Chapter XXIV (continued, part 10)
14. '2). They had sought to gain salvation for themselves; but those who had carried it farthest along the paths of natural development were now pervaded by the feeling that all had indeed been vanity. This feeling is the simple, pure result of all the history of heathendom. And Israel, going along the way which God had marked out for him, had likewise arrived at his end. At last he is in a condition to realize his original vocation, by becoming the guide who is to lead the Gentiles unto God, the only Author and Creator of man's redemption ; and St. Paul is in truth the very person in whom this vocation of Israel
to preserve the unity of the Jewish and Gentile converts.
6-12. They break new ground in Phrygia and CtALATIA— THEIR C0UR.SE IN THAT DIRECTION BEING MYSTERIOUSLY HEDGED UP, THEY TRAVEL, WESTWARD TO TROAS, where they ARE DIVINELY DIRECTED TO MACEDONIA—THE HISTORIAN HIMSELF HERE JOINING THE MISSIONARY PARTY, THEY EMBARK FOR NEAPOLIS, and REACH PHILIPPI. 6-8. NoW when they had gone throughout Piirygla and the region of Galatia^proceediu^ in a north-westerly direct
is now a present Divine reality, and to whom, by this mic-
L'jdia and her Uuusthold Baptized, ACTS XVI. A Spirit of Divination Expelled.
meeting, whose heart the Lord opened i. e., the Lord Jesus (see v. 15; and cf. Luke '2t. 45; Matthew II. 27). tliat she attended to the things spoken by Paul—'showing that the inclination of the heart towards the truth originates not in the will of man. The first disposition to tura to the Gospel is a work of grace.' IOlshausen.] Observe here the place assigned to 'giving attention' or 'heed' to the truth—that species of attention which consists in having the whole mind engrossed with it, and in apprehending and drinking it in, in its vital and saving character. And when . . . baptized . , , and Iier household—probably without much delaj-. The mention of baptism here for the first time in connection with the labours of Paul, while it was doubtless performed on all his former converts, indicates a special importance In this
tunial apparition of the Macedonian, the prpparedness of the heathen world to receive the ministry of Israel towards the Gentiles is confirmed.' [I5aum(}ARTEN.] This voice cries from heathendom still to Uie Christian Church, and never does the Church undertake the work of missions,
Tio)' any missionary go forth from it, in the rig)it spirit, save in obedience to this cry. and after Ue Iia<l sffi» vision, Immediately we endeavoured to go into Ma< edo>ila— The " WE," here first introduced, is a modest intimation that the historian himself had now joined the missionary party. (The modern objections to this are (luito frivolous.) Whether Paul s broken health had anything todo willi this arrangement for having "the beloved physician" with, him [WiES], can never be known with certainty; but tliat he would deem himself honoured in taking care of so precious a life, there can be no doubt. 11, 1^. tUcrefore loosing from Troas, we came (lit., 'ran') witli a straiglit conrse (i. c, 'ran before the wind') to Samothracia—a lofty island on the Tliraciau coast, north from Troas, with an inclination westward. The wind must have set in strong from the south or south-soutli-east to bring them there so soon, as the current is strong in the opposite direction, and they afterwards took five days to ^yhat they now did in two (ch. 20. 6). [Hows.] next day to Neapolis — on the I^acedonian, or rather Tliracian,
first European baptism. Here also is the first mention of a Christian household. Whether it included children, also in that case baptized, is not explicitly stated; but the presumption, as in other cases of household baptism,
is that it did. Yet the question of infant baptism must be determined on other grounds; and such incidental allusions form only part of the historical matwials for ascertaining the practice of the Church, she besought us, saying, If ye have jud.ged me to be faithful to the Iiord-the Lord Jesus; q. d., 'By the faith on Him which ye have recognized in me by baptism.' There is a beautiful modesty in the expression. And she constrained us —the word seems to imply that they were reluctant, but; were overborne. 16-18. as we went to prayer—The words imply that it was o>i their way to the usual place of
coast, about sixty-flve miles from .Samotliraeia, and ten from Philippi, of which it is the harbour. Plillippl . . .
tJie chief (rather, perhaps, ' the first') city of tl»at part of Macedonia—The meaning appears to be—the first city one comes to, proceeding from Neapolis. The sense given in our version hardly consists with fact, a colony i.e., possessing all the privileges of Roman citizenship, and, as such, both exempted from scourging and (in ordinary cases) from arrest, and entitled to appeal from the local magistrate to the emperor. Though tiie Pisidian Antioch and Troas were also "colonies," tlie fact is mentioned in this history of Philippi only on account of the frequent references to Roman privileges and duties in the sequel of the chapter.
public prayer, by the river side, that this took place; therefore not on the same day with what had just occurred, a damsel—'a female servant,' and in this case a slave (v. 19). possessed of a spirit of divination-or 'of Python,' i. e., a spirit supposed to be inspired by the Pythian Apollo, or of the same nature. The reality of this demoniacal possession is as undeniable as that of any in tiie Gospel history. These men ore servants of the most hlgli God, &c.—Glorious testimony! But see on Luke i. 41. tlils did she many days i. e., on many successive occasions when on their way to their usual place of meeting, or when engaged in religious services. Paul being grieved—for the poor victim ; grieved to see such power possessed by the enemy of man's salvation, and grieved to observe the malignant design with whicli
12-Si, At Philippi, Ltdia is gained and with her household baptized—an evil spirit is expelled, Paul and Silas are Scourged, imprisoned, and manacled, but miraculously set free, and the jailer with all his HOUSEHOLD CONVERTED AND BAPTIZED. 12, 13. we were In tliat city abiding certain days—waiting till the sabbath came round: tlieir whole stay must have extended to some weeks. As tlieir rule was to begin with the Jews and proselytes, they did nothing till the time when they knew that tliey would convene for worship, on tlie sabbatii-day—the first .after their arrival, as the words imply, we went out of tl»e city—rather, as the true reading is, 'outside of the (city) gate.' by a river-8ide—one of the small streams which gave name to tiie place ere the city was founded by Philip of Macedon. Wbere prayer was wont to be made—oi" a prayer-meeting held. It is plain there was no synagogue at Philippi (contrast ch. 17. 1), the number of the Jews being small. The meeting appears to have consisted wholly of women, and these not all Jewish. The neighbourhood of streams was preferred, on account of tlie ceremonial washings used on such occasions, we sat down and gpalie unto the women, <fcc.—a humble congregation, and simple manner of preacliing. But liere and thus were gathered tlie first fruits of A'/'mjie unto C/irist, and thvy were of the female sex, of whose accession and service.^ honourable mention will again and again be made. H, 15. Lydla—a common name among (lie (in'cks and Romans, a seller of pnrple, of the city of Thyatlru—on the confines of Lydia and Phrygia. The Lydians, particularly the Inhabitants of Thyatira, were celebrated for their dyeing, in which they inherited the reputation of the Tyrians. Inscriptions to this ell'ect, yet remaining, confirm the accuracy of our historian. This woman appears to have been in good circumstances, having an establishment at Philippi large enough to accommodate the missionary party {v. 1.')), and receiving lier goods from her native town, which worHlilpped <««d— i. <., was a proselyte to tlie Jewish faith, and as such present at this
tills high testimony was born to Christ. IS. wlieu her masters saw tliat tlie hope of their gabis was gone, they cauglit Paul and .Silas—as the leading persons and drew tiiem into the market-place (or Forum, where the courts were) to the magistrates, saying, Jcc.—We have here a full and independent confirmation of the reality of this supernatural cure, since on auj' other supposition sucli conduct would be senseless. tiO. Thtfse men, being Jews—objects of dislike, contempt, and suspicion by the Romans, and at this time of more than usual prejudice, do exceedingly trouble our city—See similar charges, ch. 17. 6; 21.5; 1 Kings 18.17. There is some colour of truth in all such accusations, in so far as the Gospel, and generally the fear of God, as a reigning principle of human action, is in a godless world a thoroughly re'-'>lutio)iary principle. How far external commotion ehange will in any case attend the triumph of this principle depends on the breadth and obstinacy of the resistance it meets with. ^1. And teach custom.4 which are not lawful for u.4 to receive, neither to observe, being Romans—Here also thei e was a measure of truth ; as the introduction of new gods was forlndden by the l::ws, and this might be thought to apply to any change of religion. But the whole charge was pure hypocrisy; for as these men would have let the mlssieuaries preach what religion they pleased if they hud :.ot dried up the source of their gains, so they conceal the real cause of their rage under colour of a zeal for religion, and la w. and good ordi>r: so ch. 17. G, 7; and 19. 25, 27. !J'3. the multitude rose up together against tlicm--6(.' ch.
19. 2.S, .'it; 21.;lU; Luke 2.'!. IS. the magistrates rent otT their (Paul's and Silas") clothes— (. e., ordered the lietors, or rod-bearers, to tear them ofi', so an lo expose tUeir
ACTS XVI.
Paid and Silas Scourged and Imprisoned.
The Conversion of their Jailer,
mind at that moment—anxiety to save a fellow-creature from sending himself into eternity, ignorant of the only way of life; and his presence of mind appears In the assurance which he so promptly gives to the desperate man, that his prisoners had none of them fled as he feared. But Jiow, it has been asked by recent skeptical critics, could Paul in his inner prison know what the jailer was about to do? In many conceivable ways, without supposing any supernatural communication. Thus, if the jailer slept at the door of " the inner prison," which suddenly flew open when the earthquake shook the foundations of the building; if, too, as may easily be conceived, he uttered some cry of despair on seeing the doors open ; and, if the clash of the steel, as the afliighted man drew it hastily from the scabbard, was audible but a few yards off, in the dead midnight stillness, increased by the awe inspired in the prisoners by the miracle what difficulty is there in supposing that Paul, perceiving in a moment how matters stood, after crying out, stepped hastily to him, uttering the noble entreaty here recorded? Not less flat is the question, why the other liberated prisoners did not make their escape :—as if there were the smallest ditllculty in understanding how, under the resistless conviction that there must be something supernatural in their instantaneous liberation without human hand, such wonder and awe should possess them as to take away for the time not only all desire of escape, but even all thought on the subject. 39, 30. then he called for a light, and sprang In . . , and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said —How graphic this rapid succession of minute details, evidently from the parties themselves, the prisoners and the jailer, who would talk over every feature of the scene once and again, in which the hand of the Lord had been so marvellously seen. Sirs, what must I do to be saved 1 —If this question should seem in advance of any light which the jailer could be supposed to possess, let it be considered (1) that the " trembling" which came over him could not have arisen from any fear for the safety of his prisoners, for they were all there ; and if it had, he would rather have proceeded to secure them again than leave them, to fall down before Paul and Silas. For the same reason it is plain that his trembling had nothing to do with any account he would have to render to the magistrates. Only one explanation of it can be given—that he had become all at once alarmed about his spiritual state, and that though, a moment before, he was ready to plunge into eternity with the guilt of self-murder on his head, without a thought of the sin he was committing and its awful consequences, his unfitness to appear before God, and his need of salvation, now flashed full upon his soul and drew from the depths of his spirit the cry here recorded. If still it be asked how it could take such definite shape, let it be considered (2) that the jailer could hardly be ignorant of the nature of the charges on which these men had been imprisoned, seeing they had been publicly whipped by order of the magistrates, which would fill the whole town with the facts of the case, including that strange cry of the demoniac from day to day — "These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation"—words proclaiming not only the Divine commission of the preachers, but the news of salvation they were sent to tell, the miraculous expulsion of the demon and the rage of her masters. All this, indeed, would go for nothing with such a man, until roused by the mighty earthquake which made the building to rock; then despair seizing him at the sight of the open doors, the sword of self-destruction was suddenly arrested by words from one of those prisoners such as he would never imagine could be spoken in their circumstanceswords evidencing something Divine about them. Then would flash across him the light of a new discovery:
nuked bodies (see on v. 37). The word expresses the roughness with which this was done to prisoners preparatory
to whipping, and commanded to beat tliem—without any trial (v. 37), to appease the popular rage. Thrice, it seems, Paul endured this indignity, 2 Corinthians 11.25. S3, iil. when they had laid many stripes upon them the bleeding wounds from which they were not washed
till it was done by the converted jailer {v. 33). charged the Jailer . . . who thrust them Into the inner prison —' pestilential cells, damp and cold, from which the light was excluded, and where the chains rusted on the prison-
ers. One such place may be seen to this day on the slope of the Capitol at Kome.' [Hows.] he made their feet fast in the stocks—an Instrument of torture as well as confinement, made of wood bound with Iron, with holes
for the feet, which were stretched more or less apart according to the severity Intended. (Origejt at a later period, besides having his neck thrust into an iron col-
lar, lay extended for many days with his feet apart In the rack.) Though jailers were proverbially unfeel-
ing, the manner in which the order was given In this case would seem to warrant all that was done. 85. Ami at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises
lit., ' praying, were singing praises:' i. e., while engaged In pouring out their hearts in prayer, had broken forth into singing, and were hymning loud their joy. As the word here employed is that used to denote the Paschal hymn sung by our Lord and His disciples after their last Passover (Matthew 26. 30), and which we know to have consisted of Psalm 113.-11S., which was chaunted at that
festival. It Is probable that it was portions of the Psalms, so rich in such matter, which our joyous sufferers chaunted forth; nor could any be more seasonable and Inspiring to them than those very six Psalms, which every devout Jew would no doubt have by heart. "He giveth songs in the night" (Job 33. 10). Though their Ijodies were still bleeding and tortured in the stocks, their
spirits, under 'the expulsive power of a new affection,' rose above suffering, and made the prison walls resound with their song. 'In these midnight hymns, by the Imprisoned witnesses for Jesus Christ, the whole might of Roman injustice and violence against the Church is not only set at naught, but converted into a foil to set forth more completely the majestj' and spiritual power of the Church, which as yet the world knew nothing of. And if the sufferings of these two witnesses of Christ are the beginning and the type of numberless martyrdoms which were to flow upon the Church from the same source, in like manner the unparalleled triumph of the Spirit over suffering was the beginning and the pledge of a spiritual power which we afterwards see shining forth so triumphantly and irresistibly in the many martyrs of Christ who were given up as a prey to the same imperial might of Rome.' [Neander in Baumqarten.] and the prisoners heard them—lit., ' were listening to them,'
«. e., when the astounding events immediately to be related took place; not asleep, but wide awake and rapt (no doubt) in wonder at what they heard. 26-^8. And suddenly there was a great carthqtialte—in answer, doubtless, to the prayers and expectaljons of the sufferers that, for the truth's sake and the honour of tlieir Lord, some interposition would take place, every one's bands
(i.e., tlie bands of all the prisoners) were loosed—not by Uie earthquake of course, but by a miraculous energy accompanying it. By this and the joyous strains which they had heard from the sufferers, not to speak of the change wrought on the jailer, these prisoners could hardly fail to have their hearts In some measure opened to the truth; and this part of the narrative seems the result of information afterwards communicated by one or more of these men. the keeper . . . awaking . . . drcAV his sword, and would have killed himself, &o.—knowing that his life was forfeited In that case (ch. 12. 19; and Ct 27. 42). But Paul cried with a loud voice—the better to arrest the deed—Do tliyself no harm, for we are all hero—What Divine calmness and self-possession ! No elation at their miraculous liberation, or haste to take advantage of It: but one thought flUed the apostle'.s
' That was a true cry which the Pythonessuttered, " These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation! That I now must know, and from them, as divinely sent to me, must I learn that "way of salvation!' ' Substantially, this is the cry of every awakened sinner, though the degree of light and
Paul and Silas Delivered from Prison. ACTS XVI I. Paul Preaches at TJiessaloniea.
verily (no, indeed); but let them come tliemsclve* and fetcli us out—by open and formal act, equlv-alent to a public declaration of their innocence. 38. tl>ey feared when tliey lieard tliey were Romans—their authority being thus imperilled; for they were liable to an action for what they had done. 39, 40. And tliey came (in person) and besouglit them—not to complain of them. What a contrast this suppliant attitude of the pra;tors of Philippi to the tyrannical air with whicli they had the day before treated the preachers! (.See Isaiah 60
the depths of anxiety It expresses will be different in each case. 31-34. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thoii Shalt he saved—The brevity, simplicity and directness of this reply are, in the circiTmslances, singularly beautiful. Ev.ough at that moment to have his faith directed simply to the Saviour, with the assurance that this would bring to his soul the needed and sought salvation —the how being a matter for after teaching. Thoiv shalt be saved, and thy house—See on Luke 19. 10. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord—unfolding now, doubtless, more fully what " the Lord Jesus Christ" was
14 ; Revelation 3. 9.) brought them out (' conducted them forth from the prison into the street, as insisted on') and desired ('requested') them to depart out of the cHy perhaps fearing again to excite the populace. And they went out of the prison—Having attained tlieir object to vindicate their civil rights, by the infraction of which in this case the Gospel in their persons had been illegally affronted—they had no mind to carry the m.itter farther. Their citizenship was valuable to them only as a shield against unnecessary injuries to their Master's cause. What a beautiful mixture of dignity and meekness is this! Nothing secular, which may be turned to the account of the Gospel, is morbidly disregarded ; in any other view, nothing of this nature is set store by:—an example this
to whom they had pointed his faith, and what the "salvation" was which this would bring him. and to all that were In his house—who from their own dwelling (under the same roof no doubt with the prison) had crowded round the apostles, aroused first by the earthquake. (From their addressing the Gospel message " to
all that were in the house" it is not necessary to infer that it contained no children, but merely that as it contained adults besides the jailer himself, so to all of these, as alone of course fit to be addressed, they preached the word.) And he took them—the word implies change of place — the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes—in the well or fountain which was within or near the precincts of the prison. [Hows.] The mention of " tlie same hour of the night" seems to imply that they had to go forth into the open air, which, unseasonable as the hour was, they did. These bleeding wounds had never been thought of by the indiflferent jailer. But now, when his whole heart was opened to his spiritual benefactors, he cannot rest until he has done all in his power for their bodily relief, and was baptized, he and all his, Btraightway — probably at the same fountain, since it took place " straightway ;" the one washing on his part being immediately succeeded by theotheron theirs. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them and rejoiced, believing (i.e., as the expression implies, ' rejoiced because he had believed') in God as a converted heathen, for the faith of a, Jew would not be BO expressed. [Alford.J with all his house—the wondrous cliange on himself and the whole house filling his soul with joy. 'This is the second house which, in the Roman city of Philippi, has been consecrated by faith in Je-
for all ages, and entered into the house of Lydia—as
if to show by this leisurely proceeding that they had not been made to leave, but were at full liberty to consult their own convenience, and when they had seen tlie brethren—not onlj' her family and the Jailers, but probably others now gained to the Gospel, they comforted them—rather, perhaps, 'exhorted' them, which would include comfort. 'This assembly of believers in the house
of Lydia was the first Cliurch that had been foaiided in Europe.' [Baumqarten.] and departed—but not all
for two of the company remained beliind (see on ch. 17,
14): 7\motheus, of whom the Philippians "learned the proof" that he honestly cared for their state, and was
trulj' like-minded with St. Paul, "serving with him in the Gospel as a son with his father" (Philemon 2. 19-23); and Luke, "whose praise Is in the Gcspel," though lie never praises himself or relates his own labours, and though we only trace his movements In connection with
St. Paul, by the change of a pronoun, or the unconscious variation of his style. In ch. 17. the narrative is again in the third person, and the pronoun Is not changed to the second till we come to ch. 20. 5. The modesty with which
sus, and of which the inmates, by hospitable entertainment of the Gospel witnesses, have been sanctified to a new beginning of domestic life, pleasing and acceptable to God. The first result came to p.ass in consequence simply of the preaching of the Gospel ; the second was the fruit of a testimony sealed and ennobled by suffering.' [BaumgarTEN.] 35, 3G. when it wn» day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying. Let those men go—The cause of this change can only be conjectured. When the corainotlon ceased, reflection would soon convince them of the injustice they had done, even supposing the prisoners had been entitled to no special privileges; and if rumour reached them that the prisoners were somehow under supernatural protection, they might be the more awed into a desire to get rid of them, the keeper (overJoyed to have such orders to execute) told this ... to Paul . . . now therefore . . . go in peace—Very differently did Paul receive such orders. 37. Paul said unto tltem—to the sergeants who had entered the prison along with the jailer, that they might be able to report that the men had departed. They have beaten us openly—The /)u6/iciii/ of the injury done them, exposing their naked and bleeding bodies to the rude populace, was evidently the most stinging feature of It to the apos-
St. Luke leaves out all mention of his own labours need hardly be pointed out. We shall trace him again when he rejoins .St. Paul in the same neighbourhood. His vocation as a physician may have brought him into connection with these contiguous coasts of Asia and Europe, and he may (as Mr. Smith suggests, "Shipwreck,'' &c.) have been in the habit of exercising his professional skill as a surgeon at sea. [Hows.]
Ver. 1-15. At Thessalonica the Success of Paul's Pkkacking Endangehino his Life, he is Despatched HY Night to Bekea, where his Message meets with Enmghtened Acceptance — a Hostile Movement FROM THESSALONICA OCCASIONS HIS S^'DUEN DEPARTURE FROM Berea—He Arrives a'^ Aihens. 1. when tl>ey liatl passed tlirough Amphlpolls— thirty-three miles south-west of Philippi, on the river Strymon, and at the head of the gulf ol that name, on the northern coast of the .lEgean Sea. and Apollonla—about thirty miles south-westof Amphlpolls ; but the exact site Is not known, they came to Thcssalonlca—about thirty-seven miles due west from Apollonla, at the head of the Thermaic (or Tliessalonlan) Gulf, at the north-western extremity of the ^Kgean Sea; the principal and most populous city In Macedonia. 'We see at once how appropriate a place It was for one of the starting-points of the Gospel
tle's delicate feeling, and to this accordingly he alludes to the Thessalonlans, probably a year after: " Even after we had suffered before, and w(Te shamefully entreated (or ' In-
Bulled') as ye know at PhlUppi" (I Thes.'^alonians 2.2). uncoudemued (unconvicted on trial), l»eing Iloinans
(Bee on ch. 22. 28), and cast us Into prison—boMi Uli.'gal. Of Silas' citizenship. If meant to be Included, we know
nothing, and now do they tlirust (' hurry') ns out (see Mark 9. 38, GrccA;) privily 1—Mark the Intended contrast between the public insult they had inllU tcd and the
In Europe, and can appreciate the force of what Paul
to the Thessalonlans within a fi'W months of his depar-
ture from llu'in: "FroTn yon, the woril of the Lord sounded forth like u trumpet, not only lu Macedonia and
pf-ivule way In which they ordered them to be olf. nay 200
Paul Freaches at Berea. ACTS XVII. He Arrives at Athens,
no faith but such as results from personal conviction ought to be demanded, or u of any avail, of lionourable women which were Greeks, and of men (which were Greeks) not a few-'The upper classes in these Kuropean-Greek and Romanized towns were probably better educated than those of Asia Minor.' [Webstek and Wilkinson.] tite Jews of Thessalonica . , . came tliitlier also— ' like hunters upon their prey, as they had done before from Iconium to Lystra.' [Hows.] 13, 14. immediately the brethren—the converts gathered at Berea. sent away Paul—as before from Jerusalem (ch. 9, 30), and from Thessalonica (u. 10). How long he stayed at Berea we know not; but as we know that he longed and expected soon to return to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2. 17), It is probable he remained some weeks at least, and only abandoned his intention of revisiting Thessalonica at that time when the virulence of his enemies there, stimulated by his success at Berea, brought them down thither to counterwork him. to go as it were to the sea —rather, perhaps, ' in the direction of the sea.' Probably he delayed fixing his next destination till he should reach the coast, and the providence of God should guide him to a vessel bound for the destined spot. Accordingly, it was only on arriving at Athens, that the convoy of Berean brethren, who had gone thus far with him, were sent back to bid Silas and Timothy follow him thither. Silaa and Tlmotheus abode there still—'to build It up in Its holy faith, to be a comfort and support in its trials and persecutions, and to give it such organization as might be necess.ary.' [Hows.] Connecting this with the apostle's leaving Timothy and Luke at Philippi on his own departure (see on ch. 16. 40), we may conclude that this was his fixed plan for cherishing the first beginnings of the Gospel in European localities, and organizing the converts. Tlmotheus must have soon followed the apostle to Thessalonica, the bearer, probably, of one of the Pliilippian "contributions to hfs necessity" (Philippiiins 4. 1.5, 16), and from thence he would with Silas accompany hi:ii to Berea. 15. Silas and Tlmotheus to come to him with all speed—He probably wished their company and aid in addressing himself to so new and great a sphere as Athens. Accordingly it is added that he "waited for them" there, as if unwilling to do anything till they came. That they did come, there Is no good reason to doubt (as some excellent critics do). For though Paul himself says to the Thessalonians that he " thought it good to be left at Athens alone" (1 Thessalonians 3. 1), he immediately adds that he "sent Tlmotheus to establish and comfort them" (v. 2); meaning, surely, that he despatched him from Athens back to Thessalonica. He had Indeed sent for him to Athens; but, probably, when it appeared that little fruit was to be reaped there, while Tliessalonlca was In too Interesting a state to be lelt uncherIshed, he seems to have thought It better to send him back again. (The other explanations which have been suggested seem less satisfactory.) Tlmotheus rejoined the apostle at Corinth (ch. 18. 5).
Achala, but In every place" (1 Tliessalonlans 1. 8). [Hows.] where was a synagogue of the Jews—implying that
(as at Philippl) there was none at Amphipolis and Ap-
ollonia. 2-4. Paul, as his manner was — always to begin with the Jews, went In unto them—In writing
to the converts but a few months after this, he reminds them of the courage and superiority to Indignity, for the Gospel's sake, which this required after the shameful treatment he had so lately experienced at Philippi (1 Thessalonians 2. 2). opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered, &c.—His preacliing, it seems, was chiefly expository, and designed to establish from the Old Testament Scriptures (I.) that the predicted MesBiah was to be a suffering and dying, and therefore a rising Messiah ; (2.) that this Messiah was none other than Jesus of Nazareth, consorted ('cast in their lot') with Paul and Silas—Cf. 2 Corinthians 8. 5. of the chief women—female proselytes of distinction. From the First Epistle to the Thessalonians it appears that the converts were nearly all Gentiles ; not only such as had before been proselytes, who would be gained in the synagogue, but such as up to that time had been Idolaters (1 Thessalonians 1. 9, 10). During his stay, while Paul supported himself by his own labour (1 Thessalonians 2. 9; 2 Thessalonians 3. 7-9), he received supplies once and again from the Phillppians, of which he makes honourable acknowledgment (Philippians 4. 15, 16). 5-9. the Jews . . . moved with envy—seeing their Influence undermined by this stranger, lewd fellows of the baser sort—better, perhaps, 'worthless market-people,' i.e., idle loungers about the market-place, of indifferent character, having gathered a company—rather, 'having raised a mob'— assaulted the house of Jason—with whom Paul and Silas abode (v. 7),-one of Paul's kinsmen, apparently (Romans
16. 21), and from his name, which was sometimes used as a (3rreek form of the word JbsAtta [Grotius], probably a Hellenistic Jew. sought to bring them (Jason's lodgers) out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers— 'the politarchs;' the very name given to the magistrates of Thessalonica in an inscription on a still remaining arch of the city—so minute is the accuracy of this history — crying, These that have turned the world upside down—See on ch. 16. 20. all do contrary to the decrees of Csesar, &c.—meaning, probably, nothing but what is specified In the next words, saying . . . there is another king, one Jesus. See or^ John 19. 12. having taken security of Jason and of the other ('the others')—probably making them deposit a money-
.pledge that the preachers should not again endanger the
public peace. 10-lSJ. the brethren immediately sent away PaiJ and Silas by night—for it would have been as useless as ra.sh to attempt any further preaching at that time, and the conviction of this probably made bis friends the more willing to pledge themselves against any present continuance of missionary effort, to Berea—fifty
€>r sixty miles south-west of Thessalonica; a town even
16-34. Paul, at Athens. 16, IT. wholly given to Idolatry—'covered with Idols;' meaning the city, not the Inhabitants. Petkonius, a contemporary writer at Nero's court, says satirically that It was easier to find a god at Athens than a man. This "stirred the spirit" of the apostle. 'The first impression which the masterpieces of man's taste for art left on the mind of St. Paul was a revolting one, since all this majesty and beauty had placed itself between man and his Creator, and bound him the faster to his gods, who were not God. Upon the
still of considerable population and Importance. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica—The comparison Is between the Jews of the two places; for the triumphs of the Gospel at Thessalonica were mostly among the Gentiles. See on v. 2-4, in that they received tike word with all readiness of mind-heard it not only without prejudice, but with eager Interest, " in an honest and good heart" (Luke 8. 17), with sincere desire to be taught aright (see John 7.17). Mark the "nobility" ascribed to this state of mind, searched the Scriptures
dJklly whether these things were so—whether the Christian interpretation which the apostle put upon the Old Testament .Scriptures was the true one. Therefore many of them believed—convinced that Jesus of Nazareth whom Paul preached was Indeed the great Promise and Burden of the Old Testament. From this It Is undeniable (I.) that the people, no lem than the ministers of the Church, are entitled and b<mnd to search the Scriptures : (2.) that they are entitled and bound to judge, on their own retponsiinlUy, whether the teaching they receive from ttie minis-
first contact, therefore, which the Spirit of Christ came into with the subllmest creations of human art, the Judgment of the Holy Ghost—through whlcli they have
all to pass—is set up as " the strait gate," and this must remain the correct standard for ever.' [Baumgarten.j therefore disputed (or 'discussed') he in the synagogue with the Jews. The sense is not, 'Therefore went he to the Jews,' because the Gentile Athenians were steeped Id idolatry; but, 'Therefore set he himself to lift up hia voice to the idol-city, but, as his manner was, he began
with the Jews.' and with the devout persons—Gentile
leri f4 the Church is according to the word of God ; (3.) that
Paul Preachelh to the Atheniant ACTS XVII. of the lAvmg God, to them Unknown.
ment" of Him after whom they were groping; not giving Him any name, however, nor even naming the Saviour Himself, but unfolding the true character of both as tliey were able to receive it. 34, 35. God that made the world and all therein-The most profound philosophers of Greece were unable to conceive any real distinctlou between God and the universe. Thick darkness, therefore, behooved to rest on all their religious conceptions. To dissipate this, tlie apostle sets out witli a sharp statement of the fact of creation as the central principle of all true religion—not less needed now, against the transcendental idealism of our day. seeing he is Lord (or Sover* eign) of hea-ven and earth—holding in free and absolute subjection all the works of His hands ; presiding in august royalty over them, as well as pervading them all as the principle of their being. How difTerent this from the blind Force or Fate to which all creatures were regarded as in bondage! dwelleth not in temples made with hands—This tliought. so familiar to Jewlsli ears (1 Kings
proselytefe. After that, in the mnrlcet (the Aoura. or place of public concourse) daily Avitli them (lint met wl«U him—or 'came in his way.' 18-21. certain of tlie Si>icnreans—a well-known school ot alhei.iHc matcrialisls, who taught that pleasure was the chief end of liuman existence; a principle which the more rational interpreted in a refined sense, while the sensual explained it in its coarser meaning, and of tlie Stoics—a celebrated school of severe and lofty panllieists, whose principle was that tlie universe was under the law of an iron necessity, thespirit of which was what is called the Deity: and that a passionless coiiiformity of the human will to this law, unmoved by all external circumstances and ciianges, is tlie perfection of virtue. While therefore the Stoical was in itself superior to the Epicurean system, botli wei-e alike
nostile to the Gospel. 'The two enemies it has ever had to contend with are the two ruling principles of tlie Epicureans and Stoics Pleastcre and Pride.' [Hows.] AVhat will this babbler say T The word, which means 'a pickerup of seeds,' bird-like, is applied to a gatherer and retailer of scraps of knowledge, a prater; a general term of contemptforany pretended teaelier. asettcr-forthofstrajige gods—'demons,' but in tlie Greek (not Jewish) sense of
8. 27 ; Isaiah 66. 1, 2; ch. 7. 48), and so elementary to Christians, would serve only more sharply to define to his heathen audience the spirituality of that living, personal God, whom he " announced"' to them. Neither is worshipped with ('ministered unto,' 'served by') men's hands, as tliough he needed anytlting—No less familiar as this thought also is to us, even from the earliest times of the Old Testament (Job 35. 6, 8; Psalm 16. 2, 3; 50. 12-H; Isaiah 40. 1-1-18), it would pour a Hood of light upon any candid heathen mind that heard it. seeing he (' he himself) giveth to all life, and breath, and all things—The Giver of all cannot surely be dependent for augiit upon the receivers of all (1 Chronicles 29. 14). This is the culminating point of a pure Theism. 36, 27. and hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all (he face of the earth—Holding with the Old Testament teaching, that in the blood is the life (Genesis 9. 4; Leviticus 17. 11; Deuteronomy 12. 23), the apostle sees this lifestream of the whole human race to be one, flowing from one source. [Baumgarten.] and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of tlieir habitatlon—The apostle here opposes both Stoical Fate and Epicurean Cliance, ascribing the periods and localities In which men and nations flourisii to the sovereign will and prearrangementsof a living God. that they should seek the Lord—That is tlie higli end of all these arrangements of Divine Power, Wisdoni, and Love, if haply (hey might feel af(er him (as men groping their way in the dark) and end him—a lively picture of the murlcy atmosphere of Natural Religion—though he be not far from every one of us—The difficulty of finding God outside the pale of revealed religion lies not in His distance from us, but In our distance from Him through the blinding effect of sin. 38. For in him we live, and move, and have our being (or, more briefly, 'exist') — This means, not merely, ' Witliout Him we have no life, nor that ^notion wliicli every inanimate nature displays, nor even existence itself [Meyer], but that God is the living, Immanent Principle of all these in men. as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring—the flrst half of the fifth line, word for word, of an astronomical poem of Aratus, a Greek countryniaa of the apostle, and his predecessor by about three centu-
'objects of worship.' because lie preached Jesus and the resurrection—Not as if they thought he made these to Ije two divinities: the strange gods were Jehovah and the Risen Saviour, ordained to judge the world, they took him, and brought him to Areopagus—'the hill where tlie most awful court ofjudicature had sat from time immemo-
rial to pass sentence on the greatest criminals, and to decide on the most solemn questions connected with religion. No place in Athens was so suitable for a discourse on tlie mysteries of religion.' [Hows.] The apostle, however, was not here on his trial, but to expound more fully wliat he had thrown out in brolcen conversations in tiie Agora, all the Athenians . , . spent their time in nothing else but to tell or hear some new thing^ lit., ' newer thing,' as if what was new becoming presently stale, they craved something still more new. [Bengel.] This lively description of the Athenian character is abundantly attested by their own writers. 33. Then Paul stood . . . and said— more graphically, 'standing in the midst of Mars' hill, said.' This prefatory allusion to the position he occupied shows the writer's wisii to bring the situation vividly before us. [Baumgarten.] I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious—rather (with most modern interpreters and the ancient Greek ones), 'in all respects extremely reverential' or ' much given to religious worship,' a conciliatory and commendatory introduction, founded on his own observation of the symbols of devotion witli whicli their city was covered, and from which all Greek writers, as well as the apostle, inferred the exemplary religiousness of tlie Athenians. (Tlie autliorized translation would imply tliat only too m«c/i superstition was wrong, and represents the apostle as repelling his hearers in the very tirst sentence; whereas the whole discourse is studiously courteous.) 33. as I passed by and beheld your devotions—rather, 'the objects of your devotion,' referring. as is plain from tlie next words, to their works of art consecrated to religion. 1 found an altar
. . . To the (or 'an') unknown god—erected, probably, to commemorate some Divine interposition, which they were unable to ascribe to any known deity. That there were such altars, Greek writers attest; and on this the apostle skillfully fastens at the outset, as the text of liis discourse, taking it as evidence of that dimness of religious conception which, ill virtue of his better light, he was prepared to dissipate, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship —ratlier, 'Whom, therefore, knowing liim not, ye wor-
ries. lUit, as he hints, the same sentiment is to be found In other Greek poets. They meant it doubtless In ixpatX'
thetstic sense; but the trutli whicli it expresses the apostle turns to his own purpose—to teach a pure, personal, spiritual Theism. (Probably during his quiet retreat at Tarsus, ch. 9. 30, revolving his special vocation to the Gen-
tiles, he gave himself to the study of so much Greek literature as might be turned to Christian account in his future work. Hence this and his other quotations from
sliip,' alluding to "The Unknown God." him declare ('announce') I unto yon— This is like none of /lis previous discourses, save that to the idolaters of Lycaonia (ch. 14. 15-17). His subject is not, as in tlio synagogues, the Messiahshlp of Jesus, but THE Living God, in opposition to tlie materialistic and pantheistic polytheism of Greece, wlilcli subverted all true religion. Nor does he come with speculation on tins profound HUl>ject—of which they liad had enough from others—but an authoritative "unuounce202
tlie Greek poets, 1 Corintlilans 15. 33; Titus 1. 12.) 39. FornHinuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not (o think— The courtesy of this language isworthy of notice—that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device—('graven by the art or device of man'). One can hardly doubt that the apostle would here point to those matchless mouor
Some Athenians Mock, others Believe. ACTS XVIII. Paul Preacheih and Labours at Corinth.
thians, remain to attest tlie flourishing state of those churches. But we jpossess no letter written by St. Ptal to the Athenians ; and we do not read that he was ev-er lu Athens again.' [Hows.]
ment« of the plastic art, in gold and silver and costliest
stone, which lay so profusely beneath and around him. The more Intelligent Pagan Greeks no more pretended
that these sculptured gods and goddesses were real
deities, or even their actual likenesses, than Romanist
Christians do their images; and Paul doubtless knew
this; yet here we find him condemning all such efforts
visibly to represent the invisible God. How shamefully Inexcusable then are the Greek and Roman churches in paganizing the worship of the Christian Church by the encouragement of pictures and images in religious ser-
Ver. 1-22. Paul's arrival and labours at Corinth, WHERE HE IS REJOINED BY SiLAS AND TlMOTHY, AND, UNDER Divine encouragement, makes a long stay— AT LENGTH, RETRACING HIS STEPS, BY EPHESUS, C^SAREA, AND Jerusalem, he returns for the last time to AnTIOCH, THUS completing HIS SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY. 1-4. came to Corinth—rebuilt by Julius Csesar on the isthmus between the JEgeau and Ionian Seas ; the capi-
vice ! (In the eighth century, the second council of Nicea decreed that the image of God was as proper an object of worship as God himself.) 30. the times of tltls Ignorance God winked at—Ul. (and far better), ' overlooked,'
tal of the Roman province of Achaia, and the residence of the proconsul; a large and populous mercantile city, and the centre of commerce alike for East and West; having aconsiderable Jewish population, larger, probably,
i. e., bore with, without interposing to punish it, other-
;pise than suffering the debasing tendency of such worship to develop Itself (cf. ch. 14. 16, and see on Romans
1.24, &c.). but now—that a new light was risen upon the world, commandeth q. d., 'That duty—all along lying upon man estranged from his Creator, but hitlierto only silently recommending itself and little felt—is now pereniptory.' all men every where to repent—(cf. Colossiaus 1. 6, 23; Titus 1. 11)—a tacit allusion to the narrow precincts of favoured Judaism, within which immediate and entire repentance was ever urged. The word "repentance" is here used (as in Luke 13.3,5; 15. 10) in its most comprehensive sense of "repentance unto life." 31. Becanse lie hatli appointed a day In the which he will
at this time than usual, owing to the banishment of the Jews from Rome by Claudius Csesar (v. 2). Such a city was a noble field for the Gospel, which, once established there, would naturally diffuse itself far and wide, a Jew . . . Aqulla . . . with his wife PrisclUa—From these Latin names one would conclude that they had resided so long in Rome as to sink their Jewish family names, bom In Pontus—the most easterly province of Asia Minor, stretching along the southern shore of the Black Sea. From this province there were Jews at Jerusalem on the great Pentecost (ch. 2. 9), and the Christians of it are included among " the strangers of the dispersion," to whom Peter addressed his first Epistle (1 Peter 1. 1). Whether this couple were converted before Paul made their acquaintance, commentators are much divided. Tliey may have brought their Christianity with them from Rome [Olshausen], or Paul may have been drawn
judge the world—Sucli language beyond doubt teaches that the judgment will, in its essence, be a solemn judicial assize held upon all mankind at once. "Aptly is this uttered on the Areopagus, the seat of judgment.' [Bengel.] by that man whom he hath ordained—cf. Jolm 5. 22,
23, 27 ; ch. 10. 42. whereof he hatli given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead—tne most patent evidence to mankind at large of the judicial authority with which the Risen One is clothed. 33-34:. when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked—As the Greek religion was but the glorification of the present life, by the worship of all its most beauteous forms, the Resurrection, which presupposes the vanity of tlie present life, and is nothing but life out of the death ofall that sin has blighted, could have no charm for the true Greek. It gave the deathblow to his fundamental and most cherished ideas ; nor until these were seen to be false and fatal could the Resurrection, and the Gospel of which
to them merely by lilie occupation, and, lodging with them, have been the Instrument of their conversion. [Meyer.] Tliey appear to have been in good circumstances, and after travelling much, to have eventually settled at Ephe-
sus. The Christian friendship now first formed continued warm and unbroken, and the highest testimony is once and again borne to them by the apostle. Claudius, &c.—This edict is almost certainly that mentioned by Suetonius, in his life of this emperor (ch. 25). tcntmakers— manufacturers, probably, of those hair-cloth tents supplied by the goats of the apostle's native prov»-
it was a primary doctrine, seem otherwise than ridiculous. So Paul departed—Whether he would have opened, to any extent, the Gospel scheme in this address, if he had not been interrupted, or whether he reserved tliis for exposition afterwards to earnest inquirer.s, we cannot tell. Only the speech is not to be judged of as quite complete, others said, We will hear thee again of this—'an iO'<t compliment to Paul and an opiate to their consciences, such as we often meet with in our own day. Tliey proba-
ince, and hence, as sold in the markets of the Levant, called cilicium. Every Jewisli youth, whatever the pecu+ niary circumstances of his parents, was taught some trade (see on Luke 2. 42), and Paul made it a point of con^ science to work at that which he had probably been bie<l
to, partly that he might not be burdensome to the churches, and partly that his motives as a minister ol Christ might not be liable to misconstruction. To both these he makes frequent reference in his Epistles, the Greeks—t. e.. Gentile proselytes ; for to the heathen, aH usual, he only turned wlien rejected by the Jews {v. 6). 5, 6. And when Silas and Tlmotheus were come from Macedonia i. e., from Thessalonica, whither Silas had probably accompanied Timothy when sent back from Athens (see on ch. 17. 15). Paul was pressed In the spiritrather (according to what is certainly the true reading)
bly, like Felix, feared to hear more, lest they should be constrained to believe unwelcome truths; ch. 24. 25; and
cf. Matthew 13. 15.' [Webster and Wilkinson.] Howbeit certain men clave unto him—instead of mocking or politely waiving the subject, having listened eagerly, they joined themselves to the apostle for furtlier instruction; and so they "believed." Dlonyslus the Areopa-
jgtte—a member of that august tribunal. Ancient tradition says he was placed by the apostle over the little flock at Athens. 'Certainly the number of converts there and of men fit for office In the Church was not so great that there could be much choice.' [Olshausen.] a woman named Damarls—not certainly one of tlie apos-
' was pressed with the word ;' expressing not only his zeal and assiduity In preaching it, but some inward pressure which at this time he experienced in the work (to convey which more clearly was probably the origin of the common reading). What that pressure was we happen to know, with singular minuteness and vividness of description, from the apostle himself. In his first Epistles to tlie Corinthians and Thessalonians (1 Corinthians 2. 1-5; IThessalonians 3. 1-10). He had come away from Athens, as he remained there, in a depressed and anxioos state of mind, having there met, for the first time, wityli unwilling Gontileears. Hecontinued, apparently foivsoiiie time, labouring alone in the synagogue of Corinth, full of deep and anxious solicitude for his Thessalonran converts. His early ministry at Corinth was colovinad. by these feelings,
tle's audience on the Areopagus, but won to the faith
eltt.ar before or after. Nothing else is known of her. Of any furtl)er labours of the apostle at Athens, and how long he stayed, we are not Informed. Certainly he was not driven away. But 'it Is a serious and instructive fact that the mercantile populations of Thessalonica and Ooriuth received the message of God witli greater readiness than the highly educated and polished Athenians. Two letters to the Thessaloniaus, and two to the Corln-
Paid Enc(Araged in a Vision. ACTS XVIII. He Strengthenclh the Diaeiptet.
him Priscilla and Aqnlla—In this order the names occur in V. 26 (according to the true reading); Romans 16. 3: 2 Timothy 4. 19; which seems to iniplj' that the wife Wa8 the more prominent and helpful totlie Church. .Silas and Timotheus doubtless accompanied the apo.stle, as also Erastus, Gaius, and Arlstarchus (ch. 19.22,29). Of Silas, as Paul's associate, we read no more. His name occurs last in connection with St. Peter and the churches of Asia Minor. [Webstek and Wilkinson.] having eliorn hu head In Cenchrea—the eastern harbour of Corinth, about ten miles distant, where a Church had been formed, Romans l(i. 1. for he (Paul) had a vow—That it was the Nazaritc vow (Numbers 6.) is not likely. It was probably one made in one of his seasons of difficulty or danger, in prosecution of which he cuts off' his hair and hastens to Jerusalem to ofTer the requisite sacrifice within the prescribed thirty days (Josephus, Jeivish War, 2. 15. 1). This explains the haste with which he leaves Ephesus (v. 21), and the subsequent observance, on the recommendation of the brethren, of a similar vow (ch. 21. 24). This one at Corinth was voluntary, and shows that even in heathen countries he sj'stematically studied the prejudices of his Jewish brethren. 19. he came to Ephesus—the capital of the Roman province of Asia. (See Introduction to Epis-
Self-deeply abased, his power as a preacher was more than ever felt to lie in (.lenionstrution of the. Spirit. At li iit;lh Silas and Timotheus arrived with exhilarating tidings of the faith and love of his Thcssalonian children, and of their earnest longing again to see their father in Clirist; bringing with them also, in token of their love and duty, a pecuniary contribution for the supply of his wants. This seems to liave so lifted him as to put new life and vigour into his ministry. He now un-ote his Fii{ST Episti^e TO THE Thessalonians, in which the "pressure" which resulted from all this strikingly appears. (See Introduction to First Thessalonians.) Such emotions are known only to the ministers of Christ, and, even of them, only
to such as "travail in birth until Christ be formed in" their hearers. Your blood be upon your own Uead«, &c. —See Ezekiel 33. 4, 9. from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles— Cf. eh. 13.46. 7,8. he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's liouse, named Justus— not changing his lodging, as if Aquila and Priscilla up to this time were witli the opponents of the apostle [Alford], but merely ceasing any more to testify in the synagogue, and henceforth carrying on his labours in tliis house of Justus, which "joining liard to the synagogue," would be easily accessible to such of its worshippers as were still open to light. Justus, too, being proliably a proselyte, would more easily draw a mixed audience than the synagogue. From this time forth conversions rapidly increased. Crlspus, the chief ruler of the Kyungogue, believed on the liord with all his house—an event felt
tle to Ephesians.) It was a sail, right across from the west to the east side of the .^gean Sea, of some eight or ten days, with a fair wind, left them (Aquila and Pris-
cilla) there, but he himselfentered Into the synagogue merely taking advantage of the vessel putting in there, and reasoned with the Jews—the tense hei e not being the usual one denoting continuous action (as in ch. 17. 2;
to be so important that the apostle deviated from his usual practice (1 Corinthians 1. 14-10) and baptized him, as well as Caius (Gains) and the household of Stephanas, with his own hand. [Hows.] many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized— the beginning of the Church gathered there. 9-11. Then spake the Lord to Paul . . . by a vision. Be not afraid . . . no man shall et on thee to hurt thee, &c.—From tliis it would seem that these signal successes were stirring up the wrath of the unbelieving .Jews, and probably the apostle feared being driven by violence, as before, from this scene of such promising labour. He is reassured, however, from above. I have much people In this city—
IS. 4), but that expressing a transient act. He had been forbidden to preach the word in Asia (ch. 16. 6),- but he would not consider that as precluding this passing exercise of his ministry when Providence brought him to its capital; nor did it follow that the prohibition was still in force. 30. when they desired him to tarry—The Jews seldom rose against the Gospel till the successful preaching of It stirred them up, and there was no time for that here. 21. 1 must . . . keep this feast—probably Pentecost, pre.senting a noble opportunity of preaching the Gospel, but I will return—the fulfilment of which promise is recorded ch. 19. 1. And when he had landed at Ctirsarea—where he left the vessel. 23. and gone up (i.e., to Jerusalem) and saluted the Church—In these few words does the historian despatch the apostle's fourth visit to Jerusalem after his conversion. The expi-ession " going wp"
' whom in virtue of their election to eternal lile he already designates as His ' (cf. cb. 13. 48). [Baumgarten.] continued there a year and six months—the whole period of this stay at Corinth, and not merely up to what is next recorded. During some part of this period heivrote his Second Epistle TO THE Thessalonians. (See Introduction toSecond Thessalonians.) 12-17. when Galllo was the deputy— ' the proconsul.' See on ch. 13. 7. He was brotlier to the celebrated philosopher Seneca, the tutor of Nero, who passed sentence of death on both, contrary to the (Jewish) law —probably in not requiring the Gentiles to be circumcised. If It were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness—any offence punishable by the magistrate. If It be a question of words and names, and of your law . . , I will be no Judge, &c.— in this only laying down the proper limits of his office, dravc tliem, &c.—annoyed at such a case, all the Greeks—the Gentile spectators, took Sosthenes—perhaps the successor of Crlspus, and certainly tlie head of the accusing party. It is very improbable that this was the same Sosthenes as the apostle afterwards calls "his brother," 1 Corinthians 1. 1. and be.at him before the Judgment-seat—under the very eye of the judge. And Galllocnred for none of those things —nothing loth, perhaps, to see these turbulent Jews, lor whom probably he felt contempt, tlieinselves getting what they hoped to Inflict on another, and Indllferent to whatever was beyond the range of his office and case. HIn brother eulogizes his loving and lovable manners. Religious Indifference, under the influence of an easy and amiable temper, reappears from age to age. 18. Paul
is invariably used of a journey to the metropolis; and thence he naturally "went dotun to Antioch." Perhaps the vessel reached too late for the feast, as he seems to have done nothing in Jerusalem beyond "saluting the Church," and privately offering the sacrifice with which his vow (V. 18) would conclude. It Is left to be understood, as on his arrival from his first missionary tour, that " when he was come, and had gathered the Church together, he rehearsed all that God had done with him "
(cb. 14. 27) on this his second missionary journey.
23. Ch. 21. 16. Paul's Third and Last Missionary Journey—He visits the churches of Galatia and PhryGIA. and after he liad spent some time there but probably not long, he departed—little thinking, probabl.v, he was never more to return to Antioch. went over all . . . Galatia anil Plirygia In order— visiting the several churches in succession. See on ch. 16. 6. Gala-
tia is mentioned first here, as lie would come to it first from Antioch. It was on this visitation that he ordained the weekly collection, 1 Corinthians 16.1,2, which has been since adopted generally, and converted Into a public usage throughout Clirlstendom. Timotheus and Erastus, Gains and Aristarchus, appear to have accompanied him on this journey (eh. 19. 2*2, 29; 2 Corinthians 1. 1), and from
2 Corinthians we may presume, Titus also. The detaila of this visit, as of the former (ch. 10. 6), are not given.
. . . tnri.i<;d . . . yet a good while—During his long residence at Coninth, Paul planted other cliurolios in Achala
21-28. Episode i-oncernino Ai'ollos at Epiif-si^s Art IN Achaia. This Is one of the most Interesting au 1 suggestive incidental narratives in this precious History
(2 Corinthians 1. J), then took . . . leave of the brethren, and sailed . . . into (rather, 'for') Syria— to An-
34:, 25. a . . . Jew named ApoIIos (a conlraotlon from ApoUonius) born at Alexandria— the celebrated city
tiooli, the starting-point of all the missions to the Cicn-
tlles, which he fuels.to be for the present concluded, with 204
TIte Preaching of ApoUos at I^kesus. ACTS XIX. • PauVs Svjnal Success in thai City.
bear; and the power with which he bore down all opposition in argument is that which made him such an acquisition to the brethren. Thus his ministry would be as good as another visitation of tlie Achaian churches by the apostle himself (see 1 Corinthians .). 6) ; and the more as, in so far as he was indebted for it to Priscilla and Aquila,
of Egypt on the S. E. shore of the Mediterranean, called
after its founder, Alexander the Great. Nowhere was
there such a fusion of Greek, Jewish, and Oriental pecu-
liarities, and an intelligent Jew educated in that city-
could hardly fail to manifest all these elements in his mental character, eloquent—turning his Alexandrian
culture to high account, and mighty iu the Scriptures —his eloquence enabling him to express clearly and en-
it would have a decidedly Pauline cast.
force sliilfuUy what, as a Jew, he liad gathered from a
diligent studj' of the Old Testament Scriptures, came to Kphesus—on what errand is not known. Tliis man was Instructed In the "way of tlie Lord . . . knowing only the baptism of John—He was instructed, probably, by some disciple of the Baptist, in tlie wliole circle of John's teaching concerning Jesus, but no more: he had yet to learn the new light which the outpouring of tlie Spirit at Pentecost had thrown upon the Redeemer's Death and Kesurrection ; as appears from ch. 19. 2, 3. being feiTent In the spirit—His heart warm, and conscious, probably,
Ver. 1-41. Signal success of Paul at Ephesus. 1-3. Avhile Apollos was at Corinth—w]iere Ills ministry was so powerful that a formidable party in tlie Church of that city gloried in his type of preaching in preference to Paul's (1 Corinthians 1. 12; 3.4), no doubt from tlie marked infusion of Greek philosophic culture which distinguished it, and whicii the apostle studiously avoided (1 Corinthians 2. 1-5). Paul having passed through the upper coasts (or 'parts')—the interior of Asia Minor, which, with reference to the sea-coast, was elevated, came to Epitesus—thus fulfilling his promise, ch. 18. 21. flnding certain disciples—in the same stage of Christian knowledge as Apollos at first, newly arrived, probably, and having had no communication as yet witli tlie Church at Ephesus. Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?—rather, 'Received ye the Holy Ghost wlieii ye believed?' implying, certainly, that the one did not of necessity carry tlie other along with it (see on ch. 8. 14-17). Why this question was asked, we cannot tell ; but it was probably in consequence of something that passed between them from which tlie apostle was led to suspect the imperfection of their light. We have not so miicli as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost—This cannot be the meaning, since the personality aud oflice of the Holy Ghost, in connection with Christ, formed an especial subject of tiie Baptist's teaching. Literally, the words are, 'We did not even hear whether the Holy Ghost was (given);' meaning, at tlie lime of their baptism. That tlie word 'given' is the riglit supplement, as in John 7. 39, seems plain from the nature of the case. 4. Then said Paul, John . . . baptizes witli the baptism of (water unto) repentance, saying unto the people^ that titey should believe on Him wliich should come after him—i. e., who should baptize with the Holy Ghost. The point of contrast is not between John and Christ personally, but between the wt^er baptism of John unto re}]e>itance, -And the promised baptism of tfie Spirit from the hands of his coming Master unto new life. As to all the facts, or at least the significaucy, of this baptism, whicii made the wliole life and work of Christ another thing from what it was conceived to be before it was vouchsafed, these simple disciples were unenlightened. 5-7. When tliey heard this—not tile mere words reported in D. 4, but the subject expounded according to tlio tenor of those words—tliey were baptised-not however by Paul himself (1 Corinthians 1. 14)—in the name of the K.ord Jesus—into the wliole fulness of the new economy, as now opened up to their believing minds. And when Paul liad laid his hands upon them tliey spake with tongues, Ac—See on ch. 10. 44, 45. 8-10. he went into the synago'guc and spake boldly for . . . three mouths, &c.—See on ch. 17. 2, 3. when divers ('some') were hardened, Ac—implying that others, probably a large number, believed, spake evil of that way before the miUtltude, lie departed (from tlie synagogue, as at Corinth, ch. IS. 7). and separated the disciples—withdrawing to a separate place of meeting, for the sake both of the converts already made, and the unsophisticated multitude, disputing ('discoursing' or 'discussing') daily in the school (or leclure-liall) of one Tyrannus—probalily a converted teacher of rlietoric or philosophy, this continued . . . two years— iu addition to the lormer three months. See on ch. 20. 31. But during some part of this period he must have paid a second unrecorded visit to Corinth, since the one next recorded (see on ch. 20. 2, 3) Is twice called his third visit
of his gifts and attainments, he burned to impart to others the trutli he had himself received, he spake and taught diligently—rather, 'accurately' (it is the same word as is rendered "perfectly" in v. 26). 26. s^teak boldly in the synagogue, whom when Aquila and Priscilla heard—joying to observe tlie extent of Scripture knowledge and evangelical truth which he displayed, and the fervency, courage, and eloquence with which he preached the truth, tliey took lilm unto them (privately) and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly—opening up tliose trutlis, to him as yet unknown, on which the Spirit had shed such glorious
light. (In what appears to be the true reading of this
verse, Priscilla is put before Aquila, as in v. 18, on whicii Bee; sne being probably the more intelligent and devoted of the two.) One cannot but observe how providential it was tliat this couple should have been left at Ephesus when Paul sailed thence for Syria; and no doubt it was chiefly to pave the way for the better understanding of this episode tliat the fact is expres.sly mentioned by the historian in v. 19. We see here also an example of not only lay agency (as it is called), but female agency of the highest kind and with tlie most admirable fruit. Nor can one help admiring the humility and teachableness of so gifted a teacher in sitting at the feet of a Clxrislian woman and tier husband. HT, 'ZS. And when he was disposed ('mir.ded,' 'resolved') to pass into Achala—of wliich Corintli, on the opposite coast (see on v. I), was the capi-
tal; there to proclaim that Gospel whicii lie now more fully compreliended-the brethren—We had not before hejird of sucli gathered at Epliesus. liut tlie desire of tlie Jews to whom Paul preached to retain him amongst them for some time (v. 20), and his promise to return to them (u. 21), seem to indicate some drawing towards the Gospel, which, no doubt, the zealous private labours of Priscilla and Acjuila would ripen into dis(-iplesliip. wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him—a beau-
tiful specimen of 'letters of recommendation' (as oli. 15.
23, 25-27, and see 2 Corinthians 3. 1); by which, as well as by interchange of deputations, &c., tlie early churches maintained active Christian fellowship with each other, when he was come, helped them much—was a great acquisition to the Achaian brethren, which believed through grace— one of those incidental expressions which show that faith's being a production of God's grace in the heart was so current and recognized a truth that it was taken for granted, as a necessary consequence of the general system of grai;e, rather than expressly insisted on. (It is against the natural order of the words to read them, as Uengel, Meyfr, &c., do, 'helped through grace those who believed.') For he mightily convinced tlie Jews—The word Is verjstrong: 'stoutly bore tlieiii <lown
In argument,' ' vigorously argued tlicm down;' and the tense Implies that he continued to do it, or tliat this was the characteristic of his ministry, showing by the tieriptures that Jesus was Christ—Katlier, that the Christ (or ' Messiah') was Jesus.' This expi essioii, when compared with f. 2.j, seems to imply a richer testimony Um» will, his partial knowledge he was at flrst able to