him, and it is proper that we express our sorrow to the Being whom we have offended ; and, (2.) Because God only can pardon. Sin- cere repintanoe exists only where there is a willingness to make acknowledgment to the very Being whom we have offend- ed, or injured. *^ And faith. J)|||^, Mark xvi. 16. IT Toward. Eii. In regard to ; in ; confidence in the work and merits of the Lord Jesus. This is required, be- cause there is no other one who (an save fiom sin. Note, ch. iv. 12.
22. Bound in (ne spirit. Strongly
•i A
22 And now, behold, T go' bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing '^ the things that shall be- fall me there :
23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every cit)?^, say
cc.19.21. dJam.4.U.
urged or constrained by the influence? of the Holy Spirit on my mind. • Not by any desire tu see the place where my fathers worshipped, and not urged merely by reason, but by the convictions and mighty promptings of the Holy Spirit to do my duty in this case. The expression " bound in the spirit" {SsSi/Avog tu, nv£C/*»Tj; is one of great strength and emphasis. The word Alxi, to biiid, is usually applied to confinement by cords, fetters, or bands (Matt. .viii. 30 ; xiv. 3 ; xxi. 2) ; and then denotes any strong obligation (Rom. vii. 2), or any thing that strongly urges, or impels. Matt. xxi. 2. When we are strongly urged by the convictions of duty, by the influences of the Holy Spirit, we should not shrink from danger or from death. Duty is to bedoneat allhaz&rds. It is ours to follow the directions of God ; re- suits we may safely and confidently leave with him. IT Not knowing the things, that shall befall me there. He knew that calamities and trials of some kind await- ed him (ver. 23), but he did not know, (l.J Of what particular kind they would be , nor, (2.) Their issue, whether it should be life or death. We should commit our way unto God, not knowing what trials may be before us in lii'e ; but know- ing that, if w^e are found faithful at the post of duty, we have nothing to fear in the issue.
23. Save that. Except that. This waa all that he knew, that bonds and afflictions were to be his portion. IT The Holy Gkosi witnesseth. Either by direct revelation to him, or by the predictions of inspired men whom Paul might meet. An instance of the latter mode occurs in ch. xxi. 11. It is probable that the meaning here is, that the Holy Ghost had deeply impress- ed the mind of Paul by his direct in- fluences, and by his experience in every city, that bonds and trials were to be his portion. Such had been his experience in every city where he had preached the gospel by the direction of the Holy Ghost that he regarded it as his certain portiop that he was thus to be afflicted. IT In every city. In almost every city where Paul had been, he had been subjected to tiese trials. Ii« had been persecu'fld
CT'i
, THE ACTS
bonds ar.d aflljctions '
LA. D. Ca
ir.^ • that tbide me. 24 But none * of these things
ac.9.16; 21.11. i or wait for m*. fcc.21.13.
aoai.8.35,37. 2Cor.4.16.
»toried, and scourged. So uniform was •his, so constant had been his experience in thin way, that he regarded it as his certain portion to be thus afflicted ; and he approaclied Jerusalem, and every other city, with a confident expectation that such trials awaited him there. IT tSai/ing. In his experience : by direct levelation , and bv the mouth of prophets, ch. xxi. 11. When Paul was called to the apostleship, it was predicted that he would suffer much. ch. ix. 16. IT Bonds. Chainn. That I would be bound, as prisoners are who are confined. IF Abide me. See the margin. They remain or wait for me ; i. e. I must expect to sufler them.
24. Move me. Alarm me ; or deter me from my purpose. Gr. 'I make an account of iione of them.' I do not regard them as of any moment, or as worth considera- tion, in the great purpose to which I have devoted my life. ^ Neither count I my ^ife. I do not consider my life as so valu- able as to be retained by turning away from bonds and persecutions. I am cer- tain of bonds and afflictions ; I am willing also, if it be necessarjs to lay down my life in the prosecution of the same pur- pose. IT Dear unto myself. So precious or valuable as to be regained at the sacri- fice of duty. I am willing to sacrifice it if it be nece^^ary. This was the spirit of the Saviour, and of all the early Christians. Duty is of more importance than life ; and when eitlier duty or life is to be sacrificed, life is to be cheerfully Eurrendered. IT So that. This is my main object, to finish my course with joy. It is im[)Iied here, (1.) That this was the great purpose which Paul had in view. (2.) Th^ if he should even lay down his life in this cause, it wovld be a finishing his course with joy. In the faithful dis- charge of duty, he had nothing to fear. Life would be ended wii'h peace when- ever God should require him to finish his courne. H Finish vtii course. Close my fareer ns an apostle and a Christian Life is thuH ronresentcd as a course, or race that is to be run. 2 Tim. iv. 7. Ileb. xii. 1. 1 Cor. ix. 24. Acts xiii. 25. ^With joy. With the approlmiion of conscience fld of God ; v.ilh [io.k e in the rrcollec- Oun of the past. Mnn should strive eo to
9 s\ia\ he will have ih»tliing to regret
move me, neither count I my life
dear unto myself, so that I might
finish my course with joy, and the
when he lies on a bed of death. It is a glorious privilege to finish life with joy. It is most sad and awful when the last hours are imbittered with the reflection that life has been wasted, or that the course has been evil. The only way in which the course of life may be finished with joy, is by meeting faithfully every duty, and encountering, as Paul did every trial with a constant desire to glo rify God. "iT Arid the ministry. That I may fully discharge the duty of the apos tolic office, the preaching of the gospel. in 2 Tim. iv. 5, he charges Timothy to mahefidl proof of his ministry. He here shows that this was the ruling principle of his owii life. If Which I have received of the Lord Jesus. Which the Lord Je sus has committed to me. Acts ix. 15 — 1? Paul regarded his ministry as an office intrusted to him by the Lord Jesus him- self On this account he deemed it to be peculiarly sacrisd, and of high authority. Gal. i. 12. Every minister has been in- trusted with an office by the Lord Jesus. He is not his own ; and his great aim should be, to discharge fully and entirely the duties of that office. 11 To testify the gospel. To bear witness to the good news of the favour of God. This is the great design of the ministry. It is to beai witness to a dying world of the pood news that God is merciful, and that his favour may be made manifest to sinners From this verse we may learn, (I.) Thai we all have a course to run ; a duty to perform. Ministers have an allotted duty ; and so have men in all ranks anc professions. (2.) We should not be de- terred by danger, or the fear of death, from the discharge of that duty. We are safe only when we are doing the will of God. We are really m danger only when we neglect our duty, and make the great God our enemy. (3.) We should so live as that the end of our course may bo joy. It is, at best, a solemn thing to die ; but death may be a scene of lriumj)h and of joy. (4.) It raal- fers htl^jwhon, or where, or how w^ die, if \^^dic in the discharge of our duty to God. He will order the circiim- Btancos of our departure ; and he can sustain us in the last ronflirt. Happy is that life whicli is sjient in doing the wi? of God, and peaceful that death whi''*
4. D. 6U.J
CHAFTEK XX.
i7i)
ministry * which I have received* of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
25 And now, behold, I know that ye all among whom 1 have gone preacliing the kingdom of
(r2Csr.4.1. i Gal. 1.1.
God, shall see ray face no nriore.
26 Wherefore 1 take you to re- cord this day that I am pure '^ from the blood of all men.
27 For 1 have not shunned to de- clare untoyou all thecounsel'^of God.
c2Cor.7.2. d Eph.l.ll.
closes a life of toil and trial in the ser- vice of the Lord Jesus.
25. I know that ye all Perhaps this means simply, ' I have no expectation of seeing you again ; I have every reason to suppose that this is my final interview with you.' He expected to visit Ephesus no more. The journey to Jerusalem was dangerous. Trials and persecutions he knew awaited him. Besides, it is evi- dent that he designed to turn his atten- tion to other countries, and to visit Rome ; and probably had already formed the purpose of going into Spain. See Acts six. 2K Comp. Rom. xv. 23 — 28. From (ill these considerations it is evident that
he had no expectation of being again at|j.neglect or fault of theirs Ephesus ; it is probable, however, that - -
he did again return to that city. See Note, ch xxviii. 31. IT Among xokom I have gone preaching. Among whom I have preached. The parting of a minis- ter and people is among the most tender and affecting of the separations that occur on earth. H The kingdom of God. Making known thu nature of the reign of God on earth by tlie Messiah. See Note, Matt. iii. 2-
26. Wherefore. A.id, In view of the past, of my ministry and labours among you, I appeal to your own selves to testify that I have been faithful. IF liake you to record. Gr. I call you to witness ; I ap- peal to you to testify. If any of you are lost, if you prove unfaithful to God, I ap- peal to yourselves that the fault is not mine. It is well when a minister can make this appeal, and call his hearers to bear testimony to his own faithfulness. Ministers who preach the gospel with fidelity may thus appeal to their hearers ; and in the day of judgment may call on them to witness that the fault of the ruin of the soul is not to be charged to them. IT IViat I am pure. I am not to be charged with the guilt of your condemnation, as owing to my unfaithfulness. This does not mean that he set up a claim to abso- lute perfection ; but that, in the matter under consideration, he had a conscience void of offence. IT 2'/ie blood of all men.
•The word Hood is used often in the sense of death, or bloo^i sh'tJ : and hence of
t?ie guilt or crime of putting one to death, or condemnation for it. Matt, xxiii. 35 ; xxvii. 25. Acts v. 28 ; xviii. 6. It here means, that if they should die the- second death, if they should be lost for ever, he would not he to blame. He had dis- charged his duty, in faithfully warning and teaching them ; and now if they were lost, the fault would be their own, not his. IT All men. All classes of men — Jews and Gentiles. He had warned and in- structed all alike. Ministers may have many fears that their hearers will be lost. Their aim, however, should be, (1.) To save them, if possible ; and, (2.) If they are lost, that it should be by no^, of theirs. ^^
27. For. This verse contains a reason for what had been said in the previous verse. It shows why Paul regarded him- self as innocent if they should be lost- IF / have not shunned. I have not kept back ,• I have not been deterred by Fear, by the desire of popularity, by the fact that Ihe doctrines of the gospel are un- palatable to men, from declaring them fully. The proper meaning of the word translated here, " I have not shunned" (\j7rstrTiiXi!j.-/,v), Is to disguise any impor- tant truth ; to withdraw it from public view; to rfec/me publishing it from fear, or an apprehension of the consequences. Paul means that he had not disguised any truth ; he had not withdrawn or kept it from open view, by any apprehension of the effect which it might have on their minds. Truth may be disguised or kept back, (I.) By avoiding the subject altoge- ther from timidity, or an apprehension of giving offence if it is openly proclaimed ; or, (2.) By giving it too little prominency, so that it shall be lost in the multitude of other truths; or, (3.) By presenting it amidst a web of metaphysical specula- tions, by entangling it with otberpubjx.'cts • or, (4.) By making use of other terms th&r. the Bible does, for the purpose of inv*^lv ing it in a mist, so that it cannot be un- derstood. Men may resort to this course (1.) Because the truth itself will be un- palatable ; (2.) Because they may appre^ hend the loss of repuration or support ;3.) Because they mav not love the truf I
.280
28 Take heed " therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock,
a Col.4.n. lTi.in.4.16.
THE ACTS. LA. D. 60
over the which the Holy Ghos*. hath made you ^ overseers, to feed
iHeb. 13.17.
themselves, and choose to conceal its pro- minent and otiensive points ; (4.) Because they may be afraid of the rich, the great, and the gay, and ayjprehend that they Bhall excite their indignation ; and, (5.) By a love of metaphysical i)hilosophy, anti a constant etiort to bring every thing to the test of tiieir own reason. Men often preach a philosophical exjilaiiation of a doctrine instead ol {he doctrine itself. They deserve the credit of ingenuity, but not that of being open and bold prociaim- ers of the truth of God. IT The whole coun- sel. Jia<rav T V /Ecu\/>. The word counsel (iouxf/) denotes properly consultation, de- liberation ; and then will or purjKjse. Luke xxiii. 51. Acts ii. 23. It means here the will or purfjose of God, as revealed in regard to the salvation of men. Paul had made a full statement of that plan — 1^ the guilt of men, of the claims of the mw, of the need of a Saviour, of the provisions of mercy, and of tlie state of future rewards and punishments. Minis- ters ought to declare all that counsel, be- cause God commands it ; because it is needful for the salvation of men ; and, because the message is not theirs, but God's, and they have no right to change, to disguise, or to withhold it. And if it is the duty of ministers to declare that counsel, it is the duty of a people to lis- ten to it with respect and candour, and with a desire to know the truth, and to be saved by it. Declaring the counsel of God will do no good, unless it is received into honest and humble hearts, and with a disposition to know what God has re- vealed for salvation.
28. Take heed therefore. Attend to; be on your guard against the dangers which beset you, and seek to discharge your duty with fidelity. IT To yourselves. 'To your own piety, opinions, and mode of life. This is the first duty of a minister ; for, without this, nil his preaching will be vain. Comp. Col. iv. 17. 1 Tim. iv. 14. Ministers are beset with peculiar dan- gers and temptations, and against them they should be on their guard. In addi- tion to the tem[)tation8 which they have tn common with olher men, they arc ex|)osed to those peculiar to their of- fice— arising from flattery, and ambition, an<l despondciKv, and worldly-minded- ness. And just in ])ro|K)rlion io the im- portance of their oflicf, is the iin[)ortc:ncc of the injunction of l*aa' V» t.ike heed to
themselves. I1 And to all the flock. Tht church ; the charge intrusted to them. The church of Christ is cften compared toajlock. See JNotes on John x. 1 — 20. also John xxi. 15 — 17. The word Jlock here refers particularly to the church, and not to the congregation in general, for it if represented to be that which was purchas- ed wilh the blood of the atonement. The comma nd here is, (1.) To take heed to the church: i. e. to instruct, teach, and guide it; to guard it from enemies (ver. 29), and to make it their special object to pro- mote its welfare. (2.) To take heed to ALL the flock — the rich and the poor, the bond and the free, the old and the young It is the duty of ministers to seek to promote the welfare of each individual of their charge — not to pass by the poor because they are poor ; and not to be afraid of the rich because they are rich. 1^ shepherd regards the interest of the tendercst of the fold as much as the strongest ; and a faithful minister will seek to advance the interest of all. To do this, he should know all his people ; should be acquainted, as far as possible, with their peculiar wants, character, and dangers, and should devote himself to their welfare as his first and main em- ployment. IT Over the vhich the Holy Ghost. Though they had been appointed doubtless, by the church, or by the apos- tles, yet it IS here represented as having been done by the Holy Ghost. It was by him, (1.) Because he had called and qualified them for their work ; and, (2.) Because they had been set apart in ac cordance with his direction and will IF Overseers, 'n^-to-xojrou;. Bishops. The word pro])erly denotes those who are ap- pointed to oven^ee, or inspect any thing. This passage proves that the name was applicable to eiders ; and that in the timo of the apostles, the name bishop andpres- hyter, or elder, was given to the same class of ofTicers, and, of course, that there was no distinction between them. One term was originally used to denote office the other o^c, and both were applied to the Fame jiersons in the church. The same thing occurs in Titus i. f) — 7, whers those who in ver. 5 are called elders, are in ver. 7 called bishops. See also 1 Tim. iii. 1 -10. Phil. i. 1. IT To feed. \\r.,ij%ivciv. This word is properly applied to the c;ire which a shepherd exerciset over his tluck. 8eo Notes John xxi. 15
A D. 60 ]
CHAPTER XX.
'^oi
« the church of God, which he hath
purchased ' with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my
oPrnv.10.21, Jer.3.15. Jno.21. 15-17. lPet.5.2,3. fcEph.l.U. Col. 1.14. Heb.9.12,14. IPet.l. 18,19. Rev. 6.9
16. It applies not only to the act oi feed- ing a flock, but also to that of protecting, gui,jing, and guarding it. It here denotes not merely the duty of properly instruct- ing the church, but also of governing it ; of securing it from enemies (ver. 29), and of directing its affairs so as to promote its edificaiion and peace. IF The church of God. This is one of the three passages in the New Testament in regard to which there has been a long contraversy among critics, which is not yet determined. The controversy is, whether this is the correct and genuine reading. The other two passages are, 1 Tim. iii. 16; and ] John V. 7. The MSS. and versions exhibit three readings : the church of God (too esoC); the church of the Lord (toO Ku^i'ou); and the church of the Lord and God (Kjf tou ■Au.i GsoC). The Latin vulgate reads it God. The Syriac, the Lord. The Arabic, the Lord God. The Ethiopic, the Christian family of God. The reading which now occurs in our text is found in no ancient MSS., except the Vatican codex ; and occurs nowhere among the writings of the fathers, except in Atha- nasius, in regard to whom also there is*a various reading. It is retained, however, by Beza, Mill, and Whitby, as the genu- ine reading. The most ancient MSS- and the best, read the church of the Lord, and this probably was the genuine text. It has been adopted by Griesbach and Wetstein ; and many important rea- sons may be given why it should be re- tained. See those reasons stated at length in Kuinoel in loco ; see also Griesbach and Wetstein. It may be remarked, that a change from Lord to God might easily be made in the transcribing, for in an- cient MSS, the words are njt written at length, but are abbreviated. Thus, the name Christ (Xjirroj) is written xos; the name God (©«=?) is written 002 ; the name Lord (Kuf .0.;) is Written KOS ; and a mis- take, therefore, of a single letter would lead to the variations observable in the manuscripts. Comp. in this place the Note of Mill in his Greek Testament, who thinks that the name God should be retained. The authority however is so doubtful, that it should not be used as a Droof text on the divinity of Christ ; and not necessary as th'^re are so many
departing shall grievous wolves* enter in among you, not sparing '^ the flock.
c Matt.7.15. 2Pet2.1. d Jer.l3.20;23.1. Ezek.S4
2,3. Zech.11.17.
undisputed passages on that subject IT Which he hath purchased. The word here used (-£e<£;ro.>io-aTo) occurs but in one other place in the New Testament. 1 Tim. iii. 13, " For they that have used the office of deacon 'we\[,purchase to them- selves a good degree and great boldness in the faith." The word properly means to acquire or gain any thing ; or to make ii ours. This may be done by a price, or by labour, &c. The noun [Tn^iTToinTii) de- rived from this verb is several times used in the New Testament, and denotes acqui sition. 1 Thess. v. 9, " God hath appoint- ed us to obtain [unto the obtaining or acquisition of] salvation." 2 Thess. ii. 14.. " Whereunto he called you by our gos- pel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. ii. 9. Tit. ii. 14. Eph. i. 14. In this place,' it means that Christ had acquired, gained, or procured the church for himself by paying his own life as the price. The church is often represented as having thus been bought with a price. 1 Cor. vi. 20 ; vii. 23. 2 Pet ii. 1. IT With his own Mood. With the sacrifice of his own life ; for blood is often put for life, and to shed the blood is equivalent to taking the life. See Note, Rom, iii. 2.5. The doctrines taught here are, (1.) That the death of Christ was an atoning sacrifice ; that he offered himself to purchase a people to his own service. (2.) That the church is, there- fore, of peculiar value — a value to be estimated by the worth of the price paid for it. Comp. 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. (3.) That this fact should make the purity and sal vation of the church an object of specia" solicitude with the ministers of the gos pel. They should be deeply affected in view of that blood which has been shed for the church ; and they should guard and defend it as having been bought with the highest price in the universe. The chief consideration that will make minis, ters faithful and self-denying is, that the church has been bought with a price If the Lord Jesus so loved it ; if he gave himself for it, they should be willing to I deny themselves, to watch, and toil, and pray, that the great object of his death— the purity and the salvation of thai church — may be obtained. 29. For I'know this. By what he ha<i
18?
THE ACTS
A. L). bO
30 A.lso of " your own selves | member that by tne space of three
shall men arise, speakingr perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, * and re-
a IJdo.2.19. Jude4,&c.
leen in other places ; by his knowledge of human nature, and of the dangers to which they were exposed ; and by the guidance of inspiration. ^ After my de- jjarture. Ilis presence had been the means of guarding the church, and pre- serving it from these dangers. Now that the founder and guide of the church was to be removed, they would be exposed to dissensions and dangers. IT Grievous violves. Heavy {S-x^i'i.;), strong, mighty, dangerous wolves — so strong that .the feeble flock would not be able to resist them. The term wolves is used to denote the enemies of the flock — false, and hypo- critical, and dangerous teachers. Comp. Matt. X. 16. Note, vii. 15. IT Enter in among you. From abroad ; doubtless re- ferring particularly to the Jews, who might be expected to distract and divide them. IT Not sparing the flock. Seeking to destroy the church. The Jews would regard it with peculiar hostility, and would seeH to destroy it in every way. Probably they would approach them with great professed friendship for them, and expressing a desire only ta defend the laws of Moses.
30. Also of your own selves. From your own church ; from those who pro- fess to be Christians. ^ Speaking j^er- verse things. Crooked, perverted, dis- tracting doctnnes (rTiso-Tf a/^^lva). Comp. ^ Note, Acts xiii. 10. They would pro- claim doctrines tending to distract and divide the church. The most dangerous enemies which the church has had, have been nurtured in its own bosom, and have consisted of those who have per- verted the true doctrines of the gospel. Among the Ephesians, as among the Corinthians (Cor. i. 11 — 13), there might be parties formed ; there might be men influenced by ambition, like Diotrephes (3 John 9), or like Phygellus or Her- mogencs (2 Tim. i. 15). or like Hyme- neus and Alexander. 1 Tim. i. 20. Men jnder the influence of ambition, or from .no love of pcvwer or popularity, form ^>irties in the church, produce divisions and dJHtraclions, and greatly retard its in- ternal prfwperity, and mar its neace. 'J'lio rhurch of Christ would have little to fear from external entmies if it nurtured no foes in its own bosom; and all the power
years I ceased not to warn '' every one night and day with tears.
32 And now, brethren, i com mend you to God, and to the word
of persecutors is not so much to be dreaded as thecounsels and plans, the parties, strifes, heart-burnings, and contentions w hich are produced by those who have power, among the professed friends of Christ.
31. Therefore watch. Matt. xxiv. 42. In view of the dangers which beset your- selves (ver. 28), the danger from men not connected with the church (ver. 29), and the danger that shall arise from the lovers of power among yourselves (ver. 30), be on your guard. Observe the approach of danger, and set yourselves against it IT Remember. Recall my counsels and admcnidons in reference to these dan- gers. IT By the space of three years. In ch. xix. 10, we are told that Paul spen two years in the school of Tyrannus. In ch. xix. 8, it is said that he was teacb ing in the synagogue at Ephesus threj» months. In addition to this, it is not im- probable that he spent some months more in Ephesus in instructing the church in other places. Perhaps, however, by the phrase three years, he meant to use merely a round number, denoting about three years ; or, in accordance with the Jewish customs, part of each of the three years — one whole year, and a considera ble portion of the two others. Comp. Note, Matt. xii. 40. "T / ceased not. I continued to do it. II To warn. To admonish; to place before the mind (I'oj^jTai) ; setting the danger and duty of each individual before him. IT Every one. lie had thus set them an example of what he had enjoined, ver. 28. He had admonished each individual, what- ever was his rank or standing. It is well when a minister can refer to his own ex- ample as an illustration of what he meant by his precepts. ? Night and day. Continuallv ; by every opportunity. IT "IV'tVA tears. Expressive of his deep- feeling and his deep interest in their wel fare. Note on ver. 19.
32. And now, hrcthreyi. About to ieavo them, probably to see them no more, he committed them to the faithful care and keeping of God. Amidst all the dangers of the church, when human strength fails or is withdrawn, we may commit that church to the safe keeping and ten der care of God. IT I connnend you. 1 commil you; I place ycu (^»(»Ti^ifion) ir
A- D. 60.]
CHAPTER XX
283
of his grace, which " is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance '' among all them which %re sanctified.
«Jno.l7.1T. tc.26.18. Col.1.12. Heb.9.15. lPet.1.4.
his hands, and under his protection. Note, Acts xiv. 23. IT And to the word of his grace. That is, to his gracious word ; to his merciful promise. To his doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ, which has been conferred on us by grace. Paul refers, doubtless, to the gospel — in- cluding its promises of support, its consol- ing truths, and its directions to seek all needful help and comfort in God. TT Which is able. Which has power. Ti S>jvx,uivv. Which word, or gospel, has power to build you up. Heb. iv. 12, " For the word of God is quick [living, life-giving, (■af], and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword," &c. Comp. Isa. xlix. 2. Jer. xxiii. 29. " Is not my word like as a fire ? saith the Lord : and like a ham- mer that breaketh the rock in pieces ?" It is implied here, that the gospel is not a dead letter ; that it has power to ac- complish a great work ; and that it is adapted to the end in view, the conver- sion and san^tification of the soul. There is no danger in representing the gospel as mighty, and as fitted by infinite wisdom to secure the renovation and salvation of man. Comp. Rom. i. 16. 1 Cor. i. 18. 2 Cor. X. 4. IT 2'o build you up. The word used here is properly applied to a house which is reared and completed by slow degrees, and by toil. It here means to establish, make firm, or permanent ; and hence to instruct, to establish in doctrine, and in hope. It here means that the word of God was able to confirm and es- tablish them in the hopes of the gospel, amidst the dangers to which they would be exposed. ^ And to give you an inheri- tance. To make you heirs ; or to make you joint partakers with the saints of the blessings in reserve for the children of God. Those blessings are often repre- sented as an inheritance, or heirship, which God will confer on his adopted children. Matt. xix. 29 ; xxv. 34. Mark x. 17. Heb. vi. 12. Rev. xxi. 7. Eph. i. 11 ; V. 5. Col. i. 12; iii. 24. Rom. viii. 17. Gal. iii. 29. IT Among all them which are sanctified With all who are holy ; w ith all the saints. Note, John x. 3fi. Those who shall bo saved are made holy. They who receive a part in the inheritance be- yond the grav©, shall have it only among the sanctified aiid the pure. They must,
33 I *= have coveted no man's sil- ver, or gold, or apparel.
34 Yea, ye yourselves "^ know, that these hands have ministered
c lSam.12.3. lCor.9.12. 2Cor.7.2. 4.12. lThe33.2.9. 2Thes3. 3.8.
d c.l8.3.1Cor,
therefore, be pure tt mselves, or they can have no part ia the kingdom of Christ and of God.
33. / have coveted. I have not desired. I have not made it an object of my living among you to obtain your property. Thus (2 Cor. xii. 14) he says, " I seek not yours, but you." Paul had power to demand support in the ministry as the reward of his labour. 1 Cor. ix. 13, 14. Yet he did not choose to exercise it, lest it should bring the charge of avarice against the ministry. 1 Cor. ix. 12. 15. Paul also had power in another respect. He had a vast influence over the people. The early Christians were disposed to commit their property to the disposal of the apostles. See Acts iv. 34, 35. 37. The heathen had been accustomed to devote their property to the support of religion. Of this pro- pensity, if the object of Paul had been to make money, he might have availed him- self, and have become enriched. De- ceivers often thus impose on people for the purpose of amassing wealth ; and one of the incidental but striking proofs of the Christian religion, is here furnished in the appeal which the apostle Paul made to his hearers, that this had not been his mo- tive for action. If it had been, how easy would it have been for them to have con- tradicted him ! and w ho, in such circum- stances, would have dared to make such an appeal ? The circumstances of the case, therefore, prove that the object of the apostle was not to amass wealth. And this fact is an important proof of the truth of the religion which he defended. What should have induced him to labour and toil in this manner, but a conviction of Jhe truth of Christianity? And if he really believed it was true, it is, in his circumstances, a strong proof that this re- ligion is from heaven. See this proof stated in Faber's " Difficulties of Infidel ity," and in Lord Lyttleton's " Letter on the conversion of St. Paul." ^ Or ap- parel. Raiment. Changes of raiment among the anciento, as at present among the orientals, constituted an important part of their property. See Note, on Matt. vi. 19.
34. Yea, ye yourselves know. By 3'ou. own acquaintance with, my manner oi life. In Corinth he had lived and laboiw
284
THE ACTS.
[A. D. GO.
anto my necessities, and to them tliat were with me. 35 I have showed you all t.iings,
ed with ApoUos (Note, ch. xviii. 3) ; and ne refers elsewhere to the fact, that he had supported himself, in part at least,by his own labour. 1 Cor. iv. 12. 1 Thess. ii. 9. 2 Thess. iii. 8. We may hence learn that it is no discredit to a muiister to labour. Whatever it may be to a peo- ple who put him under a necessity to toil for his support, yet the example of Paul shows that a man should rejoice in the privilege of preaching the gospel, even if it is done while he is obliged to resort to labour for his daily bread. It is well when a minister of the gospel can make an appeal to his people like this of Paul, and say, " I have coveted no man's gold, or silver, or apparel." Every minister should so live that he can make this ap- peal to their own consciences of the sin- cerity and disinterestedness of his labours from the pulpit ; or when called to sepa- rate from them as Paul did ; or when on a dying bed. Every minister of the gospel, when he comes to lie down to die, will desire to be able to make this appeal, and to leave a solemn tes- timony there, that it was not for gold, or ease, or fame, that he toiled in the min- isterial office. How much more influence can such a man have, than he who has been worldly-minded ; who has sought to become rich ; and the only memorials of whose life is, that he has sought " the fleece, not the flock," and that he has gained the property, not the souls of men. And every Christian, when he dies, fehould and will desire to leave a testi- mony as pure, that he has been disinter- ested, self-denying, and laborious in the cause of the Lord Jesus.
35. / have showed you. I have taught you by instruction and example. I have not merely discGnrsed about it, but have showed you how to do it. IT All things. Or, in respect to all things. In every thing that respects preaching and the proper mode of life, I have for three years set you an example, illustrating the design, nature, and duties of the ofllce by my own self denials and toil. IT Ilou) that. Or that. "Oti. I have showed you that ye should by so labouring supjiort the weak. ^ So lahouriytp. I/abouring as I have done. Setting this example, and ministering in this way to the wants of Others IT 7'o support the vcak. To pro- •de for the wants of the pick and feeble
how thai so labouring ye ought to " support the weak ; and to re- member the words of the Lord
a Rom.5.11.Eph.4.28. lThes9.5.14
members of the flock, who are unable to labour for themselves. The weak hero denote the poor, the needy, the infirm. IF And to rememhcr. To call to mind for encouragement, and with the force of a command. IT The words of the Lord Jesus. These words are nowhere re corded by the evangelists. But they did not pretend to record all his sayings and instructions. Comp. John xxi. 25. There is the highest reason to suppose, that many of his sayings which are not re- corded would be treasured up by those who heard them ; would be transmitted to others ; and would be regarded as a precious part of his instructions. Paul evidently addresses them as if they had heard this before, and were acquainted with it. Perhaps he had himself remind- ed them of it. This is one of the Re- deemer's most precious sayings; and it seems even to have a peculiar value, from the fact that it is not recorded in the regular and professed histories of his life It comes to us recovered, as it were, from the great mass of his unrecorded sayings; rescued from that oblivion to which it was hastening if left to mere tradition, and placed in permanent form in the sa- cred writings by the act of an apostle who had never seen the Saviour befor» his crucifixion. It is a precious relic — a memento of the Saviour — and the efllect of it is, to make us regret that more of his words were not recovered from ao uncertain tradition, and placed in permanent form by an inspired jien- man. God, however, who knows what is requisite to guide us, has directed the words which are needful for the wel- fare of the church, and has preserved by inspiration the doctrines which are adapt- ed to <:onvert and bless man. IT It is more blessrU to give. It is a higher privilege ; it lends more to the happiness of the indi- vidual, and of the world. The giver is more blessed or happy than the receiver. This appears, (1.) Because it is a privilege to give to the wants of others ; it is a con- dition for which we should be thankful when we are in a situation to promote their felicity. (2.) Because it tends to promote the happiness of the bonetfictor himself There is j)leasure in the act of giving when it is done with pure motives It promotes onr own peace, is follo»*«>a by happiness in the rcccilcoan ol ♦
Ki V. 00.
CHAPTER XX,
2S5
/esus, how he said, It * is more blessed to give than to receive.
36 And when he had thus spo- ken, he kneeled ^ down, and prayed with them all.
37 And they all wept sore, and
. a Luke 14.12-14. b c.21.5.
end will be followed by happiness for ever. That is the most truly happy man, who is most benevolent. He is the most miserable, who has never known the lux- ury of doing good, b^who lives to gain all he can, and to^oard all he gains. (3.) It is blessed in the reward that shall result from it. Those who give from a pure motive, God will ble.ss. They shall be rewarded, not only in the peace which they shall experience in this life, but in the higher bliss of heaven. Matt. xxv. 34 — 36. We may also remark, that this is a sentiment truly great and noble. It is worthy of the Son of God. It is that on which he himself acted, when he came to give pardon to the guilty ; comfort to the disconsolate and the mourner ; peace to the anxious sinner; sight to the blind ; hearing to the deaf; life to the dead ; and heaven to the guilt/and the lost. Acting on this, he gave his own tears to weep over human sorrows and human guilt ; he gave his own labours and toils to in- struct and save man; he gave his own life a sacrifice for sin en the cross ; and he gave his Spirit to awaken and save those for v.'hom he died. Loving to give, he has freely given us all things. Loving to give, he delights in the same character in his followers, and seeks that they who have wealth, and strength, and influence, should be willing to give all to save the world. Imitating his great example, and complying with his command, the church shall yet learn more and more to give its wealth to bless the poor and needy; its sons and its daughters to bear the gospel to the benighted heathen ; and its undi- vided and constant efforts to save a lost world. — Here closes this speech of Paul ; an address of inimitable tenderness and beauty. Happy would it be if every minister could bid suck an adieu to his people, when called to part from them; «ind happy if, at the close of life, every Christian could leave the world with a like consciousness that he had been faith- ful in the discharge of his duty. Thus jlying, it will be blessed to leave the world ; and thus would the example of ihe saints live in the memory oi survi-
" fell on Paul's neck, and kissod him ;
38 Sorrowing most of all for the "^ words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship
GeD.46.29.
d ver.25.
vors long after they themse ves have m cended to their rest.
36. He kneeled down. The usual atti- tude of prayer. It is the proper posture of a suppliant. It indicates reverence and humility ; and is represented in the Scriptures as the common attitude of de- votion. 2 Chron. vi. 13. Dan. vi. 10 Luke xxii. 41. Acts vii. 60; ix. 40; xxi. 5. Rom. xi. 4. Phil. ii. 10. Eph. iii. 14. Mark i. 40.
37. Wept sore. Wept much. Greek "There was a great weeping of all.' T Aiid fell on Paul's neck. Embraced him, as a token of tender affection. The same thing Joseph did when he met his aged father Jacob. Gen. xlvi. 29. If And kissed him. This was the common token of affection. Note, Matt. xxvi. 48. Luke XV. 20. Rom. xvi. 16. 1 Cor. xvi. 20.
38. Sorrowing most of all., &c. This was a most tender and affectionate part- ing-scene. It can be more easily imagin- ed than described. We may learn from it, (1.) That the parting of ministers and people is a most solemn event, and should be one of much tenderness and affection. (2.) The effect of true religion is to make the heart more tender; to make friend- ship more affectionate and sacred ; and to unite more closely the bonds of love (3.) Ministers of the gospel should be prepared to leave their people with the same consciousness of fidelity, and the same kindness and love, which Paul evinced. They should live such lives as to be able to look back upon their whole ministry as pure and disinterested ; and as having been employed in guarding the flock, and in making known to them the whole counsel of God. So parting, they may part in peace. An^feb living, and acting, they will be pre^Rl to give up their account with joy, and not w'm griel. May God grant to every minister the spirit which Paul evinced at Ephesus and enable each one,when called to leave his people by death or otherwise, to do i' with the same consciousness of fidelity Avhich Paul evinced, whA he left his people to see their face no more .
2bb
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 60
CHAPTER XXI.
AN D It came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and iiad launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara :
2 And finding a ship sailing over
CHAPTER XXI.
1. Aflcr we were gotten from them. After we had left the elders at Miletus, ch. XX. 38. They were on their way to Jerusalem. IT tjnlo Coos. This was a small island in the Grecian Archipelago, a short distance from the south-western point of Asia Minor. It is now called Slari'Co. It was celebrated for its fertility, and for the wine and sjik-worms which it produced. IT Unto Rhodes. This was an island in the Levant. On the island was a city of the same name, which was principally distinguished for its brazen Colossus, which was built by Chares of Lyndus. It stood across the mouth of the harbour.and was so high that vessels could pass between its legs. It stood fifty-six years, and was then thrown down by an earthquake. It was reckoned as one of the seven wonders of the world. When the Saracens took possession of this island, they sold thid prostrate image to a Jew, who loaded 900 camels with the brass of it. This was A. D. 600. about 900 years after it had been thrown down. The an- cient name of the island was Asteria. Its name Rhodes was given from the great quantity of roses which it produced. ir Un'.o Patara. This was a maritime city of Lycia, in Asia Minor, over-against Rhodes.
2. Into Phenicia. See Note, ch. xi. 19. Phenicia was on their way to Jerusalem. IT Set forth. Sailed.
3. Had discovered Cijprus. Note, ch. iv. 36. ^ Into Syria. Note, Matt. iv. 2-1. IF And landed at Tyre. Note, Matt. xi. 21. IT To unlade her harden. Her cargo. TyrMnu formerly one of the most commj^^^pities of the world ; and it is probabraPHn in the time of Paul its commercial importance had not entirely ceased.
4. And finding disciples. Christians. This is the first mention of there being Christians at Tyre, but there is no impro- bal)ility in supposing that the gospel had Ijeen preachiB thoro, though it is not ex- pressly recorded l>y Luke. IT Who said to Paul. Comp. vcr. 12. Their deep in- i«)rest ir. hid welfare, and Tioir npprehen-
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 landed at Tyre : for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
4 And finding disciples, we tar-
sion of his danger, was the reason why they admonished him not to go. IF Through the spirit. There is some dif- ficulty in underst^a^ing this. In solving this difficulty, weWay remark, (1.) That it is evident tfsat the Holy Spirit is meant, and that Luke means to say that this was spoken by his inspiration. The Holy Spirit was bestowed on Christians at that time in large measures, and many appear to have been under his inspiring guid- ance. (2.) It was not understood by Paul as a positive command that he should not go up to Jerusalem — for had it been, it would not have been disobeyed. Paul evidently understood it as expressive of their earnest wish that he should not go, as apprizing him of danger, and as a kind expression in regard to his ovvti welfare and safety. Comp. ver. 13. Paul was in better circumstances to understand this than we are, and his interpretation was doubtless correct. (3.) It is to be under- stood, therefore, simply as an inspired prophetic v;arning, that if he went, he went at the risk of his life ; a prophetic warning joined with their individual per- sonal wishes, that he would not expose himself to this danger. The meaning evidently is, that they said by inspiration of the Spirit, that he should not go imless be was willing to encounter danger, and the hazard of life as a consequence, for they foresaw that the journey would be attended with this hazard. Grotius ren- ders it, " that he should not go, xmless he was loilling to be bouiid." Michaelis and Stolzius, "They gave him prophetic warniner, that he should not go to Jerusa- lem." Doddridge, " If he tendered his own liberty and safety, not to go up to Jerusa- lem, since it would certainly expote him to very great hazard." The inspiratioi/ in the case was that of admonition and warning, not of positive command. Paul was simply apprized of the (ianger; and then loft to the free determinsticm of his own will. He chose tj encounter the dancer of which he Aas thus apprized. He did not despise the intimations of the Spirit; but ho judged that liis duty to God called Ihim ihuR to encounter th.*
A D. 00.]
CHAPTER XXI.
28-?
ried then? seven days : who said « to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
5 And when we had accomplish- ed those days, we departed and went our way : and they all brought us on our way with wives and chil- dren, till lue luere out of the city : and we kneeled * down on the shore, and prayed.
hazards of the journey. We may be ap- prized of danger in a certain course, either by our friends or by the word of God, and still it may be our duty to meet it. Our duty is not to be measured by the fact that we shall experience dangers,
v/hatever way that may be maddl ^originally called AccHO ; but was called
known to us. It is in following the will of God ; and encoumenng whatever trials may be in our wa;
5. Had accomplished those days. When those days were passed. ^ They all brought us on our way. They attended us. Note, ch. XV. 3. Rom. xv. 24. 1 Cor. xvi. 6. 11. 3 John 6. This was an ex- pression of tender attachment, and of a deep interest in the welfare of Paul and his fellow-travellers. IT We kneeled down. Note, ch. XX. 36. IF On the shore. Any place may be proper for prayer. Note, John iv. 21 — 24. God is every where, and can as easily hear the prayer of the humble on the sea-shore as in the most magnificent temple. This is an instance, as well as that in ch. xx. 36, where the apostle evidently prayed with the church without a form of prayer. No man can believe that he thus poured forth the de- sires of his heart at parting, and com- mended them to God, in a prescribed form ofv'ords. Besides that there is not the least evidence that such a form was then used in the Christian church, scenes like this show more clearly than abstract arguments could do, that such a form v»'as not needed, and would not be used. Paul and his fellow Christians, on the sand of the sea-shore, would pour forth the gushing emotions of their souls in lajiguage such as their circumstances would suggest, and such as such a scene would demand. And it is presumed to be impossible that any man can read this narrative in a dispassionate manner with- out believing that they offered an extem- pore prayer.
7. We came to Ptolemais. This was a iKy situated on the coast of th? Mediter- ajeun, on the north angle ^f a bay
6 And when -we had taken oui leave one of another, we took ship and they returned home again.
7 And when we had finished om course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren and abode with them one day.
8 And the next dai/^ we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Cesarea : and we enter-
which extends, in a semi-circle of three leagues, as far as the point of Mount Carmel. At the south and west sides the city was washed by the sea; and was surrounded by triple walls. It was in the tribe of Asher (Judg. i. 31), and was
Ptolemais in honour of one of the PtolC' mies, who beautified and adorned it. The Christian crusaders gave it the name of Acre, or St. John of Acre, from a magnificent church which was built in it, and which was dedicated to the apos- tle John. It is still called Akka by ilie Turks. The Syriac and Arabic render it Accho in this place. It sustained several sieges during the crusades, and was the last fortified place wrested from the Christians by the Turks. It sustained a memorable siege under Bonaparte, and since then it has been much increased and strengthened. Its present popula- tion is estimated at from 18,000 to 20,000, H A7id saluted the brethren. Embraced them; gave them expressions of affection and regard.
8. We that were of PauVs company. From this it would appear that they had been attended thus far by some persons who were going only to Ptolemais. This clause, however, is wanting in many MSS., and has been omitted by Benge!, Griesbach, Knapp, and others, as spurious It is also wanting in the Syriac and the Vulgate. IT Unto Cesarea. See Note, ch. viii. 40. IT Into the house of Philip. One of the seven deacons, ch. vi. 5. After his conversation with the eunuch of Ethiopia, he went to Cesarea, and pro bably there abode. ^ The evangelist This word properly means one who an nounces good news. In the New Testa- ment it is applied to a preacher of the gospel, or one who declares the glafe tidings of salvation. It occurs only in two other places. Eph. iv. 11. 2 Tim. iv 5. What was the precise rank of those who bore ihis title in the early Chrisdau church, cannot perhafrs he determined
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 60
ed into the house of Philip " the evang-elist, '' which was one of the seven ; *= and abode with him.
9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which ** did prophesy.
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Jmlea
cerlain prophet, named Agabus. '
11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and boutd his own hands and feet, and
o :.8.26,40. iEph.4.tl. 2Tim.4.5. cc.6.5.
i Jc«.a.28. c.2.n. ec.11.28.
ft is evident, however, that it is used to denote the office of preaching the gos- pel ; and as this title is applied to FInUpA and not to any other of the seven dea- cons, it would seem probable that he had been intrusted with a special commission to preach, and that preaching did not per- tain to him as a deaccm, and does not pro- perly belong to that office. The business of a deacon was, to take care of the poor members oi the church, cb. vi. 1 — 6. Tbe office of preaching was distinct from this, though, as in this case, it might be conferred on the same individual.
9. Which did prophesy. See Note, ch. ii. 17; xi. 27. That females sometimes partO(»k of the prophetic influence, and foret(jld future events is evident from various places in the New Testament. See ]Vo»e, ch. ii. 17.
10. There came dovm. Note, ch. xv. 1. IT Named Agabus. See Note, ch. xi. 28.
11. He look Paul's girdle. The loose, flowing robes, or outer garments, which were worn in eastern countries, were bound by a girdle, or sash, around the body, when they ran, or laboured, or walked. Such a girdle was, therefore, an indispensable part of dress. H And bound his own hajids and feet. As em- blematic of what would be done by the Jews to Paul. It was common for the prophets to perform actions wnicli were emblematic of the events whicli they predicted. The design was to make the
Erediction more forcible and impressive, y representing it to the eye. Thus Jere- miah was directed to bury his girdle by the Euphrates, to denote the approaching captivity of the Jews. Jer. xiii. 4. Thus h* wa« directed to make bands and yokes, and to put k'lem arf)und his neck, as i nign to Kilom and Moab, &:c. Jer. xxvii. 2, 3. Thus the act of the ftotter was em- blematic of the deetruclion that was com-
saia. Thus saiih the Holy Chos':, So-'' shall the Jbmib at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this gir- dle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, ^ besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, Whal mean ye to weep and to break mine heart 1 for I am ready * not to be
/ver.33. c.20.23. g- Matt. 16.22,23. A 2Tiin.4.1
ing upon the nation of the Jews, .fer xviii. 4. So Isaiah walked naked uni barefoot as a sign of the captivity ot Egvpt and Ethiopia. Isa. xx. 3, 4. Comp. Ezek. iv., xii., &c. IT So shall the Jews, &c. This was fulfdled. See ver. 33, and ch. xxiv. IT Info the hands of the Gentiles. To be tried ; for the Romans then had jurisdiction over Judea.
13. What mean ye. Gr. What do ye. A tender and affectionate, but firm re- proach. IT 7'o weep and to break my heart 7 To afflict me, and distract my mind by alarms, and by the expressions of tender- ness. His mmd was fixed on going to Jerusalem ; and he felt thut he was pre- pared for whatever awaited him. Ex- pressions of tenderness among friends are proper. Tears may be inevitable at parting from those whom we love. But such expressions of tenderness and love ought not to be allowed to interfere with the convictions of duty in their minds. If they have made up their minds that a certain course is proper, and have resolv- ed to pursue it, we ought neither to at- tempt to divert them from it, nor to dis- tract their minds by our remonstrances or our tears. We should resign them to their convictions of what is demanded of them, with affection and prayer, but with cheerfulness. We should lend them all the aid in our power, and then commend them to the blessing and protection of God. These remarks apply especially to those who are engaged in the missionarj' enterprise. It is trj'ing to part with a son, a daughter, or a beloved friend, ir order that they may go to proclaim the gospel to the benighted and dying he.v then. The act of parting— /or life ,• and the apprehension of the perils which they riLiy encounter on the ocean, and in heathen lands, may be painful. Fiit i.' hcv. I'ko Paul, have looked at it rnlmly
%^v
00.]
CHAPTER XXL
«l^M
oound only, but also to die at Jeru- salem for the name of the Lord Tesus.
14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will * of the Lord be done.
15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
a Matt.6.10; 26.42.
candidly, and with much prayer; if they have come to the dehberate conclusion that it iithe will of God that Ihey should devote Their lives to this service, we ought not to vteep, and to break their hearts. We should cheerfully and confi- dently commit them to the protection of the God whom they serve, and remem- ber that they are seeking his glory, and that the partmg of Christians, though for life, will be short. Soon, in a better world, they will be united again, to part no more; and the blessedness of that future meeting will be greatly heightened by all the sorrows and self-denials of separation here, and by all the benefits which such a separation may be the 1 means of conveying to a dying world. That mother will meet, with joy, in heaven, the son from whom, with many tears, she was sundered, when he entered on a missionary life ; and surrounded with many ransomed heathen, heaven will be made more blessed, and all eter- nity more happy. IF But also to die. This was the true spirit of a martyr. J'his spirit reigned in the hearts of all the early Christians. IT For the name of (he Lord Jesus. For his sake ; hi making liis name known.
14. Would not be persuaded. To re- main. He was resolved to go. IT We ceased. We ceased remonstrating with him, and urging him to remain. IT The will of the Lord be done. They were now assured that it was the will of God that he should go. And they were now ready to submit to that will. This is an instance and an evidence of true piety. It was the expression of a wish thaf v^hatever God might judge to be necessary for the advancement of hia cause, might take place, even though it ehould be attended with many trials. They commended their friend to the protection of God, confident that whatever should occur would be light. Comp. Note, Matt. vi. ]0 ; xxvi. 42.
15. After those days. After what had occurred, as related in the previous verses. ^ We took yp our carriages. This is a
16 There went with us also cer- tain of the disciples of Cesarea, and brought with them one IMnasoB of Cyprus, an old disciple, '' with whom we should lodge.
17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received * us gladly.
18 And the day following Paul
most unhappy translation. The word car riage we apply now exclusively to a vehicle fo conveying any thing — as a coach, chariot, gig, cannon carriage, &c. The original word means simply, that they prepared themselves; made them selves ready ; put their baggage in order &c. 'A.-rso-xiusjT^/^Evoi. They prepared foi the journey. The English word carriage was formerly used in the sense of that which is carried, baggage, burden, ves- sels, furniture, &c. Thus it was used in the time that our translation was made ; and in this sense it is to be understood in 1 Sara. xvii. 22, " And David left his carriage (baggage) in the hand of the keeper of the carriage," &c. See ver. 20, margin. Isa. x. 28, " At Michmash he hath laid up his carriages" [his bag- gage, &c.]
IG. One Mnaso7i of Cyprus. The ori- ginal in this place would be better trans- lated, " And brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple," &c. It is evi- dent that, though Mnason was originally of Cyprus, yet he was now an inhabitant of Jerusalem, and was well known to the disciples at Cesarea. It is possible that he might have been at Cesarea, and accompanied Paul to Jerusalem; but the more correct interpretation of the passage is, that Paul and his fellow-travellers were conducted to his house in Jerusa lem, and that he was not with them ir the journey. IT Of Cyprus. Note, ch. iv 36. IT An old disciple. An early convert to Christianity — perhaps one who w^aa converted before the crucifixion of the Saviour. IT With whom we should lodge. In whose house we were to take up our abode. The riles of hospitality were shown in a distinguished manner by the early Christians.
17. The brethren. Christians. ^ Re ceived us gladly. They had been long absent. They had been into distant re- gions, and had encountered many dan- gers. It was a matter of joy that they had now returned in safety.
13 Unti James James the Le?s. Note
;y()
THE ACT!S
[A. L),
#
went in with us unto James ; " and all the elders were present.
19 And when lie hud saluted them, he decla^ed particularly what
* things Gcd had wrought among the Gentiles by *= his ministry.
ac.lo.l3,&c. Gal.l.l9. i Rom. 15.18,19. c c.20. U^9Carl2.U
ch. XV. 13. He resided at Jerusalem. Comp. Gal. i. 19. It is not improbable that iie was the only one of the apostles then at Jerusalem; and there is reason to believe that the church at Jerusalem A'as left under his particular care. It was natural, therefore, that Paul and his travelling companions should take an early opportunity to see him. James was the cousin of our Lord, and in Gal. i. 19, he is called the Lord's brother. On all accounts, therefore, he was entitled to, and would receive particular respect from the early disciples.
19. Hud saluted them. With the usual tokens of respect end ^flpction. II /ie declared particularly, &c. As an evidence that God had been with him. It is not improbable that there might have been Bome suspicion in regard to Paul among the disciples at Jerusalem, and he might nave heard that they were prejudiced against him. This prejudice would be removed by his stating what had actually occrrred under his ministry.
20. They glorified the Lord. They gave praise to the Lord for what he had done. They saw new proofs of his goodness and mercy, and they rendered him thanks for all that had been accomplished. There was no jealousy that it had Deen done by the instrumentality of Paul. True piety will rejoice in the spread of the gospel, and in the conversion "of sinnens, by whatever instrumentality it may be ef- fected. IT Thou seest, brother. The lan- guage of tenderness in this address, re- cognising Paul as a fellow-labourer and fellow Christian, implies a wish that Paul would do all that could be done to avoid giving offence, and to conciliate the fa- vour of his countrymen. IT How viany 'housands. The number of converts at this time must have been very great. Twenty-five years before this, three thou- sand had been converted at one time (ch. ii.), and afterwards the number had swelled to some more thousands, ch. iv, I. The assertion, that there wore, then,
* many thousands," imi)liefi that the work fc signally begun on the day of Pentecost m Jerusalem, had not ceased, and that many more had been converted to the
20 And when they htard //, they glorified the Lord; and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe ; and they are all zealous '^ of the law :
dc.92.3. Rom.10.2.
Christian faith. IT Which believe. Whc are Christians. They are spoken of u believer.^, or as having faith in Christ, in contradistinction from those who rejected him, and w hose characteristic trait it wa« that they were unbelievers, '^^nd they are all zealous of the law. 'Hiey still observe the law of Moses. The refer ence here is, to the law respecting cir cumcision, sacrifices, distinctions of meats and days, festivals, &c. It may seem re- markable that they should still continue to observe those rites, since it was the manifest design of Christianity to abolish them. But we are to remember, (1.) That those rites had been appointed by God, and that they were trained to their observance. (2.) That ihe aposdes con formed to them while they remained in Jerusalem, and did not deem it best to set themselves violently against them ch. iii. 1. Luke xxiv. 53. (3.) That the question about their observance had never been agitated at Jerusalem. It was only among the Gentile converts that the question had risen, and there it must arise, for if they were to be observ- ed, they must have been impoaed upon them by authority.' (4.) The decision of the council (ch. xv.) related only to the Gentile converts. It did no^ touch the question, whether those rites uere to be observed by the Jewish converts. .;."?.) It was to be presumed, thrft as the Christian religion bjjcame better understood — thai as its large, free, and catholic nature became more and more developed, the peculiar institutions of Moses would be laid aside of course, without agitation, and without tumult. Had the question been agitated at Jerusalem, it would have excited tenfold opposition to ('liris- tianity, and would have rent the Chris- tian church into faciions, and greatly re- tarded the advance of the (Christian «loo- trine. VVe arc to remember also, (0.) That, in the arrangement of Divine Pro- vidence, the time was drawing neat wliich was to destroy the temple, iht city, and the nation; which was to pu an end to sacrifices, and tjf'evtually to close f<)r ever the oliservnu'e of the MoBaic rites. As this dfBtriiction was s/
A. D, 60.1
CHAPTER XXI.
2ai
•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 " their cliildren, neither to walk after their customs.
3ear, and as it would be se effectual an argument against the observance of the Mosaic rites, the Great Head of the church did not suffer the question of their obU- gation to be needlessly agitated among the disciples at Jerusalem.
21. And they are informed of thee. Re- ports respecting the conduct of Paul would be likely to be in circulation among all at Jerusalem. His remarka- ble conversion ; his distinguished zeal ; his success among the Gentiles, would make his conduct a subject of special interest. Evil-minded men among the Jews, who came up to Jerusalem from different places where he had been, would be likely to represent him as the decided enemy of the laws of Moses, and these reports would be likely to reach the ears of the Jewish converts. The reports, as they gained ground, would be greatly magnified, until suspicion might be excited among the Christians at Jerusalem, that he was, as he was rfi||ited to be, the settled foe of the Jewash rites and customs. IF Thai thou teachest all the Jews, &c. From all the evidence which we have of his conduct, this report was incorrect and slanderous. The truth appears to have been, that he did not enjoin the observance of those laws on the Gentile converts; that the effect of his ministry on them was, to lead them to suppose that their observance was not necessary — contrary to the doc- trines of the Judaizing teachers (see ch. XV.); and that he argued with the Jews themselves, where it could be done, against the obligation of those laws and customs, eince the Messiah had come. They de- pended on that observance for justifica- tion and salvation. This Paul strenu- ously opposed , and this he defended at length in the epistles which he wrote. See the epistles to the Romans, the Gala- tians and the Hebrews. Yet these facts might be easily misunderstood and per- verted, so as to give rise to the slanderous report, that he was every where the enemy of Moses and the law. IT Which are among the Gentiles. Who live in teathen countries. The Jews were ex-
22 What is it therefoie *? The multitude must neec's come * to- gether : for they will hear that thou art come.
23 Do therefore this that we say to thee : We have four men which have a vow on them ;
tensively scattered, and settled in all the large towns and cities of the Roman empire. IT To forsake Moses. The law and authority of Moses. That is, to re- gard his laws as no longer binding. IT To walk after the customs. To observe the institutions dHfehe Mosaic ritual. Note, ch. vi. 1-1. ^e word cusloins denotes the rites of the Mosaic economy — the offering of sacrifices, incense, the obla- tions, anointings, festivals, &c. which the law of Moses prescribed.
22. What is it therefore ? What is to be done ? What is it proper to do, to avoid the effects of the evil report which has been circulated ? W^hat they deemed it proper to do, is suggested in the follow- ing verses. IT The multitude. The mul- titude of Jevi's. IT Must needs come tO' geiher. There will be inevitably a tumult uous assemblage. It will be impossible to prevent that. The reasons were, be cause their minds were exceedingly agi- tated that one of their own countrymen had, as they understood, been advising apostasy from the religion of their fathers ; because it had been extensively done in many parts of the world, and with grea success ; and because Paul, having, a they believed, himself apostatized from the national religion, had become very conspicuous, and his very presence in Jerusalem, as in other places, would be likely to excite a tumult. It was, there- fore, the part of friendship to him, and to the cause, to devise some proper place to prevent, if possible, the anticipated ex- citement.
23. We have four men. There are with us four men. It is evident that James and the elders meant to say, tha/ these men were connected with them in the Christian church ; and the fact show that the ChrisUans at Jerusalem did not disregard the institutions of Moses, and had not been so far enlightened in the doctrines of Christianity as to forsake yet the ceremonial riles of the Jews IT Which have a vow^ on them. Which have made a vow. See Notes, ch xviii. 18. From the mennon of shaving \lw
1 nead (in ver. 24), it is evident that the vtw
J9'2
THE ACTS
[A.i). 60
'24 Them take, and jmrify thy- seli' with them, and be at charges witn them, that they may shave • their heads : and all may know, that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing, but that thou thyself also walkest orderly,and keepest the law.
a Num. 6.2,13,18. c.lS.ia.
which they had taken was that of the Nazarxte ; and that as the time of their vcw was about expiring, they were about to be shaven, in accordance with the cus- tom usual on such occasyjji^ See ]\ote, ch. xviii. 18. These perssHpFaul could join, and thus show decisl^ly that he did not intend to undervalue or dispa- rage the laws of Moses, when those laws were understood as mere ceremonial ob- eervances.
24. T.'iem. take. Take with you. Join vourself with them. IT And purify thy- self with them. Join them in observing the forms of purification prescribed by the law of Moses in the observance of the vow of the Nazarite. The purifying here refers to the vows of sanctity which the JN'azarites were to observe. They were to abstain from wine and strong drink ; they were to eat no grapes, moist or dried ; they were to come near no dead body, nor to make themselves " un- clean" for their father, mother, brother, or sister, when they died (Num. vi. 3 — 7); and they were to present an offering when the days of the vow were complet- ed. ]\um. vi. 8. ^ A7id be at charges with them. Share with them the expense of the sacrifices and offerings required when the vow is completed. Those offer- ings were a ram of a year old lor a burnt- offering, a sheep of the same age for a fiin-offering, a ram for a thank-offering, a basket of unleavened cakes, and a liba- tion of wine. See Num. vi. 13 — 20. ^ That they may shave Cheir ficads. The shaving ofthe head, or the rutting off the hair which had been suffered to grow during the continuance of the vow fNum. vi. 5), was an oljservance indicat- ing that the vow had been performed. Paul was requested to join with them in the expense of the sacrifices and offer- 'ngs, that thus the whole of the ceremo- nies having been olwerved, their heads might be shaved as an indication that ev«!rv part of the vow had been com- jiliod with. If AjuI all may know. By liie fact (»f your observance of one of the rites uJllie Mosaic religion, all ruay have
25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we * hive written, and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offer- ed to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornica tion.
b c.15.20,29.
evidence that it is not your purix>se oi practice to speakcontemptuout^ly of those rites, or to undervalue the autliority of Moses. IT Are nothing. Are untrue, or without any foundation. H Walkest or- derly. That you live hi accordance with the real requirements of the law of Moses. To walk in the Scriptures often denotes to live, to act, to conduct, in a cer- tain manner. All, probably, that they wished Paul to show by this was, that he was not an enemy of Moses. They who gave this counsel were Christians, and they could not wish him to do any thing which would imply that he was not a Christian.
25. As touching the Gentiles. In re gard to die Gentile converts. It might be expedient for Paul to do what could not be enjoined on the Gentiles They could uot command the Gentile converts to observe those ceremonies, while yet it might be proper, fpr the sake of peagCj^ that the converts to Christianity nSfi among the Jews should regard them. The conduct of the Christians at Jerusa- lem in giving this advice, and of Paul in following it, may be easily vindicated. If it be objected, as it has been by infi- dels, that it looks like double-dealing ; that it was designed to deceive the Jews in Jerusalem, and to make them believe that Paul actually conformed to the cere- monial law, when his cjnduct among the Gentiles showed that ho did not; we may reply, (1.) That the observance ot that law was not necessary in order to justification ; (2.) That it would hare been improper to have enjoined its ob- servance on the Gentile converts as ne- ccssary, and thorelbre it was never done; (3.) Tnat when the Jews urged its ob- servance as necessary to justification and salvation, Paul strenuously o/yjo.W thia view of it everywhere; (4.) Yet, that as a matter of ex])e(Jieiicy, he did not op- pose its being ob.-^ervecl either by the Jews, or by the cctnverts made among the Jews. In fact, there is oilier rvideiice besides the case before us, (hat Paul him self ( onliniied U ulisei vc soma at leu^
CHAPTER XXI.
29J
26 Then Paul took <* the men; and the next day purifying himself with theiTi, entered ^ into the tem- ple, to sig:nify the accomplish- ment *= of the days of purification,
of the Jewish rites, and his conduct in public at Jerusalem, was in strict accord- ance with his conduct in other places. See ch. xviii. 18. The sum of the whole matter is this, that when the observance of the Jewish ceremonial law was urged as necessary to justification and accept- ance with God, Paul resisted it ; when it was demanded that its observance should be enjoined on the Gentiles, he opposed it : in all other cases he made no opposi- tion to it, and was ready himself to com- ply with it, and willing fchat others should also. IT We have written, ch. xv. 20. 29. 26. Ttien Paul took the men. Took them to himself; united with them in ob- Berving the ceremonies connected with their vow. To transactions like this he refers in 1 Cor. ix. 20, " And unto the Jews 1 became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law." Thus, it •las always been found necessary in pro- pagating the gospel among the heathen, hot to offend them needlessly ; but to con- form to their innocent customs in regard to dress, language, modes of travelling, Bitting, eating, &c. Paui did nothing more than this. He violated none of the dictates of honesty and truth. IT Purify- ing himself with them. Observing the ceremonies connected with the rite of purification. Note, ver. 24. This means evidently that he entered on the ceremo- nies of the separation according to the law of the Nazarite. IF To signify. Greek, Signifying or making known. That is, he announced to the priests in the temple his purpose of observing this vow with the four men, according to the law respecting the Nazarite. It was proper that such an announcement should be made beforehand, in order that the priests might know that all the ceremo- nies required had been observed. IT 7%e accomplishment, &c. The fulfilling, the completion. That is, he announced to them his purpose to observe all the days, and all the rites of purification required ir the law, in order that an offering might be properly made. It does not mean that the days had been accomplished, but that It was his intention to observe them, so that it would be proper to offer the 2b2
until that an offering should be of- fered for eveiy one of them.
27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews " which were of Asia, when they
usual sacrifice. Paul had not indeed eng:aged with them in the beginning of their vow of separation ; but he nwght come in with hearty intention to share with them. It cannot be objected that he meant to impose on the priests, arid to make them believe that he had observed the whole vow with them ; for it appears from their own writings {Bereshith Rabba 90, and Koheleth Rabba 7), that in those instances where the Nazarites had not sufficient property to enable them to meet the whole expense of the offerings, other persons, who possessed more, might be- come sharers of it, and thus be made parties to the vow. See Jahn's Archae- ology, $ 395. This circumstance will vin dicate Paul from any intention to take an improper advantage, or to impose on the priests or the Jews. All that he an- nounced was, his intention to share with the four men in the offering which they were required to make; to divide the expenses with them ; and thus to show his approval of the thing, and his accord ance with the law which made such a vow proper, as he had before t'one in a voluntary manner , when it could not he pre- tended that it was for double-dealing, or imposition, ch. xviii. 18. IT Until that an oaring, &c. The sacrifices requued of all those who had observed this vow Note ver. 24. Num. vi. 13. It is a complete vindication of Paul in this case, that he did no more here than he had done in a voluntary manner (ch. xviii. 18.), and aa appears then in a secret manner, showing that he was still in the practice of ol> serving this rite of the Mosaic institution. Nor can it be proved that Paul ever, in any way, or at any time, spoke against the vow of the Nazarite, or that a vow of a similar kind in spirit would be improper for a Christian in any circumstances.
27. And when the seven days were almost ended. Gr. As the seven days were about
to be fulfilled. "Eui\\:.v a-WTsKsTc-B-xt.
The seven days which were to complete the oI>servance of the vow. ver. 26 Perhaps the whole observance in thi case was intended to be but seven days as the time of such a vow was voluntary '^Ib translation, " were almost ended," is not quite correct. The Greek implies no more than that the period of the seven
291
THE ACTS.
FA. D. 60
saw him in tne emple, stirred up all the people, anJ laid " hands on him.
28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help : this is the man that * teach- eth all men every where against the people, aifd the law, and this place ; and further, brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
29 (For they had seen before
• 0.26.21. i c.6.13,14; 24.5,6.
days was about to be accomplished, without implying it was near the close of them when he was seized. By comparing tiie foUowmg places, ch. xxi. 18. 26; xxii. 30; xxiii. 12.32; xxiv. 1. 11, it appears that the time of his seizure must have been near the beginning of those days. {Dod- dridge.) ^ The Jews which were of Asia. Who resided in Asia Minor, but who had come up to Jerusalem for purposes of worship. Com p. Notes on ch. ii.
28. Slen of Israel. Jews. All who are the friends of the law of Moses. IT This is the man, &c. This implies that they had before given information to the Jews at Jerusalem that there was such a man ; ttnd they now exulted in the fact, that they had found him. They, therefore, called on all these to aid in securing and punishing him. IF That teaclieth, &c. See Notes, ch. vi. 13, 14. ^Against the people. The people of the Jews. That is, they pretended that he taught, that the customs and laws of the Jewish na- tion were not binding, and endeavoured to prejudice all men against them. H And the law. The lav.' of Mo.ses. ^ And tfiis place. The temple. Every thing against the law would be interpreted also as being against the temple, as most of the commandments of the law were celebrated there. It is possible also that Paul might have declared that the tem- ple was to be destroyed. Com p. ch. vi. 13, 14. IT And further, brought Greeks, &c. The temple was surrounded by various areas called courts. Notes, Matt. xxi. 12. The outermost of these courts was called the ct)urt of the GentilcM, and into that it was lawful for the Gentiles to enter. But the word "temple" here refers, doiibt- le.^H, to the [lart.s ot the area appropriated especially to the iKraeliles, and \\hi( h it was unlawful fi)r a Gentile to enter. Sap the arwa markrd CJ.G.CJ.CJ. in the wjfn of the temple. Malt. xxi. 12. ^ And%2th polluted, <fec. He defiled the tem])le by
with hmj., in the city, Trophjinus '^ an Ephesian, whoir they sup pos<?d that 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.
3 1 And as they were about to ** kill him, tidings came unto the
cc.20.4, d lCor.U.23,&c.
thus introducing a Gentile. No greater defilement, in their view, could scarcely be conceived. No more eflective appeal could be made to the passions of the peo- ple than this.
29. In the city. In Jerusalem. As he was with Paul, it was inferred that he would attend him every where. IT TrO' phimns. He had accompanied Paul on his way from Ephesus. ch. xx. 4. H Whom they supposed, &c. This is a most striking illustration of the manner in which accu- sations are often brought against others, They had seen him with Paul in the city, they inferred., therefore, that he had been with him in the temple. They did not even pretend that they had seen him in the temple ; but the inference was enough to inflame the angry and excitable pas- sions of the multitude. So in the accu- sations which men now often make of others. They see one thing, they iifer another ; they could testify to one thing, but they conclude that another thing will also be true, and that other thing they charge on them as the truth. If men would slate facts as they are, no small part of the slanderous accusations against others would cease. An end would be made of most of the charges of falsehood and error, and heresy, and dishonesty and double-dealing, and immorality. If a statement is made, it should be o[ the thing as it was. If we attempt to state what a man has done, it should not be what we sujtpose he had done. If we at- tempt to state what he believes, it should not be what we suppose he beUeves.
30. The city was j/iovtd. Was agitated , was thrown into commotion. ^ Drew him out of the tetujilr. Iiuirr the pretence that "he had delilcd it. The evident do- sign was to put him to death, vet. 31 IT The doors were shut. The doors lead- ing into the courts of the Icmj le.
31. And as Ihry were about (0 kill htm. Gr. They seeking to kill him This waa
A. D. 60 J
CHAPTER XXI.
296
chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar :
3'2 Who " immediately took sol- diers and centurions, and ran down unto them : and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and command- ed him to be bound '' with two chains ; and demanded who he was, and what he hid done.
34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multi-
a c.23,27;24.7. b ver. 11. c.20.23. Eph.6.20.
evidently done in a popular tumult, as had been done in the case of Stephen, ch. vii. They could not pretend that they had a right to do it by law. H Tidings came. The news, or rumour came ; he was told of it. IT The chief captain of the band. This band or body of Roman soldiers was stationed in the tower Anto- nia, on the north of the temple. This lower was built by John Hyrcanus, high- priest of the Jews, and was by him called Baris. It was beautified, and strength- ened by Herod the Great, and was called Antoma, in honour of his friend, Mark Antony. Josephus describes this castle as consisting of four towers, one of which overlooked the temple, and which he says was seventy cubits high. Jewish Wars, b. v. ch. 5, $ 8. In this tower a guard of Roman soldiers v.'as stationed, to secure the temple, and to maintain the peace. The commander of this cohort is here called " the chief captain." Re- ference is made to this guard several times in the New Testament. Matt, xxvii. 65, 66. John xviii. 12. Acts v. 26. The word translated "chief captain" (;«»xiaf%£o), denotes properly one who commanded a thousand men. The band {n-TTii^x) was the tenth part of a legion, and consisted sometimes of four hundred and twenty-five soldiers, at others of five hundred, and at others of six hundred, according to the size of the Ipgion. The name of this captain was Claudius Ly- Bias. ch. xxiii 26. IT In an uproar. That the whole city was in commotion.
32. Centurions. Captains of a hundred men.
33. To be bound with two chains. To ehow to the enraged multitude that he did not intend to reseue any one from
ustice, but to keep ■'iie peace. Paul's
tude ; and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried intc the castle. '=
35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers, for the violence ** of the people.
36 For the multitude, of the peo- ple followed after, crying, Awaj * with him !
37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain. May I speak unto
c C.23. 10,16 d Ps.55.9. Hab.1.3. e Luke 23
IS. Jno.19.15. c.22.22. lCor.4.13.
being thus bound would convince them of his determination that justice should be done in the case. Probably he was bound between two soldiers, his right arm to the left arm of the one, and his left arm to the right arm of the other. See Note, ch. xii. 6. Or, if his hands and feet were bound, it is evident that it was so done that he was able still to walk ver. 37, 38. This was in accordance with the prediction of Agabus, ch. xxi. 11.
34. Into the castle. The castle or tower of Antonia, where the guard was kept. Note on ver. 31. Comp. ch. xxiii, 10. 16.
35. Upon the stairs. The stairs which led from the temple to the tower of An- tonia. Josephus says (Jew'ish Wars, b. v. ch. 5, $ 8), that the tower of Antonia " was situated at the corner of two clois- ters of the court of the temple, of that on the west, and of that on the north; it was erected on a rock of fifty cubits [seventy-five feet] in height, and was on a great precipice. On the.corner where it joined to the two cloisters of the tem- ple, it had passages down to them both, through which the guards went several ways among the cloisters with their arms, on the Jewish festivals," &c. It was on these stairs, as the soldiers were return- ing, that the tumult was so great, or the crowd so dense, that they were obliged to bear him along to rescue him from their vio.^nce. IF The violence of the peo- ple. The rush of the multitude.
36. Away with him ! That is, to death Comp. Luke xxiii. 18.
37. May I speak unto thee ? May I have the privilege of making my defence be- fore thee ; or of stating the case truly the cause of my accusation, of this tu mult, &c. ? Canst thou speak G^eek
'^96
THE ACTS.
[A. D. M
thee 1 Who said, Canst thou speak f rreek 1
Implying that if he could, he might be permitted to speak to him. The Greek language was that which was then al- most universally spoken, and it is not im- probable that it was the native tongue of the chief captain. It is evident that he was not a Roman by birth, for he says (ch. xxii. 28) that he had obtained the privilege of citizenship by paying a great 8um. The language which the Jews epoke. was the Syro-chaldaic ; and as he took Paul to be an Egyptian Jew (ver. 38.), he supposed from that circumstance also, that he was not able to speak the Greek language.
38. Art not thou that Egyptian. That Egj'ptian was probably a Jew, who re- Bided in Egypt. Josephus has given an account of this Egyptian, which striking- ly accords with the statement here re- corded by Luke. See Josephus' Antiq. b. XX. ch. viii. $ 6, and Jewish War, b. ii. ch. xiii. $ 5. The account which he gives is, that this Egyptian, whose name he does not mention, came from Eg}'pt to Jerusalem, and said that he was a pro- phet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go with him to the Mount of OUves. He said further, that he would show them from thence how the walls of Jerusalem would fall down ; and he promised them that he would pro- cure for them an entrance through those walls when they were fallen down Josephus adds (Jewish War), that he got together thirty thousand men that were deluded by him, " these he led round about from the V)ilder7iess to the mount, which was called the Moimt of Olives, and was ready to break into Jerusalem by force from that place." But Felix, who was apprized of his movements, marched against him with the Roman Boldiers, and discomfited him, and slew four hundred of them, and took two hun- dred alive. " But the Egyptian escaped himself out of the fight, but did not ap-
fioar any more." It was natural that the {oinan tribune should suppose that Paul was this Egyptian, and that his return had produced this commotion and ex- citement amrmg the people. IT Madcst an uproar. Prcxlucing a sedition, or a r/stn^if among Iho proi)le. Creek, "That Egyptian, who hrl()re tlieso days having risen up." If Jnlo the. vnldemess. This corresponds remarkably with the account if Josephus Ho ii^deed mentions that
38 Art not thou that ' Egyptian which before those days madest an
» This Egyptian rose A.D. 55. c.5.36.
he led them to the Mount of Olives, but he expressly says that " he led them round about from the wilderness." This wil- derness was the wild and uncultivated mountainous tract of country, lying to the east of Jerusalem, and between .t and the river Jordan. See Note, Matt iii. 1. It is also another striking coincidence showing the truth of the narrative, that neither Josephus nor Luke mention the name of this Egyptian, though he was so prominent and acted so distinguished & part. IT Four thousand men. There is here a remarkable discrepancy between the chief captain and Josephus. The latter says that there were thirty thousand men. In regard to this, the following re- marks may be made. (1.) This cannot be alleged to convict Luke of a false statement, for his record is, that tlie chief captain made this statement, and it can- not be proved that Luke has put into his mouth words which he did not utter. All that he is responsible for i-i, a correct report of what the Roman tribune said, not for \k\e truth or falsehood of his state- ment. It is certainly possible that that might have been the common estimate of the number then, and that the account given by Josephus might have been made from more correct information. Or it is possible, certf oily; that the statement by Josephus is incorrect. (2.) If Luke were to be 'leld responsible for the state ment of the number, yet it remains to be shown that he is not as correct a histo- rian as Josephus. Why shou.t! Josephus be esteemed infallible, and Li;i<e false? Why sliould the accuracy of Luke bo tested by Josephus, rather than the accu- racy of Josephus by Ltike ? Infidels usually a,9si/7ne-lhat Josephus and other profane historians are infallible, and then endeavour to convict the sacred writers of falsehood (3.) The narrative of Luke is the more probable of the two. It is more probable that tlie number was only four thousand, than that it was thirty thousand. For Josephus says, that foui hundred were killed, and two hundred taken prisoners; and that thus they were dispersed. Now, it is scarcely credible, tliat an army of thirty thousand despera does and ciif-tliroals would be dispersed l)y Fo Fmall a slaughter and rnptivitj But ii the number was originally but foul thousand, it is entirely credible that the loss of six hundred would discourage and
A D. 60.]
CHAPTER XXll.
291
uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers 1
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 people.
40 And when he had given him icense, Paul stood on the stairs,
4nd beckoned " with the hand unto
o 0.9.11; 22.3. fc c.22.25. cc. 12.17.
dissipate the remainder. (4.) It is possi- ble that the chief captain refers only to the organized Sicarii, or murderers that the Egyptian led with him, and Josephus to the multitude that afterwards joined them, the rabble of the discontented and disorderly that joined them on their march. Or, (5.) There may have been an error in transcribing Josephus. It has been supposed that he originally wrote four thousand, but that ancient copyists, mistaking the A delta, /our, for A lambda, thirty, wrote thirty thousand, instead of fo'ir Uiousand. Whichever of these solu- tions "Se adopted is not material. IT Which v>ere murderers, x^/.x^i^v. Sicarii. This is originally a Latin word, and is derived from Sica, a sliort sword, or sabre, or crooked knife, which could be easily con- cealed under the garment. Hence it came to denote assassins, and to be ap- plied to banditti, or robbers. It does not mean that they had actually committed murder, but that they were desperadoes and janditti, and were drawn together fo» purposes of plunder and of blood. This class of people was exceedingly numerous in Judea. See Notes, Luke X. 30.
39. A Jew of Tarsus. A Jew by birth. See Note, ch. ix. 11. IT Of no mean cili/. Not obscure, or undistinguished. lie could claim an honourable birth, so flir as the place of his nativity was concern- ed. See Note, ch. ix. 11. Tarsus was much celebrated for its learning, and was at one time the rival of Alexandria and Athens. Xenophon calls it a great and flourishing city. Anabasis. Josephus (Antiq. b. i. ch. vi. $ 6) says, that it was the metropolis, and most renovmed city among them [the Cili£ians].
40. License. Liberty ; permission. f On the stairs. Note, ver. 35. ^ Beck- oned with the hand. Waving the hand as a sign that lie was about to address Jhem. and to produce silence, and atten-
the people : and whei. there was made a great silence, he spake unto thern in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
CHAPTER XXH lyTEN, '^ brethren, and fathers, -^*-^ hear ye my defence, ^ which j make now unto you.
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to themjthey kept the more silence . and Mt saith,)
tion. See ch. xii. 17. IT In the Ilebre^i tongue. The language which was spoken by the Jews, which was then a mixture of the Chaldee and Syriac, called Syro- chaldaic. This language he doubtlesa used on this occasion in preference to th*» Greek, because it was understood better by the multitude, and would tend to con- ciliate them if they heard him address them in their own language. The fol- lowing chapter should have been con- nected with this. The division here is unnatural.
CHAPTER XXII. 1. Men, brethren, and fathers. This de fence was addressed to the Jews ; and Paul commenced it with an expression of sincere respect for them. Slepiien began his defence with the same form of ad- dress. Note, ch. v:i. 2. IF My defence. Against the charges bronght against me. Those charges were, that he had endea- voured to prejudice men every where against the Jews, and the law, and the temple, ch. xxi. 28. In order to meet this charge, Paul stated (1.) That he had been born a Jew, and had enjoyed all the advantages of a Jewish education (ver. 3.) ; (2.) He recounted the circumstances of his conversion, and the reason why he believed that he was called to preach the gospel (ver. 4 — 16) ; (3.) He proceeded to state the reasons why he went among the Gentiles, and evidently designed to vindicate his conduct there (ver. 17 — 21) ; but at this point, at the name Gentiles, his defence was interrupted by the enraged multitude, and he was not permitted to proceed. What would have been his de- fence, therefore, had he been suffered tc finish it, it is impossible to krovv with certainty. On another occasion, how ever, he was permitted to make a simila- defence, and perhaps to complete the train of thought which he had purposed to pursue here. See en. xxvi. 2. The Hebrew tongue. Note, cli xxi 4U
«98
THE ACTS.
LA. D. 60
3 I am " verily a man which am a J-ew, born n Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up iu this city, at the feet Df '' Gamaliel, and taught according '^ tc the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was * zealous towards God, as ye * all arc this day.
4 And 1 persecuted ^ this way unto the death, binding an4^1iver- ing into prisons both men^pl wo- men.
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 ferusalem, for to be punished.
G And it came to pass, that as I made my journey, and was come
a c.21.39. ZCor.l 1 .22. Phil.3.5. b c.5.34. c c.26.5. i Gal. 1.14. ec.21.20. Rom.10.2.
3. Born in Tarsus. ]\ote, ch xxi. 39. U Brought vp in this city. In Jerusalem, sent there for the advantage of more per- fect instruction in the law. IT At the feet of Gamaliel. As a scholar, or disciple of Gamaliel. The phrase to sit at the feet of one, is expressive of the condition of a disciple or learner. Comp. Deut. xxxiii. 3. Luke X. 39. It is prcbable that the expres- jion arose from the fact that the learners occupied a lower place or seat than the •-eacher. The phrase is expressive of hw- nility and a lower condition. On the cha •acter and rank of Gamaliel, see iXote on 3h. V. 31. Paul mentions his having been nstructed in this manner, in order lo show .hat he vvas entitled to the full privilege of iiA Jew, and that he had had every oppor- kunity to become fully acquainted with the aatureofthe law. ^According to the perfect manner. Kxra ^a^IZiixv. liy strict dili- gence, or exact care; or in the utmost •igour and severity of that instruction. No pains were spared to make him un- Jerstand and practise the law of Moses. I The lau) of the fathers. The law of our fathers; i.e. the law which they received, and handed down lo us. Paul was a Pharisee ; and t!io law in which ho had been taught was not ou' y the written law Df Moses, but the traditional law which .lad been handed down from former times. Note, Matt. iii. 0. H And mas zealous to- vxirds God. Gal. i. 11. lie bad a constant b'lrning zeal for G<m1 and his law, which
nigh unto Damascus about noon suddenly there shone from heaves a great light round about me.
7 And 1 fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying 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 mfc saw '' indeed the light, and were afraid ; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said. What shall I do, Lord ? And the Lord said unto me. Arise, and go into Damascus ; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
/c.8.3;26.!)-13. Phil.3.6. lTim.l.l3. g c.9,2,<te.
h Dan. 10.7.
was expressed not only by scrupulous ad- herence to its forms, but by pers|puting all who opposed it. ver. 4, 5.
4. And [persecuted, ch. viii. 3. ^ Thi way. Those who were of this mode ol worshipping God ; that is. Christians Note, Acts ix. 2. IT Unto the death. In tending to put them to death. He did not probably put any to death himself, but he committed them to prison, he sought their lives, he was the agent cm- ployed in arresting them; and when they were put to death, he tells us that he gave his voice against them (Acts xxvi. 10) ; that is, he joined in, and approved oJ their condemnation. ^ Delivering intt prisons, &o. ch. viii. 3.
5. As also the high-priest, &;c. Note ch. ix. 2. 'a All the estate of the elders Greek. All t!ie presbytery ; that is, tho whole body of the sanhedrim, or great council of the nation. H Unto the brethren. The Jewish brethren, who were at Da mascus. Paul here speaks as a Jew, and regards his countrymen as his brethren.
G. As I made my journey. As I was on my journey. IT About jioon. ch. xxvi. 13. " At mid-day-" This rircumslanco is omitted by Luke in his account in ch. ix. Paul menlioris it^ as being the more re- markable since itocrnrred at mid-day, tc show that he was not deluded by any me- teoric or natural appearances, which u«u ally occur at nig-lit.
6—11. See No/.e8 ch. ix. 3— 7
A. I) 60.]
CHAPTER XXIl.
299
11 And when I could not see for ihe 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^
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive '•hy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said. The " God of our fathers hath chosen '^ thee, that
o c.9.17. t c.10.22. lTim.3.7. Heb.11.2. cc.3. 13:5.30. dch.c.9.13. Gal.1.15. ever.18. lCor.9.
I:15«S.
thou shouldest know his will- and see * that Just /One, and shouldest hear the voice ^ of his mouth.
15 For thou ^ shalt be his wit- ness unto all men, of what thoa hast seen and heard.
16 And now, why tarriest thou ' arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling ^ on the name of the Lord,
17 And it came to pass, that when I was come again to Jerusa- lem, even while 1 prayed in the temple, I was in a trance ;*
/c.3.14;7.51. g- 1 Cor. 11. 23. Gal. 1.12. A c.23.11; 26.16,&c. tHeb.10.22. lPet.3.21. j Rom, 10. 13.
lCor.1.2. fe2Cor.l2.2.
11. The glory of that light. The splen- dour, the intense brilliancy of the hght. See this and its effects explained in the Note on ch. ix. 8.
12, 13. See Notes, ch. ix. 17, 18 14. Shouldest kyiow his will. His will in
ihe plan of salvation, and in regard to your future life. IT And see that Just One. The Messiah. Note, ch. iii. 14. As Paul was to be an apostle, and as it was the peculiar office of an apostle to bear wit- ness to the person and deeds of the Lord Jesus (Note, ch. i. 21, 22.) it was necessa- ry that he should see him, that thus he might be a competent witness of his re- surrection. IT Shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. Shouldst hear and obey his commands.
15. For thou shalt he his witness, &c. As an apostle to testify to all men that th^L. 1' Messiah has come ; that he has died ; thstffem. he has risen ; and that he is the Saviour 3f the world. IT Of what thou hast seen >ind heard. Of the remarkable proof which has been furnished you of the di- vine mission and character of the Lord fesus.
16. And now why tarriest thou ? Why tost thou delay, or wait any longer? These words are not recorded by Luke in ch. ix., where he has given an account of the conversion of Paul; but there is nothing here contradictory to his statement. IT And wash away thy sins. Receive baptism, as an act expressive of the wash- ing away of sins. It cannot be intended that the external rite of baptism was suf ficient to make the soul pure, but that it was an ordinance divinely appointed as expressive of the v.'ashing away of sins, or of purifying the heart. Comp. Heb. x. 22 Sinners are represented in the Scrip- Uires as defiled or polluted by sin "mj
wash away the sins, denotes the purifying of the soul from this polluted influence. 1 Cor. vi. 11. Rev. i. 5 ; vii. 14. Isa. i. 16 Ps. li. 2. 7. IT Calling on the name of the Lord. For pardon and sanctificalion. Rom. x. 13, " Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." It was proper that this calling on the name of the Lord should be connected with the ordinance of baptism. That ordinance was expressive of a purifying which the Lord only could produce. It is proper that the rite of baptism should be attend- ed with extraordinary prayer; and that he who is to be baptized should make it the occasion of peculiar and very solemn religious exercises. The external rite will avail nothing without the pardoning mercy of God.
When I was come again to Jerusa- That is, three years after his con- version. See Gal. i. 17, 18. IT While 1 prayed in the temple. Paul, like the othc converts to Christianity from among me Jews, would naturally continue to offer his devotions in the temple. We meet with repeated instances of their continu- ing to comply with the customs of the Jewish people. IF / was in a trance. Greek, Ecstasy. Note, ch. x. 10. Per- haps he here refers to what he elsewhere mentions (2 Cor. xii. 1 — 5,) which he calls " visions and revelations of the Lord." In that place he mentions his benig " caught up to the third heaven" (ver. 2 ) and " into paradise," where he heard words which it was " not possible for a man to utter." ver. 4. It is not certain, however, that he refers in this place t« that remarkable occurrence. The narra- tive would rather imply that the Lora Jesus appeared to him in the temple in a remarkable manner, in a vision, and gave
soo
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 60
18 And saw * liim saying unto a»e. Make haste, and get thee quick- ly out of Jerusalem : for they will not receive thy testimony concern- ing me.
19 And I said, Lord, they ''know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee :
20 And wiien the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I « also
a Ter.l4.
b Ter.4. e c.7.58.
him a direct command to go to the Gen- tiles. Paul had now stated the evidence of his conversion, which appears to have heen satisfactory to them: at least they made no objection to his statement; he had shown by his being in the temple tiis respect for their institutions ; and he now proceeds to show that in his other conduct he had been directed by the same high authority by which he had been call- ed into the ministry, and that the com- mand had been given to him in their own »emple and in their own city.
18. And saw him. Evidently the Lord Jesus, ver. M. He had received his commission from him, and he now receiv- ed a distinct command to go to the Gen- tiles. IT For they tvill not receive. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, probably includ- .ng both Jews and Christians. The Jeu>s would not listen to him, because he had become, in their view, an aix>statc, and they would hate and persecute him Tl Christians would not be hkely to recei nim, for they would remember his Ibrml persecutions, and would be suspicious of him, because he had been so long in Arabia, and had not sooner connected lumself with them. See Note on ch. ix. 2f». " And wlien Saul was come to Jeru- salem, he a.ssayed to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a dis- cij)Ic."
19. And I said. Lord. This shf)ws that it was the Lord Jesus, whom Paul saw in a trance in the temple. The term Lord Ui usually applied to him in the A«ls. Note, ch. i. '21. IT Theif know. Chris-
ians know; and they will therefore Ije not likely to receive to their Iciiowship their f()rmer enemy and persecutor. H Hraf in ereri/ sytiai^nfruc Hrating, or Mourging, wa^ (>riori donn in the sytia- fiigiie. See Note, Malt. x. 17. Cnuip.
^clH xKvi. ] 1 It was customary for tho.so
was standing by, and consenting '^ unto his death, and kept the raf- ment of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart : for* I will send thee far hence,*unto the Gentiles.
22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and t//en lift up their voices, and said, Away with s'lch 3. fellow from the earth : for ■''H is not fit that he should live.
dc.8.1. e e.13.2,47. Rom.1.5; 12.13; 15.16. Gtl.i 7,8. Eph.3.7,8. lTiitt2.7. /c.25.24.
iiu .i
he. cai
who were converted to Christianity, stih to meet with the Jews in their syna gogues, and to join with them in tbeii worship.
20. The blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed. See ch. vii. .08; vhi. 1. If J was standing by. ch. vii. 58. IT And cm^ senting unto his death, ch. viii. 1. IT And kept the raiment. The outer robes oi garments which were usually laid aside, when they engaged in running or labour. See ch. vii. 58. All this sliowed, that though Paul was not engaged in stoning Stephen, yet he was with them in spirit, and fully accorded with what they did. These circumstances are mentioned here by him, as reasons why he knew that he would not be received by Christians aa one of their number, and why it was ne- cessary, therefore, for him to turn to the gentile world.
21. And he said unto me, Depart. Bo cause the Christians at Jerusalem would
t receive him. 11 Far hence. Pau veiled far in the heathen nations. A large part of his time in the ministry wa» spent in remote countries, and in the most distant regions then known. See Kom. XV. 19.
22. And they gave him audience. They heard him v^ticntly. If Ihito this word. The word Gy^ntiles. If Away itith such a follow. Gretk, Take such a man Irom the tarlli ; i. e. put him to death- It is language of strong indignation and ab- horrence. The reasons of tlioir indigna- tion were, not that tliov supiM)si'd thai the Gomiles could not be hrouglil into cove- nant with G(kI, for tlu-y would them- selves compa.sH poa and land to make one proselyte ; Iwit they were, (1.) 'I'liat thoy believed that Paul tauglit that they might be saved without ronli)rming 9i ilio law of MosoH ; and, (2.) His speecii implied that the Jt-ws were more hardened than the Gentiles, and that Jio had a grcQtc*
\.b. oo.j
CHAPTER XXII.
301
23 And as they ^ried out, and sast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
21 The chief captain command- ed him to be brought into the cas- tle, and bade that he should be examined by scouriring ; that he might know wherefore they cried 50 against him.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centu- rion that stood by, Is it lawful for
prospect of success in bringing them to God than he had in regard to the Jews.
23. Cast off their clothes. Their outer garments. Probably they did it now in- tending to stone him. eh. vii. 58. IT And threw dust into the air. As expressive of their abhorrence and indignation. This was a striking exhibition of rage and vindictive mabce. Paul was guarded by Roman soldiers, so that they could not injure him ; and their only way of ex- pressing their wrath was by menaces and threats, and by these tokens of furious in- dignation. Thus Shimei expressed his mdiguation against David by cursing him, and throwing stones at him, and casting dust. 2 Sam. xvi. 13.
2-4. The castle. The tower of Antonia. H^KOuld be there removed entirely frdlJPie wrath of the Jews. IF Should be examined. 'AviTi.^i(r^u.i. The word examine with us commonly means to in- quire, to question, to searcn for, or to look carefully into a subject. The word here used is commonly applied to metals whose nature is tested, or examined by fire; and then It means to subject to torture or tor- ments, in order to extort a confession, where persons were accused of crime. It was often resorted to among the an- cients. The usual mode has been by the rack, but various kinds of torments have been invented in order to extort confes- sions of guilt from those who were accus- ed. The whole practice has been one of the most flagrant violations of justice, and one of the foulest blots on human nature, fn this casCv the tribune saw that Paul was accused violently by the Jews; he was ignorant of the Hebrew lar.guage, and had not probably understood the ad- dress of Paul ; he supposed from the ex- traordinary excitement hat Paul must have been guilty of some flagrant offence, ajid he therefore resolved to subject him to torture, to extort from him t confession,
2 n
you to scourge i man that is a Ro- man, " and uncondemned ?
2G When the centurion hearri that^ he went and told the chiei captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest : for this man is a Ro- man.
27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him. Tell me, art thou a Roman 1 He said. Yea.
28 And the chief captain an- swered. With a great sum obtained
IT By scourging. By the scourge or whip. Comp. Heb. xi. 3G. This was one mode of torture, in order to extort a secret from those who were accused.
25. Bound him with thongs. With cords, preparatory to scourging. IF Is it law/id, &c. It was directly contrary to the Roman law, to bind and scourge « Roman citizen. See Note, on ch. xv. 36, 37.
28. With a great sum obtained I this Xfreiedom. This freedom, or privilege ol Roman citizenship. From this it would seem, that the privilege of being a Ro- man citizen might be purchased. Per- haps he refers, however, to the expenses which were necessarily attendant in pass- ing through the proper /orms of becom- ing a Roman citizen. The argument of the tribune in this case is this:— '/ob- tained this privilege at a great price , Whence did you Paul, thus poor and per- secuted, obtain the means of becoming a Roman citizen V Paul had informed him that he was a native of Tarsus (oh. XXI. 39) ; and the chief captain supposed that that was not a free city, and that Paul could not have derived the privilege of citizenship from his birth. IT Bu' 1 was free-born. I was born a Roman lUi- zen, or I am such in virtue of my birth Various opinions have been formed on the question, in what way or for what reasons Paul was entitlerf to the privilege of a Roman citizen. Some have sup- posed that Tar?U3 was a Roman colony, and that he thus became a Roman oiU- zen. But of this there does rot appear to be sufficient proof Pliny bays '^S 27) that it was a free city. The city of Tar- sus was endowed with the privileges of a free city by Augustus Cesar, after it had been greatly afflicted and oppressed by wars. (Appian.) Dio Chrysost. says to the people of Tarsus, " h^. (Augustus) has conferred on you every thing which an*
iOS
THE ACTS
[A. D. 60
k this freedom And Paul said, But I was free born.
2^ Then straightway they de- parted from him which should have ' examined him : and the chief captain ^so 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
1 or, tortured him. a c i? IS.
one could bestow on his friends and com-
f)anions, a country (i. e. a free country), aws, honour, authority over the river 'Cydranus), end the neighbouring sea." Free cities were permitted in the Roman empire to use their own laws and cus- toms, to have their own magistrates, and they were free from being subject to Ro- man guards. They were required only to acknowledge the supremacy and au- thority of the Roman people, and to aid them in their wars. Such a city was T.- -sus, and having been born there, Paul Was entitled to these privileges of a free man. Many critics have supposed that this privilege of Roman citizenship had been conferred un some of the ancestors of Paul, in consequence of some distin- guished military service. Such a con- ferring of the rights of citizenship was not unusual, and possibly might have oc- curred in this case. But there is no di- rect historical proof of it; and the for- mer fact, that he was born in a free city, will amply account for his afTirmation that he was free-born.
29. 17ie?i straightiDaj/. Immediately. They saw that by scourging him they would have violated the Roman law, and exfKjsed themselves to its penalty. IT Which should have txamhied him. Who were about to torture him by scourging him. ver. 24. IT Because he had bound him. Preparatory to scourging hini. The act oCbiridiug a Roman citizen, with such an intent, untried and uncondemned, was unlawful Prisoners who were to be Bcourged were usually b>und by the Romans to a pillar or post; and a sunilar custom prevailed nmong tho Jews. That it was unlawful to bind a man, with this intent, who was uncondemned, appears Irom an express declaration in Cicero (against Verros). «' It is a heinc-ris sin to bind a Roman citizen ; it is wickedness to benf him ; it is next to parricide to kill him, and what shall I say to crucify him ?"
30. On (he niorr-^u) After he had ar- WBied Pail). Pan. wan still n prisoner;
wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from fiis bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set hiir before them.
CHAPTER XXin.
A ND Paul, earnestly beholdinj?
-^ the council, said. Men and
brethren, I ^ have lived in all goo<!
i c.24.16. 2Cor.l.l2. Hcb.13.lS.
and if sutlered to go at liberty among thfe Jews, his life would have been ai dan- ger. ^ A7id commanded the chief priests, ^c. Summoned a meeting of the sanhe- drim, or great council of the nation. He did this, as he was prevented from scourg- ing Paul, in order to know what he had done, and that he might learn frorn the Jews themselves the nature of the charge against him. This was necessary for ihe safety of Paul, and for the ends of jus- tice. This should have been done with- out any attempt to torture him in order to extort a confession. IT And brought Paul down. From the elevated castle or towei of Antonia. The council assembled com monly in the house of the high-priest II And set him before them. He brought the prisoner to their bar, that they might have an opportunity to accuse him, and that thus the chief captain might lenm the real nature of the charge dfl|u::it him. ^P
CHAPTER XXIII. 1. And Paul, earnesthj beholding. At*. v'trxg. Fixing Ills eyes intently on the council. The word denotes a fixed and earnest gazing; a close observation. See Luke iv. 20. Note, Acts iii. 4. Pau. would naturally look with a keen and attentive observation on the council He was arraigned before them, and he would naturally observe the appearance, and endeavour to ascertain the char^tei of his judj^![t"o. Besides, it was by thi. council thfit ho had been formerly com missioned to persecute the Christians, ch. ix. 1,2. He hid not seen thom since that commission was given. He would natu- rally, therefore, regard them with an at- tentive oye. The result shows, also, thai Paul looked at them to see what was the character of the men there as.sembled, and what wiis Ihe pro]Mjrtion of Pharist'es and Saddurcos. vrr. fi H The council Gr. Th'' sanhedrim c.i. xxii. 30, It \\h% the great council composed of eevciry elders, to whom was intrusted the aflaiit of the nation. Sco Note. Mail. t. i
A.D 60.]
CHAPTER XXlIL
30^
conscience befoie God until this day.
2 And the high-priest A.nani-
* ^few and bretliren. Gr. 'Men, breth- ren;' the usual form of beginning an address among the Jews. See ch. ii. 29. He addressed them still as his brethren. If 1 have lived in all good conscience. I have conducted myself so as to maintain a good conscience. I have done what I beheved to be right. This was a bold declaration, after the tumult, and charges, and accusations of the previous day (ch. xxii.); and yet it was strictly true. His persecutions of the Christians had been conducted conscientiously. Acts xxvi. 9, " I verily thought with myself," says he, " that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." Of his conscientiousness and fidelity in their service, they could bear witness. Of his conscientiousness since, he could make a similar declaration. And he, doubtless, meant to say, that as he had been consci- entious in persecution, so he had been in his conversion, and in his subsequent course. And as they knew that his for- mer life had been with a good conscience, they ought to presume that he had main- tained the same character still. This was a remarkably bold appeal to be made by an accused man, and it shows the strong consciousness which Paul had of his in- nocence. What would have been the drift of Paul's discourse in proving this, we can only conjecture. He was inter- rupted (ver. 2); but there can be no doubt that he would have pursued such a course of argument as should tend to establish his innocence. IT Befor" God. Gr. To God. Ti Gfc. He had lived to God, or with reference to his ev^mmands, so as to keep a conscience pure in his sight. The same principle of conduct he states more at length in c\i. xxiv. 16 : " And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a con- science void of offence toward God and toward men. IF Until this day. Includ- [ng the time before his conversion to Christianity, and after. In both condi- tions he wa? conscientious ; in one, con- scientious in persecution and error, though he deemed it to be right ; in the other, conscientious in the truth. The mere fact, that a man is conscientious, does not prove that he is right, or innocent See Note on John xvi. 2.
2. And the high-priest Ananias. This Ananias was, doubtlesa, the son of Nebe- 4inus (Jos. Ant xx. ch. v. ^ 3), nho was
as commanded them that stood by him to smite hin <» on the mouth.
a Jno.lS.22.
high- priest when Quadratus, who pre- ceded Felix, was president of Syria. He was sent bound to Rome by Quadratus, at the same time with Ananias, the prefect of the temple, that they might give an account of their conduct to Claudius Ce- sar. Josephus, Ant. b. xx. ch. vi. v) 2. But in consequence of the intercession oi Agrippa the Younger, they were dismiss- ed, and returned to Jerusalem. An.inias, however, was not restored to the office of high-priest. For, when Felix was go- vernor of Judea, this office vias filled by Jonathan, who succeeded Ananias. Jo- sephus, Ant. b. XX. ch. x. Jonathan was slain in the temple itself, by the instiga tion of Felix, by assassins who had been hired fcr the purpose. This murder ia thus described by Josephus (Ant. b. xx. ch. viii. $ 5) : " Felix bore an ill-will to Jonathan, the high-priest, because he fre- quently gave him admonitions about go- verning the Jewish affairs better than he did, lest complaints should be made against him, since he had procured of Ce- sar the appointment of Felix as procurator of Judea. Accordingly, Felix contrived a method by which he might get rid of Jonathan, whose admonitions had become troublesome to him. Felix persuaded one of Jonathan's most faithful friends, of the name Doras, to bring the robbers upon him, and to put him to death." This was done in Jerusalem. The robbers came into the city as if to worship God, and with daggers, which they had con- cealed under their garments, they put him to death. After the death of Jona than the office of high-priest remained vacant, until king Agrippa appointed Is- mael, the son of Fabi, to the office. Jo- sephus, Ant. b. XX. ch. viii. $ 8. It was during this interval, while the office of high-priest was vacant, that the events which are here recorded took place. Ananias was then at Jerusalem ; and as the office of high-priest was vacant, and as he was the last person who had borne the office, it was natural that he shoula discharge, probably by common consent, its duties, so far at least as to preside in the sanhedrim. Of these facts, Paul would be doubtless apprized ; and hence what he said (ver. 51 was strictly tri.e, and is one of the ev dences that Luk«f'a history accords precisely with the piecu har circumstances vvhieh then existed
iOi
THE ALTS.
A. D. 60
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, iJani \vhited wall : foi sittest thou to judo^e me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten " contrary to the law 1
a Lev.19.35. Deut.25.1,2. Jno.7.Sl.
When Luke here calls Ananias " the high-priest," he evidently intends not to affirm that he was actually such ; but to use the word as the Jews did, as applica- ble to one who had been in that office, and who, on that occasion, when the office was vacant, performed its duties. IT To smile him on the mouth. To stop him from speaking ; to express their in- dignation at what he had said. The anger of Ananias was excited, because Paul afiirmed, that all that he had done had been with a good conscience. Their feelings had been excited to the utmost ; they regarded him as certainly guilty ; they deemed him to be an apostate; and they could not bear it that he, with such coolness and firmness, declared that all his conduct had been under the direction of a good conscience. The uijustice of the command of Ananias is apparent to all. A similar instance of violence occurred on the trial of the Sa- viour. John xviii. 22.
3. God shall smite thee. God shall pun- ish thee. God is just; and he will not suffer such a manifest violation of all the laws of a fair trial to pass unavenged. This was a remarkably bold and fearless declaration. Paul was surrounded by enemies. They were seeking his life. And he must have known that such de- clarations would have only excited their wrath, and made them more thirsty for his blood. That he could thus address the president of the council, was not only Btrongly characteristic of the man, but was also a strong proof that he was con- Bcious of innocence, and that justice was on his side. This expression of Paul, " God shall smite thee," is not to be re- garded in the light of an imprecalicri, or as an expression of angry feeling, but of a prediction, or of a strong conviction on the mind of Paul, that a man so hypo- critical and unjust as Ananias was, could not escape the vengeance of God. Ana- nias wa.'< slain, with Hezekiah his brother, Juring the agitation that occurred in Je- nualem when the robbers, or Sirarii, under their leader, Manahem, had taken p08.session of the city. lie attempted to conceal liim.self in an aqueduct, but was drawn forth and killotl See Josej^hus,
4 And they that stDod by said Revilost thou God's high-priest]
5 I'hen said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he w^as the high- priest: for it is written, '> Thou
b Ex.22.28. Eccl.10.20. 2PeU2.10. Jude 8.
Jewish Wars, b. ii. ch. xvii. $ 8. Thui Paul's prediction was fulfilled. IT Thot whited wall. This is evident^y a provei bial expression, meaning tnuu hypocrite. His hypocrisy consisted in his pretending to sit there to do justice; and yet, in commanding the accused to be smitten in direct violation of the law, he thus showed that his character was not what, by his sitting there, he professed it to be, but that of one determined to carry the purposes of his party, and of his own feelings. Our Saviour used a similar expression, to describe the hypocritical character of the Pharisees (Matt, xxiii. 27), when he compares them to whited sepulchres. A whited wall is a wall or enclosure that is covered with lime or gypsum, and that thus appears to be dif ferent from what it is, and thus aptly describes the hypocrite. Seneca (de Pro- videntia, ch. 6) uses a similar figure tc describe hypocrites: "They are sordid base, and like their walls adorned only externally." See also Seneca, Epis. 115 IT For siltest thou, «tc. The law required that justice should be done, and in order to that, it gave every man an opportunity of defending himself See JNote, John vii. 51. Prov. xviii. 13. Lev. xix. 15, 16. Ex. xxiii. 1, 2. Deut. xix. 15. 18. IT Tc judge me after the lav). As a judge to hear and decide the case according to the rules of the law of Moses. 11 Con- trary to the lau). In violation of the law of Moses (Lc\-. xix. 35), " Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment."
4. Kcvi'esl thou, ike Dost thou re- proach cr abuse the high-priest of God ? It is reinarksbh; that they who knew that he v. as not the high-priest, should have olTe/cf] this language. He was, however, in the place of the high-priest, and they might have pretended that re- spect was due to the oflifo.
5. Then said Paul., I uii^t not. 1 know not ; I was ignorant of the fact, that he was high-priest. Intorpretors have been greatly dvided f)n f lo meaning of thig expression. Some have supposed tliat Paul K»iid it in irovy; as it he liad .said
' Pardon me, brolhrrn, I tlid not considei that tills was the high-priet;t. It did nof occur to me, that a man who could con
i. D. 60.]
shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
duct thus, could be God's high-priest.' Others have thought (as Grotius) that Paul used these words for the purpose of mitigating their wrath, and as an ac- knowledgment that he had spoken hasti- ly, and that it was contrary to his usual babit. which was not to speak evil of the rJer of the people'. As if he had said, acknowledge my error and my haste. I did not consider that I was addressing him whom God bad commanded me to respoft.' But this interpretation is not probable, for Paul evidently did not in- tend to retract what he had said. Dr. Doddridge renders it, " I was not aware, brethren, that it was the high-priest," and regards it as an apology for having spoken in haste. But the obvious reply to this mterpretation is, that if Ananias was the high-priest, Paul could not but be aware of it Of so material a point, it is hardly possible that he could be ignorant. Others suppose, that as Paul had been long ab- sent from Jerusalem, and had not known the changes which had occurred there, he was a stranger to the person of the high-priest. Others suppose that Ananias did not occupy the usual seat which was appropriated to the high-priest, and tliat he was not clothed in the usual robes of office, and that Paul did not recognise him the high-priest. But these interpre- tations are not probable. It is wholly im- pi'obable that, on such an occasion, the high-priest, who wa^ the presiding officer in the sanhedrim, should not be knovm to the accused. The true interpretation, therefore, I suppose is, that which is de- rived from the fact that Ananias was not then properly the high-priest ; that there was a vacancy in the otiice, and that he presided by courtesy, or in virtue of his having been formerly invested with that office- The meaning then will be ' I did not regard or acknowledge him as the high-priest. I did not add<-ess him as such, since that is not his true character. Had he been truly the high-priest, even if he had thus been guilty of manifest mjustice, I would not have used thelan- guage which I did. The office, if not the man, would have claimed respect. But as he is not truly and pr3perly clothed with that ofBce, and as he was guilty of manifest injustice, I did not believe that he was to be shielded in his injustice by the law which commands me to show respect to the proper ruler of the people.' If this be the true interpretation, it shows 2c3
CHAPTER XX 11
SOS
6 But when Paul perceived thai the one part were Sadducees,
that Luke, in this account, accords en tirely with the truth of history. Tba character of Ananias, as given by Jose- phus ; the facts which he has stated in regard to him, all accord with the accotint here given, and show that the writer of the " Acts of the Apostles" was ac« quainted with the history of that time, and has correctly stated it. IT For it is written. Ex. xxii. 28. Paul adduces this to show that it was his purpose to observe the law ; that he would not intentionally violate it; and that, if he had known Ananias to be high-priest, he would have been restrained by his regard for the law from using the language which he did. IF 0/ the rider of thy people. This passage had not any peculiar re ference to the high-priest, but it incul- cated the general spirit of respect for those in office, whatever that office was As the office of high-priest was one of importance and authority, Paul declares here that he would not be guilty of show- ing disrespect for it, or of using reproach- ful language towards it.
6. But when Paid perceived. Probably by his former acquaintance with the men who composed the council. As he had been brought up in Jerusalem, and had been before acquainted with the sanhe- drim (ch. ix. 2), he would have an ar- quaintance, doubtless, with the character of most of those present, though he had been absent from them for fourteen years. Gal. ii. 1. Il The one part, &c. That the council was divided into two parties Pharisees and Sadducees. This was commonly the case, though it is uncer. tain which had the majority. In regard to the opinions of these two sects, see Notes on Matt. iii. 7. IT He cried out, &c. The reasons why Paul resolved to take advantage of xheir difference of opinion were, probably, (1.) That he saw that it was impossible to expect justice at their hands; and he, therefore, regarded it as prudent and proper to consult his safety. He saw, from the conduct of Ananias, and from the spirit manifested (ver. 4), that they, like the other Jews, had pre- judged the case, and were driven on by blind rage and fury. (2.) His object was to show his innocence to the chief cap- tain. To ascertain that, was the purpose for which he had been arraigned. Yet that, perhaps, could be most directly and satisfactorily shown by bringing out, as he knew he could do, the real gpirir
JOb
THE ACTS
[A. D. GO
and the ether JMiarisies, he cried out in the council, Men and breth- ren, " I am a Pharisee, the son of
ac.26.5. rhil.3.5.
which actuated the whole council, as a spirit of part)-strife, contention, and persecution. Knowing, therefore, how Bensitive they were on the subject of the resurrection, he seems to have resolved to do what he would not have done had they been disposed to hear him accord- ing to the rules of justice, to abandon ihe direct argument for his defence, and to enlist a large part, perha{)S a majority of the council, in his favour. Whatever may be thought of the propriety of this course, it cannot be denied that it was a master-stroke of policy, and that it evinc- ed a profound knowledge of liuman na- ture. IF /am a Pharisee. That is, I was of that sect among the Jews. I was born a Pharisee, and I ever continued while a Jew to be of that sect. In the main he agreed with them still. He did not mean to deny that he was a Christian, but that so far as the Pharisees diiTered from the Sadducees, he was in the main with the former. He agreed with them, not with the Sadducees, in regard to the doctrine of the resurrection, and the existence of angels and spirits. IT The son of a Fhari- see. What was the name of his father is not known. But the meaning is, simply, that he was entitled to all the immuni- ties and privileges of a Pharisee. He had, from his birth, belonged to that sect, nor had he ever departed from the great cardinal doctrines which distinguished that sect — the doctrine of the resurrec- tion of the dead. Comp. Phil. iii. 5. IT Of the nope and resurrection of the dead. That is, of the hope that the dead will be raised. This is the real point of the persecution and opposition to me. IT 1 am called in question. Gr. I am judged; that is, I am persecuted, or brought to trial. Orobio charges this upon Paul as an artful manner of declining persecu- tion, unworthy the character of an upright and honest man. Chubb, a British Deist of the neventeenth century, charges it upon Paul as an net of gross " dissimula- tion, as designed to conceal the true "round of all the troubles that he had Drought upon himself; and as designed to deceive niu' im'XJso upon the Jews." Me afTirms also, that " St. Paid probably mvented this pretended charge against himself, to draw over a party of the im- believing Jcwh unto him." Seo Chubb's pvMtiiuauuB Works vol ii p 238. D'ow,
a Pharisee ; of * the hope and re- surrection of the dead I am called in question.
i 0.24.15,21; 26.6} 29.20.
in reply to this, we may observe, (1.; That there is not the least evidence that Paul denied that he had been, or wat then, a Christian. An attempt to deny this, after all that they knew of him, would have been vain ; and there is not the slightest hint that he attempted it (2.) The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead was the main and leadine doc- trine w hich he had insisted on, and^hich had been to him the cause of much of his persecution. See ch. xvii. 31, 32. 1 Cor. XV.' Acta xiii. 34 ; xxvi. 6, 7. 23. 25. (3.) Paul defended this by an argu- ment which he deemed invincible, and which constituted, in fact, the principal evidence of its truth — the fact that the Lord Jesus had been raised. That fact had given demonstration to the doctrine of the Pharisees, that the dead would rise. As Paul had every where pro- claimed the fact that Jesus had been raised up, and as this had been the occa sion of his being opposed, it was true that he had been persecuted on account of that doctrine. (4.) The real ground of the opposition which the Sadducees made to him, and of their opposition to his doctrine vias, the additional zeal v ith which he urged this doctrine, and the additional argument which he brought for the resurrection of the dead. Per- haps the cause of the opposition of this great party among the Jews — the Saddu- cees— to Christianity, was the strong con- firmation which the resurrection of Christ gave to the doctrine which they so much hated — the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. It thus gave a triumph to their opponents among the Pharisees , and Paul, as a leading and zealous advo- cate of thot doctrine, would excite their special hatred. (5.) All that Paul said, thereibre, was strictly true. It wao be- cause he advocated this doctrine that he was opposed. That there were othe.i causes of opposition to him might be true also ; but still this was the main and prominent cause of the hostility. (G.^ With great nropriety, therefore he might address the Pharisees, and say Brethren, the great doctrine which hjis dislinguisli ed you from the Sadducees, is nt stake. The great doctrine which is at the foun- dation of all our hopes — the resii.-rectioD of the dead, the do( trine of our fathers of the Scriptures, of oui sect, is in dangei
D. 60.]
CHAPTER XXIII.
307
7 And when he had so said, there | 9 And there arose a great cry:
irose a dissension between the Pha- risees and the Sadducees : and the imltitude was divided.
8 For the Sadducees " say that there is no resurrection, neither an- gel nor spirit : but the Pharisees confess both.
o Matt.22.23. Mark 12.18. Luke 20.27,
Of that doctrine I have been the ad- vocate. I have never denied it. I have endeavoured to establish it, and have every where defended it, and have de- voted myself to the work of putting it on an imperishable basis among the Jews and the Gentiles. For my zeal in that, I have been opposed. I have excited the ridicule of the Gentile, and the hatred of the Sadducee. I have thus been perse- cuted and arraigned ; and for my zeal in this, in urging the argument in defence of it, which I have deemed most irrefra- gable— the resurrection of the Messiah, I have been persecuted and arraigned, and now cast myself on your protection against she mad zeal of the enemies of the doc- trine of our fathers. Not only, therefore, was this an act of policy and prudence in Paul, but what he affirmed was strictly true, and the effect was as he had antici- pated.
7. A dissension. A dispute, or differ- ence. IT And the multitude. The coun- cil. Comp. ch. xiv. 4. The Pharisees embraced, as he desired and expected, his side of the question, and became his ad- vocates, in opposition to the Sadducees, who were arrayed against him.
8. For the Sadducees say. They believe. TT No resurrection. Of the dead. By this doctrine they also understood that there was no future state, and that the soul did not exist after death. See Note, Matt, xxii. 23. IT Neither angel. That there are no angels. They deny the existence of good or bad angels. See Note, Matt, lii. 7. IF Nor spirit. Nor soul. That there was nothing but matter. They were materialists, and supposed that all the operations which Vv'e ascribe to mind, could be traced to some modification of matter. The Sadducees, says Josephus (Jewish War, b. ii. ch. viii. % 14), "take away the belief of the immortal duranon Df the soul, and the punishments and re- wards in Hades." " The doctrine of the Sadducees is this," says he (Ant. b. xviii. ch. i. $ 4), " that souls die with the bo- dies." The opinion that the so«l is ma- ierittL and that thero is nothing but matter
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.
b c.25.25:26.31 e a 22.17,38. i e.g3S.
in the universe, has been held by many philosophers, ancient and modern, as well as by the Sadducees. IT Confess both. Acknowledge, or receive both as true; i. e. that there is a future state, and that there are spirits distinct from m|fier, as angels, and the disembodied soul^wmen. The two points in dispute were, (1.) Whe- ther the dead would be raised and exist in a future state; and, (2.) Whether mind was distinct from matter. The Sadducees denied both, and the Pharisees believed both. Their belief of the latter point was, that spirits existed in two forms — that of angels, and that of souls of men distinct from the body.
9. A great cry. A great clamour, and tumult. IF The scribes. The learned men. They would naturally be the chief speakers. IT Of the Pharisees' part. Who were Pharisees ; or who belonged to that party. The scribes were not a distinct sect, but might be either Pharisees or Sadducees. IT We find no evil in this man. No opinion which is contrary to the law of Moses; and no conduct in spreading the doctrine of the resurrection which we do not approve. The import- ance of this doctrine, in their view, was so great as to th>row into the back ground all the other doctrines that Paul might hold ; and provided this were propagated they wore willing to vindicate and sus- tain hini. A similar testimony was offered to the innocence of the Saviour by Pi- late. John xix. 6. IT But if a spirit or an angel, &c. They here referred, doubtless, to what Paul had said in ch. xxii. 17, 18. He had declared that he had gone among the Gentiles in obedience to a command which he received m a vision ia the temple. As the Pharisees held to the belief of spirits and angels, and to the doctrine that the will of God was often delivered to men by their agency, they we-ie ready now to admit that he had re- cei^ ed such a communication, and that he had gone among the Gentiles in obe- dience to it, to defend their great doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. We are not to suppose that the Pharisees had be-
508
THE ACTS.
[A.D.66
Ift And when there arose a g^reat dissension, the cliief captain, fear- ing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, command- ed the soldiers to. go down, and to take him hy force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
11 And the night following, the
a P8.46J.. 7. c.18.9; 27.23,24. b c.2S.30,31.Rom.l. a. c ver.21.30. c.25.3.
come the friends of Paul, or of Chrisli- onitv. The true solution of their conduct doubtless is, that they were so inflamed withjhatred against the Saddueees, that the3)rj|^ere willing to make use of any argument against their doctrine. As the testimony of Paul might be turned to their account, they were willing to vindi- cate him. It is remarkable too, that they perverted the statement of Paul in order to oppose the Saddueees. Paul had stated distinctly (ch. xxii. 17, 18.) that he had been commanded to go by the Lord, meaning the Lord Jesus. He had said nothing of "a spnit, or an angel." Yet they would unite with the Saddueees so far as to maintain that he had received no such command from the Lord Jesus. But they might easily vary his statements, and suppose that an " angel or a spirit" had s{X)ken to him, and thus made use of his conduct as an argument against the Saddueees. Men are not always very careful about the exact correctness of their statements, when they wish to hum- ble a r-val. IT Let us not fpht against God. See Note, ch. v. 39. These words are wanting in many MSS. and in some of the ancient versions. The Syriac reads it, " if a spirit or an angel have spoken to him, what is there in this ?" i. e. what is there unusual or wrong.
10. A great dissension. A great tu- mult, excitement, or controversy. IT Into the castle. Note, ch. xxi. 34.
11. The Lord stood by him. Evidently the Lord Jesus. See Note, ch. i. 24. Comp. ch. xxii. 18. The appearance of the Lord in this case was a proof that he approved the course which Paul had taken before the sanhedrim. H Jle of g,,nd cheer. It would not he remarkable •f Paul, by these constant persecutions, should be somevvliat dejected in mind. The ifwue of the whole matter was as yet doubtful. In these circumstances, it muBt have been peculiarly consoling to him to hear these words of encouragement frt)m the I/)rd Jesus, and this assurance that
Lord stood " by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul : for as tiiou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also al Rome.''
12 And when it was day, cer- tain "^ of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves ' under a curse, saying, that they would
1 OT, with an oath of execration
the jbject of his desires should be grant ed. and that he would be permitted lo bear the same witness of him in Rome. Nothing else can comfort and sustain the soul in trials, and persecutions, but evi dence of the approbation of God, and the promises of his gracious aid. H Bear wit- ness also at Rome. This had been the ob- ject of his earnest wish (Rom. i. 10 ; xv. 23, 24), and this promise of the Lord Jesus was fulfilled, ch. xxviii. 30, 31. The promise which was here made to Paul was not directly one of deliverance from the present persecution, but it im plied that, and made it certain.
12. Certain of the Jews. Some of the Jews. They were more than forty m number, ver. 13. IT Banded together. Made an agreement, or compact. They conspired to kill him. IT And bound themselves tinder a curse. See the margin. The Greek is, " they anathematized them selves;" that is, they bound themselves by a solemn oath. They invoked a curse on themselves, or devoted themselves to destruction, if they did not do it. Light- foot remarks, however, that they could be absolved from this vow by the Rab bins, if they were unable to execute it Under various pretences they could easily be freed from such oaths, and it was com- mon to take them ; and if there was any difficulty in fulfilling them, they could easily apply to their religious teachers and be absolved. IT That they would neither eat nor drinh. That is, that they would do it as soon as possible. This was a common form of an oath, or curse, among the Jews. Sometimes they only vowed abstinence from particular things, as from meat, or wine. But in this case, to make the oath more certain, and bind- ing, they vowed abstinence from all kinds of food and drink till they had killed fii^n. Wlio these w<?rc — whelhei they were Saddueees or not— is not men tioind by the sacred writer. It is evi dent, liowever, that the minds of ih: Jews v\ ere greatly inflamed against Paul <
A B GO.]
CHAPTER XXIII.
309
neither eat nor drink '^ till they had killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty which had made this con- spiracy.
14 /Ind they came to the chief '' priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing it|||il wti have slain Paul.
J 5 Now therefore ye, with the
and as they saw him in the custody of the Roman tribune, and as there was no prospect that he would punish him, they resolved to take the matter into their own hands. Michaelis conjectures that they were of the number of the Sicarii., or eut-throats, with which Judea then abounded. See Note on ch. xxi. 38. It is needless to remark that this was a most wicked oath. It was a deliberate purpose to commit murder ; and it shows the des- perate state of morals among the Jews at that time, and the infuriated malice of the people against the apostle.
13. Which had made this conspiracy. This oath (irui/jo^oo-iav), this agreement, or compact. This large number of despe- rate men, bound by so solemn an oath, would be likely to be successful ; and the life of Paul was therefore in peculiar danger. The manner in which they pur- posed to accomplish their design is stated m ver. 15.
14. And they came, &c. Probably by a deputation, fl" To the chief priests arid elders. The members of the great coun- cil, or sanhedrim. It is probable that the application was made to the party of the Sadducees, as the Pharisees had shown their determination to defend Paul. They would have had no prospect of suc- cess had they attacked the castle, and they, therefore, devised this ingenious mode of obtaining access to Paul, where Ihey might easily despatch him. ^ Under a great curse. Greek, " We have anathe- matized ourselves with an anathema." We have made the vow as solemn as pos- sible.
15. Ye. vnih the council. With the con- currence or request of the sanhedrim. It was only by such a request that they had any hope that the chief captain would yemove Paul from the castle. IT Signify to the chief captain. Send a message or request to him. IT That he bring him dawn unto yon. That he bring him from the castle to th<i usual place of the meefc-
council,' signily to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to-m Drrow, as though ye would in- quire something more perfectly concerning him : and we, or evei he come near, are ready "^ to kill him.
IG And when Paul's sister's soo heard of their lying in wait, ho "^ went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
e Ps.Zl.U: 37.32,33. a 2bam.l7.17.
ing of the sanhedrim. As this was at some distance fi-om the cast.e or tower of Anlonia, where Paul was, they supposed it would be easy to waylay liun, artd take his life. ^ To-morrow. This is wanting in the Syriac, Vulgate, and Ethiopic ver- sions. It is, however, probably the cor- rect .reading of the text, as it would be necessary to convene the council, and make the request of the tribune, which might require the whole of one (my. IF As though ye would inquire, &c. This request appeared so reasonable that they did not doubt that the tribune would grant it to the council. And though it wis obviously a false and wicked pre- tence, yet these conspirators knew the character of the persons to whom th°y addressed themselves so well, that they did not doubt that they would prevail on the council to make the request. Public justice must have been deeply fallen, when it was known that sucli an iniqui- tous request could be made with the cer- tain prospect of success. H Or ever he come near. Before he comes near to tne sanhedrim. The great council will thus not be suspected of being privy to the deed. We will waylay him, and murder him in the way. The plan was well laid \ and nothing but the interposition of Pro- vidence could have prevented its execu- tion.
16. Paul's sister's son. This is all we know of the family of Paul. Nor do we know for what purpose he was at Jerusa- lem. It is possible that Paul might have a sister residing there ; though, as Paul had been sent there formerly for his edu- cation, it seems more probable that this young man was sent there for the same purpose. T Entered into the castle. Paul had the privileges of a Roman citizen, and as no well-founded charge had been laid against him, it is probable that he was not very closely confined, and thai his friends might have free a<:cess to him
ilO
THE ACTS.
[A. D. 60
17 Then * Paul called one of the centurions unto Jiirn, and said, Bring this young man unt) the chief captain ; for he hath a certain Ihing to tell him.
18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner * called me unto hlm^ and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.
19 Then the chief captain took nim 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 have '^ agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to-mor- row into the council, as though
a Prov.22.3. Matt. 10.16. b c.28.17. Eph.3.1; 4.1.
Phil.9, c ver.l2.
17. Called one of tke centurions. Who might at that time have had special charge of the castle, or been on guard. Paul had the most positive assurance that lis life vv'ould be spared, and that he nould yet see Rome ; but he always un- derstood the divine promises and pur- poses as being consistent with his own ef- forts, and with all proper measures of prudence and diligence in securing his own safety. lie did not rest merely on the divine promise without any effort of his own ; but he took encouragement from those promises to put forth his own exertions for security and ibr salvation.
18. And prayed me. And asked me.
19. Took him by tke haitd. As an ex- pression of kindness and civility. He did it to draw him aside from the multitude, that he might communicate his message privately.
20. And he said, &;c. In what way this young man had received intelligence of this, we can only conjecture. It is not improbable that he was a student under Borne one of the Jewish teachers, »nd that he might have learned it of him. It is not at all probable that the purpose of the forVy rnen would be very ckiyely kept. Indeed it is evident that Ihey were not themselves very anxious aliouf oonreal- ing their oath, as tliey mentioned it fully to the chief priests and elders, ver II.
21. Wuilinfr for a promise from tliee. Waiting for your consent to bring him down to them.
23. And he called unto him two ceniw i-
they wo lid inquiie somewhat of him mor3 perfectly.
21 Bnt do not thou yield '' unt6 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 eai nor drink till they have killed him . ai^fciow are they ready, looking foi a ^omise from thee.
22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him., See thou tell no man that thou hast showed these thitigs to me.
23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying. Make ready tw^o hundred soldiers to go to Cesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten
d Ex.23.2.
ons, &c. Each centurion had under him one hundred men. The chief captain resolved to place Paul beyond the power of the Jews, and to protect him as became a Roman citizen. H Two hundred sol- diers. These foot-soldiers were designed only to guard Paul till he was safely out of Jerusalem. The horsemen only were intended to accompany him to Cesarea. See ver. 32. ^ And horsemen. 'I'hese were commonly attached to foot-soldiers In this ease, however, they were designed to attend Paul to Cesarea. If And spear- men. A;;.o>.i^:u;. This word is found nowhere else in the J\ew Testament and occurs in no classic writer. It pro- perly means tho-ie who take, or apprehend by tke right harid ; and might be applied to those who apprehend prisoiiers, or to those who hold a spear or dart in the right hand for the purpose of throwing it. Some have conjectured that it should be read Si^io/Lik^vi — those who cast or throw [a spear] with the righ'. hand. So the Vulgate, the Syriac, and the Arabic un- derstand it. They were probably those who wore armed with .'^pears or darts, and who attended on the tribune as a guard. V At the third hour of the night. At nine o'clock. This was in order that it might be done with se( recy, and tc elude the band of desperadoes thai hac resolved to murder Paul. If it shoulo seem that this guard was very nnmcroiii for one man, it should he remembered (1.) That the ninubcr of those who hatf cunfipired against hitn was also largo, attd
A. I). 6U.J
CHAPTER XXIII.
311
and spearmen two handred, at the ^hird hour of the night ;
24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and firing him safe unto Fel^x the governor.
25 And he wrote a letter after this manner :
26 Claudius Lysias unto ths most excellent governor Felix scnd- eth 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, having un- derstood that he v/as a Roman.
28 And * when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council :
29 Whom I perceived to be ac-
a c.21.33; 24.7. t c.22.30.
(2.) That they were men accustomed to scenes of blood, of desperate characters, and who had solenmly sworn that they would take his life. In order, therefore, to deter them effectually from attacking the guard, it was made very numerous and strong, and nearly five hundred men were appointed to guard Paul as he left Jerusalem.
24. And provide them beasts. One for Paul, and one for each of his attendants. The word translated beasts {x-ri-.v/i) is of a general character, and may be applied either to horses, to camels, or to asses. The latter were most commonly employ- ed in Judea. IF Unto Felix the governor. The governor of Judea. His place of residence was Cesarea, about sixty miles from Jerusalem. See Note, ch. viii. 40. His name was Antonius Felix, and w as a freedman of Antonia, the mother of the emperor Claudius. He was high in the favour of Claudius, and was made by him governor of Judea. Josephus calls him Claudius Felix. He had married three wives in succession that were of royal families, one of whom was Dru- silla, afterwards mentioned in ch. xxiv. 24. who was sister to king Agrippa. Ta- citus (Hist. v. 9) says, that he governed with all the authority of a king, and the baseness and insolence of a slave. " He was an unrighteous governor, a base, •nercenary, and bad man." (ClarJie.) 'So.e
cused of questions of ^heir law but to have nothing '^ laid to hia 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 ac cusers also, to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
31 Then the soldiers, as it wag commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and re- turned to the castle :
33 Who, when they came to Ce- sarea, and delivered the epistle s to the governor, presented Paul alsc before him.
34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what
cc.lS.15; 25.19. rf c.26.31. e ver. 20,21. fH, 8; 25.6. s ver.25-30.
his character further described in the Note on ch. xxiv. 25.
26. Unto the most excdlent governor Fe- lix. The most honoured, &c. This was a mere title of office *!i Greeting. A term of salutation in an epistle wishing health, joy, and prosperity.
27. Should have been killed of them Was about to be killed by them. The life of Paul had been twice endangered in this manner, ch. xxi. 30; xxiii. 10 IT Vyith an army. With a band of sol diers. ver. 10.
29. Questions of their law. So he un derstood the whole controversy to be. IT Worthy of death. By the Roman law. He had been guilty of no crime against the Roman people. ^ Or of bonds. Of chains, or of confinement.
31. To Antipatris. This to WTi was an- ciently called Cafar-Saba. Josephus sayt (Antiq. xiii. 23.), that it was about seven teen miles from Joppa. It was aboui twenty-six miles from Cesarea, and oi course about thirty-five from Jerusalem Herod the Great changed its name to An tipatris, in honour of his father Antipater It was situated in a fine plain, and watei ed with many springs and fountains.
32. They left the horsemen. As thej were then beyond the danger of tlu conspirators, the soldiers wlio had gua»a ed them thus far returned to Jerus^eir
31. Of what province he was. Greek
ft 12
THE ACTS
[A. J^. ^.0
province he was. And when he understood that he was o[ Cilicia ; •* 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.
CHAPTER XXIV
A ND after five days, Ananias ^ -^ the high-priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator
fcc.21.39. ic.2J.l,&c. 25.16. c Matt.27.27.
Jt c.Za.'JjZS i.
Of what eparchy {i-xe-^Ui) he was. He knew from the letter of Lysias that he was a Roman, but he was not inform- ed of what place or province he was. This he doubtless did in order to ascer- tain whether he properly belonged to his jurisdiction. Roman provinces were dis- tricts of country which were intrusted to the jurisdiction of procurators. How far the jurisdiction of Felix extended is not certainly known. It appears, how- ever, that it included Cilicia. IF Was of Cilicia. Tarsus, the birth-place of Paul, was in this province, ch. xxi. 39.
35. In Herod's judgment-hall. Greek, In the pretorium of Herod. The word here used denoted formerly the tent of the Roman prstor; and as that was the place where justice was administered, it came to be applied to halls, or courts of justice. This had been reared probably by Herod the Great as his palace, or as a place for administering justice. It is probable also, that prisons, or places of security, would oe attached to such places.
CHAPTER XXIV.
1. And after five days. This time was occu|iied, doubtless, in their receiving trie command to go toCesarca, and in rnaking the necessary arrangements. This was the twelfth day after his arrival at Jeru- salem. See ver. 11. IT Ananias, the high- priest. See Note, ch. xxiii. 2. IT Descend- ed. ('an»e down from Jerusalem. This was the usual language when a departure from Jerusalem was spoken of See Note, ch. xv;. 1. IT With a certain orator named Tcrttdlus. ApfMjinted to accuse Paul. This is a Roman name, and this man was doubtless a Roman. As the Jowf were, to a "great extent, ignorant of the Roman ciiHtoms and laws, and of their mode of administering justice, it is not imi)r)liahlo that thoy wore in the hal)it of employing Rmnan lawyers to plead their causes. H Whn inftirtnrd the f^overtio' against Pud. Whoucled an the accuser
named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Panl.
2 And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, say- ing. 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 u. iW places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
ePs.11.2. /Pa. 12.2.
or who managed their cause before the governor. ^
2. And xihen he was called forth. When Paul was called forth from prison. See ch xxiii 35. H We enjoy great quietness. This was said in the customary style of flatterers and orators, to conciliate his favour, and is strikingly in contrast with the more honest, and straightforward introduction in the reply of Paul. ver. 10. Though it was said for flattery, and though Felix was in many respects an unprincipled man, yet it was true that his administration had been the means of producing much peace and order in Judea, and that he had done many things that tended to pro- mote their welfiire. In particular, he had arrested a band of robbers, with Ele- azar at their head, whom he had sent to Rome to be punished (Jos. Ant. b xx ch. viii.) ; he had arrested the Egyptian false prophet, who had led out four thou sand men into the wilderness, and who threatened the peace of Judea (see Note, ch. xxi. 38) ; and he had represseu
j a sedition which arose l)etween the in- habitants of Cesarea and of Syria. Jos. Jewish Wars, b. ii. ch. xiii. $ 2. IT Very worthy deeds. Acts that tended much to pron^ote the peace and security of the people. He referred to those which have just been mentioned as having been ac; complished by Felix, particularly his suc- cess in suppressing riots and seditions, and as, in the view of the Jews, the case of Paul WvOs another instance of a sinu.ar kind, he appealed to him with the moro confidence that he would suppress that also. T By thy providence. By. thy fi)re- eight, Bkill, vigilance, prudence.
3. We accept it always. We admit that 11 is owing to your vigilance, and we ac (rept your interposition to promote peace, with gratitude. !T Always, and in nU pl3crs. Not merely in your pre.°rtKP, hut we always acknowledge that it is owinai to your vigilance that the laud is seciirp^
\ D.GO.\
CHAPTER XXiV.
3U
4 Notwitnstanding-, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
5 Foi we have found this man a pestilent felloiv, " and a mover of sedition among all the Jews through- out the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
6 Who also hath gone about to profane ^ the temple : whom we
a Luke 23.2. c.6.13; 16.20; 17.6; 21.2S. lPet.2.12,19. b C.19.3-: 21.28.
' What we now do in your presence, we Jo also in your absence ; we do not com- mend you merely when yo j are present." ( Welsteiii.) ^ Most noble Felix. This was the title of office. IF With thankfulness. In this, there was probably sincerity, for there was no doubt that the peace of Judea was owing to Felix. But at the same time that he was an energetic and vigilant governor, it was also true that he was proud, and avaricious, and cruel. Josephus charges him with injustice and cruelty in the case of Jonathan, the h^gh- priest (Ant. b. xx. ch. viii. $ 5) ; and Taci- tus fHist. b. v. ch. 9), and Suetonius (Life of Claudius, ch. 28), concur in the charge.
4. Be not further tedious unto thee. By taking up your time with an introduction, and with commendation.
5. We have found this man a pestilent fellow. Aoi/ibv. This word is commonly applied to a plague, or pestilence, and then to a man who corrupts the morals of others, or who is turbulent, and an exciter of sedition. Our translation somewhat weakens the force of the original expres- sion. Tertullus did not say that he was a pestilent fellow, but that he was the very pestilence itself. In this he referred to their belief, that he had been the cause of exten- Bive disturbances every where amon^ the Jews. IT And a mover of sedition. An exciter of tumult. This they pretended he did by preaching doctrines contrary to the laws and customs of Moses, and ex- citing the Jews to tumult and disorder. IT Throughout the world. Throughout the Roman empire, and thus leading the Jews to violate the laws, and to produce tumults, riots, and disorder. IT And a ringleader. ncj^TnTrkx-^v. This word oc- curs nowhere else in the New Testa- ment. It is properly a military word, and denotes one who stards first in an army, a standard-bearer, a ^eader, or command- er. The meaning h, that Paul had been
Q D
took, and would have judged ^ ac- cording to our law :
7 But the chief '^ captain Lysias came upon us, and with great vio lence took him away out of oui hands,
8 Commanding his accusers ® lo come unto thee : by examining of whom, thyself mayest take know- ledge of all these things wherea^ we accuse him.
so active, and so prominent in preaching the gospel, that he had been a leader or the principal person in extending the sect of the Nazarenes. "if Of the sect. The original word here (=crfsa-.'j.s) is the word from which we have derived the term heresy. It is. however, properly translated sect, or party, and should have been so translated in ver. 14. See Note, ch. v. 17. IT Of the Nazarenes. This was the name usually given to Christians by way of contempt. They were so called because Jesus was of Nazareth.
6. Who also hath gone about. Who has endeavoured. H To profane the temple. This was a serious, but unfounded charge It arose from the gross calumny of the apostle, when they pretended that he had introduced Greeks into that sacred place, ch. xxi. 28. To this charge the ap<jstle replies in ver. 18. IT Arid would have
judged. That is, would have condemned and punished. IT According to our law. Their law, which forbade the introduc tion of strangers into the temple.
7. But the chief captain, &c. I'ertullus pretends that they v/ould have judged Paul righteously, if Lysias had not inter- posed ; but the truth was, that without regard to law or justice, they would have murdered him on the spot.
8. Commanding his accusers, &c ch. xxiii. 30. IT By examining of whom. That is, the Jews who were then present. Ter- tullus presented them as his witnesses of the truth of what he had said. It is evi- dent that we have here only the summa- ry or outline of the speech which Ter- tullus made. It is incredible that a Roman rhetorician would have, on such an oc- casion, delivered an address so brief, so meagre, and so destitute of display as this. But it is doubdess a correct summary of his address, and contains the leading points Cif the accusation. It is customary for the sacred writers, as for other wait- ers, to give only the outline of discourses
»J4
THE ACTS.
[A I). 60
9 And the Jews also assented, «ayinor that these thing's were so.
10 Then Paul, after that the ' governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I
' Feltx, made Procurator over Judea, A. D. 53
and arguments. Siu^h a course was in- evitable, unless the J\'ew Testament had been swelled to wholly undue propor- tions.
9. And the Jews also assented. The Jews who had accompanied Tertullus to Cesarea. They had gone as the accusers of Paul, and they bore testimony, when called u[x>n, to the truth of all that the orator had said. Whether they were examined individnall}' or not, is not de- clared. In whatever way their testimony was arrived at, they confirmed unani- mously the accusation which he had brought against Paid.
10. Had beckoned unto him to speak. Either by a nod or by the hand. IF Ha?i been of many t/ears. Felix and Cumanus had been joint-governord of Judea; but alter Cumanus had been condemned for his bad administration of the affairs, the government fell entirely into the hands of Felix. This was about seven years before Paul was arraigned before him, and might be called 7nany years, as he had been long enough there to be- come acquainted with the customs and habits of the Jews; and it might also be called lon^ in comparison with the short time which any of his immediate prede- cessors had held the oflice. See Jose- phus, Ant. b. xx. ch. vi, vii. ^ A judge. This word is evidently used here in the sense of magistrate, or one apjwinted to administer the aflairs of government. To determine litigated matters was, however, one part of his oftlce. It is remarkable that Paul did not begin his speech as Tertullus had done, by any flattering address, or by any of the arts of rhetoric. II« founded his jdea on the justice of his cause, and on the fact, that Felix had had so much ex|)erienco in the affairs of Judea that he was well qualified to un- derstand the merits of the case, and to jtid^e impartially. Paul was well ac- qiiauited with his character (see Note, «h. xxiv 25), and would not by flattering words declare tliat vv'j'/-^" " ':*> 'ut strictly Iruo. H / do tlie more cneei fully, &c. Since you are ko well a«-quainted with llio customs and habits of the Jews, I the more readily submit llio case to your disposal. Thi.-! address indi<mtcd great confuJenro in the iustice of his caune;
know that thou hast been of inanj years a judge unto this nation, 1 do the more cluierfully answer * foi myself:
1 • Because that thou mayes*
and was the language of a man, bold fearless, and conscious of his inno»ence 11. Because that thou viayest under stand. Gr. 'Thou being able to know. That is, he could understand or know, by taking the proper evidence. Paul does not mean to say that Felix could under- stand the case, because he had been many years a judge of that nation. That fact would qualify him to judge correctly, or to understand the customs of the Jews. But the fact, that he had been but twelv« days in Jerusalem, and had been orderly and peaceable there, Felix could ascer- tain only by the proper testimony. The first part of Paul's defence (ver. 11 — 13) consists in an express denial of what they alleged against him. ^ Are yet but twelve days. Beza reckons these twelve days in this manner: The first v.as that on which he came to Jerusalem, ch. xxi. 15 The .second he spent with James and the apostles, ch. xxi. 18. Six days were spent in fulfilling his vow. ch. xxi. 21. 26 On the ninth day the tumult arose, l>eing the seventh day of his vow, and on this day he was rescued by Lysias. ch. xxi 27 ; xxii. 29. The tenth day he Wf s be- fore the sanhedrim, ch. xxii. 30; xxiii. 10. On the eleventh the plot was laid to take his life, and on the same day, at evening, he was removed to Cesarea. The days on which he was confined nt Cesarea are not enumerated, since his design m men- tioning the number of days was, to show the improbability that, in that time, he had been engaged in producing a tumult, and it would not be pretended that he had been so engaged while confined in a prison at Cesarea. The defence of Paul here is, that but twelve days occurred from the time that he went to Jcrusaicui tiii he was put under the custody of Felix; and that during .w short a time it was wholly improl)ahle tliat he would have been ai)le to excite sedition. II For to vorship. This farther shows thai llm desijju of Paul was not to produce scdi- liou. lie had gone uji fiir the peaceful pur pMs<! of devotion, and not to j)roduce riot and disorder, 'fliat this was his design in <:uinfT to Jerusalem, or at least a imr of !iiH purfH>se, is uulicated by the pat^ sage in Acts xx. 46. It should be olwerv fd. iiovvever. that our tramdaluv) inti
A. D. GO.]
CHAPTER XXIV.
3i{j
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 disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city.
ac.21.15. ic.25 8;28.17.
veys an idea which is not necessarily in the Greek — that this was the design of Ids going to Jerusalem. The original is, ' Since I went up to Jerusalem worship- ping' (5r§o<rx.uv>io-ujv); i. e. he was actually engaged in devotion when the tumult arose. But his main design in going to Jerusalem was, to convey to his suffering countr3-men there the benefactions of the Gentile churches. See ver. 17. Rom. xv. 25, 28.
12. And they neither found me, &c. The first charge of TertuUus against Paul was (ver. 5), that he was " a pesti- lent fellow, and a mover of sedition." The charge of his being a pest was so general, that P&ul did not think it neces- sary to attempt to refute it. To the spe- cification, that he was a mover of sedi- tion, he replies by a firm denial, and by a solemn declaration that they had not found him in any synagogue, or in the city, or in the temple, either disputing or exciting a tumult. His conduct there had been entirely peaceable ; and they had no right to suppose that it had been otherwise any where.
13. Neither can they prove the things, &c. That is, that 1 am a mover of sedi- tion, or a disturber of the peace of the people. This appeal he boldly makes; he challenges investigation ; and as they did not offer to specify any acts of disor- der or tumult excited by him, this charge falls of course.
14. But this I confess, &c. The next specification in the charge of Tertullus was (ver. 5), that he was " a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes." To this, Paul replies in this, and the two follow- ing verses. Of this reply v.e may ob- serve, (1.) That he does not stoop to notice the contempt implied in the use of the word Nazarenes. He was engaged in a more important business than to contend aiwnt the name which they chose t^ive fo Christians. (2.) He admits thatiie be- longed to that sect or class of people. That he was a Christian, he neither de- nied, nor was disposed lu duny. ijj.) He
13 Neither can they prove <= the things whereof they now accuse me
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they calJ heiesy, so '^ worship I the God of ' my fathers, believing all things which are ^ written in the law and « the prophets ;
clPet.3.16. rfMic.4.5. e2Tim.l.3. /luk» 24.27. c.26.22; 2S.23. g Matt.22 40. Luke 16.16
Jno.1.45. c.13.15. Rom.3.21.
maintains that in this way he is still wor shipping the God of his fathers. Of this, the fact that he was engaged in worship in the temple, was sufficient proof (4.) He shows them that he believed only what was written in the law and the prophets ; that this involved the main doctrine of their religion — the hope of tlie resurrec tion of the dead (ver. 15) ; and that it was his constant and earnest desire to keep a pure conscience in all things, ver 16. These are the points of his defence to this second charge, and we shall see that they fully meet and dispose of the accusation, if After the way. After the manner or mode of worship. ^ Which they call heresy. This translation does not express to us the force of the original We have attached to the word heresy ar.. idea which is not conveyed by the Greek word, and now commonly understand by it, error of doctrine. In Paul's answei here, there is an explicit reference to their charge, which does not appear in our version. The charge of Tertullus was, that he was the ringleader of the sect fjrj? «i>6o-£a.s) of the Nazarenes. ver. 5. To this, Paul replies, ' After the way which they call sect (iifso-n', not erroi of doctrine, but after a way which they maintain is producing divisio7i or schism) so worship I the God of my fathers. Paul was not ashamed to be called a fol- lower of that sect or party among the Jewish people. Nor should we be asham ed to worship God in a mode that is called heresy or schism, if we do it in obedience to conscience and to God. IT So worship I. I continue to worship. I have not An parted from the characteristic of the Jew ish people, the proper and public acknow ledgment of the God of the Jews. 11 Tht God of my fathers. My fathers' God , Jehovah ; the God whom my Jewish an cestors adored. There is something very touching in this, and fitted to find its way to the heart of a Jew. He had introduced no new object of worship (comp. Dent xiii. 1 — i5); he had not become a foUovvei of fi fiibe oi- iliieigii (Jud; and </t«s faci
<16
THE ACTS
[A. D 60
15 And have hope ** toward God, ^hich they themselves also allow, ihat there shall be a resurrection '■ of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
16 And herein do I exercise my-
« c.23.6,&c. 26.6,7; 28.20,&c. b Daji.12.2. Jno.5.
18,29. lCor.l5 M-Zl. Rom.20.6,13.
Aas really a reply to their charge, that 16 was setting up a new sect in religion. The same thing Paul afTirms of himself m 2 Tim. i. 3 ; "I thank God, whom I Berve from my forefathers with a pure conscience." IT Believing all thijigs, &c. Particularly respecting the Messiah. So he more fully explains his meaning in his speech before king Agrippa. ch. xxvi. 23. i In the law and iji the prophets. Com- manded in the law of Moses, and fore- told by the prophets. That Paul had ever disbelieved any of these things, they could not prove; and his whole course had shown that he fully credited the Bdcred records. Most of his arguments m defending Christianity had been drawn from the Jewish writings.
15. Ajid have hope toward God. Hav- ing a hope of the resurrection of the dead, which arises from the promises of God. ^ Which they themselves, &c. That is, the Pharisees. Perhaps he designated in this remark the Pharisees who were present He held nothing in this great cardinal {Kjint, which they did not also hold. For the reasons why Paul intro- duced this point so prominently, and the Buccess of thus introducing it, see Wote on ch. xxiii. 1 — 9. IT Both of the just, and of the unjust. Of the righteous and the wicked ; that is, of all the race. As they Held thi.'^, they could not arraign him for holding it also.
16. A7id herein. In this, or for this pur- pose. ^ JJo I exercise myself. 'Ao-xi. 1 accustom or employ myself; I make it my constant aim and endeavour. It is the purjxjse of my constant study. Paul often appeate to his conscientiousness as the leading habit of his life. Even before his conversion he endeavoured to act ac- cording to the dictates of conscience. See Act-s xxvi. 9. Comp. Phil. iii. 5, 6. IT To have alu-aijs a conscience, &c. To do that which is right, so that my con- icience shall approve of it, and never reproucii me. II Void of offence. 'Att^o- r%''-7Tov. That which is inolfensivc, or which docs not cause one to stumble or full. He means, that he endeavoured to keep his conscience so eidiglitenod and •)UiG ia regard to duty, uwA that he acf-ed
self, to have " 'always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men.
17 Now after man} years, J came "^ to bring alms to my nat* ^n, and offerings.
c c.23.1. i c.U.29,30; 20.16. Rom.15.25
according to its dictates in such a way that his conduct should not be displeasing to God, or injurious to matt To have such a conscience implies two things •. (1.) That it be enlightened or properly informed in regard to truth and duty ; and, (2.) That that which is made knowr. to be right should be honestly and laith- fqlly performed. Without these two things, no man can have a conscience that shall be inoffensive and harmless. IT Toward God. In an honest endeavour to discharge all the duties of public and private worship, and to do constantly what he requires. In believing all that he has spoken ; doing all that he requires ; and offering to him the service which he approves. IT Toward men. In endea- vouring to meet all the demands of jus- tice and mercy; to advance their know ledge, happiness, and salvation ; so that I may look back on my life with the reflection that I have done all that I ought to have done, and all that I could do, to promote the welfare of the whole human family. What a nuble principle of conduct was this! How devoted, and how pure ! How unlike the conduct of those who live to gratiiy debasing sen- sual appetites, or for gold or honour ; and who j)ass their lives in such a manner as to offer the grossest offence to God, and to do the most injury to man! The great and noble aim of Paul was to be pure ; and no slander of his enemies, no trials, persecutions, or perils, and no paina of dying could take away the approving voice of conscience. Alike in his travels, and in his persecutions ; among friends and foes ; when preaching in the syna- gogue, the city, or the desert ; or when defending him.self bcfi)re governors and kings, he had thi.=! testimony of a sell- approving mind. Happy they who thus frame their lives. Ami happy will bo the end of a life whore this has been the grand object of the journey through thic world.
n^Aow after many years. After man- year^i^cnVo. Paul )iere commences u "reply to tlie charges of Tertullus, »hal he ha<l endeavoured to profane the temple, vir <■' !I • l;.p,.'-. I , f-.yiiii; fh'it liw
A.. D, GO.]
CHAPTER XXiy.
31',
18 "Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the tem- ple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult :
19 Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they
tiad aught against me.
20 Or else let these same here H^l^i^ they have found any evil-
^^ a r.2S.lG.
des/;gn in coming up to Jerusalem was, to bring to tiiem needed aid in a time of distress. It would be absurd to suppose, therefore, that his object in coming was to violate the customs of the temple, and to defile it. IF / came to bring. See ch. xi. 29, 30. Note, Rom. xv. 25, 26. ^\Alms. Charities ; the gift of the churches. IT To my nation. Wot to all the nation ; but to the poor saints or Christians who were m Judea, and who were suffering much by persecutions and trials. H And offer- ings. The word used here properly de- notes an offering or gift of any kind ; but it is usually applied to an oblation, or offering made to God in the temple— a thank-offering, a sav-'rifice. This is proba- bly its meaning here. He came to bring aid to his needy countrymen, and an offer- nig to God; and it was, therefore, no part of his purpose to interfere with, or to pro- fane the worship of the temple.
18. Certain Jews from Asia. ch. xxi. 27. IT Found me purified in the temple, ch. xxi. 26, 27. They found me engaged in the sacred service of completing the observ- ance of my vow. IF Neither with multi- tude. Not having introduced a multitude with me — in a quiet and peaceful man- ner.
1 9. Who ougJit to have been here, &c. They were the proper witnesses ; as they had stayed away, it showed that they were not prepared to undergo a strict examination, Paul, therefore, justly com- plains that the very persons who alone could testify against him were absent, and showed that there was really no well-founded charge against him. They alone could testify as to any thing that occurred in the temple ; and as they were not present, that charge ought to be dismissed.
20. Or else. Since they are lot here to witness against me in regard to what occurred in the temple, let these here present bear witness against me, if they can, in regard to any other part of my conduct. This was a bold appeal, and i showed his full consciousness of inno-
9d2
doing in me, while I stood before the council ;
21 Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among tliem, Touching the resurrection of the dead, I am called in question by you this day.
22 And when Felix heard thes« things, having more perfect know
cence. IT Let these same here say. The Jews who are here present. IT Any evii- ddng. Any improper conduct, or any violation of the law. ^ While I stood before the council. The sanhedrim, ch xxiii. 1 — 10. As they were present there Paul admits that they were competent to bear witness to his conduct on that occasion ; and calls upon them to testify, if they could, to any impropriety in his conduct.
21. Except it be for this one voice. For this one expression, or declaration. This was what Paul had said before the coun- cil— the ?nain thing on which he had insisted, and he calls on them to testify- to this, and to show, if they could, that in this declaration he had been wrong. Chubb, and other infidels have supposed that Paul here acknowledges that he w as v"-ong in the declaration which he made, when he said, that he was called in question for the doctrine of the resurrec- tion of the dead (ch. xxiii. 6), and his con- science reproached him for appearing to be time-serving, and for concealing the true cause of offence against him; and for attempting to take advantage of thei divisions of sentiment, and endeavouring to produce discord in the council. Bu against this interpretation we may urge the following considerations : (1.) Paul wished to fix their attention on the main thing which he had said before the conn- ed. (2.) It was true, as has been shown on the passage (xxiii. 1 — 10), that this was the principal doctnne which Paul had||pien defending. S.) If they were prepared to witness against him for hold- ing and teaching the resurrection of the dead as a false or evil doctrine, he called on them to do it. As this had been the only thing which they had witnessed be- fore the council, he calls on them to te.n tify to what they knew only, and to show if they could, that this was wrong. IT Touching the resurrection, &c. Re- specting the resurrection, ch. xxiii. 6.
22. Having more perfect knowledge of that wav Our transladou -^f this versp
MS
THE ACTS.
1_A. D. G(»
ledge of t/tat way, he deferred tliem, and said, When Lysias " the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.
23 And he commanded a centu-
« very obscure, and critics are divided about the proper interpretation of the original. Rlany ^Erasmus, Luther, Mi- chaelis, Morus, <kc.) render it, ' although he had a more' perfect knowledge of the Christian doctrine than Paul's accusers had, yet he deferred the hearing of the cause tiil Lysias had come down.' They observe that he might have obtained this knowledge, not only from the letter of Lysias, but from public rumour, as there were doubtless Christians at Cesarea. They suppose that he deferred the cause, either with the hope of receiving a bribe from Paul (comp. ver. 2G), or to gratify the Jews with his being longer detained as a prisoner. Others, among whom are Beza, Grotius. KosenmuUcr, and Dod- dridge, suppase that it should be ren- dered, ' he deferred them, and said, after I have been more accurately informed '•oncerning this way, when Lysias has come down, I will hear the cause.' This is doubtless the true interpretation of the passage, and it is rendered more probable by the fact that Felix sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith of Christ (ver. 24), evidently with a design to make himself better acquainted with the charges against him, and the nature of his belief IT 0/ that way. Of the Christian religion. This expression is repeatedly used by Luke to denote the Christian doctrine. Note, ch. ix. 2. IT He deferred them. He put them ofl",- he f)ostfK)ned the decision of the case ; he adjourned the trial. If When Lysias, &c. Lysias had been ar-quainted with the ex- citement and its causes, and Felix regard- ed him as an important witness in regard to the true nature of the charges ^flainst Paul. IT / vhH hum) the vltermWl, &c. I Khali be fully informed and prepared to decide the cause.
23. And he commanded, «^'C. It is evi- dent from this verse, that F'elix was dis- rxmed to show Paul all the favours that were ((iiiHisUnt with his safe keeping. He estrenu'fl liirn to bo a persrcuted man, and douhticss regarded the charges BgiiinHt him as entirely malicious. What was Felix's mative in this cannot be cer- tainly known. It is not improbable, how-
rk)n to keep Paul, and to let kim have liberty, '' and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or to come unto him.
24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla,
ic.27.3:28.16.
ever, that he detained him, (1.) Tog|^||fe the Jews by keeping him in custoJ^p^ if he were guilty; and, (2 ) That he hoped the friends of Paul would give liini money to release him. Perhaps it waa for this purpose that he ga-ve orders that his friends should have free access to him, that thus Paul might be furnished with the means of purchasing his free- dom.
24. Felix came, with his wife DrusiUa, Drusilla was the daughter of Herod Agrippa the elder, and was engaged to be married to Epiphanes, the son of king Antiochus, on condition that he would embrace the Jewish religion ; but as ho afterwards refused to do inat, the con- tract was broken off. Afterwards she was given in marriage, by her brother Agrippa the younger, to Azizus king of Emesa, upon his consent to be circum- cised. When Felix was governor of Ju- dea, he saw Drusilla, and fell in love with her, and sent to her Simon, one of his friends, a Jew, by birth a Cyprian, who pretended to be a magician, to en- deavour to persuade her to forsake her husband, and to rnarry Felix. According- ly, in order to avoid the envy of her sis- ter Bernice, who treated her ill on ac- count of her beauty, " she was prevailed on," says Josephus, " to transgress the laws of her forefathers, and to marry Felix." Josephus, Antiq. b. xx. ch. vii. $ 1, 2. She was, therefore, living in adultery with him, and this was probably the reason why Paul dwelt in his dis- course before Felix particularly on " tem- perance," or chastity. Note, ver. 2.5. IT lie sent for Paul, and heard him. Pcr- ha|is he did this, in order to be more fully acquainted with the case which was sub- milted to him. It is po.ssible also that it might have been to gratify his wife, who was a Jewess, and who doubtless Jiad a desire to be actiuainled with the princi- ples of this new seel. It is certain also that one dbjcc I which Felix liad in this, was to Id Paul see how de pendent he was on him, and to induce iiim to purchase his liberty. H Concern in[T the fait'i in Christ. Concerning the Ciiristian lehgicn. Fiith in Chrifll i*
D 60 J
CHAPTER XXIV
119
R^hicli was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
a Prov.16.12.Jer.22.15- 7. DaD.4.2T. Jno.16.8. b Prov.3l.4,8. Dan.5.1-4. Uos.7.5. lPet.4.4,
often used to denote the whole of Chris- tianity, as it is the leading and character- istic feature of the religion of the gospel. 25. And as he reasoned. Greek, " And he discoursing." Aiaxsyo/^lvoo 6s avrov. No argument should be drawn from the word that is used here, to prove that Paul particularly appealed to reason, or that his discourse was argumentative. That it was so is, indeed, not improbable, from all that we know of the man, and from the topics on which he discoursed. But the
word used here means simply, as he dis- coursed, and is applied usnfe^ to making a public address, to preaching, &c. in
whatever way it is done. Acts xvii xviii. 4. 19; xix. 8, 9; xjciv. 12. Felix and Drusilla intended this as a matter of entertainment or amusement. Paul readily obeyed their summons, as it gave him an opportunity to preach the gospel to them ; and as they desired his senti- ments in regard to the faith in Christ, he selected those topics which were adapted to their condition, and stated those princi- ples of the Christian religion which were fitted to arrest their attention, and lead them to repentance. Paul seized every opportunity of making known the gospel; Bnd whether a prisoner or at liberty; whether before princes, governors, kings, or common people, was equally prepared to defend the pure and holy doctrines of the cross. His boldness in this instance 13 the more remarkable as he was de- nendent on Felix for his pardon. A time- server or an impostor would have chosen Ruch topics as would have conciliated the favour of the judge, and procured his par- uon. He would have flattered his vanity or palliated his v'ces. But such an idea never seems to have occurred to Paul. His aim was to defend the truth ; and to save, if possible, the souls of Drusilla and of Felix. '^ Of righteousness. Ui^l SiKXiorvvi}?. Of justice. Not of the justice of God particularly, but of the nature and requirements of justice in the rela- tions of life, the relations which we sustain to God and to man. This was a proper topic with which to introduce his dis- course, as it was the office of Felix to dispense justice between man and man ; and as his administration was not reraark- »ble for the exercise of that virtue. It is evidfarit that he could be influenced by a
25 And ds he reasoned of " right- eousness, temperance, ^ and 'yadg- ment " to come, Felix trembled, "^
c F8.50.3,4. DaB.12.2. Matt.25.3l-46. 2Cor.5.10. Rey. 20.12. dP3.99.1. Is.32.Il. Hab.3.18. Heb.4.1,I8.
bribe (ver. 26), and it was proper for Paul to dwell on this as designed to show him the guilt of his life, and his danger of meeting the justice of a Being who can- not be bribed, but who will dispense equal justice alike to the great and he mean. That Paul dwelt also on the jus tice of God, as the moral governor of the world, may also be presumed. The ap- prehension of that justice, and the re membrance of his own guilty life, tended to produce the alarm of Felix, and to make him tremble. ? Temperance. ly*.^A- rsixg. The word temperance we nov^ use commonly to denote moderation, or re- straint in regard to eating and drinking, particularly to abstinence from the use of ardent spirits. But this is not its meaning here. There is no reason to suppose thai Feli^was intemperate in the use of intoxi- cating liquors. The original word here de- notes a restraint of all the passions and evil inclinations ; and may be applied to pru dence, chastity, and moderation in gene ral. The particular thing in the life of Felix which Paul had probably in view, was the indulgence of licentious desires, or incontinence. He was living in adul- tery with Drusilla ; and for this, Paul wished doubtless to bring him to repent- ance. IT And judgment to come. Tlie universal judgment; the judgment that was to come on all transgressors. On this topic Paul also dwelt when he preached before the Areopagus at Athens. Acts xvii. 31. These topics were admi- rably adapted to excite the alarm of both Felix and Drusilla. It evinced great bold- ness and faithfulness in Paul to selec* them ; and the result showed that he cor rectly judged of the kind of truth which was adapted to alarm the fears of his guilty auditor. ^ Felix trembled. In view of his past sins, and in the apprehension of the judgment to come. The Greek (?,u;?o3!),-) does not denote that his bodj was agitated or shaken, but only that he was alarmed, or terrified. That such fear usually shakes the frame, we know ; but it is not certain that the body of Felix was thus agitated. He was alarmed and terrified ; and looked with deep apprehen- sion to the coming judgment. This was a remarkable instance of the effect of truth on the mind of a man unaccustomed to such alarms, and unused Xo hear sucr
i20
and answered, Go • thy way for th's time ; when I have a con-
o Prov.l .24-32. Matt.22.5; 25.1-10.
truth. It shows the power of conscience, when thus under the preacliing of a jpri- toner, the judge should be thrown into violent alarm. IT And answered. Go thy way, <tc. How different is this answer from that of the jailor of Philippi when alarmed in a similar manner, he asked, " what must I do to be saved ?" and was directed to him in whom iie found peace from a troubled conscience. Acts xvi. 30, 31. Felix was troubled ; but instead of asking what he should do, he sent the messenger of God away. He was evi- dently not prepared to break off his sins, and turn to God. He sought peace by sending away his reprover ; and mani- festly intended then to banish the subject from his mind. Yet, like others, he did not intend to banish it altogether. He looked forward to a time when he should be more at leisure; when the cares of office should press less heavily on his at- tention ; or when he should be more dis- jioscd to attend to it. Thus multitudes, when they are alarmed, and see their guilt and danger, resolve to defer it to a more convenient time. One man is en- gaged in a career of pleasure, and it is not now a convenient time to attend to his soul's salvation. Another is pressed with business; with the cares of life ; with a plan of gain ; with the labours of office, or of a profession, and it is not now a convenient time for him to attend to re- ligion. Another supposes that his time of life is not the nuist convenient. His youth he desires to spend in pleasure, and waits for a more convenient time in mid- dle age. His middle life he spends in bii.'^iness, and the toils of the world, and this is not a convenient time. Such a period he expects then to find in old age. But as age advances, he finds an increas- ing disposition to defer it ; he is still indis- posed to attend to it; still iu love with the world. Even old ago is seldom found to be a convenient time to prepare for lifrivcn ; and it is deferred from one pe- riod af life to another, till death closes the scene. — It hns been commonly sup- |»ofied and said that Fe\ix never found that tioro convenient time to call fur Fail.. That he did not embrace the (?hr;slinn religion, and forsake his sins, is probable, nay, almost fcrlain. But it ^ not true that he did not take an o[)porlr nity of hearing Paul Oirihcr on tlio snl;- wct; for it is said that he sent for him
THK ACTS [A.D. 6t
ve*»ient season, 1 wil call for thee 26 He hoped also that money
b EX.23.S.
often, and communed with him. But though Felix found this opportunity, yet (1.) We have no reason to suppose thai the main thing — the salvation of his soul ever again occupied his attention. There is no evidence that he was again alarmed or awakened, or that he had any furthei solicitude on the subject of his sins. He had passed for ever the favourable time , the golden moments when he might have secured the salvation of his soul. (2.) Others have no right to suppose that ttieii lives will be lengthened out that they may have any further opportunity to at tend to the ^^ect of religion. (3.) When a sinner is |H|^{ened, and sees his past sins, if he rejects the appeal to his con- science theii, and defers it to a more con- venient opportunity, he has no reason to expect that his attention will ever be again called with deep interest to the subject. He may live ; but he may live without the strivings of the Holy Spirit. When a man has once deliix lately reject- ed the offers of mercy; when he has trifled with the influences of the Spirit of God, he has no ri^ht or reason to expect that that Spirit will ever strive with him again. Such, we have too much reason to fear, was the case with Felix. Though he often saw Paul again, and " communed with him," yet there is no account iha he was again alarmed or awakened And thus sinners often attend on the means of grace after they have grieved the Holy Spirit ; they listen to the doc- trines of the gosp' , they hear its appeals, and its warnings, but they have no feel- ing, no interest; and die in their sins. ^A more convenient time- Greek, 'Taking time.' I will fake a time for thi.s. IT / will call for thee. To hear thee further on this subject. This he did. ver. 2G. It is re- markable that Drusilla was not alarmed She was as much involved in guilt at Felix ; but she, being a Jewess, had beer, accustomed to hear of a future judgment, until it caused in her mind no alarm. Perhaps also she depended on the rile.« and ceremonies of her religion n.s a suffi- cient expiation for her sins. She might have neen resting on those false dejien dcncies whirh go to free the conscienre from .'. sense of guilt, and which thus be guile and destroy the soul.
yt). Jh' ho])(d also. Wo though* ihat by giving iiim access to his frirnds, and by often meeting him himself, and showiiif
4..D. 62.]
CHAPTER XXV.
32 J
should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him : wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. 27 But after two years, Porcius
kindness^ Paul might be induced to at- tempt to purchase his freedom with a bribe. IT That money should have been given him of Paul. That Paul would give him money to procure a release. This shows the character of Felix. He was desirous of procuring a bribe. Paul had proved his mnocence, and should have been at once released. But Felix was influenced by avarice ; and he there- fore detainedPaul m custody,\viththehope that, wearied with confinement, he would seek his release by a bribe. But Paul offered no bribe. He knew what was justice ; and he would not be guilty, therefore, of attempting to purchase what was his due, or of gratifying a man who prostituted his high office for the purpose ni gain. The Roman governors in the provinces were commonly rapacious and avaricious, like Felix. They usually took the office for the purpose of its pecuniary advantage, and they consequently usually disregarded justice, and made the pro- curing of money their leading object. H He sent for him the oftener. It may seem remarkable that he did not fear again be- ing alarmed. But the hope of money overcame all this. And having once re- sisted the reasoning of Paul, and the striv- ings of the Spirit of God, he seems to have had no further alarm or anxiety. He could again hear the same man, and the same truth, unaffected. When sinners have once grieved God's Spirit, they often sit with unconcern under the same truth which once alarmed them, and become entirely hardened and unconcerned. IF And communed with him. And conversed with him.
27. tut after two years. Paul was un- justly v]etained during all this time. The hope of Felix seems to have been to weary nis patience, and induce him to purchase his freedom. IT Came into Fe- lix's room. As governor. IT Aiid Felix willing to show the Jews a pleasure. De- sirous of pleasing them, even at the ex- pense of justice. This shows the princi- ple on which he acted. ^ Left Paul bound. Left him in custody to the charge )f his successor. His object in this was o conciliate th i Jews ; that is, to secure .heir favour, and to prevent t' rn, if pos-
Festus came into Felix's room : and Felix, willing to shew " the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
CHAPTER XXV. IVTOW when Festus was ccme -'-^ into the province, after three
a Mark 15.15. c.25.!
sible, from accusing him for the evils o{ his administration before the emperor. The account which Luke gives here coincides remarkably with that whicti Josephus has given. He says, that Por cius Festus was sent as successor to Fe lix by Nero. He does not indeed men tion Paul, or say that Felix sought to con- ciliate the favour of the Jews. But he gives such an account as to make the statement by Luke perfectly consistent with his character while in office. He informs us that Felix was unpopular, and that there was reason to apprehend that the Jews would accuse him before the emperor ; and, therefore, the statement in the Acts, that he would be willing to show the Jews a favour, is in perfect keeping with his character and circumstances and is one of those undesigned coinci deuces, which show that the author of the Acts was fully acquainted with the cir- cumstances of the time, and that his his- tory is true. The account in Josephus is, that " when Porcius Festus was sent as successor to Felix by Nero, the principal inhabitants of Cesarea went up to Rome to accuse Felix ; a8d he had been cer- tainly brought to punishment, unless Nero had yielded to the importunate soli- citations of his brother Palias, who was at that time had in the greatest honour by him." Antiq. b. xx. ch. viii. $ 9. The plan of Felix, therefore, in suppressing the enmity of the Jews, and conciliating their favour by injustice to Paul, did not succeed ; and is one of those instances, so numerous in the v^'orld, where a man gains nothing by wicke'dness. He sought money from Paul by iniquity, and failed , he sought by injustice to obtain the favour of the Jews, and failed in that also. And the inference from the whole transaction is, that " honesty is th'^ best policy," and that man in any office snould pursue a course of firm, and constant, and undeviating integritv.
CHAPTER XXV. 1. Now when Festits was come. Note, ch. xxiv 27. IT Info the province. The province of Judea ; for Judea at thai time Mas a Roman province. IT Af^ three days. Having remained three dayi at Ce-sarr a. ^ He ascended. This wnf
322
THE ACTS
[A. D. tiii
days he dscendtd from Cesarea to Tern sal em.
2 Then the high-pr'est and the chief of the Jews informed "Sim ag-ainst Paul, and besounrht him,
3 And desired favour ao^ainst him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying * wait in the way to kill him.
Che tisual language which described a journey to Jerusalem. Thus tlie Eng- ish people speak of goin£ up to London, because it is the capita See Note, ch. XV. 1. ^ To Jerusalem. The governors of Judea at this time usually resided at Cesarea ; but as Jerusalem had been the former capital ; as it was still the seat of the religious solemnities ; as the sanhe- drim held its meetings there; and as the great, and rich, and learned men, and the priests resided there, it is evident that a full knowledge of tJie state of the pro- vince could be obtained only there. Fes- tus therefore, having entered on the du- ties of his office, early went to Jerusalem to make himself acquainted with the af- fairs of the nation.
2. Then the high-priest. The high- priest at this time was Ismael, the son of Fabi. lie had been promoted to that office by Agrippa. Josephus' Antiq. b. XX. ch. viii. $ 8. It j<il|)robable, however, that the person here intended was Ana- nias, who liad been liigh-priest, and who would retain the name. Notes, ch. xxiii. 2. Some MSS. read high-priests here in the plural numl)er, and this reading is aj)- proved by Mill and Griesbach. There rs, however, no improbability in suppos- ing that the high-priest Ismael might have been also as much enraged against Paul as the others. IT Informed him against Paul. Informed him of the accu- sation against hirn ; and doubtle.ss en- deavoured to prejudice the mind of Fcs- tus against him. They thus showed their uiirtlenting dispfJsition. It might have been supposed that after two years this unijHl prosecution would bo abandoned and forgotten. But malice does not thus forget its ohject; and the spirit of perse- cution in not thus satisfied. It is evident that there was liere every probability Ihnt injustice would be done to raul,an<i that the mind of F^cstus would be bia.'^ed against him. lie was n stranger to Paul, tiid !«• the er.ibittered feelings of the Iewu.h tharac.'er. He would wish to
4 But Festus answered, thai Paul should be kept at Cesarear and that he himseU' would depart shortly thither.
5 Let them therefore, said le, w^hich among you are able, gc uown with we, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.
conciliate their favour on entering on the duties of his office. And a strong repre- sentation therefore, made by the chief men of the nation, would be likely to prejudice him violently against Paul, and to unfit him for the exercise of impartial justice.
3. And desired favour against him. Desired the favour of Festus, that they might accomplish their wicked purpose on Paul. IT Wotdd send for him to Jeru- salem. Probably under a pretence that he might be tried by the sanhedrim; or perhaps they wished Festus to hear the cause there, and to decide it while he was at Jerusalem. Their real motive is immediately stated. IT Lying wail in the way to hilt him. That is, they would lie in wait, or they would employ a band of Sicarii, or assassins, to take his life on the journey. See Notes, ch. xxi. 38: xxiii. 12. it is altogether probable that it this request had been granted, Paul would have been killed. But God had promised him that he should bear wiinos.« to the truth at Home (< h. xxiii. 11), and his providence was remarkable in thus influencing the mind of the Roman gover- nor, and defeating the plans of the Jew- ish council.
4. But Festus ansivered, <tc. What in- duced Festus to refuse their reijiiest, is not known. It is probable, liowever, that he was apprized that Paul was a Koman citizen, and that his case could not come before the Jewish sanhrdrim, IjuI must be heard by himself As Cesarea was also at that time the residence of the Ro- man governor, and the place of holding the courts, and as Paul was lodged ihero safely, there did not appear any suflicienl rea.son I()r removing him to Jerusalem for trial. Festus, however, granted them all that they could reasonably ask, and ns- sured them that he should have n speedy trinl.
5. Wliirh among you are afle. Krijoy all the advantages of just trinl. and ox hil)i( voi;r accusntions with all tin* loam
i D. 62.1
CHAPTER XX^
323
G And when he had tarried Among them ' more than ten days, he went down unto Cesarea ; and the next day sitting in the judg- ment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jeru- salem stood round about, and laid laany and grievous complaints igainst Paul, which "they could not prove. ^Hj^
1 or, as Boue copies reid, no mafJI^^Ktsht or ten day*. ^^^^
lug and talent in your power. This was all that they could reasonably ask at his hands.
6. xMore than ten days. See the margin. The Syriac reads it, ' eight or ten.' The Vulgate, ' not more than eight or ten.' The Coptic, ' eight or ten.' Griesbach supposes this to be the true reading, and has admitted it into the text. IT Sluing in ike judgment-seat. On the tribunal; or holding a court for the trial of Paul. ^ Commanded Paul to he brought. To be brought up for trial. He had been secur- ed, but was placed in the care of a sol- dier, who w-as commanded to let him have all the freedom that was consistent with his security.
7. Grievous complaints. Heavy accu- sations. Doubtless the same with which they had charged him before Felix, ch. zxiv. 5, 6. Comp. ch. xxv. 19. ^ Which they could not prove, ch. xxiv. 13. 19.
8. While he answered, &c. See this answer more at length in ch. xxiv. 10 — 21. As the accusations against him were the same now as then, he made to »hem the same reply.
9. But Festus, willing to do the Jews a ykasure. Desirous of securing their fa- •our, as he had just entered on his ad- ministration. Comp. ch. xxiv. 27. In this he evinced rather a desire of popu- larity than an inclination to do justice. Had he been disposed to do right at once, lie would have immediately discharged Paul. Festus perceived that the cas^ was one that did not come fairly within the jurisdiction of a Roman magistrate; ihat it pertained solely to the customs and questions among the Jews (ver. 18 — 20) ; and he therefore proposed that the case should be tried before him at Jerusalem. It is remarkable, however, that he had 3uch a sense of jistice, and law, as not to suffer the case to go out of his own
8 While he answered ior him self, Neither against the laws of the Jews, neither against the tem- ple, nor yet against Cesar, have ] offended any thing at ail.
9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jeru- salem, artd there be judged of these things before meT
10 Then said Paul, I stand U Cesar's judgment-seat, Y>?here I
a P8.35.il. Matt.5.11,12. c.24.5,13.
hands. He proposed still to hear the cause, but asked Paul whether he was willing that it should be tried at Jerusa- lem ? As the question which he asked Paul, was one on which he was at liberty to take his own course, and as Paul had no reason to expect that his going to Jeru- salem would facilitate the cause of jus- tice, it is not remarkable that he declined the offer, as perhaps Festus supposed he would.
10. Tlien said Paul, &c. The reasons, why Paul declined the propx)sal to be tried at Jerusalem are obvious. He had experienced so much violent persecution from his countrymen,* and their minds were so full of prejudice, misconcep- tions, and enmity, that he had neither justice nor favour to hope at their hands. He knev/ too that they had formerly plotted against his life, and that he had been removed to Cesarea for the purpose of safety. It would be madness and folly to throw himself again into theit hands, or to give them another opportu- nity to form a plan against his life. As he was, therefore, under no obligation to return to Jerusalem ; and as Festus did not propose it because it could be sup- posed that justice would be promoted by it, but to gratify the Jews, Paul prudently declined the proposal, and appealed to the Roman emperor. IT Island at Cesar's judgment-seat. The Roman emperors after Julius Cesar were all called Cesar thus, Augustus Cesar, Claudiu.s Cesar. &c., as all the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh, though they had each his pro- per name, as Pharaoh Necho, &c. The emperor at this time (a. d. 60) was N«?- ro, one of the most cruel and impious men that ever sat on a throne. It was under him that Paul was afterwards beheaded. When Pau' says, " I stand i at Cesar's judgment-seat,' he means tc
i'iii
THE ACTS.
[A. D. Gi
ought, to be judged: to the Jews 'lave 1 done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I be an offender, or
iay that he regarded the tribunal be- fore which he then stood, and on which Fesfus sat, as really the judgment-seat of Cesar. The procurator, or governor, ncld his commission from the Koman emperor, and it was, in fact, his tribu- nal The reason why Paul made this Je<?Iaration, may be thus expressed : ' I am a Koman citizen. I have a right to justice. I am under no obligation to put myself again in the hands of the Jews. I have a right to a fair and im- partial trial ; and I claim the protection and privileges which all Roman citizens have before their tribunals ; the right of a fair and just trial.' It was, therefore, a severe rebuke of Festus for proposing to depart from the known justice of the Koman laws ; and, for the sake of popu- larity, proposing to him to put him.self jn the hands of his enemies. H Where 1 ought to be judged. Where I have a right to demand and cspect justice. I have a right to be tried where courts are usually held, and according to all the forms of equity which are usually ob- served. ^ I have done no wrong. I have not injured their" persons, property, cha- racter, or religion. This was a bold ap- peal which his consciousness of inno- cence, and the whole course of proceed- ings enabled him to make, without the fM^ssibility of their gainsaying it IT Af thou very veil knowest. Festus knew, probably, that Paul had been tried by Felix, and that nothing was proved against him. He had now seen the spirit of the Jews, and the cause why they arraigned him. He had given Paul a trif' ., and had called on the Jews to adduce their "able" men to accuse him, and after all, nothing had been proved against him. Festus knew therefore that lie was innocent. This abundantly ap- pears also from his own confession, ver. 18, 19. As he knew this, and as Festus 'vas prfypfjsing to depart from the regular course of justice for the sake of |K)pu- larity, itwas proper f;)r Paul to use the Htntng Innpuagc of rebuke, and lo claim what he knew Festus did not dare to deny him, the protection of the Roman laws*. Conscious innocence may be bold ; and Christians have a right tr) insist on impartial jii«ti.'o, ihkI the j)rolection of ihe laws. Alas, how numy magistrates •Juno have been like KeKtu.<. 'vlio, wher
have committed any ining worthj of death, 1 refuse not to die; but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man
Christians have been arraigned before them, have been fully satisfied of their innocence, but w ho, for the sake of popu larity, have departed from all the rules of law, and all the claims of justice
11. For if I be an oj'ender. If I have injured the Jews so as to deserve death. If it can Ja|f roved that I have done in- jury to aj^^Be. 1i Ire/use not to die. I have n<^P|p to escape justice. I do not wish to evade the laws, or to take advantage of any circumstances to screen me from just punishment. Paul's w hole course showed that this was the noble spirit which actuated him. JN'o true Christian wishes to escape from the laws He will honour them, and not seek to evade them. But, like other men, he has rights; and he may and should in^ sist that justice should be done. H Na man may deliver me unto them. J\o man shall be allowed to do it. This bold and confident declaration Paul could make, because he knew what the law required, and he knew that Festus would not dare to deliver him up contrary to the law. Boldness is not incompatible with Christianity ; and innocence, w hen its rights are invaded, is always bold. Jesus firmly as.serted his rights when on trial (John xviii. 23), and no man is under obligation to submit to be trampled on by an unjust tribunal in violation of the laws. H / ap]}eal unto Cesar. I appeal 10 the Roman emperor, and carry my cause directly before him. By tlie Vale- rian, Porcian, and iSempronian laws, it had been enacted, that if any magistrate should be about to beat, or to put to death any Roman citizen, the accused could appeal to the Roman people, and this appeal carried the cause to Rome The law was so far changed under the emperors, that the cause shoula oe car ried before the emperor, instead of the people. Every citizen had the ripht of ^his appeal ; and when it was made, the ac(;use(l was sent to Rome lor trial. Thur Pliny (Fp. 10. 97) says, that those Chri*^ tiaiis who were accused, and who, t«in| Roman citizens, appealed lo C?sar, he sent to Rome to .lo tried. The reasoi, why Paul made ibis appeal was, ihal he saw that justice would not bo done him by the Koman governor. He bad beeP tried by Felix, antl justice had been de nied him. and he was dctiiined a pri^onei
1. D. tJ2.J
(rh AFTER XXV
325
ap-
may deliver me unto them peal "■ unto Cesar.
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answer- ed. Hast thou appealed unto Ce- sar 1 unto Cesar shalt thou go.
m violation of law, to gratify the Jews ; ae had now been tried by Festus, and mw that he was pursuing the same course; and he resolved, therefore, to assert his rights, and remove the cause far from Jerusalem, and from the preju- diced men in that city, at once to Rome. It was in this mysterious way that Paul's long cherished desire to see the Roman church, and to preach the gospel there, Was to be gratified. Corap. Note on Rom. i. 9 — 11. For this he had prayed long (Rom. i. 10 ; xv. 23, 24), and now at I&ngth this purpose was to be fulfilled. God answers prayer ; but it is often in a Way which we little anticipate. He so orders the train of events ; he so places us amidst a press of circumstances, that the desire is granted in a way which we could never have anticipated, but which shows in the best manner that he is a hearer of prayer.
12. When he had conferred with the council. With his associate judges, or with those who were his counsellors in the administration of justice. They were made up of the chief persons, probably military as well as civil, who were about him, and who were his assistants in the administration of the affairs of the pro- vince. IF Unto Cesar shalt thou go. He was willing in this way to rid himself of this trial, and of the vexation attend- ing it. He did not dare to deliver him to the Jews in violation of the Roman laws ; and he was not willing to do jus- tice to Paul, and thus make himself un- popular with the Jews. He was, there- fore, probably rejoiced at the opportunity of thus freeing himself from all the trou- ble in the case, in a manner against which none could object.
13. And after certain days, king Agrip- Da. This Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa (Acts xii. 1), and great grandson w Herod the Great. His mother's name was Cypros. Josephus' Jewish Wars, b.
i. ch. xi. $ 6. When his father died, he was at Rome with the emperor Claudius .'^osephus says that the emperor was in- clined to bestow upon him all his father's dominions, but was dissuaded by his min- sters Tho reason of this was that it 2 E
13 And after certain uajs, king Agri)pa and Bernice came unta
Cesarea, to salute Festus.
14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying,
was thought imprudent to bestow so large a kingdom on so young a man, and onir so inexperienced. Accordingly, Claudius sent Cuspius Fadus to be Pro- curator of Judea, and of the entire king- dom. Josephus' Antiq. b. xix. ch. ix. § 2. When Herod, the brother of his father Agrippa the Great, died in the eighth year of the reign of Claudius, his king- dom — the kingdom of Chalcis, was be- stowed by Claudius on Agrippa. Jose- phus' Antiq. b. xx. ch. v. § 2. Afterwards he bestowed on him the tetrarchy of Philip and Batanea, and added to it Tra- chonitis with Abila. Antiq. b. xx. ch vii. § 1. After the death of Claudius, Nero his successor added to his domin- ions Julias in Perea, and a part of Gali- lee. Agrippa had been brought up at Rome ; and was strongly attached to the Ro.mans. When the troubles commenced in Judea vihich ended in the destruction «f Jerusalem, he did all that he could to preserve peace and order, but in vain He afterwHds joined his troops with those of j^Hkmans, and assisted them at the d^MH^ion of Jerusalejn. After the captivity of that city, he went to Rome with his sister Bernice, where he ended his days. He died at the age of seventy years, about A. D. 90. His man ner of living with his sister, gave occa- sion to reports respecting him very little to his advantage. IT And Bernice. She v^s sister of Agrippa. She had been married to Herod, king of Chalcis, hei own uncle by her father's side. After his death, she proposed to Polemon king of Pontus and part of Cilicia, that if he would become circumcised she would marry him. He complied, but she did not continue long with him. After she left him, she returned to her brother Agrippa with whom she lived m a man- ner such as to excite scandal. Josephus directly charges ner with incest with her brother Agrippa. Antiq. b. xx. ch. vii. $3. IT To salute Festus. To show hm> respect is the governor of Judea.
14. Feztus declared Paul .<( cause. He did this, probably, because Agrippa being a Jew vvould be supposed to be interest cd \is *ho casf>. It w.'is ratural tnat thw
THE ACTS.
[ A. 1>. 09
There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix.
15 About 'Aho'a, when " I was at Jerusalem, tl»e chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.
IG To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, beforj^^at he which is accused have tnHpc- cusers face to face, and have li- cense to answer for himself con-
o ver.2,3.
trial should be a topic of conversation, and perhaps Festus might be disposed to ask what wan proper to be done in such cases. IT Jje/l in bonds. Greek, " a prisoner." iia-fno;. He was left in custo- dy, probably in the keepmg of a soldier, ch. xxiv. 2.3. 27.
15 About whom, &c. See ver. 1—5 H 7't» have judgment against him. To huve him condemned.
ir». It is not the manner, &c. He here states the reasons which he gave to the .Jews for not delivering I'aul into their hands. In ver. 4, 5. we have an account of the fact that he would not accede to the requests of the Jews; and he here fitates that the reason cf^i|||^usal was, that it was contrary to ^^^Bnan law. Appian in liis Roman hil^UPKys, " it is not their custom to condemn men before they are heard." Plnlo de Prajsi. Kom. says the same thing. In U'acitus (Annal. i.), it is said, "a defendant is not to be iirohibit'id from adducing all tilings, by ivhi<hhis innocence may be estabhsiied." 't was for this, that llie equity of the Koman jurisprudence was celebralfd throughout the world. We may remark that it is a sulyect of sincere gratitude to the (Jod of our nation, that tiiis privilege .8 enjoyed in the higliest perfection in this land. It is the privilege of every man here to bo heard ; to know tlie charges against him; to he confronted with the witnesses ; to make his delience ; and to be tried by the laws, and not by the imssions and caprices oimni. In this resjiect our jurisprudencte surpasses all that Itonie ever cnjoye.1 ; and is not in- ferior to that of the most favoured nation of the ea:th. IT To deliver. To give him \)\\ as 1 favouf (xxf.;^ .o-irai), to popu- lar claniitur and c-jpri< «(. Yet <iur Sa- fioiif, in violation of the Roman laws, was ih'jH given up bv ''-lalo. Matt, xxvii
cerning the crime laid againsl him.
17 Therefore when * they were come hither, without 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 tilings as 1 supposed :
19 But '^ had certain questions against him of their own supersti-
18 — 25. H Have the accusers face to fact That he may know who they are, and hear their accusations, and refute them Nothing contributes more to justice than tills. Tyrants suffer men to be accused without knowing who the accusers are, and without an opportunity of meeting the charges. It is one great principle of modern jurisprudence, that the accused may know the accusers, and be permitted to confront the witnesses, and adduce all the testimony possible in his own de- fence. ^ And have license. Greek, 'place of apology,' may have the liberty of de- fending himself
17. Therefore when (hey were come hither, &c. See ver. 6.
18. None accusation, &c. No charge as I expected of a breach of tiie peace ; of a violation of the Roman law ; of atro- cious crime. It was natural that Festus should suppose that they would accuse Paul of some such offence. lie had been arraigned before Felix ; had been two years in custody ; and the Jews were ex- ceedingly violent against him. All this, Festus would presume, must have ari.sen from some flagrant and open violation of the laws.
ly. But had certain qiiestiojts. Certain inquiries, or litigated and disputed sub- jects ; certain points of dispute in which tiiey differed. z^itifiaTHTivx. H Of their own sujierstilion. &'-i<rt^xifiov!ui. This word properly denotes the worship, oi fear of demons ; but was applied by the Greeks and Romans to the worship of their gods. It is the same word whith it used in Acts xvii. 22. where it is used mo good senr**:. See Note on that place Tliero are two reasons fiir thinking thai Festus used the word horc in a good sen.se, and not in the sense in which v\e use the word KUi)erKtition. (1./ It was the v ord by whicli the worship of the Greeks and
.4. D. 62.
(CHAPTER X.XV
32-
tioi , and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20 And because ' I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked kirn whether he would go to Jeru- salem, 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 Oesar.
» or, I too* doubtful how to inquire hereof. * or, udgmetit.
Romans, and, therefore, of Festus him- jelf, was denoted, and he would naturally ise it in a similar sense in applying it to the Jews. He would wish simply to de- (cribe their worship in such language as le was accustomed to use when speaking )f religion. (2.) He knew that Agrippa \'as a Jew. Festus would not probably ipeak of the religion of his royal guest as mperstUion, but would speak of it with espect. He meant, therefore, to say ♦imply, that they had certain inquiries bout their own religion ; but accused dm of no crime against the Roman laws. f And of one Jesus, which was dead. Gr. Of one dead Jesus.' It is evident that • estus had no belief that Jesus had been aised up ; and in this he would expect hat Agrippa would concur with him. Paul had admitted that Jesus had been put to death; but he maintained that he had been raised from the dead. As Fes- tus did not believe this, he spoke of it with the utmost contempt. ' They had a dispute- about one dead Jesus, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.' In this man- ner a Roman magistrate could speak of the glorious truth of the Christian reli- arion; and this shows the spirit with which the great mass of philosophers and states- men regarded its doctrines.
20. A?id because I doubted of such man- ner of questions. See the margin. Be- cause I hesitated about the right way of disposing of them ; because 1 was igno- rant of their nature and bearing, I pro- posed to go to Jerusalem, that the matter might be there rno/e ful.y investigated. {t is obvious, that if Paul was not found guilty of any violation of the laws, he should have been at once discharged. Some interpreters understand this as af- 'irmingthat he was not satisfied about tlie question of Paul s innocence, or certain 'jhethej he ought to be set at libertv or not.
22 Then Agrippa said unco Fes- tus, I would also hear the man my self. To-morrow, said he, the u shalJ hear him.
23 And on the morrow, when Ao-rippa was come, and Bernice, with great " pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' command- ment Paul * was brought forth.
24 And Festus said. King Agrip- pa, and all men wiiich are here
o Ezek.7.24. b c.9.15.
21. But v:hen he had appealed, ver. II. T To be reserved. To be kept; not to be tried at Jerusalem, but to be sent to Rome for trial. H Unto the hearing. Margm, " the judgment." That Augustus might hear and decide the cause. H Of Augustus. The reigning emperor at this time was Nero. The name Augustus (^ii.-iTTOi) properly denotes that which is vener- able, or worthy of honour and reverence. It was first applied to Cesar Octavia- nus, who was the Roman emperor in the time when our Saviour was born, and who is usually called Augustus Cesar But the title continued to be useil of hia successors hi office, as denoting the vene- ration or reverence which was due to the rank of emperor.
22. The?i Agrippa said, &c. Agrippa doubtless had heard much of the fame of Jesus, and of the new sect of Chris tians ; and probably he was induced by mere curiosity to hear what Paul could say in explanation and defence of the doctrine of Christianity. This wish of Agrippa gave occasion to the noblest de- fence which was ever made before any tribunal, and to as splendid eloquence as can be found any where in any language See ch. xxvi.
23. With great pomp. Gr. " With much phantasy" (cpavTacrt;*?) ; with much show, parade, and splendour. It was an occa- sion on which he could exhibit much of the splendour of royalty, and he chose to do it. IT Into the place of hearing. The court-room ; or the place where the judges heard and tried causes. S V/ith the chief captains. Gr. The chi.jarchs ; the com- manders of a thousand men. It means here, that the military officers were as- sembled IT The principal men of (he city. The civil officers, or the men of reputation and influence-
24. Have dealt with me. Have appeart»
328
THE ACTS.
[A. U. 6i
pieseut with us:, ye see this man, about whom all " the multitude of the Jews have dealt vith me, both at Jerusalem, and alau here, crying- that * he ouo-ht not to live any longer.
25 But when 1 found that he had committed nothing '= worthy of death, and t'iiat he himself hath appealed '^ to Augustus, I have de- termined to send liim.
■ ver.3,7. b c.22.22. c c.23.9,29; 26.3 ,
iver.1',12.
before me, desiring nie to try him. They have urged me to condemn him, IT Cri/- ivff out, &c. Comp. eh. xxii. 22. They liad sought that he should be put to death.
2G. Of whom. Respecting his charac- ter, opinions, manner of life ; and re- specting tlie charges agamst him. IT A^o certain thing. Nothing definite, and well established. They had not accused Paul of any crime against the Roman laws ; and Festus professes himself too ignorant of the customs of the Jews to inform the emperor distinctly of the nature of the charges, and the subject of trial. 1i Unto my Lord. To the emperor ; to Cesar. This name Lord, the emperors Augustus and Tiberius had rejected, and would not suffer it to be applied to them. Sue- tonius (Life of Augustus, v. 53.) says " the appellation of Lord he always abhorred as alx)minable and execrable." See also Suetonius' Lite of Tiberius, v. 27. The emperoi^ that succeeded them, however, admitted the title, and suffered themselves to be called by this name. Nothing would be more satisfactory to Nero, the reigning emoeror, than this title. IT I might have somewhat to ivnte. As Agrippa was a Jew, and was acquainted with the customs and doctrine of the Jews, Festus supposed that after hearing Paul, he would be ai)le to infjrm him of the exact nature of these charges, so that he could present the case intelligibly to the emperor.
27. For it scemeth to me unreasonahle. Festus felt that he was placed in an em- barrassing situation, lie was about to send a j)riHOMor to Rome to be tried, who had been tried by himself, and who had ap- pealed from his jtiri-sdiction ; and yet he was Ignorant of the charges against him, and of the nature of his oflences, if any had been conunitiod. When prisoners were thus setU to Rome to be tried be/Jire the emperor, it would ho proper that the chargesshoiild !)e nil spcf ificd.and thcevi- dence utaled bv wiil'.ti Ihcn wore Hii)ii)orl-
26 Of whom 1 have no certain ihinG^ to write unto my lord. Where- fore thave brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O kiuir Agrippa, that, after examina- tion had, 1 might have somewhat to write.
27 For « it seemeth to me utirea sonable, to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.
e Prov.lS.13. Jiio.7.51.
ed. Vet Fes'.us could do neither ; and it is not wonderful that he felt himself per- plexed and embarrassed ; and that ho was glad to avail himself of the desire which Agrippa had expressed to hear Paul, that he might be able to specify the charges against him. IT Withal. Also; at the same time. IT To signify. To spe- cify, or make them know, hi concluding this chapter, we may observe:
(1.) That in the case of Agrippa, we have an instance of the reasons which induce many men to hear the gospel. He had no belief in it ; he had no con- cern for its truth or its promises ; but he was led by curiosity to desire to hear the minister of the gospel of Christ. Curi osity thus draws multitudes to the sane tuary. In many instances, they remain unaffected and unconcerned in regard tn its provisions of mercy. They listen, and are unmoved, and die in their suis. In many instances, like Agrii>pa, they are almost persuadeil to be Christians, oh. xxvi. 28. Rut, like him, they resist the appeals ; and die uninterested in the plan of salvation. In some instances, they are converted ; and their curiosity, like thai of Zaccheus, is made the means of theii embracing the Saviour. Luke xix. 1 — 9 Whatever may he the motive which in duces men to dcMre to hear, it is tlieduty of the ministry cheerfully and thankfujly like Paul, to state the truth, and to defend the Christian religion.
(2.) In F'estus we have a specimen of the manner in which the great men, and the rich, and the proud, iisimllv regard Christianity. They esteem it to be a siih- ject of inquiry, in which they have no interest ; a question about " one dead Je- sus," whom Christians afnrm to be alive Whether he be alive or not; whether Chri.'^lianily be true or false, ttiey sup[Mm«f is an inquiry whi<h <ioos not pertain to thom. Strange that it did not occur to Fe.stus that il ht^ was alivo h.* re igitr
\. D. 62.]
CHAPTER XX Y I.
32b
CHAPTER XXV].
THEN Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for him- self:
was true ; and thll^it was possible that t might be from God. And strange that tbc men of this world regard the Chris- tian religion as a subject in which (hey nav3 no personal interest, but as one con- cerning which Christians only should in- quire, and in which they alone should fee any concern.
(3.) In Paul we have the example of a roan unlike both Festus and Agrippa. He felt a deep interest in the subject — a subject which pertained as much to them as to him. He was willing not only to look at it with curiosity, but to stake his life, his reputation, his all, on its truth. He was willing to defend it every where, and before any class of men. At the same time that he urged his rights as a Roman citizen, yet it was mainly that he might preach the gospel. At the same time that he was anxious to secure justice to himself, yet his chief anxiety was to declare the truth of God. Before any tribunal ; before any class of men , in the presence of princes, nobles, and kings ; f Romans and of Jews, he was ready to pour forth irresistible eloquence and ar- gument in defence of th^ truth. Who would not rather be Paul than either Festus or Agrippa ? Who would not rather be a prisoner like him, than invest- ed with authority like Festus, or clothed in splendour like Agrippa ? And who would not rather be an honest and cordial believer of the gospel like Paul, than, like them, to be cold contemners or neglecters of the God that made them, and of the Saviour that died, and rose asain. CHAPTER XXVI. 1. TTien Paul stretched forth the hand. See Note, ch. xxi. 40. This was the usual posture of orators or public speakers. The ancient statues are commonly made m this way, with the right hand extended. The dress of the ancients favoured this. The long and loose robe, or outer gar- ment, was fastened usually with a hook or clasp on the right shoulder, and thus left the arm at full liberty. IT And an- swered for himself It cannot be sup- posed that Paul expected that his defence would be attended with a release from confinement ; for he had himself appeal- ed to the Roman emperor, ch. xxv. 11. This design in speaking before Agrippa 3 B 2
3 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things whereof am accused of the Jews :
3 Especially, because I know thee
was, doubtless, (1.) To vindicate his cha racter, and obtain Agrippa's attestation to his innocence, that thus he might allay the anger of the Jews; (2.) To obtain a correct representation of the case to the emperor, as Festus had desired this in order that Agrippa might enable him to make a fair statement of the case (ch. xxv. 26, 27; ; and, (3.) To defend his own conversion, and the truth of Christianity, and to preach the gospel in the hearing of Agrippa and the attendants, with a hope that their minds might be improved by the truth, and that they might be con- verted to God.
2. / think myself happy. I esteem it a favour and a privilege to be permitted to make my defence before one acquaint- ed with Jewish customs and opinions. His defence, on former occasions, had been before Roma?i magistrates, Avho had little acquaintance with the opinions and customs of the Jews, who were not di.s« posed to hsten to the discussion of the points of difference between him and them, and who looked upon all their controversies vi'ith contempt. See ch. xxiv. xxv. They were, therefore, little qualified to decide a question which was closely connected with the Jewish cus- toms and doctrines; and Paul now re- joiced to know that he was before one who, from his acquaintance with the Jewish customs and belief would be able to appreciate his arguments and motives. Paul was not now on his trial ; but ha was to defend himself, or state his cause so that Agrippa might be able to aid Festus in transmitting a true account of the case to the Roman emperor. It was his interest and duty, therefore, to defend himself as well as possible ; and to put him in possession of all the facts in tiie case. His defence is, consequently, made up chiefly of a most eloquent statement of the facts just as they had occurred. ^ I shall ansiver. I shall be permitted to make a statement, or to defend myself IF Touching, &c. Respecting. IT Where of I am accused of the Jems. By the Jews. The matters of the accusation were, his being a mover of sedition, « ringleader of the Christians, and a pro faner of the temple, ch. xxiv. 5, 6. 3 To he expext. To be skilled, or vreU
i30
THE ACTS.
[A. O. 02
to be e; pert "in all customs and qnestions which are among the Jews: wherefore I heseech thee to hear * me patiently.
4 My manner of life from my y juth, vvlilch was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem,
• Deul. 17.18 fcc.24.4. c2Tini.3.H0.
icquainted. IT In all customs. Rites, in- Btitutions, laws, &c. Every thing per- taining to the Mosaic ritual, <i:c. IT Arid qitesiioris. Subjects of debate, and of various opinions. The inquiries which had existed between the Pharisees, Sad- ducees, scribes, &,c. Paul could say this of Agrippa without falsehood or flattery. Agrip[)a was a Jew ; and had pa.'^sed much of his time in the kingdom over which he presided ; and tliough he had passed the early part of his life chiefly at Rome, yet it was natural that he should make himself acquainted with the reli- gion of iiis lathers. Paul did not know now to flatter men ; but he was not un- wiUing to state the simple truth, and to commend men as far as truth would permit. IT Where/ore. On this account; because you are acquainted with those customs. The Romans, who regarded those customs as superstitious, and those questions as matters to be treated with contempt, could not listen to their dis- cussion with patience. Agrippa, wiio knew their real importance, v.'ould be dis- posed to lend to all inquiries respecting them a patient attention.
4. My manner of life. My opinions, principles, and conduct. ^ From my youth. Paul wa.s born in Tarsus ; but at an early period he had been sent to Je- rusalem for the purfxise of education in the school of Gamahel. on- x.xii. 3. f Wliich was at the first. Which was from the l>cginniiig ; the early part of which ; the time when ihe opmions and hal)it3 are formed. II Know all the Jews. It is not at all improbable that Paul was ihatinguished in the school of Gamaliel for zeal in the Jewish religion. The fact that he was early intrusted with a cocimisHion against the Christians (ch. ix.), shows that he was known. Comp. Phil, iii. 4 —0. lie migh< ;ippoal to them, there- fore, in rceard to the early part of his life; Sirid, doubtlc.s.«f, to the very men who had been his violent accusora.
5. Which hneu) me. Who were well acquainted with me. IT From the l>epin- uiui^. ''Av:«5iv. Formf-rly ; or from the wry commons emeiU of my career. Who
know all the Jews ;
5 Which kirew me from the bft ginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of oui religion, I lived a Pharisee. *
6 And now * I stand and am judged for the j^e of the pro-
d c.23.3. FbihiV e c.23.6.
were perfectly apprized of my whole course. IT If tney would testify. If thoy would bear witness to what they knew. ^ That after the most straitest. 'J'he moat rigid ; the most strict ; not only in regard to the w ritten law of God, but the tradi- tions of the elders. Paul himself else- where testifies (Phil. iii. 4 — 6), that he had enjoyed all the advantages of birth and training in the Jewish religion, and that he had early distinguished himself by his observance of its rites and ens toms. H Sect. Division, or party. IT 1 lived a Pharisee. I lived in accordance with the rules and doctrines of the Phan sees. See Note, Matt. iii. 7. The rea sons why Paul here refers to his early life are, (1.) As he had lived during the early period of his life without crime; as his principles had been settled by the instruction of the most able of their teachers, it was to be presumed that his subsequent life had been of a similar character. (2.) As he, at that period of his life, evinced the utmost zcai for the laws and customs of his country', it waa to be presumed that ho would not be found opposing or reviling them at any subsequent period. From the strictness and conscientiousness of his past life, he supposed that Agrippa might argue fa- vourably respecting his subsequent con- duct A virtuous and religious course in early life is usually a sure pledge of virtue and integrity in subsequent years fi. And now I stand. I stand before the tril)unal. I am arraigned. IT And am pidged. Am tried with reference to be- ing judged. I am undergoing a ^noi on the point in which all my nation are agreed. H For the hope. On account of the hope ; or because, in common with my countrymen. I had enlertninrd this hope, and now iielieve in its fulfilment. IT Of the promise, ii:c. See the roferencet in the margin. It is not quite certain whether Paul refers here to the promise of tiie Messiah, or to the hope of the resurrection of the dead. Whr-n he stood before the Jewisli Kanhcdrim (ch. xxiii. r>), lie said that he was called in ques- tion on account ol noldintj Uio doctrine
\. D. 62.]
raise * made of God unto our thers :
■ 7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving '> God ' day
o Gen 3.15; 22.13- 49.10. Deut.18.I5. 2Sam.7.!2. P.s. 132.11. Isa.4.2, " If 9.6/ Jer.23. 5; 33.14-16. Ezek.34. 83. D»n.9.24. Mic.7.20. Zech.l3 1,7. Mal.3.1. c.13.32. Gal.4.4.
• m
yt the resurrection of the dead. But it nay be observed, that in Paul's view, the two things were closely united. He hoped that the Messiah would come, and he hoped tJierefore for the resurrection of the dead. He believed that he had come, and had risen; and therefore he believed that the dead would rise. He argued the one from the other. And as he believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he had risen from the dead, and had thus furnished a demonstration that the dead would rise, it was evident that the subject of controversy between him and the Jews involved every thing that was vital to their opinions and their iiopes. See ver. 8. IT Made of God. Made by God. See the marginal re- ferences. The promises had been made to the fathers of a Messiah to come, and that embraced the promise of a future state, or of the resurrection of the dead. It will help us to understand the stress which Paul and the other apos'^les laid on the doctrine of the resurrect'on of the dead, to remember that it involved the whole doctrine of the separate existence of the soul, and of a future state. The Sadducees denied all this; and when the Pharisees, the Saviour, and the apostles opposed them, they did it by showing that there would be a future state of rewards and punishments. See the argument of the Saviour with the Sadducees explain- ed in the Notes.Matt.xxii. 23-32.11 Unto our fathers. Our ancestors, the patri- archs, &c.
7. Unto which promise. To the fulfil- ment of which promise, they hope to come : i. e. they hope and believe that the promise will be fulfilled, and that they will partake ot ite benefits. IT Our twelve tribes. This was the name by which the Jews were designated. The ancient Jewish nation had hoped to come to that promise; it had been the hope and expectation of th^ nation. Long before the coming of the Messiah, ten of the twelve tribes had been carried captive to Assyria, and had not returned, leaving but the two tribes of Benjamin and Judah. But the name, • the twelve *ribes,' to designate the Jewish people
CHAPTER XXVI.
fa
331
and night, hope to come. Foi Vv^hich hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
8 Why "= should it be thought a
b Luke 2.37. lThess.3.10 i nigM diui iea)
e lCor.15.12,20.
would be still retained. Comp, Jarneg i 1. Paul here says that the hope had been that of the Jewish nation. Except the comparatively small portion of the Sadducees, the great mass of the iiatioi had held to the doctrine of a future state. This Agrippa would well know. ^ In- s!antli/. Constantly ; ivith intensity ; with an eflbrt (sv (/.Tivix); with zeal. This was true ; for amidst all the sins of the nation, they observed with punctuality and zeal the outward forms of the wor- ship of God. ^ Serving God. In the - ordinances and observances of the tem- ple. As a nation, they did not serve him in their hearts ; but they kept up the out- ward form of religious worship. II Day and night. With unwearied zeal ; with constancy and ardour. Luke ii. 37. The ordinay J:>''vish services and sacrifices were in the morning and evening, and might, be said lo be performed day and nig'ni- Some t.i their services, as the paschal supper, were prolonged usually till late at night. The main idea is, that they kept up the worship of God with constant and untiring zeal and devotion. IT For v:hich hope's sake. On account of my cherishing this hope in common with the great mass of my countrymen. See ch. xxiii. 6. If Paul could convince Agrippa that the main point of his of- fence was that which had been the common belief of his countrymen, it would show to his satisfaction that he was innocent. And on this ground Paul put his defence ; thai he held only that which the mdfc-of the nation had believ- ed ; and that he maintained this in the only consistent and defensible manner — that God had, in fact, raised up the Mes- siah, and had thus given assurance that the dead should rise.
8. Why should it be thought, &c. The force of this question w'ill be better seen by an exclamation point after v>hy (t<'> ' What ! is it to be thought a thing in credible ?' &;c. It intimates surprise tha» it should be thought incredible ; or im plies that no reason could be given whj such a doctrine should be unworthy of belief IT A thing incredible. A doctrine which cannot be credited or believed
3S
'JTIE ACTS.
LA. D. 62
thi' f^ incredible with you, that God shruid raise the dead 1
9 1" verily thought with niysplf, that I ought to do many things conti-ary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
a lTiin.1.13.
Why should it be regarded as absurd. !: \Vi(i\ you. This is in the plural num- ber ; and it is evident that Paul here ad- dressed not Agrippa alone, but those who were with him. There is no evidence that Agrippa doubted that the dead could be raised ; but Festus, and those who were with him, probably did ; and Paul, in the ardour of" his speech, turned and addressed the entire assembly.- It is very evident that we have only an outline of this argument, and there is every reason to suppose that Paul would dwell on * each part of the subject at greater length than is here recorded. IT 'Fliat God should raise the dead. Why should it be re- garded as absurd that God — who has all poner; who was the creator of all ; who was the author of the human frame — should again restore man to life, and con- tinue his future existence. The resur- rection is no more incredible than the original creation of the human body, and it is attended with no greater difficulti'^s. And as the perfection's of God will be illustrated by his raising up the dead ; as the future state is necessary to the pur- poses of justice in vindicating the just, and punishing the unjusf ; and as God is a righteous moral governor, it should not be regarded as an absurdity that he will raise up those who have died, and bring them to judgment.
9. I verily thought. I indeed (m'iv^ sup- posed. Paul here commences the ac- count of his conversion, and states the evidence on which he judged that he was called of God to t^what he had done. He begins +)y s^ffig that it was not because he was originally disposed to be a Christian, but that he was vio- lently and conscientiously opposed to Je- 5iiis of Nazareth, and had been converted when in the lull career of opposition to him and his cause IT With miiHvlf. 1 thought to myself; or, I myself thought. He liad before stated the hojKJS and ex- pectations of his countrymen, ver. C — 8. lie .row Bponks of his own views and nurr>o«es. ' p'->r myself. I thought,' <fec tI 'Ihat I ought to do. That I was tMiund, UT that it was n duty incumlK'nt on me. A»iv. 'I thought that I uwcti it to my «)untrv, to my religion, and to my f jod
10 Which thing 1 also did in ' Jerusalem : and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having re ceived authority '^ from the cliiel priests ; and when they were put tc death, I gave my voice againat them.
&C.8 3. Gal.l.l3. cc.19.14.
to oppose in ^ery manner the claims of Jesus of Is'azarelh to be the Messiah. We here see that Paul was conscientious, and that a man may be conscientioui even when engaged in enormous wick- edness. It is no evidence that a man ia right because he is conscientious. No small part of the crimes against human laws, and almost all the cruel persecu- tions against Christians, have been car- ried on under the plea of conscience, Paul here refers to his conscientiousness in persecution, to show that it was no slight matter which could have changed his course. As he was governed in per secution by conscience, it could have been only by a force of demonstration, and by the urgency of conscience equally clear and strong, that could ever have induced him to abandon this course, and become a friend of that Saviour w hom he had thus persecuted. ^ Many things. As much as possible. lie was not satisfied with a/ew) things — a few word-s, or pur- poses, or arguments; but he felt bound to do as much as possible to put down the new religion. II Contrary to the name, &c. In opposition to Jesus himself, or to his claims to be the Messiah The name is often used to denoie the person kirn- self ch. iii. 6.
10. Which thing I did, &c. ch. viii. 3. And many of the saiiits, &c. Many Chris tians. ch. viii. 3. ^ Arid when they wert put to death. In the history of those transactions there is no account of any Christian being put to death, except Ste- phen. Acts vii. But there is no impro- bability in supposing that the same thing which had happened to Stephen, had occurred in other cases. Stephen was the first martyr, and as he was a promi- nent man, his case is particularly record- ed. ^ I gave my voice. Paul was not a member of the sanhedrim, and this does not mean that he voted, but simply that he joined in the persecution; he approv ed it; he assented to the putting of the saints to death. Comp. ch. xxii. 20. The Syriac renders it, "I joined with those who contlomncd whom." It is evident also thai Paul instigated thorn in ihii Iiorsectilion, and urged them on to deedi of blooJ and cruelly.
k. D. 62.J
CHAPTER XXVI.
HSi
1 1 And 1 punished them oft in ° ♦very synagogue, and compelled *hem to blaspheme ; and being ex- Jseedingly mad against them, 1 per- secuted them even unto strange rities.
12 Whereupon as I wert * to Damascus, with authority and ecmmission from the chief priests,
13 At mid-day, O king, I saw in •he way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them which journeyed with me.
14 And when we weie are all fallen to the earth, 1 heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saal, why pcrsecutest thou me 1 it is hard for thee to kick against tha piicks.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Jtord"? And he said, I am Jesus ^Rpm thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet : for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister ' and a witness ^ both of
c Eph 3.7. Col.l.23,25. d c.22.15.
11. And I punished them of t, &c. See ■■;h. xxii. 19. 11 And compelled them to blaspheme. To blaspheme the name of Jesus, by denying that he was the Mes- siah, and by admitting that he was an impostor. This was the object which they had in view in the persecution. It was not to make them blaspheme or re- proach God, but to deny that Jesus was the Messiah, and to reproach him as a deceiver and an impostor. It is not ne- cessarily implied in the expression, " and compelled them to blaspheme," that he succeeded in doing it; but that he vio- lently endeavoured to make them aposta- tize from the Christian religion, and deny the Lord Jesus. It is certainly not impossible that a few might thus have been induced by the authority of the san- hedrim, and by the threats of Paul to do It ; but it is certain that the great mass of Christians adhered firmly to their be- lief that Jesus was the Messiah. IT And being exceedingly mad. Nothing could more forcibly express his rage and vio- lence against the Christiaiis. lie raged like a madman ; he was so indignant that he laid aside all appearance of reason ; and with the fury and violence of a ma- niac, he endeavoured to exterminate them from the earth. None but a madman will persecute men on account of their religious opinions ; and all persecutions have been conducted like this, with the violence, and fury, and ungovernable temper of maniacs. IT Unto strange cities. Unto foreign cities; cities out of Judea. The principal instance of this was his going to Damascus ; but there is no evi- dence that he did not intend also to visit 3ther cities out of Judea, and bring the Christians there, if he found any, to Jeru- salem.
12 — 15. See this passage explained u the Notes on ch. ix. 5, &c.
16. But rise, &c. The particulars men tioned in this verse and the two follow- ing, are not recorded in the account o Paul's conversion in ch. ix. But it is not improbable that many circumstances may have occurred which are not recordedf. Paul dwells on them here at length, in order particularly to show his authority for doing what he had done in preaching to the Gentiles. ^ To make thee a minis- ter. A minister of the gospel ; a preach er of the truth. IT And a loiiness. Note ch. xxii. 15. IT Which thou hast seen. On the road to Damascus ; that is, of the Lord Jesus, and of the fact that he was risen from the dead. IT And of those things, &c. Of those further manifestations of my person, protection, and will, which I will yet make to you. It is evident from this, that the Lord Jesus promised to manifest himself to Paul in his ministry, and to make to him still further displays of his will and glory. Comp. ch. xxii 17, 18. This was done by his rescuing him from destruction and danger ; by the intimation of his will ; and by the grow- ing and expanding view which Paul was permitted to take of the character and perfections of the Lord Jesus. In thia we see that it is the duty (k ministers to bear witness not only to the truth of reli-. gion in general, or of that which they can demonstrate by argument ; but more especially of that which they experience in their ov^n hearts, and which they un derstand by having themselves been the subjects of it. No man is qualified to enter the ministry who has not a personal and practical and saving \iew of the glory and perfections of the Lord Jesus, and who does not go to his work as s
^34
THE ACTS.
\ i) 'j2
thes3 things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which 1 will appear unto thee ;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto ' whom now 1 send thee ;
18 To open * their eyes, and to turn ' them from darkness to light, and/rom the power '^ of Satan u^|BL
a c.2i.21. Rom.n.l3. 6 Isa.35.5; 42.7. c otP 1.79. Jno.8.12. 2Cor.4.6. Eph.1.18. d Col. 1.13. IPet t.3. e Luke 1.77. Epb.W7. Col. 1.14.
witness of tho.se things which he has felt. .And no man enters the ministry with these feelings, who has not, as Paul had, a promise that he shall see still brighter displays of the perfections of the Saviour, and be permitted to advance in the knowledge of him and of his work. The highest personal consolation in this work i.s the promise of their being admitted to ever-growing and expanding views of the glory of the Lord Jesus, and of experi- encing his presence, guidance, and pro- tection.
17. Delivering thee from the people. From the Jewish people. This implied that he would be persecuted by them, and that the Lord Jesus would interjwse to rescue him. H And from the Gentiles. This also impHed tiial he would be perse- cuted and oi)posed by them — a prosjiect which was verified by the whole course of his ministry. This wns expressed in a summary manner in ch. ix. 16. Yet in all he experienced, according to the ji-omise, the protection and tlie support of the Lord Jesus. ^ Unlo whom noio I i^end Ihce. ch. xxii. 21. As the opposi- tion of the Jew^s anjse mainly from the fact that he had guue among the Gen- tiles, it was important to hrin^' this part of his commission into full view before Agrippa, and to show that the same B.'iviour who Lad miraculously convert- ed him, had cu/iimauded him to go and preach to them.
18. To ojM-n Ihiir i i/rs. To enlighlen or instruct tiiciii. Ignorance is rojire- Bentcd by the eyes being closed, and the instruction of the cosjiel by the opening of the eyes. See lOph. i. 18. IF And to turn them from darkness to lif^ht. From the darkness of healheniflm and sin, 'o the .ipiil and purity of the gospel. Dark- ncsi i.s an emblem of ignorance and cf sin and the hnalhcii. imlions are often reprefleiiled as Hitting in darkness ('onip. !Vl>to, Matt. iv. ir» John i. 4. .O. H And ''tvm the power oj fiutun. Fmni the do-
God ; that they may receive for- giveness ' cf sins, and inheritance * among them which are ^ sanctified by faith '■ that is in me.
19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision :
20 But showed ' first ur.to thero of Damascus, and at Jerusalem,
/ Eph.l.ll. Col. 1.12. lPet.1.4. g Jn3.17.17. c.90
32. lCor.I.30. Rev.21.2:. A Epb.2.S. Heb.ll.*
I c.r..26,&c.
minion of Satan. Comp. Col. i. 13. I Pet. ii. 9. JN'otes, John xii. 31 ; xvi. 11. Satan is thus represented as the prince of this world; the ruler of the darkness of this world ; the prince of the power of the air, &c. The heathen world, lying in sin and superstition, is represented aa under his control ; and this passage teach- es, doubtless, that the great mass of tlie people of this world are the subjects of the kingdom of Satan, and are led captive by him at his will. IT Ihito God. To the obedience of the one living and truf God. IF That they may receive forgive- ness of sins. Through the merits of that Saviour who died ; that thus the parti- tion wall between the Jews and the Gen- tiles might be broken down, and all might be admitted to the same ])reciou8 privileges of the favour and mercy of God. Comp. Note, Acts ii. 38. M And inheritance. An heirship, or lot (xXj-fov) ; that they might be entitled to the privi- leges and Javours of the children of God. See Kote. Acts xx. 32. If 1V///VA are sane tificd. Among the saints ; the children of God. INote, Acts xx. 3'2.
19. }Vhereiipo7i. Whence (':3^fv) Since the proof of his being the 3Iessiah and of his resurrection, nnd of his calling me to this work, was so clear and plain, 1 deemed it my duty to engage without delay in the work. IT 1 vns not disofiC' dicnt. 1 was not incredulous, or unbe- lieving; I yieldeil myself to the com. inand, and at once obeyed. See Ails ix. 0- Comp. Gal. i. KV "IT To the hnircnhf vision. To the c<ilestial appearance ; or to the visi(m whu^h aiipeareii to me mam ft'slly from hca\en. 1 did not doiil)t ihal this splendid a|)|iraran(e (vcr. 13) wai from heaven and I did not refuse tr obey the conuniiiid of him wiio llius aiv jicared to me. He knew it was the com- miind of God liis Saviour; nnd he gavt evidence of repentance by yi^'lding ol***- <iience to it at tmcc.
20. See ch. ix. 20—23 The SOlJi
1. D,62.]
CHAPTER XXVI.
335
and throughout all th« coasts of Jildea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works " meet foi repentance.
21 For these causes the Jews ^ caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22 Having therefore obtained help
aMatt.3.8 fc c.21.30.
verse contains a summary of his labours in obedience to the command of ihe Lord Jesus. His argument is, that the Lord Jesus had from heaven commanded him to do this, and that he had done no more than to obey his injunction.
21. Caught me in ihe temple, ch. xxi. 30. IF And went about, &c. Endeavour- ed to put me to death.
22. Having therefore obtained help of God. Paul had seen and feh his danger. He had fe;novvn the determined mabce of the Jews, and their efforts to take his life. He had been rescued by Lysias, and had made every effort to avoid the danger, and to save his life ; and at the end of all, he traced his safety entirely to the help of God. It was not by any power of his own that he had been preserved ; but it was because God had interposed and rescued him. Those who have been delivered from danger, if they have just views, will delight to trace it all to God. rhey will regard his hand ; and will feel hat whatever wisdom they may have lad, or whatever may have been the sindness of their friends to aid them, yet that all this also is to be traced to the su- perintending providence of God. IF Wit- <iessing. Bearing testimony to what he nad seen, according to the command of Christ, ver. 16. IT To small. To those in humble life; to the poor, the ignorant, and the obscure. Like his master, he did not despise them, but regarded it as his duty and privilege to preach the gospel to the poor. IT Aiid great. The rich and noble ; to kings, and princes, and gover- nors. He had thus stood on Mars' Hill at Athens ; he had borne testimony before the wise men of Greece ; he had declared the same gospel before Felix, Festus, and now before Agrippa. He offered salva- tion to all. He passed by none because ih y were poor ; and he was not deterred by the fear of the rich and the great from making known their sins, and calling them to repentance. What an admirable illustration of the proper duties of a min- 'ster of the gospel ! ^ Saying none other hing, &e Delivering no new doctrine ;
of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which <^ the prophets and Moses did say should come.
23 That Christ should suffer, ana that he should be the first <* that should rise from the dead, and
c Luke 24.27,46. d lCor.13.23.
but maintaining only that the prophecied had been fulfilled. As he had done this only, there was no reason for the op- position, and persecution of the Jews IT Should come. Should come to pass ; or should take place. Paul here evidently means to say, that the doctrine of the atonement, and of the resurrection of Christ, is taught in the Old Testament.
23. That Chnst. That the Messiah expected by the Jews should be a sirffer ing Messiah. IT Should suffer. Should lead a painful life, and be put to dcaiii See Note, ch. xvii. 3. Comp. Dan. ix. 27 Isa. liii. ^ And that he should be the first. &c. This declaration contains two [;oi.ii3. (1.) That it was taught in the prophets that the Messiah should rise from the dead. On this, see the proof alleged in ch. ii. ^—32; xiii. 32—37. (2.) That he should be the first that should rise. This cannot mean that the Messian should be the first dead person who should be re- stored to life, for Elijah had raised the son of the Shunammite, and Jesus himself had raised Lazarus, and the widow's son at Nain. It does not mean that he should be the first in ihe order of time that should rise, but first in eminence, the most dis- tinguished, the chief, the head of those who should rise from the dead, n^ i.^ro? i? ii'^o-Tio-sw; i/£x§Gv. In accordance with this he is called (Col. i. 18), " the begin- ning, the first-born from the dead," having among all the dead who should be raised up, the rights and pre-eminence of the primogeniture, or which pertained to the first-bom. In 1 Cor. xv. 20. he is called " the first-fruits of them that slept." This declaration is, therefore, made of him by way of eminence. (1) As being chief, a prince among those raised from the dead ; (2.) As being raised by his own power (John X. 18) ; (3.) As, by his rising, secur- ing a dominion over deith and the grave (l^Cor. XV. 2.S 26) ; and, (4.) As bringing by his rising, life and immortality to light He rose to return to death no more. And he thus secured an ascendancy over death I and the grave, a.nd was thus, by way of I eminence, fitst amon» *^Uose raised frois
$M)
THE ACTS.
[A. D. bi
Khould shew Iitih unto .he peof le, and to the Gentiles.
24 And as he thu5 spake for himself, Festus said w'vh a loud
ihe dead. IT And should show light unto the people. To the Jews. Should be Iheir instructor and prophet. This Moses had predicted. Deut. xviii. 15. IT And to the (ienliles. This had often been foretold by tlie prophets, and particularly by Isaiah. Isa. ix. 1, 2. Comp. Matt. iv. 14— If). Isa. xi. 10 ; xlii. 1. 6 ; liv. 3 ; Ix. 3. 5 ; 11; Ixi.O; lxii.2; Ixvi. 12.
24. Festus said with a loud voice. Amaz- ed at the zeal and ardour of Paul. Paul doubdess evinced deep interest in the subject, and great earnestness in the de- livery of his defence. II Thou art beside thyself. Thou art deranged ; thou art insane. The reasons why Festus thought Paul mad were, probably, (1.) His great earnestness and excitement on the sub- ject. (2.) His laying such stress on the gospel of the despised Jesus of JNazareth, as if it were a matter of infinite moment. Festus despised it ; and he regarded it as proof of derangement that so much im- portance was attached to it. (3.) Festus regarded, probably, the whole story of the vi.sion that Paul said had appeared to him, as the effect of an inflamed and excited imagination; and as the proof of delirium. This is not an uncommon charge against those who are Christians, and especially when they evince any unusual zeal. Sinners regard them as under the influ- ence iif delirium and fanaticism; as terri- fied l>y imaginary and superstitious fears; Dr as misguided by fanatical leaders. Husbands often thus think their wives deranged, and parents their children, and wicked men the ministers of Uie gospel. The gay think it proof of derangement that others are serious, and anxious, and prayerful ; the rich, that others are will- ing to part with their property to do good ; the ambitious and worldly, tliat others are willing to leave their country and liome, to go among the Gentiles to Rpcnd their lives in making known the unsoarcliable riches of Christ. The really sober, and rational part of the world — Ifiey who fcnr God, and keep his com- mandments ; who believe that eternity is before them, and who strive to live for it — •re thus charged with insanity by those wno are really deludrd, an(f wiic are thus ivir'j? lives of madncH.s and fol/y. The Jcnante of n mnd-honso often think all othcrN lefiingod but thcniHclvcs; but
voice, Paul, thou art beside thy self; msch leariiin«r doth make ihefc mad. "
25 But he said, I am not mad,
a2KiDgB9.Il.
there is no madness so great, no delirium so awful, as to neglect the eternal inie rest of the soul for the sake of the jx)oi pleasures and honours which ihis life can give. H Much learning. It is probal»l<. that Festus was acquainted with the fac that Paul had been well instructed, And was a learned man. Paul had not while before him manifested particularly hia learning. But Festus, acquainted in some way with the fact that he was well edu cated, supposed that his brain had been turned, and that the effect of it was seen by devotion to a fanatical form of reli- gion. The tendency of long continued and intense application to produce mental derangement, is every where known IT Doth make thee mad. Impels, d-ives, or excites thee {Trs^iTgiTru) to madness.
25. / am not mad. I am not deranged. There are few more happy turns than that which Paul gives to this accusation of Festus. He might have appealed to the course of his argument; he might have dwelt on the importance of the subject, and continued to reason ; but lie makes an appeal at once to Agrippa, and brings him in for a witness that he was not deranged. This would be far more likely to make an impression on the mind of Festus, than any thing that Paul could say in self-defence. The same reply, • I an not mad,' can be made by all Christians to the charge of derangement which the world brings against them. They have come, like the prodigal (Luke xv. 17), tc their right mind; and by beginning to act as if there were a God and Saviour, as if they were to die, as if there were a boundless eternity before them, they are conducting according to the dictates of reason. And as Paul appealed to Agrippa. who was not a Christian, for the reason ablene.ss and soberness of his own view« and conduct, so may all Christians apjiea. even to sinu'^^rs ihemselves, as witnes.^ea that they are acting as immortal i)eing8 should net. All men hiow that if there is an eternity, it is right to prepare for it ; if there is a (iod, it is proper to serve him ; if a Saviour tlicd for us, we should love him ; if a hell, wc should avoid it if a heaven, we should sock it. A no even when ihey charge us w ilh folly niio derangement, we may turn at once upon them, and apiHJul to their 'iwn conscienct's
CHAPTER XXVI.
A,D. G54.J
most noble /estus, but speak forth the words of truth and sober- ness.
26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak
and ask them if all our anxieties, and prayers, and efforts, and self-denials, are not right ? One of the best ways of con- victing sinners is, to appeal to them just as Paul did to Agrippa. When so appeal- ed to, they will usually acknowledge the force of the appeal ; and will admit that all the solicitude of Christians for their salvation is according to the dictates of reason. IT Most noble Festus. This was the usual title of the Roman governor. Comp. xxiv. 3. IT Of truth. In accordance with the predictions of Moses and the prophets ; and the facts which have oc- curred in the death and resurrection of the Messiah. In proof of this he appeals to Agrippa. ver. 26, 27. Truth here stands opposed to deluaion, imposture, and fraud TT And soberness. Soberness (o-uxf^oo-uvj), wisdom) stands opposed here to madness, or derangement, and denotes sanity of mind. The words which I speak are those of a sane man, conscious of what he is saying, and impressed with its truth. They were the w^ords, also, of a man who, under the charge of derangement, evinc- ed the most perfect selfpossession, and command of his feelings ; and who utter- ed sentiments deep, impressive, and wor- thy of the attention of mankind.
26. For the king. King Agrippa. T Knoweth. He had been many years in that region, and the fame of Jesus and of Paul's conversion were probably well known to him. IT These things. The things pertaining to the early persecu- tions of Christians; the spread of the gospel; and the remarkable conversion of Paul. Though Agrippa might not have been fully informed respecting these things, yet he had an acquaintance with Moses and the prophets ; he knew the Jewish expectation respecting the Messiah; and he could not be ignorant respecting the remarkable public events m the Ufa of Jesus of Nazareth, and of tus having been put to death by order of Pontius Pilate on the cross. IT I speak freely. I speak openly, boldly. I use no disguise , and I speak the more confident- ly before him, because, from his situation, he must be acquainted with the truth of what I say. Truth is always bold and free , and it is an evidence of honesty when a man is willing to declare every ihing %vithout reserve before those who 2 F
337
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, believcKt thou
are qualified to detect him if he is an im postor. Such evidence of truth and honesty was given by Paul. IT For lam persuaded. I am convinced ; I doubt not that he is well acquainted with these thiags. IT Are hidden from him. That he is unacquainted with them. IT For this thing. The thing to which Paul had mainly referred in this delence, his own conversion to the Christian religion. IF Was not done in a carrier. Did not occur secretly and obscurely ; but was public, and was of such a character as to attract attention. The conversion of a leading persecutor, such as Paul had been, and in the manner in which that conver- sion had taken place, could not but at tract attention and remark. And al- though the Jews would endeavour as much as possible to conceal it, yet Paul might presume that it could not be entire- ly unknown to Agrippa.
27. King Agrippa. This bland per sonal address is an instance of Paul's happy manner of appeal. He does it to bring in the testimony of Agrippa to meet the charge of Festus that he was derang- ed. IT Believest thou the prophets 7 The prophecies respecting the character, the sufferings, and the death of the Messiah ^ / know that thou believest. Agrippa was a Jew; and, as such, he of course believ- ed the prophets. Perhaps too, from what Paul knew of his personal character, he might confidently affirm that he professed to be a believer. Instead, therefore, of waiting for his answer, I'aul anticipates it, and says that he knows that Agrippsi professes to believe all these prophecies respecting the Messiah. His design is evident. It is, (1.) To meet the charge of derangement, and to bring in the testi- mony of Agrippa, who well understood the subject, to the importance and the truth of what he was saying. (2.) To press on the conscience of his royal hearer the evidence of the Christian re- ligion, and to secure if possible his con^ vereion. ' Since thou believest the pro- phecies, and since I have shown that they are fulfilled in Jesus of JNazareth, that he corresponds in person, character, and work with the prophets, it follow's Hiat his religion is true.' Paul lost no oppor- tunity of pressing the truth on every class of men. Ho had such a ccsnvicfiori
338
THE ACTS.
A. D. 6%
the prophets 1 1 kno that thou believest. '28 Then Agrippa said urito Paul,
of the truth of Christianity, that he was doterred by no rank, station, or office ; by no fear of the rich, the great, and the learned ; but every where urged the evi- dence of tliat religion as indisputable. Ill this, lay the secret of no small part of his success. A man who rcalli/ believes fTie truth will be ready to defend it. A man who truly loves religion will not be O'hamcd of it any where.
28. T/ien Agrippa said unto Paul. He could not deny that he believed the pro- phets. He could not deny that the argu- ment was a strong one, that they had been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. He could not deny that the evidence of the miraculous interposition of God in the conversion of Paul was overwhelming. And instead, therefore, of charging him a-s Festus had done WMth derangement, he candidly and honestly avows the im- pression which the proof had made on ius mind. IT Almost. Except a very little. 'Ev okiy-u. Thou hast nearly con- vinced me that Christianity is true, and persuaded me to embrace it. The argu- ments of Paul had been so rational ; the appeal which he had made to his belief of the prophets had been so irresistible, that he had been nearly convinced of the truth of Christianity. We are to remem- ber, (1.) That Agrippa was a Jew, and that he would look on this whole subject in a different manner from the Roman Festus. (2.) Tliat Agrippa does not ap- pear to have partaken of the violent pas- sions and prejudices of the Jews who had accused Paul. (3.) His character as given by Josephus is that of a nuld, can- did, and ingenuous man. He had no par- ticular hostility to Christians; he knew that they were not justly charged with Kcdition and crime ; and he saw the con- clufiion to which a belief of the prophets mevitably tended. Yet, as in thousands of other cases, lie was not ipiite persuad- ed to bo a Christian. What was included in the "almost;" what prevented his h<)ing quite persuaded, we know not. It may have been that die evidence was not so clear to his mind as he would pro- fe«fl to desire ; or that ho was not willing to give up his sins; or that ho was too jiMud to rank himself with tiie fjllovverfl of Jesus of Nnzarclh; or lliat, like Felix, lie wa.s willing li» defer it to a more con- venient Benson. Thern is every reason to hieliflvo that ho wua never guite per.<«uiidpd
Almost thojfc" persuadest me to bfl a Christian.
a Jamei 1.33,24.
to embrace the Lord Jesus ; and that be was never nearer the kingdom of heavjn than at this moment. It was the crisis, the turning point in Agrippa's life, and Li his eternal destiny ; and, like thousands of others, he neglected or refused to allow the full conviction of the truth on hid mind, and died in his sins. IT Thou per suadest vie. Thou dost convince me of the truth of the Christian religion, and persuadest me to embrace it. IT To he a Christian. On the name Christian, see Note, ch. xi. 26. On this deeply interest- ing case, we may observe, (1.) That there are many in the same situation as Agrip- pa—many who are almost, but not alto- gether, persuaded to be Christians. They are found among (a) Those who have been religiously educated ; (6) Those who are convinced by argument of the truth of Christianity; (c) Those whose consciences are awakened, and who feel their guilt, and the necessity of some better jwrtion than this world can furnish. (2.) Such persons are deterred from being altoge- ther Christians by the following, among other causes, (a) By the love of sin— the love of sin in general, or sonle par- ticular sm which they are not vvilling to abandon, (b) The fear of shame, perse- cution, or contempt, if they become Chris- tians, (c) By the temptations of U»t» world — its cares, vanities, and allure- ments— which are often prosecuted most strongly in just this state of mind, {d) The love ofoHice, the pride of rank, and power as in the case of Agrippa. (e) A disposition, like Felix, to delay to a more favourable time the work of religion, untd life has wasted away, and death ap- proaches, and it is too late ; and the un- happy man dies almost a C/iri.^tia?i. (3. This state of mind is one of peculiar in- terest, and peculiar danger. It is not one of salety; and it is not one that iinpliefl any certainty that the 'almost (Christian' will ever be saved. There is no rea.''on to believe that Agrippa ever became fiilli/ persuaded to become a Christian. To be almost persuaded to do a thing which we ought to do, and yot w..' to do it, is the very ])osition of guilt and dan- trcr. And it is no wonder that many are brought to Mi'.f point— the turiang jMMut, the crisis of lili'— and then lose theif anxiety, and die in their sins. May the God of grace keep us from resling in being almost persuaded to bo Christiaiui
A U. 62.]
29 And Paul said, I would " to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, . and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
30 And when he had thus spoken, he king rose up, and the governor,
And may every one who shall read this account of Agrippa be admonished by his convictions, and be alarmed by the fact that he then paused, and that his convic- tions there ended ! And may every one resolve by the help of God to forsake every thing that prevents his becoming an entire believer, and without delay embrace the Son of God as his Saviour! 29. / would to God. I pray to God ; I earnestly desire it of God. This shows, (1.) Paul's intense desire that Agrippa, and all who heard him, might be saved. (2.) His steady and constant belief that none but God could inchne them to become altogether Christians. Hence he ex- pressed it as the object which he ear- nestly sought of God, that they might be true believers. Paul knew well that there was nothing that would overcome the reluctance of the human heart to 08 an entire Christian but the grace and mercy of God. He had addressed to them the convincing arguments of reli- gion ; and he now breathed forth his earnest prayer to God that these argu- ments might be effectual. So prays every faithful minister of the cross. IT All that hear me. Festus, and the military and civil officers who had been assem- bled to hear his defence, ch'. xxv. 23. IT Were loth almost, and altogether, &c. Paul had no higher wish for them than that they might have the faith and con- solations which he had himself enjoyed. He had so firm a conviction of the truth of Christianity, and had experienced so much of its consolations and supports amidst all his persecutions and trials, that his highest desire for them was, that they might experience the same inex- pressibly pure and holy consolations. He well knew that there was neither happi- ness nor safety in being almost a Chris- tian ; and he desired, therefore, that they would give themselves, as he had done, entirely and altogether to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, ^i Except these bonds. These chains. Tbis is an ex- ceedingly happy and touching appeal, frotiably Paul, when he said this, lifted jp hia arm with the chain attached to it.
CHAPTER XXVI.
339
and Bernice, and they that s?t with them.
31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between them- selves, saying, This man doeth no* thing worthy of death or of bonds.
32 Then said Agrippa unto Fes-
His wish was, that they might be parta- kers of the pure joys which religion had conferred on him ; that in all other re- spects they might partake of the effects of the gospel, except those chains. Those he did not wish them to bear. The per- secutions, and unjust trials, and confine- ments which he had been called to suf- fer in the cause, he did not desire them to endure. True Christians wish others to partake of the full blessings of reli- gion. The trials which they themselvea experience from without in unjust perse- cutions, ridicule, and slander, they do not wish them to endure. The trials which they themselves experience from an evil heart, from corrupt passions, and from temptations, they do not wish others to expenence. But even with these, re- ligion confers infinitely more pure joy than the world can give ; and even though others should be called to expe- rience severe trials for their religion ; still, Christians wish that all should par- take of the pure consolations which Chris- tianity alone can furnish in this world and the world to come.
31. This man doeth nothing worthy of death. This was the conclusion to which they had come, after hearing all that the Jews had to allege against him. It was the result of the whole investigation , and we have, therefore, the concurring testimony of Claudius Lysias (ch. xxiii. 29), of Felix (ch. xxiv.), of Festus (ch. xxv. 26, 27), and of Agrippa to his inno cence. More honourable and satisfac tory testimony of his innocence Paur could not have desired. It was a fuli acquittal from all the charges against him ; and though he was to be sent to Rome, yet he went there with every fa- vourable circumstance of being acquitted there also.
32. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, &c. This is a full declaration of the convic tion of Agrippa, that Paul was innocent It is an instance also where boldness and fidelity will be attended with happy re suits. Paul had conceale 1 nothing of the truth. He had made a boM an faithful appeal (ver. 27) to Agrippa hitt
940
THE ACTS.
A. U. G5s
ms, This man might have been set ftt liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cesar.
CHAPTER XXVH.
A ND when it was determined
-^ that we should sail into Italy,
•elf for the truth of what he was saying. By this appeal, Agrippa had not been oftended. It had only served to impress him more with the innocence of Paul. It is an instance which shows us that religion may be commended to the con- sciences and reason of princes, and kings, and judges, so that lliey will see its truth. It is an instance which shows us that {he most bold and faithful appeals may be made by the ministers of religion to their hearers, for the truth of what they are saying. And it is a full proof that the most faithful appeals, if respectful, may be made without offending men, and with the certainty that they will feel and admit their force All preach- ers should be as faithful as Paul ; and whatever may be the rank and charac- ter of their auditors, they should never doubt that they have truth and God on their side, and that their message, when most bold and faithful, will commend it- self to the consciences of men. CHAPTER XXVII. 1. And when il was determined. By Festus (ch. XXV. 12), and when the time was come when it was convenient to Bend him. IT That we should sail. The use of the term " we" here shows that the author of this book, Luke, was with Paul. He had been the companion of Paul, and though he had not been ac- cused, yet it was resolved that he should Btill accompany him. Whether he went at his own expense, or whether he was Bent at the expense of the Roman govern- ment, does not ai)pear. There is a dif- ference of reading here in the ancient versions. The tSyriac reads it, " And thus Festus deterniincd that bo [Paul] should be sent to Cesar in Italy," A:c. The Latin Vulgate arxi the Arabic also road " ho" insleail of " we." But the Greek manuscripts are uniform; and the correct rcadmg i.", doubllck'H, that which in in our vcrKion. H Irtlo Italij. The country still bearing the wnme name, of which Rome was the capital. ^ And certain other prisimrm. Who were pro- bably also sent to Rnmn f()r a trial before the emperor. Dr. I^ardner ban proved that it waa romrrKjn to send prisonen
they delivered Paul * and certain other prisoners unto otie named Julius, a centurion of Augustus band.
2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, mean
a e.35.12^.
from Judea and othei •provinces to Rome Credibility, Part 1, ch. x. $ 10. pp. 248, 249. IT A centurion. A commander of a hundred men. IT Of Augustus' band. For the meaning of the word "band," see Note, Matt, xxvii. 27. Acts x. 1. It was a division in the Roman army, con- sisting of from four to six hundred men. It was called "Augustus' band" in ho- nour of the Roman emperor Augustui (Note, ch. XXV. 21), and was probably distinguished in s^me way for the care in enlisting or selecting them/ The Au- gustine cohort or band is mentioned by Suetonius in his Life of Nero, 20.
2. A ship of AAramyttium. A mari time town of Mysia, in Asia Minor, oppo- site to the island of Lesbos. This was a ship which had been built there, or which sailed from that port, but which was then in the port of Cesarea. It is evi dent from ver. 6, that this ship was not expected to sail to Italy, but that the centurion expected to find some other vessel into which he could put the pri- soners to take them to Rome. IT We launched. We loosed from our anchor- age; or we set sail. See ch. xiii. 13. IT By the coasts of Asia. Of Asia Minor. Probably the owners of the ship designed to make a coasting voyage along the southern part of Asia Minor, and to en- gage in traflic with the maritime towns and cities. IT One Arislarchus, a Macedo- dian. This man is mentioned as Paul's companion in travel in ch. xix. 29. He afterwards attended him to Macedonia, and returned with him to Asia. ch. xx. 4 He now appears to have attended him, not as a prisoner, but as a voluntary com- panion, choosing to share with liim his dangers, and to enjoy the benefit of his society and friendship. He went with him to Rome, and was a lellow-prisoner with him there (Col. iv. 10); and is men- tioned (epistle to Philemon 24) us Paul's fellow-labonrer. It was. doubtless, a great comfort to Paul to have with him two such valuable friends as Luke and Aris- tarchus; and it was an instance of great affection f()r hini that tlicy were not ashamed of his iMmdK, but were wilhn| to uh&To hi« (ia.igers. and to ps\y)9e them
A. D. 62.]
CHAPTER XXVII.
34 <
mg to sail by the coasts of Asia ; one Aristarchus, " a Macedonian of Fhessalonica, being with us.
3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously '' entreated Paul, and gave him li- berty to go unto his friends to re- fresh himself.
4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cy- prus, because the winds were con- trary.
fcc.24.23:2S.
selves to Deril for the sake of accompaiiy- mg him to Rome.
3. We touched at Sidon. Note, Matt, xi. 21. It was north of Cesarea. IT And Julius courteously entreated Paul. Treat- ed him kindly, or humanely. IT And gave him liberty, &c. The same thing had been done by Felix, ch. xxiv. 23. IT Unto his friends. In Sidon. Paul had frequently travelled in that direction in going to, and returning from Jerusalem, and it is no6«improbable, therefore, that he had G"iend3 in all the principal cities. H To refresh himself. To enjoy the benefit of their kind care, to make his present situation and his voyage as comfortable as possible. It is probable that they would furnish him with many supplies which were needful to make his long and perilous voyage comfortable.
4. We sailed under Cyprus. For an account of Cyprus, see Note, ch. iv. 36. By sailing " under Cyprus" is meant that they sailed along its coasts; they kept near to it ; they thus endeaX»oured to break off the violent winds. Instead of steering a direct course in the open sea, which would have exposed them to vio- hmt opposing winds, they kept near this if.rge island, so that it was between them and the westerly winds. The force of the wind was thus broken, and the voyage rendered less difficult and dangerous. They went between Cyprus and Asia Minor, leaving Cyprus to the left. Had it not been for the strong western winds they would have left it on the right f The winds were contrary- Were from rhe west, or southwest, which thus pre- vented their pursuing a direct course. See the map.
•5. The sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia. The sea which lies off the coast from tliese two regions. For their situation, Bee the map, and Notes, Acts vi. 9, and liii 13. IT We came to Myra, a city of Lyc*a Lycia was a province in the 2 P 2
5 And when we had sailed ovei the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy ; and he put us therein.
7 And when we had sailed s?owly many days, and scarce were CDme over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete ' over against Salmone ;
8 And, hardly passing it, came
* or, Candy.
southwestern part of Asia Minor, having Phrygia and Pisidia on the north, the Me diterranean on the south, Pamphylia on the east, and Caria on the west.
6. A ship of Alexandria. A ship be longing to Alexandria. Alexandria was in Egypt, and was founded by Alexander the Great. It appears from ver. 38, that the ship was laden with wheat. It is well knowTi that great quantities of wheat were imported from Egypt to Rome ; and it appears that this was one of the large ships which were employed for that purpose. Why the ship was on the coast of Asia Minor, is not known. But it is probable that it had been driven out of its way by adverse winds or tem pests.
7. Had sailed slowly. By reason of the prevalence of the western winds, ver. 4 IT Over against Cnidus. This was a city standing on a promontory of the same name in Asia Minor, in the part of the province of Cana called Doris, and a little north- west of the island of Rhodes. IT The wind not suffering us. The wind repelling U3 in that direction , not permitting us to hold on a direct course, we were driven off near to Crete. IT We sailed under Crete. See ver. 4. We lay along near to Crete, so as to break the violence of the whid. For the situation of Crete, see Note, ch. ii. 11. IF Over against Salmone. Near to Salmone. This was the name of the promontory which formed the eastern ex- tremity of the island of Crete.
8. And, hardly passing it. Scarcely be- ing able to pass by it without being wrecked. Being almost driven on it Thev passed round the east end of tht island, because they had been unable to sail directly forward between the island and the main land. IT The fair havens. This was on the southeastern part of the island of Crete. It was probably not so much a harbour as an open kind of road, which afforded good anchorage for a time
ut
THE ACIS.
unto a place which is called the fair havens ; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
y Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast ' was now already past Pau] admonished i/icm,
10 And said unto them, Sirs, 1 pfirceive " that this voyage will be with 2 hurt and much damage, not
• The feast wat on the \Cth day of the 'th month. Lev.23.2T,29. a aKiiijs 6.9,10. Dm. 2. 20. Amos 3.7.
• or, injury.
it is called by Stephen, the geographer, " the fair shore." "
9. When muck lime v>as spent. In sail- ing along ths coast of Asia ; in contend- ing with the contrary winds. It is evi- dent, that when they started, they had hoped to reach Italy before the dangerous time of navigating the Mediterranean ghould arrive. But they had been de- tained and embarrassed contrary to their expectation, so that they were now sailing in the most dangerous and tempestuous time of the year. IT Because the fast was tioiv already past. By " the fast," here is evidently intended the fast which occur- red among the Jews on the great day of atonement. That wns the tenth of the month Tisri, which answers to a part of September and part of October. It was therefore the time of the autumnal equi- nox, and when the navigation of the Me- diterranean was esteemed to be particu- larly dangerous, from the storms which u.-^ually occurred about that time. The ancients regarded this as a dangerous time to navigate the Mediterranean. See the proofs in Kninoel on this place. ^ Paul ttil man is/ltd them. Paul exhorted, entreat- erl, or persuaded them. lie was some- what accustomed to the navigation of that sea; and cndeav'»urcd to persuade them not to risk the diuiger of sailing at that season of the year.
10. .Sir.'?. Gr. Men. IT I -perceive. It :« not certain that Paul undoratood this by direct inspiration. lie might have perceived it from his own knowledge of th«-' danger r)f navigation at the autumnal equinox, and from what he saw of the ship as unfitted to a dancorous navigation. But Miere is nolhinc that should prevent our believing also that he was guided to this (•onclusi'Hi by the inspiration of the Spirit of (Jod Comp. vcr. 23. 2 J. IT Will be with hurt. With injury, or hazard. It is Hot meant that their livea would bo lout;
[A D. C2 and ship, but
only of the lading also of our lives.
11 Nevertheless, the centurion believed the master and ihe ownei 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 mighl attain to Phenice, and there to win-
but that they would be jeojjarded. IT The lading. The freight of the ship. It was laden with wheat, ver. 3S. Paul, evi dently, by this, intended to suggest the propriety of remaining where they were until the time of dangerous navigation was past.
11. The master. The captain, or the pilot. The person who is here meant, was the helmsman, who occupied, in an- cient ships, a conspicuous place on^the stern, and steered the ship, and gave directions to the crew. IT The owner of the ship. Probably a different person from "the master." He had the general com- mand of the ship as his own property, but had employed " the master," or the pilot, to direct and manage it. His counsel in regard to the propriety of continuing the voyage, wmild be likely to be followed.
12. The haven. The fair havens, ver. 8. IF Was not commodious to winter in Not safe or convenient to remain there Probably it furnished rather a safe an chorage ground in time of n storm, than a convenient place for a permanent har- bour. % The 7/iore part. The greater part of the crew. IT 7'ti I'henice. This was a port or harbour on the south side of Crete, and west of the fair havens. It was a more convenient harbour, and regarded as more safe. It appears thcreli)re, that the majority of persons on board concurred with Paul in the belief that it was no» advisable to attempt the navigation of the sen until the dangers of the winter had pas.sed by. H And liclh toward. Greek J.onking toward ; i. e. it was ojxn in tlial direction. H The saiithvist. KxtH a;^» Toward Lj/bia, or Africa. That country was situated s<»ulhwest of the mouth of the harbour. The entrance of the har hour wa.s in a southwest direction If And ncrlhurst. Kutx X.e^"- Thii word denotes a wind blowing from the northwest. 'I'ho harbour was doulrtlcH*
A. D. 62.]
CHAPTER XXVII.
34.
ter ; which is an haven of Crete, " and lielh toward the southwest and northwest.
13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, haos- ino- * thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14 But not long after there ' arose against it a tempestuous <= wind, called Euroclydon.
a ver.T,
c P9.107.25.
curved. Its entrance was in a southwest direction. It then turned so as to he in a direction towards the northwest. It was thus rendered perfectly safe from the winds and heavy seas ; and in that har- bour they might pass the winter in secu- rity.
13. The south wind. The wind before had probably been a head wind, blowing from the west. When it veered round to the south, and when it blew gently, though not entirely favourable, yet it was so that they supposed they could sail along the coast of" Crete. IT Had obtained their purpose. The object of their desire ; that is, to sail safely along the coast of Crete. IT Loosing thence. Setting sail from the fair havens. IF Close by Crete. Near the shore. It is evident that they designed, if possible, to make the harbour of Phenice, to winter there.
14. Arose. Beat violently. IT Against it. Against the island of Crete. IT A tempestuous wind. Turbulent, violent, strong. IT Called Euroclydon. Inlt,. ;>re- ters have been much perplexed about the meaning of this word, which occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The most probable supposition is, that it denotes a wind not blowing steadily from any quarter, but a hurricane, or wind veering about to different quarters. Such hurricanes are known to abound in the Mediterranean, and are now called Le- tanters, deriving their name from blowing chiefly in the Levant, or eastern part of the Mediterranean. The name Eurocly- don is derived probably from two Greek words, sufo;, wi7id, and x^jdc^v, a wave; so called from its agitating and exciting the waves. It thus ansvv^ers to the usual effects of a hurricane, or of a wind ra- pidly changing its points of compass.
15. Themhip was caught. By the wind. It came suddenly upon them as a tem- pest. IT Could not bear up, &c. Could not resir.t its violence, or could not direct the ehiD. It was seized by the wind, and
15 And when the ship was cauorht, and could not bear up into the wind., we let her drive.
16 And running under a certaifi island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come oy th« boat;
17 Which when they had ta- ken up, they used helps, under- girding the ship ; and fearing lest they should fall "* into the quic
driven with such violence that it becama unmanageable. IT We let her drive. We suffered the ship to be borne along by the wind without attempting to control it
16. And running under. Running near to an island. They run near to it, where the violence of the wind was probably broken by the island. ^ Which is called Clauda. This is a small island southwest of Crete. IT We had much work. Much difficulty ; we were scarcely able to do it. IT To come by the boat. This does not mean that they attempted here to land in the boat, but they had much difficulty in saving the small boat attached to the ship from being staved to pieces. Whether it was carried in the ship or towed at the stern does not appear ; but it is evi- dent that it was in danger of being broken to pieces, or lost, and that they had much difficulty in securing it. The im[)ortance of securing the small boat is known by all seamen.
"•7. Which when they had taken up. '^''hv-n they had raised up the boat into thb >.Jp, so as to secure it. IT They used. helpi>. They used ropes, cables, stays, or chains, for the purpose of securing the ship. The danger was that the ship would be destroyed ; and they, therefore, made use of such aids b.s should prevent the loss of the ship. IF Undergirding the ship. The ancients were accustomed to pass cables or strong ropes from one side of the ship to another, to keep the planks from spring'ug or startnig by the action of the sea. The rope was slipped under the prow, and passed along to any part of the keel which they pleased, and made fast on the deck. See cases mentioned in Kuinoel on this verse. An instance of the same kind is mentioned in lord Anson's voyage round the world. Speak ing of a Spanish man-of-war in a storm, he says, " they were obliged to throw overboard all their upper-deck guns, and take six turns of the cable round the ship, to pre rent her opening " (Clarke.^
344
THE ACTS
[A. D. oi
B'ands, slrake sail and so were driven.
18 And being exceedingly tossed
• with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship.
19 And the third day we east out ' with our own hands the tack- ling of the ship.
20 And when neither ' sun nor •tars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on w5, all hope
* that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of
oPs.107.27. iJob2.4. Jon.1.5. c P8.105.28.
dEzek.37.11. « ver.lO. /ver.l3. f Job
88^. P8.n2.7. 2Cor.4.8,9. h c.23.11. t Heb.1.14.
IT Lest they should fall into the quick- sands. There were two celebrated syr- tes, or quicksands on the coast of Africa, called the greater and lesser. They were vast beds of sand tiriven up by the sea, and constantly shifting their position, so that that they could not know cer- tainly where the danger was, and pnard against it. As they were constantly changing their position, they could not be accurately laid down in a chart. They were afraid, therefore, that they should be driven on one of those banks of sand, and thus be lost. IT SiraTte sail. Or rather, lowered, or took down the mast; or the vards to which the sails were attached. There has been a great vari- ety of interpretations proposed on this passage. Tlie most probable is, that they took down the mast, by cutting or otherwise, as is now done m storms at sea, to save the ship. They were at the mercy of the wind and waves ; and their only hope was by taking away their sails. T And so were driven. By the wind and fvaves. The ship was unmanageable, and they suffered it to bo driven before the wind.
18. Theyli[rhlvned the ship. By throw- ing out a part of the cargo.
19. The tacklivfr of the ship. The an- ehorw, sails, cables, baggage, A'c. That in, they threw over every thing that was not indisponsable to its preservation, for it seems still (ver. 29) that they re- tained some of thoir anchors on board'.
20. Neither sun nor stars, <Vo. As tlioy could see neither sun nor stars, lliey could make no oljservations; and as they had no compass, they would bo totally
them, and said, Sirs, ye shoulc have hearkened ' unto me, and not have loosed ^ from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now * I exhort you to b« of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any marCs life amonj you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me thii night '* the angel ' of God, whose ^ I am, and whom * I serve.
21 Saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before Cesar: and, lo, God hath given thee ' all them that sail with thee.
■ j Deut.32.9. Ps.135.4. I6a.44.5. Mal.3.17. Jno.l7.9,ia lCor.6.20. lFet.2.9,10 k Ps.n6.16. Isa.44.21. IHa.
3.17; 6.16. Jno,12.'i6. Roni.1.9. 2Tim.l.3. I Gen,
19.21,22.
ignorant of their situation, and gave up all as lost.
21. But after long abstinence. By the violence of the storm, by their long-con- tinued labour, and by their rpprehension of danger, they had a long ii;:ie abstained from Ibod. if And to have gained thia harm. To have procured this harm, or have subjected yourselves to it. Had you remained there, you would have been safe. It seems to be bad English to speak of gaining a loss, but it is a cor- rect translation of the original (x£f J)j(rai'), which expresses the idea of acquiring oi procuring, whether good or evil. See ver. 9, 10.
22. There shall be no loss. This mu6l have been cheering news to those who bad given up all for lost. As Paul had manifested great wisdonv in his former advice to them, they might be now more disposed to listen to him. The reason why he believed they would be safe, he immediately states.
23. There stood by me. There appear- ed to me. H The angel of God. Th» messages of God were often communi- cated by angela. See Ileb. i. 14. Thi« does not mean that there was any parti cular angel, l)nt simply an angel. 1l W'hosr I am. Of the God to whom I belong. This is an expression of Paul's entire de votedness to him. IT Whom I strve. Ir- tlio gospel. 'I'o whom and lo whoso cause I am entirely devoted.
21. Fear nat, Paul. Do ndl be alarm ed with the danger of the loss of life, H Thou must be braught, i\:c. And there- fore thy life wfll be' spared. II Uod hath given the« all, &c Tha' is, they vliall al
<V D. 62. ]
CHAPTER XX VII.
340
25 Whc^refore, sirs, be of good cheer; foi * I believe God, that it siiall be even as it was told me.
26 Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island. *
27 But when the fourteenth light was come, as we w^ere driv- en up and down in Adria, about midnight 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
a Luke 1.45. Rom.4.20,21. 2Tim.l.l2. b c.2? 1.
be preserved with thee. None of their lives shall be lost. It does not mean that they should be converted ; but that their lives should be preserved. It is implied here that it was for the sake of Paul, or that the leading purpose of the divine interposition to rescue them from danger was, to save his life. The wicked often derive important benefits from being con- nected with Christians; and God often confers important favours on Ihem in his general purpose to benefit his own peo- ple. The lives of impenitent men are often spared because God interposes to save his own people.
26. Howbeit. Nevertheless. ^ Upon a rerlain island. Malta. See ch. xxviii. 1.
27. The fourteenth night. From the time when the tempest commenced. IF/zi Adria. In the Adriatic sea. This sea is properly situated between Italy and Dal- raalia, now called the Adriatic gulf But among the ancients the name was given not only to that gulf but to the whole sea lying between Greece, Italy, and Africa, including the Sicilian and Ionian sea. It is evident from the narrative, that they were not in the Adriahc gulf but in the vicinity of Malta. See the map. T Deemed. Judged. Probably by the appearance of the sea.
28. And sounded. To sound is to make use of a line and lead to ascertain the depth of water. IT Twentj/ fathoms. A fathom is sij feet, or the distance from the extremity of the middle finger on one hand to the extremity of the other, when (he arras are extended. The depth, there- fore, was about one hundred and twenty feet. IT Fifteen fathoms. They knew, therefore, that they were drawing near to shore.
29 Tketf cast four anchors. On ac-
tount of the violence of the storm and
ft^es. to make if possible the ship se-
sounded aga/ /, a. id found it fifteen fathoms.
29 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 ship, when they had let dovv-n the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul said to the centurion
cure. IT A?id wished for the day. To discern more accurately their situation and danger.
30. The shipmen. The sailors, leaving the prisoners. IT Under colour. Under pretence. They pretended that it was necessary to get into the boat, and carrj* the anchors ahead of the ship so as to make it secure, but with a real intention to make for the shore. ^ Out of the fore- ship. From the prow, so as to make the fore part of the ship secure. The reason why they did this was, probably, thai they expected the ship would go to pieces; and as all on board could not be saved in one small boat, they resolved to escape to a place of safety as soon as possible.
31. Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers. The centurion had, it appears, the gendral direction of the ship. ver. 11. Probably it had been pressed into the service of the government. IF Except these. These seamen. The soldiers and the centurion were unqualified to ma- nage the ship, and the presence of the sailors was therefore indispensable to the preservation of any. IT Abide in the ship. Remain on board. ^ Ye cannot be saved. You cannot be preserved from death. You will have no hope of managing the ship so as to be secure from death. Il wiU be remembered that Paul had been informed by the angel, and had assured them (ver. 22 — 24), that no lives should be lost. But it was only in the use of the proper means that their lives would be safe. Though it had been determined, and though Paul had the assurance that their lives would be safe, yet this did not, in his view, prevent the use of the proper means to secure it. From this we may learn, (1.) That the certainty of an event does not render it improper to use means to obtain it (2.) That though the eveni
546
THE ACTS.
[A D. 6>
and to tne so -diers, Except 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 com- ing on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tar- riod, and continued fasting, having
a M»U.15.32. lTim.5.23. fc 1 Kings 1.52. Matt.
10.30. Luke 12.7; 21.18.
maybe determined, yet the use of the means may be indispensable. The event is rendered no ma-e certain than tlie means requisite to accomplish it. (3.) Tiiat the doctrine of tlie divine purposes or decrees, making certain future events, does not malie the use of man's agency unnecessary or improper. The means are determined as well as the end ; and the one will not be secured without the other. (4.) The same ia true in regard to the decrees respecting salvation. The end is not determined without the means ; and as God has resolved that his people fchall be saved, so he has also determined the means. He has ordained that they Bhall repent, shall believe, shall be holy, and shall Uais be saved. (5.) We liave m this case a full answer to the objection that a belief in the decrees of God will make men neglect the means of salva- tion, and lead to licentiousnes.s.' It lias just the contrary tendency. Hero is a case in which Paul certainly believed in the purpose of God to save these men \ in wiiich he wa.s assured that it was fully determined ; and yet the cfToct was not to produce inattention and unconcern, but to prompt him to use strenuous eflurts to accomplish the very elfect which God liad determined should take place. So it is always. A belief that God has pur- {Hwes of mercy ; that he designs, and has always designed, to save some, will prompt to the use of all proper means to secure it. If we had no evidence that God had any such purjHJse, effort would bo vain. Wo should have no induce- ment to exertion. Where we liai:r. such evidence, it operates as it did in the rase of Paid, to produce great and strenuous endeavf)urH to secure the oliject.
32. Cut off the rnppn, &c. It is evident ihjit the mariners had not yet got on boarti the boat. They had let it down aito the sea (vor 30), and were about to
taken nothing.
34 Wherek)re 1 pray ) on to take some meat ; for this " is for youi health : for there * shall not an hail fall from the head of any of you.
35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and *= gave thanks to God in presence of them all : and when he had broken ?7, he began to eat.
26 Then were they all of good
c lSaiu.3.13. Matt.15.36. Mark 8.6. jDo.C.n,23. ITiin. 4.3,4.
go on board. By thus cutting the roj)e3 which fastened the boat to the ship, and letting it go, they removed all possibility of Uieir fleeing from the ship, and com- pelled them to remain on board.
33. And while the day was coming on. At daybreak. It was before they had sullicieiit liglit to discern what they should do. H To take meat. Food. The word 7neat was formerly used to denote food of any kind. H That ye have tarried. That you have remained or been fasting. H Irlavin'j: taken nothing. No regular meal It cannot mean that they had lived entirely without food ; but that they had been so much in danger, so constant- ly engaged, and ro anxious about their stfety, that they had taken no regular meal ; and that what they had taken had been at irregular intervals, and had been a scanty allowance. " Appian speaks of an army which fir tw enty days together had neither food nor sleep; by which he must mean that they neither made fidl meals, nor slept whole nights together. The same interpretation must be given to this phrase." {Doddridge.) The effect of this must have been, that they would be weak and exhausted; and little able to endure the iiitigues which yet re- mained.
34. Not an hair fall from the head, &c This is a proverbial expression, denoting that Uiey should be preserved safe ; thai none of them should be lost, and that in their persons they should not experience the least damage. 1 Kings i. 52. 1 Sam. xiv. 45.
35. Ajid gam thanks, &c. This was the usual custom among the HehrewH See Note, Malt. xiv. 19. Paid wm among those who were not C'hristiann. But ne was not ashamed of the proper acknowledgment of God, niid was not afraid to avow his dependence on him, and to exj)roR8 his gratitudo for' his r»»^Tcv
V. 1>. 62. J
CHAPTER XX VII.
347
!lieer, and they also took some aeat
37 And we were in all in the Bhip, two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
38 And when they had eaten »nough, they lightened the ship, md cast out the wheat into the #ea.
39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they dis- covered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to
33. They lightened the ship. By casting tho wheat into the sea. As they had no hope of saving the cargo, and had no further use for it, they hoped that by throwing the wheat overboard, the ship would draw less water, and that tJius they would be able to come nearer to the shore.
39. They knew not the land. They had been driven with a tempest, without being able to make any observation ; and it is probable that they were entire stran- gers to the coast, and to the whole island. ^ A certain creek with a shore. Greek, A certain bosom (xo^ttoi-) or bay. By its having a shore is probably meant that it liad a level shore, or one that was conve- nient for landing. It was not a high bluff of rocks, but was accessible. Kui- noel thinks that the passage should be construed, " they found a certain shore, having a bay," &c. IT Were minded. Were resolved.
40. Had taken up the anchors. The four anchors with which they had moored the ship. ver. 29. See the margin. The expression may mean that they slipped or cut their cables, and that thus they left the anchors in the sea. This is the most probable interpretation. ST And loosed the rudder-bands. The rud- der in navigation is that by which a ship is steered. It is that part of the helm which consists of a piece of timber, broad at tho bottom, which enters the water, and is attached by hinges to the stern- '>ost on which it turns. — (Webster.) But
«hat was the precise form of the rudder tmong the ancients, is not certainly <aown. Sometimes a vessel might be steered by oars. In most ships they ap- pear to have had a rudder at the prow as well as at the stern. In some instances liso. they had them on the side The
thrust in the ship. ,
40 And when they had ' taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loo.sed the rudder-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 forepart stuck fast, and remained unmov- able, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of tho waves.
1 or, cut the anchors, left them in the sea, etc.
word used here in the Greek is in the plural {riiv 7r>,Sci\',,^v), aud it is evident that they had in this ship more than one rudder. The bands mentioned here were probably the cords, or fastenings by which the rudder could be made secure to the sides of the ship, or could be raised up out of the water in a violent storm, to prevent its being carried away. And as in the tempest, the rudders had become useless (ver. 15. 17), they were probably either raised out of the water, or made fast. Now that the storm was passed, and they could be used again, they were loosed, and they endeavoured to direct the vessel into port. H The mainsail A^rif^vj.. There have been various ex- planations of this word. Luther trans- lates it the mast. Erasmus, the yards. Grotius, who supposes that the mainmast had been cast away (ver. 17), thinks that this must mean the foremast or bowsprit. The word usually means the mainsail The Syriac and Arabic understand it of a small sail, that was hoisted for a tempo- rary purpose.
41. And falling. Being carried by the wind and waves. IF Into a place where two seas met. Gr."Into a place of a dou- ble sea. Ai^ixaro-ov. That is, a place which is washed on both sides by the sea. It refers properly to an isthmus, tongue of land, or a sand-bar stretching out from the main land, and which was washed on both sides by the waves. It is evident that this, was" not properly an isthmus that was above the waves, but was probably a long sand-bank that stretched far out into the sea, and which they did not perceive. In endeavouring to make the harbour, they ran on this bar or sand-bank. *ir They ran the ship aground. Not designedly, but in endea vouring to reach ^he harbour, ver 39
i4e
THE ACTS.
[A. h. C2
4^ And the soldiers' counsel " was t ) kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion, Avilling' to save Paul, ' kept them from their purpose ; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sca^ and get to land :
5 The hinder part was broken. The stern was broken or staved in. By this means llie company was furnished with boards, &c., on which they were safely conveyed to the shore, ver. 44.
42. And the soldiers' counsel, &c. Why they gave this advice is not known. It was probably, however, because the Ro- man military discipline was very strict, and if they escaped, it would probably be charged on them that it had been done by the negligence and unfaithful- ness of the soldiers. They therefore pro- (M><5< <|, in a most cruel and bloodthirsty m.inner, to kill them, though contrary to all humanity, justice, and laws; pre- suming probably that it would be sup- posed that they had perished in the wreck. This is a remarkable proof that men can be cruel even when experiencing the tender mercy of God ; and that the most affecting scenes of divine goodness will not mitigate the natural ferocity and cru- elty of thnse who delight in blood.
43. But the centurion, willivir to save Paul. He had at first been disposed to treat Paul with kindness, ver. 3. And his conduct on board the ship; the wis- dom of his advice (ver. 10) ; the prudence of his conduct in the agitation and danger of the tempest ; and not improbably the beliei that he was under the divine pro- tection and ble.ssing, disposed him to ■pare his life. IT Kept them from thrir purpose. Thus, for the sake of this one righteous man, the lives of all were Bpared. The instance here shows, (1.) That it is pos.siblo for a pious man, like Patil, so to conduct in the various trving scenes of life — the npilntions, difllculticB, and temptations of this world — as to con- ciliate the favour of tlie men of this world ; and, (2.) That imi)orIrint benefits often result to sinners from the righteous. Paul's being on board was the means of laving the lives of many prisoners; and Go<J often confers important blessings on iho wifked for the ^nke of the pious rela- te ves, frieiidn, and noighlKjiirH with whom
44 And the rest, some un boards and some on broken pieces of th€ ship. And so '^ it came to paaa that they escaped all sale to land
CHAPTER XXVHI.
A ND when they vi-ere escaped, -^ then they knew that the island '' was called Melila.
c Ps.107.28,30. ver 22. d C.27.B6.
they are connected. Ten righteous men would have saved feodom (Gen. xviii. 32); and Christians are in more ways than one the salt of the earth, and tlie light of the worM. Matt. v. 13, 14. It is a privilege to be related to the friends of God — to be the children of pious parent-s, or to be connected with pious partners in life. It is a privilege to be connected with the friends of God in business ; or to dwell near them ; or to be associated with them in the various walks and dangers of life. The streams of blessings which How to fertilize their lands, flow also to bless others ; the dews of heaven which descend on their habitations, descend on all around ; and the God which crowns them with loving-kindne.^s, often fills the abodes of their neighbours and friends with the blessings of peace and saha- tion. IT And commandtd. Probably they were released from their chains.
44. And the rest. Those who could not swim. IT Thei/ escaped all safe to land. According to the promi.se which was made to Paul. ver. 22. This was done by the special providence of God. It was a remarkable instance of divine interposition to save so many through so long contiiuied dangers ; and it shows that God can defend in any perils, and can accomplish all his purpoi^es. On tfio ocean, or the land, we are safe in lii.s keeping; and he can devise ways that shall fulfill all his purposes, and that car protect his people from danger. CIIAPTKR XXVHI.
1. They knew. Hither from their for- mer acquaintance with the island, or from the information of the inhabitants. IT Was called Melita. Now called IMnlla. It was celebrated l»)rMirrly for prcxlucing large quantities of honey, and is siipiKwcd to liavo been called Melila from the Greek word, sicnifying honey. It is about twenty miles in length from eart to west, and twelve miles in breadth from north to south, and alH)ut sixty miles in «MrcuniferePce li •« al)out H'<\ly mili'*
A. D. 62. J
CHAPTER XXVm.
34>
2 And the barbarous " people] on the fire, there came a viper oul shewed us no little kindness : for j of the heat, apd fastened on his
hand.
4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hanor on his
they kindled a fire, and received us, ^ every one, because of the present rain, and because of the
cold.
3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid tkem
iRoDL.1.14.Col.3.n.
h Matt.10.42. Heb.13.2.
from the coast of Sicily. The island is an immense rocli of white soft free-stone, with a covering of earth about one foot in depth, which has been brought from the island of Sicily. There was also another island formerly called Melita, now called Mclcda, in the Adriatic sea, near the coast of lUyricum, and some have supposed that Paul was shipwreck- ed on that island. But tradition has uni- formly said that it was on the island now called Malta. Besides, the other Melita would have been far out of the usual track in going to Italy ; and it is further evident that Malta w-as the place, because, from the place of his shipwreck, he went directly to Syracuse, Rhegium, and Puteo- li, thus sailing m a direct course to Rome. In sailing from the other Melita to Rhe- gium, Syracuse would be far out of the direct course. The island now is in the possession of the British.
2. And the barbarous people. See Note, Rom. i. 14. The Greeks regarded all as barbarians who did not speak their lan- guage ; and applied the name to all other nations but their own. It does not de note, as it does sometimes with us, people of savage, uncultivated, and cruel habits, but simply those whose speech was un- intelligible. See 1 Cor. xiv. ]}. The is- land iS supposed to have been peopled at first by the Phoecians, afterwards by the Phoenicians, and afterwards by a colony from Carthage. The language of the
it was called by the Greeks the language of barbarians. It was a language which was unintelligible to the Greeks and Latins. IF The rain. The continuance of the storm. IF And of the cold. The exposure to t^e water in getting to the shore, and probably to the coldness of the weather. It was now in the month of October.
3. Had gathered a bundle of sticJcs. For the purpose of making a fire. IT TTiere came a viper. A poisonous serpent. Note, Matt. ni. 7 The viper was, doubtless, in the bundle of sticks or limbs of trees svhich Paul had gathered but was con- 2G
hand, they said among themselves, No doubt " this man is a murderer^ whom, though he hath escaped the
cJ 0.7.24.
cealed, and was torpid. But when the bundle was laid on the fire, the viper became warmed by the heat, and ran out, and fastened on the hand of Paul IT And fastened on his hand. Ka3-;j.{/j This word properly means to join one's self to ; to touch ; to adhere to. It migh have been by coiling around his hand and arm ; or by fastening its fangs in his hand. It is not expressly affirmed that Paul was bitten by the viper, yet it is evidently implied ; and it is wholly in- credible, that a viper, unless miraculously prevented, should fasten himself to the hand without biting.
4. The venomous beast. The W'ord beast we apply usually to an animal of larger size than a viper. But the original word (3^>)^;ov) is applicable to animals of any kind, and especially applied by Greek writers to serpents. (See ScKleusner.) IT No doubt. The fact that the viper had fastened on him, and that, as they sup posed, he must now certainly die, was the proof from which they inferred his guilt, ^ Isa murderer. Why they thought he was a murderer rather than guilty ot some other crime, is not known. It might have been, (1.) Because they inferred that he must have been guilty of some very atrocious crime, and as murder was the highest crime that man could commit, they inferred that he had been guilty of this. Or, (2.) More probably, they had an opinion that when divine vengeance Maltese was that of Africa, and hence kpvertook a man, he would be punished
in a manner similar to the offence ; and as murder is committed usually with the hand, and as the viper had fastened on the hand of Paul, they inferred that he had been guilty of taking life. It was supposed among the ancients, that persons were often punished by divine vengeance in that part of the body which had been the instrument of the sin. IT Whom though he hath escaped the sea. They supposed that vengeance and justice would still follow the guilty ; that though he mighl escape one form of punishment, yet he would be exposed to another. And ths, to a certain extent, is true. These bar
JftO
TH?: ACTS.
[A. D. 6ii
sea, yet vengeance saffireth not to live.
5 And he shook oil' the heast into the fire, and felt " no iiarm.
6 Howbeit, they looked when he should have swollen, 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 8 god.
7 In the same quarters were pos- sessions of the chief man of the
a Mark 16.I9.Luke. 10.19 ic.14.11.
barians reasoned from great original prin- ciples, written on the hearts of' all men Dy nature, that there is a God of justice, and that the guilty would be punished. They reasoned incorrectly, as many do, only because that they sup{x>sed that every calamity is a judgment for some particular sin. Men often draw this con- clusion ; and suppose that suffering is to be traced to some paiticular crime, and to be regarded as a direct judgment from heaven. See Notes, John ix. 1 — 3. The general proposition, that all sin will be punished at some time, is true ; but we arc not qualified to affirm of particular calamities always that they are direct judgments for sin. In some cases we may. In the case of the drunkard, the gambler, and the profligate, we cannot doubt, that the loss of property, lieallh, and reputa- tion is the direct result of specific crime. In the ordinary calamities of life, how- ever, it requires a more profound ac- quaintance wilh the principles of divine government than we pos.sess, to affirm of each instance of sufiTeriiig, that it is a par- ticular judgment for some Crime. If Yd vengeance. 'H >>U>^. Dihi, or justice, vvfl^ represented by the heathen as a goddes^ the daughter of Jupiter, whose office it was to take vengeance, or to inflict pun- ishment for crimes, f Siijfciet/i not to live. They regarded him as already a dead man. Thoy supptjsed tfie cflect of the bite of the viper would be so certainly fatal, that they might speak of him as al- ready in effect dead. JJeza.
5. Arid fie shook off, &c. In .;his was remarkably fuUillrd llio promise of the 8avir»ur (Mark x\i. 18;: "They shall lake up serpents," etc.
G Wficn he shouLi hare swollen. When ihcy expected ho would have swollen
island, whose name was Publius, who received us, and lodged ua three days courteously.
8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fe- ver, and of a bloody llux : to whoia ' Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid ''his hands on him, and healed him.
9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in thfl island, came, and were healed :
10 Who also honoured ' us with
c James 5.14,15. d Matt.9.18. Mark 6.5-7.32;16.1&
Luke 4.40. c.19.11. ICor.12.9,28, 6lThess.2.6. ITim 5.17.
from the bite of the viper. The poison of the viper is rapid ; and they expected that he would die soon. The word ren- dered " swollen" (-.>-f :«rcrK.) mcans properly to burn ; to be inflamed ; and then to be swollen from inflammation. This was what they expected here, that the poison would produce a violent in flammation. IT Or fallen down dead sud- denly. As is sometimes the case from the bite of the serpent, when a vital part is affected. IT They changed their minds They saw he was uninjured, and miracu- lously preserved ; and ihey supposed that none but a god could be "thus kept from death. ^ That he was a god. That the Maltese were idolaters there can he no doubt. But what gods they worshipped is unknown, and conjecture would be useless. It was natural that they should attribute such a preservation to the pre sence of a divinity. A similar instance occurred atLystra. See Notes, ch. xiv. 1 1.
7. In the same (piarters. In that place, or that part of the island. ^ Possessions Property. His place of residence. IT The chief man. Cr. Thc^r.s^ man. Probably he was the governor of the island.
8.Abloofli/Jlux. Gr. Dysentery. ^ And laid his hands on him, <?tc. In accordance wilh the promise of the Saviour. Mark XVI. 18. This mira<le was a suitable re- turn for the hosjjilality of Publius, and would serve to concdialo further the kindness of the people, and prepare the wav for the usefulness of Paul.
10. Who also honoured us. As men who wore favoured of heaven, and who liad been thcrmcans of coiiCcrriiig im- portant benefits on them in healing the sick, A'c. Pn)l)alily the word " honours" here means gifts, or marks of favour. IT They laded us. Thoy gave u.s or con
A.D. o2.1
OHAfTER XXVJII.
35 J
many lionours; and when we de- parted, they laded tis with such things " as were tecessary.
11 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 landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.
13 And from thence we fetched i compass, and came to Rhegium : and after one day the south wind
a Matt.6.31-34: 10.S-I0. 2Cor.2.5-U. P!iil.4.n,12.
fetred on us. They furnished us with Buch things as were neces&ary for us on our journey.
11. And after three months. Probably they remained there so long, because there was no favourable opportunity for them to go to Rome. If they arrived there, as is commonly supposed, in Octo- ber, they left for Rome in January. IT In a ship of Alexandria. See Note, ch. xxvii. 6. II Whose sign. Which was ornament- ed with an image of Castor and Pollux.
t was common to place on the prow of the ship the image of some person, or god, whose name the ship bore. This custom is still observed. IT Castor and Pollux. These were two semi-deities. They were reputed to be twin brothers, sons of Ju- piter and Leda, the wife of Tynuarus, King of Sparta. After their death, they are fabled to have been translated to hea- ven, and made constellations under the name ofgemini, or the twins. They then received divine honours, and were called the sons of Jupiter. They were supposed to preside over sailors, and to be their protectors ; hence it was not uncommon to place their image on ships. See autho- rities in Lempriere's Dictionary.
12. And landing at Syracuse. Syracuse was the capital of the island of Sicily, on the eastern coast. It was in the direct course from Malta to Rome. It contains at present about 18,000 inhabitants.
13. We fetched a compass. We coasted about ; or we coasted along the eastern side of Sicily. The course can be seen on the map. IT And came to Rhegium. This was a city of Italy, in the kingdom of Naples, on the coast near the south- «<'est extremity of Italy. It was nearly opposite to Messina, in Sicily. It is now- called Reggio. See the map. IT The south wind. A wind favourable for their voyage. IT To Puteoli. The wells. It was celebrated for its warm baths, and
hlew, and we came the naxt day to Puteoli ;
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 thanked God, and took courage. "
b c.21.5. 3Jao.6,8.
: Josh. 1.6,7.9. lSam,30.6. Ps.
from these, and its springs, it is supposed to have derived its name of the wells. It is now called Pozzuoli, and is in the cam pania of Naples, on the northern side of the bay, and about eight miles northwest from Naples. The town contains at pre- sent about 10,000 inhabitants.
14. Brethren. Christian brethren. But by whom the gospel had been preached there, is unknown.
15. And 'from thence. From Puteoli IF When the brethren heard of us. The Christians who were at Rome. 1i As far as the Appii Forum. This was a city about 56 miles from Rome. The remains of an ancient city are still seen there. It is on the borders of the Pontine marshes. The city was built on the celebrated Appian way, or road from Rome to Capua. The road was made by Appius Claudius, and probably the city also. It was called the forum or market-place of Appius, be- cause it was a convenient place for tra vellers on the Appian way to stop for purposes of refreshment. It wag*also a famous resort for pedlars and merchants. See Horace, b. i. sat. 5. 3. IT And the Three Taverns. This place was about eight or ten miles nearer Rome than the Appii Forum. Cicero ad^^tt. ii. 10. It undoubtedly received its name because it was distinguished as a place of refresh- ment on the Appian way. Probably the greater part of the company of Christians remained at this place, while the remain- der went forward to meet Paul, and to attend him on his way. The Christians at Rome had doubtless heard much of Paul. His epistle to them had been writ- ten about the year of our Lord 57, or at least five years before this time. The in- terest which the Roman Christians felt in the apostle was thus manifested by their coming so far to meet him, though he was a prisoner. IT He thanked God. He had long ardently desired to see the Chris-
*53
THE ACTS.
[A. D. «2.
16 And when we came to Rome, the centuriLH delivered the prison- ers to the captain of the guard : but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself * with a soldier that kept him.
17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together : and when they were come together, he said unto them, INIen and brethren, though ' I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered ' prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans :
18 Who, '^ when they had ex-
a C.24.25J 27.3. b c.24.12,i3; 25.8. c c.21.33, fcc. d c.24.10; 26.31.
tians of Rome. Rom. i 9—11 ; xv 23. 32. He was row grateful to God that the ob- ject of his long desire was at last granted to him, and that he was permitted to see them, though in bonds. IT And took cou- rage. From their society and counsel. The presence and counsel of Christian brethren is often of inestimable value in encouraging and strengthening us in the toils and trials of life.
16. The captain of the guard. The commander of the Pretorian cohort, or guard. The custom was, that those who were sent from the provinces to Rome for trial were delivered to the custody of this guard. The name of the prefect or cap- tain of the guard at this time, was Bur- fhns Afranius. Tacit. Ann. 12. 42. 1. IT But Paul was suffered, &c. Evidently by the permission of tlie centurion, whose favour he had so much conciliated on the voyage. See ch. xxvii. 43. IT With a scMier that kef$ him. That is, in the cus- tody of a soldier, to whomhe was chained, and who, of course, constantly attended him. See ch. xxiv. 23. Note, ch. xii. G.
17. Paul called the chief of the Jews. fie probably had two objects in this : one was to vindicate himself from the suspi- cion of crime, or to convince them that the charges alleged against him were f lise ; and the otlier, to explain to them »he gospel of Christ. In accordance with his custom every where, he seized the earliest opportunity of making the gospel known, to his own countrymen; and he naturally 8up|K)spd that charges highly mfivourablo to his character, had been ccri forward against him to the Jews at
amined me, would have let me ga because there was no cause of death in me.
19 But when the Jews spake against //, I was constrained to ap- peal 'unto Cesar; not that I had aught to.accuse my nation of.
20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you^ and to speak with you: because that for the hope ^ of Israel I am bound with this cnain. ^
21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Ju- dea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came showed of spake any harm of thee.
e c.?5.1I. /c.26.0,7. g- C.2CJ9. Eph-3.l: 4-1:6 20. 2Tim.l.l6; 2.9. Philem.10,13.
Rome by those in Judea. IT Against tht people. Against the Jews. ch. xxiv. 12 IT Or customs, &c. The religious rites o\ the nation. Note, ch. vi. 14. IT Was i delivered prisoner, &.C. By the Jews. ch. xxi. 33, &c.
18. When they had examined me, &c. ch. xxiv. 10—27 ; xxv. xxvi. 31, 32. IT m cause of death. No crime worthy ot death.
19. The Jews spaJce against it. Against my being set at liberty. ^ / was con- strained. By a regard to my own safety and character. IF To appeal unto Cesar. Note, ch. xxv. 11. H Aot that I had aught, &.C. I did it for my own preserva- tion and safety ; not that I wished to ac- cuse my own countrymen. It was not from motives of revenge, but for safety. Paul had been unjustly accused and in- jured ; yet with the true spirit of the Christian religion, he here says that he cherished no unkind feelings towarda them.
20. Because for the hope of Israel. On account of the hope which the Jews cherished of the coming of the Messiah , of the resurrection ; and of the future state through him. See this explained in the Note on ch. xxiii. 6. M I am bound with this chain. See Note, ch. xxvi 29 Probably he was attached constantly to c soldier by a chain.
21. We ncitfier received letters, &c Why the Jews in Jndca had not forward ed the accusation against Paul to their brethren at Koine, tliiil they might coii- tinuo the jirosccution before the emperor i0 not known It is probal)lc that Uier
\. D. 65.]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
352
22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest : for as con- cerning this sect, we know that every where " it is spoken against.
23 And when they had appoint- ed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging- ; '' to whom he expounded " and testified the king- dom of God, persuading them con- cerning Jesus, both '^ out of the law of Moses, and out of the pro- phets, from morning till evening.
24 And some * believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul, had spoken one
a Luke 2.34. c.24.5,14. lPet.2.12; 4.14. b Philem. 2. cLuke24.27, c.l7.3j 19.8. (ic.26.6,22.
regarded their cause as hopeless, and choose to abandon the prosecution. Paul had been acquitted successively byLysias, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa ; and as they had not succeeded in procuring his con- demnation before them, they saw no prospect of doing it at Rome, and chose therefore not to press the prosecution any farther. ^ Neither any of the brethren that came. Any of the Jevvs. There was a very constant intercourse between Judea and Rome, but it seems that the Jews who had come before Paul had ar- rived, had not mentioned his case, so as to prejudice them against him.
22. What thou thinkest. What your belief is ; or what are the doctrines of Christians respecting the Messiah. H This sect. The sect of Christians. IT Spoken against. Particularly by Jew's. This was the case then ; and to a great extent, is the case still. It has been the common lot of the followers of Christ to be spoken of with contempt. Comp. ch. xxiv. 5.
23. Appointed him a day. A day when they would hear him. H To his lodging. To the house where he resided, vor. 30. IT He expounded. He explained or de- clared the principles of the Christian re- ligion. IT And testtfed the kingdom of God. Bore witness to, or declared the principles and doctrines of the reign of the Messiah. See Note, Matt. iii. 2. IfPer- miading them concerning Jesus. Endea- vouring to convince them that Jesus was &ie Messiah. IT Both out of the law of Moses. Endeavouring to convince them that he lorresjjonded with the predictions re-
word ; Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias f the prophet unto oui fathers,
26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say. Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand ; and seeing ye shall see, and not pei- ceive :
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 theii heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is
e c.14.4; 17.4; 19.9. Rom.3.3. / Ps.Sl.ll. Isi.6.9 Jer.5.21. Eze.3.6,7; 12.2. Matt.13.14,15. Kom.11.8.
specting the Messiah in the books ol Moses. (See Gen. xlix. 10. Dcut. xviii 18.) and with the types which Moses had instituted to prefigure the Messiah. H And out of the prophets. Showing that he corresponded with the predictions of the prophets. See Note, ch- xvii. 3. ^ From morning until evening. An in- stance of Paul's indefatigable toil in en- deavouring to win his own countrymen to Jesus as the Messiah.
24. And some believed, &c. See Note, ch. xiv. 4. ♦
25 Had spoken one word. One decla- ration of solemn prophecy, reminding them that it was the characteristic of the nation to reject the testimony of God, and that it was to be expected. It was the last solemn warning which we know Paul to have delivered to his country men the Jews. V Well spake. Or he spoke the truth ; he justly described the character of the Jewish people. The passage here quoted was as applicable in the time of Paul as of Isaiah. IF The Holy Ghost. A full proof of the inspira- tion of Isaiah. ^ By Esaias. By Isaiah Isa. vi. 9, 10.
26, 27. Saying, &c. See this passage explained in the Notes on Matt. xiii. 14 and John xii. 39, 40.
28. The salvation of God. The \fnow ledge of God's mode of saving men. IF I» sent unto the Gentiles. Since you have rejected it, it will be offered to them See Note, ch. xiii. 46. "iF And that the^ will hear it. They will embrace it. Pau' was never discouraged. If he gospo*
J54
THE
and that
A CIVS.
[A. D. 63
sent unto tlie Gentiles they will hear it.
29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and fiad great reasoning among them- ifclves.
30 And Paul dwelt two whole
a Matt.21.41. c. 13.46,47; 18.6.; 22.21; 26.17,18. Roic, U.U
was rejected by one class of people, he was ready to offer it to another. If his own countrymen rejected and despised it, he never allowed himself to suppose that Christ had died in vain, but beheved that others would be inclined to embrace Its saving benefits. How happy would it be if all Christians had the same unwa- vering faith and zeal as Paul !
29. And had great reasoning. Great discussion or debates. That is, the part which believed that Jesus was the Mes- siah (ver. 24) 'discussed the subject warmly with those who did not believe. This whole verse is wanting in the Syriac version, and in some Greek MSS., and is «upix)sed by Mill and Griesbach to be spurious,
30. Paid dwelt two whole years. Doubt- less in the custody of the soldiers. Why he was not prosecuted before the empe- ror during this time is not known. It is evident, however (ver. 21), that the Jews were not disposed to carry the case be- fore Nero, and the matter, during this tirfle, was suffered quietly to sleep. There i.s great probability that the Jews durst not prosecute him before the emperor. It is clear that they had never been in favour of the appeal to Rome, and that Ihey had no hope of gaining their cause. Probably they might remember the for- mer treatment of the Roman emperor of their people (Note, ch. xviii. 2) ; they might remember that they were despised at the Roman capital, and not choose to encounter the scorn and indignation of the Roman court ; and as there was no prosecution, Paul was suffered to live in (juietness and safety. Lardner, however, HiiI)IK)sen (vol. V. p. 528, 529. Ed. 8vo. Lond. 1C29) that the case of Paul was 'oon brought before Nero, and decided ; mill that the method of confinement was ordered by the emperor himself Light- i(>ot also supposes that Paul's "accusers, who had come from Juflca to lay their charge against him, would l)e urgent to get their business (Icspnirhed, that they might be returning to their own home fcsrair., and so would br ng him to trial ns
years in his Dwn hired house, and received all that came in unto him. .31 Preaching * the kingdom o^ God, and teaching those thing* which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
fcc.4.31, Erh.6.19.
soon as they could." But nothing ctt tainly is known on the subject. It is evi- dent, indeed, from 2 Tim. iv. 16, that h« was at some time arraigned before the emperor; but when it was, or what was the decision, or why he was at last set at liberty, are all involved in impenetrable obscurity. IT In his own hired liouse. In a house which he was permitted to hire and occupy as his ewn. Probably in this he was assisted by the kindness of his Roman friends. \\ And received all, &c. Received all hospitably and kindly who came to him to show him kindness, or to listen to his instructions. It is evi- dent from this, that he was still a pri- soner, B'i was not permitted to go at large.
31. F reaching the kingdom of God Note, ch. XX. 25. IT With all confidence Openly and boldly, without any one to hinder him. It is known also, that Paul was not unsuccessful even when a pri- soner at Rome. Several persons were converted by his preaching even in the court of the'omperor. The things which had happened to him, he says (Phil. i. 12, 13, 14), had fallen out rather to the fur- therance of the gospel, so that his lx)nd9 in Christ were manifested in all the pa- lace, and in all other places ; and m<ny brethren in the Lord, says he, waxnig confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. In this situation he was remembered with deep interest by the church at Philippi, who sentEpaphrodilus to him with a con- tribution to supply his wants. Of their kindness he speaks in terms of the ten derest gratitude in Phil. ii. 25; iv. 18. During his confinement also, he was the means of the conversiim of Oncsimus, a runaway slave of Philemon, of Colosse in Phrygia (Philem. 10); whom he sent back to his master with a letter to him- self, and with an epistle to the chiin-h at that place. Sre epistle to the Colo.ssiant iv. 8, 9. 18. During this imprisonment, he wrote, according to l,nrdnrr, the fol- lowing epistles, in the following order an^ time, viz:
.%.. D. 62.]
Ephesians, April, A. D ;. . . 61
2 Timothy, May 61
Philippians, before the end of. . . 62
Colossians 62
Philemon 62
Hebrews, spring of 63
Here closes the inspired account of the propagation of Christianity, of the organ- ization of the Christian church, and of the toils and persecutions of the apostle Paul. Who can but be deeply affected when he comes to the conclusion of this .nspired book of revivals, and of the history of the spread of the Christian religion, and of the account of that won- derful man — the apostle Paul? Who can help heaving the sigh of regret, that this interesting historian did not carry forward the history of Paul till his death, and that henceforward, in the history of the church, we want this faithful, in- spired guide ; and that, from the close of this book, every thing becomes at once eo involved in obscurity and uncertainty ? Instead, however, of pouring forth the eigh of unavailing regret that the sacred historian has carried us no farther on- ward, we should rather speak the lan- guage of praise that he has given, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, a his- tory of the church for thirty years after the ascension of the Saviour; that he has recorded the accounts of the first great revivals of religion ; that he has presented us the examples of the early missionary zeal ; that he has informed us how the early Christians endured perse- cution and toil ; that he has conducted us from land to land, and from city to city, showing us every where how the gospel was propagated, until we are led to the seat of the Roman power, and see the great apoatle of Christianity there proclaiming, in that mighty capita! <*> *<w \ world, the name of Jesus as tne feaviuui of men. Perhaps there could be no more appropriate close to the book of the inspired history, than thus to have conducted the apostle of tMb Gentiles, and to have recorded the spread of Chris- tianity, to the capital of the Roman world, and to leave the principal agent in the establishment of the Christian religion in that seat of intelligence, and influ- ence, and power. It is the conducting of Christianity to the very height of its earthly victories ; and having shown its power in the provinces of the empire, it was proper for the inspired author of this ecclesiastical history to close the account with the record of its achieveraenta in ti« capital.
CHAPTER XXVIll.
353
Why Luke closed his history here is not known. It may have been that he was not afterwards the companion of Paul ; or that he might have been him- self removed by death. It is agreed on all hands that he did not attend Paul in his subsequent travels ; and we shoi Id infer from the conclusion of this bock, that he did not survive the apostle, as it is almost incredible, if he did, that he did not mention his release and death It is the uniform account of antiquity, that Luke, after the transactions with which the Acts of the Apostles closes, passed over into Achaia, where he lived a year or two, and there died at the age of eighty-four years.
Every thing 'in regard to the apostle Paul, after the account with which Luke closes this book, is involved in doubt and uncertainty. By what means he was set at liberty is not known ; and there is a great contradiction of statements in re gard to his subsequent travels, and evpn the time of his death. It is generally agreed, indeed, that he was set at hber- ty in the year of our Lord 63. After this, some of the fathers assert, thai he travelled over Italy, and passed into Spain. But this account is involved in great uncertainty. Lardner, who haa examined all the statements with care, and than whom no one is better qualified to pronounce an opinion on these sub- jects, gives the following account of the subsequent life of Paul.- (Works, vol. v 331—336. Ed. Lond. 1829.) He suppose that after his release, he went from Rome to Jerusalem as soon as possible that he then went to Ephesus, and from thence to Laodicea and Colosse ; ind that he returned to Rome by Troas, -^ ni- lippi, and Corinth. The reason why he returned to Rome, Lardner supposes was, *i*f*i he regarded that city as opening ""e- lOre him the widest and most important field of labour; and that, therefore, he proposed there to spend the remainder of his life.
In the year of ourXord 64, a dreadful fire happened at Rome which continued for six or seven days. It was generally supposed that the city had been set on fire by order of the emperor Nero. In order to divert the attention of the peo- ple from this charge against himself, he accused the Christians of having been the authors of the conflagration, and ex cited against them a most furious and bloody persecution. In this persecution it is generally supposed that Paul and Peter suffered death ; the former by be- ing beheaded, and the latter bv crucifix
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lun. Patl IS supposed to have been bc- lieaded rather than crucilied, because he was a Honian citizen, and because it was unlawful to put a Roman citizen to death on a cross. Lardner thinks that this occurred in the year G5. Where 1 aul was beheaded is not certainly known It is generally supposed to have occurred ttt a place called ihe Salvian Waters, about three miles from Rome, and that he was buried in the Ostian Way, where a magnificent church was afterwards built. But of this there is no absolute certainty.
It is far more important and interesting for us to be assured, from the character which he evinced, and from the proofs of his zeal and toil in the cause of the Lord Jesus, that his spirit rested in the bosom of his Saviour and his God. W^herever he died, his spirit, we doubt not, is in heaven. And where that body rested at last, which he laboured " to keep under," and which he sought to bring " into subjection" (1 Cor. ix. 27), and which was to him so much the source of conilict, and of sin (Rem. vii. 5. 23), is a matter of little consequence. It will
be watched and guarded by the eye o* that Saviour whom he served, and wii be raised up to eternal life. In his owx inimitable language, it was sown in ccr. ruption ; it shall be raised in incorrup- tion ; it was sown in dishonour, it shall be raised in glory ; it was sown in weak ness, it shall be raised in power ; it was sown a natural body, it shall be raised a spiritual body. 1 Cor. xv. 42—44. AttJ in regard to him, and to ai ctier scinU, wnen that corruptible shall have put (WJ incorruption, and that morLil shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, dftath is swallowed up in victory. 1 Cor. xv. 54. To Paul now, what are all his sor- rows, and persecutions, and toils in the cause of his Master ? What but a source of thanksgiving that he was permitted thus to labour to spread the goepel through the world ? So may we live- imitating his life of zeal, and self-denial, and faithfulness, that when he riset from the dead we may participate w-jfe him in the glories of the ••esurrectioti cl the just.
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