And this liberality from other parts of the church was by Paul and Barnabas brought and put into the hands of the bishops of Judæa. assembled in the church, συναχθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἑκαλησίᾳ. [b] the elders] The word πρεσβύτεροι, elders, is here first met with in the Christian church, and therefore will deserve to be explained. ¹ On Jude. Is there any doubt or question to be made of the baptizing of these, and receiving them into freedom of the congregation, to whom, although they be Gentiles, God hath himself allowed that which is more than baptism, viz., the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them, thereby fitting them for offices in his church, in the same manner as by descent of the Holy Ghost we received our commission? Acts ii. About this time, an. Ch. 43, Agrippa, grandchild to Herod the Great, having obtained a great part of his grandfather's dominions, and so calling himself by his name, Herod, went about, that is, resolved to persecute the Christians, especially the apostles at Jerusalem, thereby to gratify the Jews. [a] stretched forth his hand] Ἐπιβάλλειν χεῖρα, to lay hand, taken absolutely, or with an infinitive mood after it, as here, signifies to attempt or resolve to do any thing; so Gen. iii. 22, lest he put forth his hand to take of the tree, &c. And in that persecution he put James the apostle, the son of Zebedee, to the sword, beheaded him. And perceiving that the Jews gave their votes and consent to his death, and expressed their good liking of it, (see note [c] John viii.) he proceeded and apprehended Peter also. And it was about the time of the passover of the Jews when he apprehended him. And having imprisoned him, he set sixteen soldiers to guard him, four at a time, two to be always by him and chained to him, (see note [e] ch. xxviii.) and two to guard the door, ver. 6, meaning, after the feast of the passover, to bring him forth to the Jews, and, if they thought fit, to put him to death also. [b] without ceasing] The word ἐκτενής, applied to prayer, signifies importunate, enforcing the same request. Ἐκτενεία, συνεχῶς τὸ αὐτό, saith Hesychius, it is "continually to do the same thing:" and again, ἐκτενίς, διατεταμένον, signifies that which is held out or extended to a length. Thus the Litany, or supplications of the church, frequently, for some space, to several matters applying the same words, "We beseech thee to hear us," and the like, is in the ancient Liturgies called ἐκτενής, the vehement, fervent, importunate form of supplication. And the night before Herod intended to bring him into the assembly, before the people, to have their suffrage to put him to death, (see vv. 3. 11.) Peter was sleeping— And an angel came to him, and the light with which he appeared shone in the prison, and the angel smote Peter— • Make thyself ready to go out immediately, put on thy outer garment (see note [r] Matt. v.) and thy ¹ put forth his hands to mischief, ἐπίβαλεν τὰς χεῖρας κακῶσαι. ² apprehend, συλλαβεῖν, ³ earnest or continual prayer was. ⁴ was about to bring, ἔμελλεν προάγειν. ⁵ watchmen at the door: for the King's MS. reads, φύλακες πρὸς. ⁶ watch, τὴν φυλακὴν. ⁷ an angel of the Lord came upon, ἔγγελος Κυρίου ἐπίστη. [c] considered] The word συνιδών is so near in likeness (though far enough off in the nature and signification of it) to σπεύδων, that it is very possible one of these may here by the transcriber be put for the other. And indeed the signification of the latter, σπεύδων, making haste, seems that which is fitter for the turn in this place, where being left alone in the street by the angel, he was in reason to make haste to some place of safety and privacy; and such was that which he here chose. If this conjecture (which I mention only as such, having no authority for it,) be not too remote, then may it also probably belong to another place, ch. xiv. 6, συνιδόντες κατέφυγον perhaps for σπεύδοντες, they made haste and fled, as out of a great danger. [d] hearken] Ὑπακούειν, Cant. v. 7, is proportionable to the καλεῖν precedent, answering a call. So Isaiah l. 2. and lvi. 11. So in Plutarch, he that goes to answer him that knocks at the door, is said ὑπακούειν, to hearken, and answer. [e] his angel] That the word ἀγγελός, which by way of excellency is set to denote the immortal spirits attendant on God, and ministering to him, doth primarily and originally and in vulgar use signify a messenger, and from thence only comes to denote those spirits, because they are messengers of God, employed by him, there is little doubt or question: and consequently it is as certain that it may signify here no more than a messenger from St. Peter; so doth ἀγγελός μου, Matt. xi. 10. Mark i. 2. Luke vii. 27, my messenger being spoken of John Baptist: so Luke vii. 24, ἄγγελοι Ἰωάννου, the messengers of John: and Luke ix. 32, ἀπίστευλεν ἀγγέλους, he sent messengers: and so sure the ἄγγελοι ἐκκλησιῶν, the angels of the churches, were not those immortal spirits, Rev. i. 19; but as the apostles sent messengers to several churches, who were to do according to their appointment, (see note [b] on John xx.) and some in their stead to rule and govern there, so were these the rulers of the churches, appointed by the apostles. So the Hebrew מלאך signifies indifferently any "who hath any command or message from a master," and is rendered πιᾶς, 1 Sam. xxv. 42, a servant; πρεσβύς, a messenger or ambassador, Num. xxi. 21; and מניד is rendered ἄγγελος, 2 Sam. xv. 13. from הניד, nuntiavit, yen and עבר nervus, "minister," is rendered ἄγγελος, Isai. xxxvii. 24. from an old Hebrew אלך or לאך, retained still in the Arabic dialect for a messenger or legate. The only question therefore will be, of these two possible notions of the word which is the fitter and more probable for this place: and for But whilst they thus debated, Peter continued knocking— d Let this be known to the bishop of Jerusalem and all the Christians there, (see note [a] 1 Cor. xv., and note [e] Gal. ii.) And immediately he departed from them to a place of more safety. e carried away as malefactors to punishment. But Peter went down— f and having gratified Blastus, the king's chamberlain, and got him to be their friend, they requested Herod that he would be friends with them, as with persons whose whole subsistence was from his favours. And there were at that time in Antioch some eminent persons or bishops of the churches of Syria of that age, (see note [c] 1 Cor. xii.,) and of them some having the gift of prophecy, (see note [e] ch. xv.,) as Barnabas— 6, (as those that are made like unto another, are, to express that similitude, called his sons, and sometines have his name communicated to them.) And as they were upon a day of fast performing their office of prayer to God (see note [f] Luke i.) the Holy Spirit of God, by some affiliation or revelation, (see note [f] ch. viii.) commanded them to ordain or consecrate Barnabas and Saul to the apostleship, to which God had already designed them. ¹⁷ shouted, The voice of God, ὑκεφώνει, Θεοῦ φωνή. ¹ Now there were some in Antioch, belonging to the doctors, ἦσαν δέ τινες ἐν Ἀντιοχεῖᾳ κατὰ τὴν οἶσαν ἑκκλησίαν προφῆται καὶ διδάσκαλοι. ² foster-brother of Herod, σύντροφοι τοῦ Ἡρ. And accordingly they observed a solemn day of fasting and prayer, and so by imposition of hands (see note [f] 1 Tim. v.) ordained them, and sent them away about the work designed them by God. And having thus received their commission from the Holy Ghost, or by the appointment of God himself, (see ver. 2,) they went immediately to Seleucia. [a] the deputy] That Sergius Paulus should here be called ἀνθύπαιτος, proconsul in Cyprus, ver. 4, hath some difficulty in it, it being resolved by Strabo, l. 14. p. 470, that after the Romans' taking this island it became a prætorian province, Ῥωμαῖοι κατέσχον τὴν νῆσον, καὶ γέγονε στρατηγικὴ ἐπαρχία καθ' αὐτήν. And again, p. 471, mentioning the subduing of it, and possessing it by Cato, Ἐξ ἐκείνου, saith he, ἐγένετο ἐπαρχία ἡ νῆσος, καθάπερ καὶ νῦν ἐστι, στρατηγικὴ, "From that time the island became, as now it is, a prætorian province;" which concludes it under a prætor, not a proconsul. And so Zonaras on the eighth Canon of Ephesus, Παρὰ τοῦ δοῦκὸς Ἀντιοχείας ἐστέλλετο ἐκεῖ στρατηγός. "From the duke of Antioch a commander was sent to Cyprus:" on which pretence it was that the bishop of Antioch did at the time of that council pretend right of ordaining the bishops of Cyprus. This difficulty Baronius endeavours to remove, A. C. 46, n. 11, by conceiving that the proconsul of Cilicia had the administration of this prætorian province also, and consequently that this Sergius Paulus was now this proconsul of Cilicia. This he collects from Sigonius De Antiq. Jure Provinc. l. 1. c. 14, who affirms it of P. Lentulus and some others, that being proconsuls of Cilicia, they administered Cyprus also, which, saith Baronius, non illi tantum sed et successoribus esse æque concessum, par est credere: "It is reasonable to believe, not of him only, but of his successors as well as of him." But the words in Sigonius do sufficiently refute this conclusion; for he having indeed affirmed that this honour of holding Cyprus together with Cilicia was granted by the senate, not only to P. Lentulus, but also to Ap. Claudius and M. Cicero, as special honours designed to those three proconsuls, adds, Post Ciceronis autem proconsulatum, ut a Ciliciæ præside tres Asiaticæ diœceses, sic etiam Cypri administratio ablata est, ac proprius, ut ex lege debuit, prætor cum suo quæstore in cam missus est: "After Cicero's proconsulship, as the three Asiatic dioceses were taken away from the president But Barjesus, that Elymas or magician, (as Elymas signifies,) withstood them— c having a great incitation of the Spirit of God upon him, looked earnestly on him, and said— d O thou vile sorcerer, which, like the devil by whom thou workest, art an enemy of all goodness, wilt thou persist in sorcery in defiance of the faith of Christ, which comes armed so with much more power of miracles than those to which thou falsely pretendest! [b] Elymas] The word עֵאלֹם, alem, or עֲלִים, alim, in Arabic, signifies knowing or skilful, and is applied to those that know things divine and human, from עֲלֵם, alam, scivit: and so μάγος, perhaps מָנוֹשׂ from בֵּשׁ, which in Syriac and Arabic signifies scrutari or explorare, "to search," will signify the same also. From this concurrence of the words ἐλύμας and μάγος, in the same notion, it is clear that neither of them here was a proper name, (that having before been set down to be Barjesus, ver. 6.) but both, in several languages, the title of their wise men, skilled in the secret learning, whom we ordinarily call magicians; and μάγος being in so common use among the Grecians, though perhaps of an eastern origination too, is here set as an interpretation of the other. [c] also is called Saul] Several accounts are given of Saul's two names. St. Ambrose, Serm. 31, saith that he was at his baptism named Paul by Ananias. St. Austin, Tract. 72 in Psal. will have it an effect of his conversion, and so of his own imposing, and that his humility would not own that name of a proud tall king of Israel, but preferred the contrary of Paulus, a little one. Agreeable to which it is that he calls himself ἐλαχιστότερος πάντων ἁγίων, (a word made by himself on purpose,) less than the least of saints. St. Jerome, on the Epistle to Philemon, will have it a token of this his first victory over the heathenism of Sergius Paulus here, (in this chapter, where he is first called by this name,) whose name he was therefore to bear by way of triumph, as Scipio of Africanus, and the like. But Origen, in Præf. on the Epistle to the Romans, saith, that he being a Jew, born in the city of Rome, had at his circumcision two names, Saul a Jewish, and Paulus a Roman name. And this is most agreeable to the form of speech here, Σαῦλος δὲ (ὁ καὶ Παῦλος,) But Saul, who is also Paul, noting him to have had two names at once, not to have changed one for the other. [d] mischief] Ῥᾳδιουργία signifies forgery, cheating, falseness, deceit. So in Plutarch, making a false will is ῥᾳδιούργημα. So Acts xviii. 14. If it were ἀδίκημα ἡ ῥᾳδιούργημα πονηρόν, any injury, (any piece of injustice,) or any roguy forgery or cheat. So Phavorinus, ῥᾳδιουργεῖν, It is most just that thou, that holdest out perversely against the light of the gospel, shouldst lose thy sight, which therefore, by the immediate power of God, shall be taken from thee for some time. And immediately he was struck blind, and was not able to go without leading. And this act of miraculous blindness upon the sorcerer convinced the proconsul, and converted him to the faith. And Paul, and all that were in his company, except John, who returned to Jerusalem, went by sea from Paphos to Perga, a place famous for the temple of Diana. And after the reading of the lessons, one out of the law, the other out of the prophets, it being the custom for the Jewish doctors to expound and apply some part of scripture to the instruction of the people, the chief persons of the assembly which were present sent to Paul and his associates, to know whether they were prepared to do so. [e] rulers of the synagogue] The synagogues in the regions of Judæa, not always signifying their consistories or judicatures, but also their places for religious duties, bearing the law and prophets read, was answerable to the catus ecclesiastici, "the religious assemblies" (saith Bertram de Rep. Jud. p. 154.) of the Levites and prophets instituted at first by Joshua and Samuel by prescript of law. The archisynagogi therefore are parallel to and supply the place of those Levites and prophets, those that officiated there, of which consequently there were more than one in the same synagogue; and so ch. xi 8. and 17. Crispus and Sosthenes are archisynagogi of the synagogue at Corinth. And the ancient Greek and Latin MS. ch. xiv. 2, instead of οἱ δὲ ἀπειθοῦντες Ἰουδαῖοι, reads οἱ δὲ ἀρχισυνάγωγοι τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς συναγωγῆς, making express difference between the rulers or chief of the synagogue, that officiated there, and the rulers of the consistory or judicature. And Paul stood up, and having called for silence, (see ch. xii. 17,) bespake all, both Jews and proselytes, to give audience. The God of Israel chose Abraham &c. and promised to bless and multiply his seed, and accordingly performed it, increasing them to a very great number, even at the time when they were sojourners and slaves (and their children appointed to be killed as soon as S much stricken, ἱκκλησσόμενος. And for forty years, although they rebelled and murmured against him, (and accordingly he sent many punishments upon them, and permitted none of the murmurers to enter Canaan,) yet dealt he with them [f] suffered he their manners] That ἑτροφοφόρησεν, carried as a nurse, is the right reading, there is little doubt, this being the very word twice used by the Septuagint, Deut. i. 31, ἑτροφοφόρησέ σε ὁ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, ὡς εἴτις τροφοφορήσαι ἄνθρωπος τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ. So the Roman and Basil editions have it, for that which is in the Hebrew, hath borne thee, as a parent or nurse doth a child, not only bearing in arms, but feeding and sustaining, (as sure God did those Israelites, when he sent them quails and manna, ἄρτον ἕτοιμον ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ, bread ready dread, and sent down from heaven for them,) and further undertaking all the trouble of his education; and therefore the Syriac interpreter uses here a word which signifies feeding or nourishing. And so Hesychius, ἑτροφοφόρησεν, ἔτρεψεν, (it should be ἔθρεψεν,) "bearing as a nurse," that is, "feeding." And so Phavorinus also. Thus in Macarius, speaking of a mother and her little child, ἀναλαμβάνει, saith he, καὶ περιθάλπει, καὶ τροφοφορεῖ ἐν πολλῇ στοργῇ, "she takes up, strokes, and nurses with great affection." And 2 Macc. vii. 27, when the mother entreats the son to pity her, τροφοφορήσασαν, that bare, and did for him as a nurse doth, (answerable to the Hebrew אֵשֶׁב, οἴρω, βαστάζω, to take up or carry.) This did God miraculously even to those murmurers: but suffering his vengeances to fall upon them, and sweeping them all away that came out of Egypt, but Caleb and Joshua, he cannot so fitly be said to have borne their manners, or to have borne with them. And upon this occasion, Herod, having appointed a day to hear and consider that business, being arrayed— ᶜ cried out by way of acclamation, He speaks more like a god than a man. God sent a disease upon him (see this whole story in Josephus, and out of him in Eusebius Eccl. Hist. lib. 2. cap. 10.) because he prided himself in this acclamation of the people, and disclaimed not that blasphemous flattery of theirs: and he was eaten— And as he promised, so hath he performed; from his posterity is Jesus come, appointed by God to be the Lawgiver and Judge of the world, to rule and govern all, to fight their battles against sin and Satan. ' before his beginning to preach, or entrance on his prophetic office, the baptism— And the gospel thrived and had many proselytes, many were daily converted to it. ᵇ their business in carrying provision for the relief of the poor Christians, (ch. xi. 19,) and took— ### CHAP. XIII. And as John preached and baptized he renounced being the Messias, telling them that he was but his forerunner, and that he should shortly come * carried them as a nurse. † the face of his entrance, προσόντων τὴς εἰσόδου αὐτοῦ. And now, brethren, both Jews and proselytes, this gospel, which Christ thus brought into the world, is sent to be proclaimed and made known to you. For the sanhedrim and people of Jerusalem, that then was, did not understand him to be the Messias, which they might have done if they had considered the predictions of the prophets contained in those lessons and portions of scripture (especially prophetic) which every sabbath day are read in their synagogues, but adjudged him to death; and in so doing fulfilled those very prophecies which they understood not, yet pretended to understand and value so much; for they said it should be so. [g] fulfilled] That there is in this verse a trajection, or σύγχυσις, there can be no question: the κρίναντες in the latter part belongs to the τοῦτον in the former, and the ἐπλήρωσαν to the τὰς φωνὰς, they adjudged or sentenced him, and they fulfilled or accomplished them. And such trajections are ordinary among writers, and go for elegancies, where they are used. The only difficulty will be to what sense the καὶ before τὰς shall be rendered. For either that may couple the ἀγνοή- And though he were perfectly innocent, no capital accusation produced against him, yet by their importunity they forced Pilate to condemn him to be crucified. And when by thus doing they had not more acted their own malice than fulfilled the prophecies concerning the Messias, (according to what he himself said, It is finished, and then gave up the ghost,) then the officers took him down from the cross and put him into a tomb, sealed it up, and watched it, secured him by all ways imaginable. And yet, after all this, God raised him from the dead: And for forty days he continued upon the carth, and was several times seen (and conversed with, and did eat and drink, and shewed the print in his hands and side) in the presence of his disciples and divers others, who from the beginning had attended on him as disciples, who now testify this truth unto all the Jews. 32, 33. And the subject of this gospel, which we thus proclaim unto you, is the promise made to Abraham, (that in his seed &c.); to Moses, (that God would raise up a prophet &c.) which promise God hath now fulfilled in raising Jesus from the dead. Of which also that in the second Psalm was a prophecy, when to David, after his great persecutions, it was said, that God had now begotten him, thereupon calling him his son; that is, set him upon his throne, and * not knowing him condemned him, and fulfilled the sayings tous of the prophets, τοῦτον ἀγνοήσαντες, καὶ τὰς φωνὰς τῶν προφητῶν—κρίναντες, ἐπλήρωσαν. ¹⁰ preach unto you the promise, &c., εὐαγγελιζόμεθα τὴν ἐπαγγ. formed it, ὅτι ταύτην ὁ Θεὸς ἐκπεπλήρωκε. [h] raised up] The word ἀναστήσας, raising up, signifies to raise up from the dead, and so doth ἐγείρειν too; but not so only, nor so primarily, nor necessarily so, but when either the addition of ἐκ νεκρῶν, from the dead, or some other phrase of that nature, or circumstance of the context requires that sense. For besides that notion, there is another very ordinary and proper to it, as when God is said to raise up a prophet, that is, to send him, and give him commission to perform the office of a prophet. This is an usual notion of the word. So Acts iii. 22. and vii. 37, Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει, He shall raise you up a prophet: and so Acts ii. 30, speaking of God's promise to David, From the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, ἀναστήσειν Χριστὸν, that he would raise up Christ, bring the Messias into the world. And the mention of the resurrection in the next verse will not be able to assign any other sense to that place, because that may come in from the force of the sitting on his throne, which is added to it, it being clear, that as that was promised of the Messias, so it was not performed till his resurrection. So when of Theudas, Acts v. 36, of Judas of Galilee, ver. 37, it is said, ἀνέστη, he rose up, a false prophet arising of himself, or raising himself, not raised by God, (according as among the Hebrews the word א״ב, for prophesying, doth in hithpael, the reciprocal conjugation, generally signify a false prophecy, such as one receives from himself, and not from God;) so Heb. vii. 11, What need is there, ἕτερον ἀνίστασθαι ἱερία, that there should arise, or be raised, another priest? and again, ver. 15. And thus some may conceive that it should signify in this place. But, 1, the context here, and, 2, the importance of the second psalm, incline it the other way. For here the resurrection of Christ, ver. 30, is the point insisted on; and though his crucifixion be first mentioned in order to that, ver. 27, yet there is no mention of his coming into the world, or either his eternal or temporal generation. And so in the following words, ver. 34, they again belong to God's raising him from the dead. And for the parallel betwixt begetting and resurrection, it might be made clear in many particulars. As for the second psalm, that clearly belongs to the setting up David king after the death of Saul, and conquest over his enemies; and that is aptly expressed by God's begetting him, and his being God's Son: for as similitude denominates children, the children of God are they that are like him, and resemble him in any thing, and the children of Abraham are they that do the works of Abraham; and as the making man after God's image signified his likeness unto God in power, having dominion, &c. Gen. i. 28, so being the sons of God, and having the title of gods, psalm lxxxii. 6, belongs to governors, and consequently signifies so in that second psalm, and is but another phrase to signify To the same purpose also, that God should not only raise him from the dead, but also secure him never to die any more, (for Lazarus, and others that were once raised, died again,) are those two other known prophecies; one, Isaiah lv. 3, I will give you the sure mercies &c., the expression of an everlasting covenant spoken literally to the people of Israel, that God would perpetuate to them the mercy promised to David, that of giving one of his seed to sit on his throne, (which had been for some time interrupted, but should now be perpetuated to them upon their obedience,) but here accommodated to Christ, that though he were crucified yet he should rise again, and after that never die any more; that is, that Christ, under the title of the Son of David, should be given to the Jews not only in a mortal condition, as David was, but in a firm immutable state: which could not be true of him, if he had not been raised from the dead and assumed to heaven, never to die any more. [i] sure mercies] The Hebrew in Isaiah lv. 3, from whence this is taken, hath חסרי דוד הנאמנים, where the word חסרי in the plural, noting beneficia, or beneficentiam, "mercies," or "mercifulness," is by the Greek rendered δαι, (from the sense of the singular חסר, which signifies both beneficus and pius, "charitable" and "godly,") as if it were only pia, "godly," from the singular pius, whereas the adjective plural is taken substantively (as many neutrals in Latin are) for acts of kindness, mercies, &c.; and so הנאמנים, adjectively joined with it, signifies the faithful, durable, lasting mercies of David, that is, of Christ the Son of David; and so this place out of the prophet is brought as a proof of Christ's resurrection. For as the mercies promised the Jews in having David for their king, had with the end of his life determined also, unless his son Solomon, and after him others, had sat upon the throne; and as, when they were carried into captivity, the perpetuating these benefits of David to them, that is, being governed by their own kings, signifies their return from their captivity: so Christ, being called David, or meant in a second mystical sense when David is named, and being (crucified and so) dead, as David was, unless he had withal risen again, that covenant, those mercies promised by and in him to the world, could not have been πιστὰ, firm, sure, faithful, ratified for duration or continuance, but had ended with his life; whereas now by his resurrection and ascension to heaven they still continue, and are made good unto us. Thus saith Athanasius of Christ's sacrifice, Τετελείωκε τὸ πᾶν, καὶ πιστὴ γέγονε μένουσα διὰ παντός, "It perfected all, and became faithful." Whercin? why, in that it remaineth for ever. And again saith he, 'Η κατὰ νόμον ἱερατεία χρόνω καὶ θανάτω παρήμειβε τοὺς προτέρους, ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἀπαράβατον καὶ ἀδιάδεκτον ἔχων τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην, πιστὸς γέγονεν ἀρχιερεὺς, παραμείνων ἀεὶ, "The legal priesthood by time and death passeth from one to another; but Christ having an high priesthood which passeth not from him to any successor, did therein become a faithful high priest, (Heb. ii. 17.) enduring or continuing for ever:" where the word πιστός in that Epistle to the Hebrews is interpreted by that father to signify durable, continuing for ever. And to that most clearly belongs that other place, Psalm xvi. 11. For if those words should be applied to David personally, they could have no truth in them; for he having lived his term or space of natural life, and therein ruled the people over whom God was pleased to set him, died a natural death, and never rose again, but his body was putrefied in the earth. But he in whom that prophecy is completely fulfilled, that is, Christ, being sent by God into the world, and crucified, and by the power of God raised from the dead the third day, (before the time came wherein bodies naturally putrefy, viz., seventy-two hours after death, wherein the revolution of humours is accomplished,) never came to die again or putrefy at all. This, therefore, is the message we bring, the gospel we preach unto you, that this Christ is the in his own generation having served the counsel of God, Δαβιδ μιν γὰρ ἰδίφ γενεῖν ὑπηρετῆσαι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ βουλῇ. And whosoever receives and obeys him shall certainly be freed and purged from the wrath of God, and the punishments attending sin in another world, from which the law of Moses could not, by all its ceremonies, washings and sacrifices, purge or cleanse any. 40, 41. You are therefore nearly concerned to take heed, and beware that by your obstinate resisting and rejecting this way of salvation now preached, and confirmed from heaven by God's raising Jesus from the dead when ye had opposed and crucified him, you do not bring a remarkable astonishing destruction upon yourselves, in the same manner (and a heavier degree) as it fell upon the Jews from the Chaldeans, Hab. i. 5, as a just punishment of their despising the rich mercies of God afforded them, and going on impenitently in their sins against all the messages sent them by the prophets, and by so doing cause the gospel to be removed to the Gentiles, ver. 46: a thing which will come to pass suddenly in both parts, (the gospel being taken from you and preached to the Gentiles, and the Romans coming in and destroying you,) though so incredible to you, that you will not believe it when the news of it shall come unto you by them that see it done: (see note [b] Matt. xxviii.) [k] Behold, ye despisers] The words ἴδετε οἱ καταφρονηταί, Behold, ye despisers, which from the Septuagint's reading the apostle here embraceth, are very different from what not only the vulgar Latin, and our English, but also the Chaldee and the Interlinearly retain in the place of Habakkuk, ch. i. 5, from whence it is clearly cited, the Hebrew בגוים being by them read as if it were ב and גוים, in gentibus, among the heathen, which the Chaldee read בעממיא, gentes. Hereupon learned men have made conjectures, that the Greek interpreters had And as they departed from the Jews, the proselytes, or pious persons of heathen birth, desired to hear more of this subject the next sabbath. ¹ who preached to them, and by way of exhortation confirmed them in the doctrine of the gospel: (see note [b] Heb. xiii.) k the gospel preached by them. [l] next sabbath] Instead of ἐρχομίνῳ σαββάτῳ, the coming or approaching sabbath, the King's MS. and some others read ἐχομίνῳ, the next or adjoining sabbath, as πόλεις ἐχόμεναι have been shewed to signify the adjoining cities, note [b] on Mark i. And the chief men of the Jews seeing how the multitude thronged to hear it were horribly enraged, and contradicted Paul, and that with contumelics and reproaches cast on him. ¹³ confounded. ¹⁴ will not believe, if any man, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσατε, ἐὰν τις. ¹⁵ As they went out of the synagogue of the Jews, Ἐξιόντων ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων. ¹⁶ wor- shipping: see note [i]. ¹⁷ rage, ζῆλου. HAMMOND, VOL. I. M M But this no way discouraged Paul and Barnabas, but they put off all fear, and said courageously, (see note [a] John vii.,) that now they had performed their charge from Christ, of preaching the gospel first to the Jews, before they applied themselves to the Gentile world. But seeing ye Jews, said they, behave yourselves so obstinately and perversely, that you become utterly unworthy and uncapable of receiving benefit by the gospel, we are now by appointment to leave you and preach to the Gentiles; and so we will. For this was the direction of God, that Christ being first preached to the Jews, and being rejected by them, should be preached to all other people of the world: and this is the sum of that old prophecy, Isaiah xlix. 6. And when the Gentiles heard this good news, that this pardon of sins and salvation by Christ was allowed them, they rejoiced, and blessed the name of God for this glorious mercy of his revealed in the gospel; and all they of the Gentiles that had any care or pursuit of the life to come, the Gentile proselytes, or that were fitly disposed and qualified for the gospel to take root in, received the doctrine of Christ thus preached to them. [m] ordained to eternal life] That this phrase τεταγμένοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον is here a notation of the proselytes among the Jews, which were allowed by them to have partem in seculo futuro, "a portion in the age to come," (whether that signify heaven, or the kingdom of the Messias,) without submitting to their whole law, but only to the seven precepts of the sons of Noah, hath been not unhappily conjectured by M. Mede: and the context is somewhat favourable to it. The company consisted of Jews and proselytes, ver. 43; many of those proselytes (as well as Jews) followed Paul and Barnabas after the dissolving the assembly; and their doing so, and the form of the apostles' exhortation to them, ἐπιμένειν, to abide or persevere, signifies that they were already believers. Then, ver. 45, the Jews contradicted, and spake against this doctrine, and therefore, say Paul and Barnabas, seeing ye judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, that is, seeing you behave yourselves as those that look not after, care not for your eternal weal, behold, we turn to the Gentiles, ver. 46; which when the Gentiles heard, that is, the people of other nations that were there among the And the gospel was preached and embraced over the whole country. Only the Jews exasperated some of the female proselytes, those of them that were of honourable quality, and the governors of the city, (see note [c] John i.) and raised— But they, using that fatal ceremony appointed by Christ in this case, thereby foretelling and aboding the destruction which should overtake them for so doing, left them, and went from thence to Iconium. And all the Christians were filled with spiritual joy at what they saw thus performed, and went on zealously in their course. ¹⁸ railing, Βλασφημ. ¹⁹ believed, as many as were disposed for eternal life. ²⁰ worshipping women, those of good quality, σοβομένης γυναίκας τὰς εὐαχόμονας: for the King's MS. leaves out καί. But the refractory Jews incensed the Gentiles against the apostles (ver. 4.) and all others which received the faith of Christ from them. b preaching the gospel in their public assemblies, (see note [a] John vii.,) and God added his testimony to their preaching, (see note [d] Heb. xiii.,) by enabling them to work miracles. And Barnabas they looked on as Jupiter, the supreme god, (see ch. viii. 10,) and Paul as Mercury, the interpreter of the will of the gods, because Paul did speak more than Barnabas did. And the priest of Jupiter, whose statue was worshipped before the city as the president of it, came presently to the gates of the house where Paul and Barnabas lodged, and brought oxen to sacrifice, and garlands to put upon their horns when they were to be killed, verily purposing to offer sacrifice to them. ' they looked upon it as an abhorred blasphemous thing, and rent their garments to express their sense and detestation of it, and ran— And yet, while he did so, left he not off to evidence himself sufficiently to them by that great goodness of his in temporal things, the rain and the like, which are acts of his particular power and bounty, by those means inviting and drawing them off from their impieties. [a] rain from heaven] The reason of St. Paul's naming of rain from heaven, as a peculiar testimony of God's power and goodness, seems to be taken from that notion which the Jews had of it, expressed by this ancient saying in Sanhedr. and in Chelek Taani, c. 8. §. 2, in Ein Israel, that there be three keys not given to any legate or proxy, (kept peculiarly in God's own hand,) של חיה ושל נשמים ושל תחיית, of life, of rain, of the resurrection of the dead; making rain as immediate and incommunicable a gift of God as either giving or restoring of life. Hence it is frequently styled by them גבורת נשמים, the power of rain, because, say they, "it descends not but by power;" and it is one of the things in which the power of God shows itself. The difference of it from other the like acts of power, they say, is this, that it belongs to the just and unjust, (whereas, say they, the resurrection belongs to the just only,) and so saith our Saviour of it, Matt. v. 45. All which discourse of Paul and Barnabas could hardly restrain the people— ¹ gained by fair words the multitude to be on their side, and to join with them against the apostles: and so in a furious tumultuary manner they threw stones at Paul, and verily believed they had killed him: in which posture they took him, as a dead man, and dragged him out of the gates of the city. But as the Christians there came piously and solemnly to inter him, Paul being not dead all this while, ver. 19, made use of that opportunity, when there were none but believers present, and he rose up, and went thence with them into the city: and the next day Barnabas and he went together to Derbe. And having preached at Derbe, and converted many to the faith, they returned— And in all those cities gave confirmation to those whom before they had baptized, and exhorted them to persevere, and hold out against all terrors, counting and resolving with themselves that Christianity bringeth many tribulations necessarily along with it. And having consecrated bishops for them, (see note [b] ch. xi.,) one in every city, by fasting and prayer and imposition of hands, they then took their leave of them, referring them to the good providence ¹ made a good many disciples, μαθητεύσαντες ἱκανεῖς. [b] ordained them elders] The word πρεσβύτεροι here is not (as some think) the description or notation of the state of the men before they were ordained, or of the qualifications which made them fit to be And some converted or Christian Jews, which though they believed in Christ yet thought themselves still bound to the observation of the whole Mosaical law, told those of the Gentile proselytes, ver. 19, that were converted to the faith of Christ also, (of whom some, that is, the proselytes of the gates, were not wont to be circumcised, but only subscribed to the seven precepts of the sons of Noah,) that they must be complete proselytes of the Jews, submit to their whole law, and so be circumcised, &c., or else they could not be saved. And Paul and Barnabas opposed these; and the matter being turned into a question, and that undecidable among themselves, neither yielding to the other, it was necessary to appeal to Jerusalem, under which, as the prime metropolis, the Jews of all Syria, and so Antioch, were; and accordingly the church governors of Antioch determined to send up Paul and And the church bore the charges of their journey (see note [a] 1 Cor. xvi.); and as they went through Phenice and Samaria, they told them the great news that occasioned this their journey, the coming in of the Gentiles to the faith: and all the Christians were very much joyed at it. 4, 5. And when they came to Jerusalem they were kindly received by the Christians there, and particularly by James, the brother of the Lord, then bishop of Jerusalem, and thence called an apostle (see note [b] on the title of the Epistle of James, and note [a] Hereupon James the bishop of Jerusalem, and Peter, and John, the apostles (see note [a] 1 Cor. xv., note [g] Rev. iv., and note [e] Gal. ii.) and the bishops of Judæa, met in council to deliberate and debate about this difficulty. some uncircumcised proselytes, Cornelius and his family, Acts x, should have the gospel preached to them, and accordingly had, and received the faith, and never were circumcised. And God, that knew the sincerity of their hearts, testified that they were believers, such as were acceptable to him (though they were not circumcised) and fit to be baptized, giving them that great witness from heaven, sending down the Holy Ghost upon them in like manner as he was before sent down upon the apostles, Acts x. 44. And dealt with them just as with us, making no difference between us and them, but by the Christian doctrine, by them received and entertained, did the same thing on them (far more effectually) for which all the Jewish rites (particularly circumcision) were first ordained, that is, took them off from all their heathen sins. This one evidence is sufficient to conclude this whole debate; for is not the thing already determined by that one act of God's giving the Holy Ghost to the Gentiles? That sure makes it evident that there is no difference betwixt us Jews and them. Why then do ye press that which is so contrary to the will of God? why do ye refuse to believe that which is so testified to be his will, and so in effect require more arguments of this, as of a matter still uncertain, and thereby tempt God, (see note [c] Matt. iv.,) and think to impose upon Christians of the nations the performance of the whole Mosaical law, which belonged not to them, and which we Jews were never able to perform so as to be justified thereby? It is by the gospel (see ch. xi. 23.) that we expect justification and salvation, through faith and obedience to Christ, and not by Mosaical performances: and so they, if they believe, have the same way to salvation as we. After this, the next thing was, that Paul and Barnabas declared in like manner what miracles God had enabled them also to do in the converting of the Gentiles, which was another argument and testimony from heaven, that no difference was to be put between Jews and Gentiles. And next after them James the Just, the brother of the Lord, the then bishop of Hierusalem, began to speak, saying, Men and brethren— Peter hath sufficiently demonstrated that it was the will of God (in that case of Cornelius) that the Gentiles should without any scruple have the gospel preached to them, and be baptized, and received into the church. [a] visit the Gentiles] Ἐπεσκέψατο, in the Septuagint, joined with an infinitive verb, not an accusative noun after it, signifies to be pleased, to delight, Jer. xxxii. 41, ἐπισκέψομαι ἀγαθῶσαι, where the Hebrew hath יששתי, and I will rejoice or delight. It is true the word signifies to visit, Luke i. 68, and that may be thought also to have at some distance an infinitive, ποιῆσαι Ἔλεος, to shew mercy, after it, ver. 72. But ἐπεσκέψατο λαβεῖν λαὸν here is another kind of phrase; ἐπεσκέψατο hath no noun after it, but only and immediately an infinitive mood, and so is parallel only to that before mentioned in the Septuagint, and so in reason must be interpreted. And this is agreeable to what had been foretold by the old prophets; for so, Amos ix. 11. they are the words of God: After this— 16, 17. In the latter days (the age of the Messias wherein now we are) I will rebuild me a church among the Jews, those few of them who shall believe ¹ in putting. ² looked down to take out of the Gentiles, or, was pleased to take. This, though it were not brought to pass actually till these latter days, was yet foreseen and predetermined by God long ago, and accordingly thus foretold through revelation from God by that prophet. 19, 20. Therefore my conclusion and determination is, that we should not require or force them to be circumcised who from Gentiles turn Christians, but content ourselves that they receive the precepts of the sons of Noah only, as proselytes of the gates are wont to do. Nor need we Jews to fear that this will bring a contempt upon Moses or the law of the Jews, for the contrary appears by the Christian practice, even where these proselytes of the Gentiles are; there the books of Moses, as hath been customary from of old, are still continued among them to be read aloud in the synagogue every Saturday, (to which the council of Laodicea did after add the reading of a chapter in the New Testament,) to signify their respect to the Mosaical law, and their not offering it contempt among the proselytes, though they did not require them to be circumcised. The business being thus decided by the acquiescing of all in this sentence of the bishop of Jerusalem, the next thing was, that James and Peter and John, and the bishops of Judæa, with the general consent and approbation of the whole church of Jerusalem, (see note [b] ch. vi.,) thought fit to choose some bishops of Judæa, that were present at the council, to go along with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch; and the persons pitched on were Judas and Silas, bishops of several churches: (see note [c]) And they put their decree into form of an epistle, in these words, The apostles &c., that is, The bishop of Jerusalem, and Peter and John the apostles, ⁴ Or, is his work: for the King's MS. and the ancient Greek and Latin read, γνωστὸν τῷ Κυρίῳ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ. ⁵ Or, whatsoever they would not have done to themselves, and do not to others: for the ancient Greek and Latin MS. and many other copies here add, καὶ ὅσα μὴ ἀλλοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς γενίεθαι, ἰτήραι μὴ παίξτε: and so ver. 29. ⁶ from the ancient times, ἐκ γενεῶν ἀρχαίων. ⁷ having chosen men out of themselves to send, ἐκλεξαμίνον ἄνδρας ἐξ αὐτῶν πίμψαι: so ver. 25. ⁸ governors, ἡγουμίεσθαι. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, "[b] subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: When we received advertisement that some of the Judaizing Christians which went from hence, ver. 1, endeavoured to subvert you, and to carry you away to a groundless new doctrine, of the necessity of all Christians being circumcised, they having no manner of commissions or instructions from us to do so: [b] subverting your souls] Ἀνασκευάζειν ψυχὰς is to remove or transfer (as Gal. i. 6.) men's minds, to carry them from one object to another: so Hesychius, ἀνασκευάζειν, μετατιθέναι, it signifies to trans- * Plæcuit ad probandum ordinationem tuam, ut per omnes in ista provincia positos literæ fierent. Cypr. l. 4. Ep. 8. It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, We decreed in council, and resolved to send a couple of our own bishops to accompany those two which came from you, Barnabas and Paul, And they came back to Antioch, from whence it was that they were sent forth (ch. xiii. 3.) on this voyage, and that with solemn prayer and fasting, for the preaching of the gospel (see ver. 3, and note [d] Heb. xiii.) to these so many cities, of which they had now made an end, and so returned. and that it had pleased God that by their preaching to the Jews in the Gentile cities many of the Gentiles had received Christianity. ### CHAP. XV. AND certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. Men that have "hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Persons with which we have little reason to find any fault in what they have asserted in this matter of difference, but to give them our testimony that they have in preaching the gospel behaved themselves with all sincerity and uprightness, and run the hazard of their lives for the gospel's sake, and for the service of Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who [c] shall also tell you the same things by mouth. We have sent, I say, with them Judas and Silas, on purpose that they might tell you by word of mouth more at large what here we write more briefly. [c] shall also tell] The participle present ἀπαγγέλλοντας is here used in the sense of the future, who shall tell, "dicturos:" and so it is frequent in these writers. Acts xxi. 3, ὅπου ἦν τὸ πλοῖον ἀποφορτιζόμενον, &c. where the ship was to be unladed of its burden; and so Matt. ii. 4, ποῦ γεννάται; where is Christ to be born? and 1 Cor. xv. 35, πῶς ἐγείρονται, and ἔρχονται; how can it be that the dead shall be raised, and with what body shall they come? So John xiv. 19, Ye see me, and the world seeth me no more, θεωρείτε, in the present tense, where the sense is, ye shall, and the world shall not see me, in the future: and again, ver. 28, Ye have heard that I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you, that is, that I am to go, and shall after that again return to you. So Matt. iii. 10, Every tree that beareth not good fruit, ἐκκόπτεται, is (that is, is to be, must be, shall be) cut down, &c. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, "to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; Viz., that we, the bishop of Jerusalem, to which, as the prime metropolis, all Syria and Antioch doth belong, together with Peter and John, the apostles here abiding, and the bishops of Judæa, all together in council, having prayed to God to send his holy Spirit to abide among us, and to lead us into all truth, have upon mature deliberation determined that the Gentile Christians shall not be obliged to circumcision or other Judaical observances, (ordinarily required of all that will be Jewish proselytes, or enter into the Mosaical covenant,) or to any more than those few things that have among the Jews been required of all proselytes of the gates, (that is, of all the Gentiles that were in any wise permitted to come into their temple to worship God,) [d]That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: "from which "if Viz., to observe the seven precepts of the sons of Adam and Noah; which sort of precepts if you ob- [d] that ye abstain] To what hath been said of the proselytes among the Jews in many places (all referred to note [a] ch. x.) more must now be added for the explication of this canon of the council at Jerusalem. For the question being, whether the Gentiles that turned Christians should be bound to all those things which were required of the proselytes of justice, or only those things which were required of the proselytes of the gates, and the apostles' answer being in these words, that they should be bound to no more but these necessary things, to abstain, &c. the question will be, what those particulars that are there named belong to. To which the answer must be, by setting down what was required of each of those sorts of proselytes. Of the former sort it is sufficiently known that it was required that they should submit to the whole Mosaical law, to be circumcised, &c., as appears by the ground of this quarrel or dispute here, at the beginning of the chapter. And to this purpose it is observable that the Epistle which is extant, and affirmed to be written by this Barnabas here mentioned, doth principally insist upon the no-necessity of circumcision in Christians, (see §. 7.) and §. 2. hath these words: In hoc providens est et misericors Deus, quia in simplicitate crediturus erat populus, quem comparavit dilecto suo, atque ostendit omnibus nobis, ut non incurramus tanquam proselyti ad illorum legem: "It is God's mercy that the people which he purchased for his Son should believe in simplicity, and not as proselytes" (of the Jews, of this first kind) "run to their law." Of the second sort of proselytes it is as much acknowledged that there was no more required than the observation of six precepts given to the sons of Adam, and the seventh superadded to the sons of Noah, all together styled the seven precepts of the sons of Noah, which were these: The first, על עבירה ורה, of strange worship, or of renouncing the idolatry of the heathens, the not worshipping other gods. The second, על ברכת השם, of the benediction (that is, the worship) of the name, that is, the true God. The third, על הדנים, of judgments, or administration of justice. The fourth, על גלוי עריות, of disclosing nakedness, that is, of abstaining from all uncleanness, and interdicted marriages, within those degrees which are set down, Lev. xviii. The fifth, על שפיכות המים, of shedding blood, or against homicide. The sixth, And when the church had received and read the letter, they were much joyed at the approbation of their practice by the apostles: (see note [b] John xiv.) And these two bishops of Judæa were endued with a prophetic spirit, able to expound and interpret scripture, and usually employed in confirming and building up believers in the faith, and accordingly thus they did here. [e] prophets] The word προφήτης, a prophet, in the Old Testament, signifies, not only him that foretelleth future events, but all those who make known the will of God to those that knew it not. A peculiar importance, it seems, it hath in the church of Christ under the New Testament, differing from apostles on the one side and evangelists on the other, as may appear, 1 Cor. xii. 28. and Ephes. iv. 11. The apostles were those peculiar persons who were by Christ designed to that office, his missi or messengers, with commission immediately from him; such were the Twelve, and (extraordinarily called) St. Paul also. The evangelists were those which were sent by the apostles whither they could not go themselves, and the diocese that belonged to these was the whole world, or those special parts of it which the apostles had allotted to one another. Beside these, the prophets were those that in particular churches ruled and taught as bishops, διδάσκαλοι a Can. 63. b Can. 66. And when they had stayed at Antioch some time, they took their leaves to depart, with farewells and thanks, and prayers for their prosperity, ver. 40, (see Matt. x. 13.) and the like, to those of Jerusalem, James and Peter &c., which had sent them. But upon some occasion Silas chose not to return yet, but stayed with Paul and Barnabas. And Paul and Barnabas stayed at Antioch instructing them that had received the faith, and revealing it to them that had not, and so did also divers others of the disciples which came thither, ch. xi. 19. and see how they advance in the knowledge of Christ, and confirm them, ver. 41. But because this John had left them when he went from Pamphylia, ch. xiii. 13, and had not accompanied them constantly in the preaching of the Who was a Christian approved of all in Lystra and Iconium. Him Paul chose to go and accompany and assist him in preaching, which because the Jewish Christians would not let him do, (the proselytes of the gates, or uncircumcised, being not permitted to come into the same court of the temple with the Jews, at least they would never hearken to or benefit by his preaching, having a special aversion to such,) he therefore circumcised him, his father being a Greek, and consequently his not being circumcised in his childhood being known to all. And thus they confirmed the churches, and every day converted many to the faith of Christ. And therefore not coming to, ver. 7, but passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. upon discourse, resolving from the vision that the Lord— had a very fair gale that brought us directly to Samothracia— a metropolis of one part of Macedonia, and this city a colony of the Romans, ver. 21: and we were— where by a river side there stood an oratory; and thither we went; and going in found many women together, and to them Paul preached the gospel. [a] where prayer was] That προσευχή signifies a place set apart or accustomed for the service of God, there is little question: so προσευχάς καθιδρύσαντες, building oratories, in the 3rd book of Maccab., and so perhaps προσευχή τοῦ Θεοῦ signifies, Luke vi. 12. And from the ordinariness of that use of the word, for praying places, it is, that Juvenal hath made use of it for a begging place, or a corner, or porch where beggars meet, ...in qua te quæro proseucha? and Cleomedes, lib. 1. c. 1, speaking of some strange words and forms of speech used by Epicurus, saith they are such as are fetched ἀπό μίσης τῆς προσευχῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐταῖς προσαιτούντων, Ἰουδαϊκά τινα καὶ παρακεχαραγμένα, "fetched from the middle of a proseucha, from those that use to beg there, certain Jewish obsolete words or phrases," καὶ καταπολὺ τῶν ἑρπετῶν ταπεινότερα, "much more humble than those that creep on the ground." As for that of oratories, which is the scripture acception of the word, we find mention of them in Josephus in his life, p. 645, εἰσάγονται πάντες εἰς προσευχήν, "they are all brought into an oratory, a great house," saith he, "able to contain a great multitude;" and so soon after again and again. The custom of building such is said to come from the fact of Isaac, Gen. xxiv. 62, 63, where it is said that he went out into the field to a well to pray, saith the Chaldee paraphrase, and therefore they built these proseuchæ in fields, for the most part near fountains or rivers, or brooks' sides, which the idolaters imitated, Isa. lvii. 6, (and such perhaps it was where they prayed, ch. xxi. 5, a little way without the city, and upon a shore,) or on mountains, as that Luke vi, which the idolaters imitated also. Now that this here was such an one will appear, not only by that which is here said of Paul, that he sat down and spake to the women, making it a place not to pray, but to preach, but also by the express words of Epiphanius, tit. 2. lib. 3. c. 80. "There were," saith he, "anciently some places of prayer without the city, both in Judæa and among the Samaritans, and there is a place of prayer in Shechem (which is now called Neapolis) without the city," &c., which is near this very place which is here spoken of, [b] spirit of divination] Python was a name of the city Delphos, where oracles were delivered by the devil, and they that prophesied there were called by that name Πύθωνος, Pythons. From thence the word was accommodated to other sorts of diviners, especially to the ἐγγαστρίμυθοι, those out of whose bellies (as the oracles out of caves) the devil spake. Of these, see Photii Epist. ρνά. p. 206. Τὸ ἐμφωλεύον τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ γαστρὶ πονηρὸν, καὶ ἄξιον τὴν κοπροδόχον οἰκείν, ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα, λίαν ἐμφερῶς προσωνομάκασιν ἐγγαστρίμυθον, "The wicked and unclean spirit, that inhabits a man's belly as a serpent his hole in the earth, and being unclean, is fit to dwell in that place which is the receptacle of ordure, they appositely call engastrimuthus." This, saith he, the Grecians commonly call ἐντερόμαντιν, "the diviner from the guts," others ἐγγαστρίμαντιν, "the diviner in the belly." But Sophocles and Plato "being ashamed that their demon should have such a dwelling," one of them, ἀντὶ γαστρὸς αὐτῷ τὰ στέρνα χαρισάμενος, στερούμαντιν μετωνόμαζεν, "instead of the belly allowed him the breast, and called him the diviner out of the breast;" and the other called every such by the name of Eurycles, a person who had been famous for this, and so transmitted the appellation to all other the like. And of this kind of devil, saith he, "which loves to dwell in the ordure both of men and women," Λαόπλανον τοῦτο καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀπωλείας τοῖς προσέχειν αὐτῷ ἀναπεπεισμένοις πρόξενον, "it is a great deceiver of people, and author of destruction to all that give ear to it." That this is it which is here meant by Πύθωνος πνεῦμα, the spirit of Python, appears by Hesychius, being read, as that place ought to be, ἐγγαστρίμυθος—(not as we now read without any sense, τούτων ἡμεῖς πάντων ἦν καλοῦμεν, but) τούτον ἡμεῖς Πύθωνα νῦν καλοῦμεν, "we now call this Python." These the Hebrew calls אובות, from אוב, the belly; and the reason is rendered by Galen, because "they speak without opening their mouth, and so seem to speak out of the belly." These are they that have familiar spirits, Lev. xix. 31. [c] rent off their clothes] Among the rites of scourging, this of rending the garments asunder is mentioned for one, in Mischna, c. 3. "Both hands are tied to the pillar on both sides, then the officer of the And brought them out of the inner prison, ver. 24, and said, Sirs, I see and acknowledge that the doctrine taught by you is the truth of the eternal omnipotent God, thus testified by him by miracles, which therefore all are bound to receive that will be saved. Tell me, I beseech you, what I must do to be capable of that salvation. And they told him, that the receiving and embracing the doctrine of Christ, and regulating his life according to it, was that which was required of him and his family. And they preached the gospel to him and to— ° used the best remedies he could to assuage the pain and heal the wounds and soreness that remained from their scourging, and was baptized— And some of the Jews received the faith, and associated with Paul and Silas, and many also of the Grecians, which were proselytes, and many women of better quality. ᵉ of those which call the people together on occasion, (see note [b] Mark vii.,) and raising the city, they set upon Jason's house, searching for Paul and Silas, meaning to bring them out to the people as enemies of the public peace. ᵈ believers, Christians, unto the officers of the city, (see note [f] ch. xix.,) crying— ᵉ and their doctrine is quite contrary to Cæsar's authority over us, saying— ᶠ the people and magistrates were troubled, (see note [b] Luke xvi.,) when they heard these things. ² worshipping Grecians: see ch. xlii. 50. ³ being enraged, ζηλώσαντες. ⁴ wicked men of the officers of their courts, and making a tumult, τῶν ἀγορῶν τινὰς ἄνδρας κονηροῦς, καὶ ἀχλοκοιήσαντες. ⁵ troubled the world. [a] turned the world upside down] What ἀναστατώσαντες signifies will best be discerned by the use of the word Gal. v. 12; there we render it troubling, and so it appears to signify by comparing it with ver. 10, ὁ δὲ ταράσσων, but he that troubleth you shall bear his own judgment, as before he said, ch. i. 7, εἰ μὴ τινὲς εἰσιν οἱ ταράσσοντες, but that there are some that trouble you. So Acts xv. 24, the same is expressed, τινὲς ἐτάραξαν ὑμᾶς λόγοις, some troubled you with words. And thus we may resolve by the use of other authors. Ἀναστατεῖν, saith Eustathius, is ἀναστάτους ποιεῖν, and that ἀβασιλεύτους ποιεῖν, “to put in disorder or confusion,” such as in state of anarchy: and “in the same place he interprets ἀναστήσειεν by ταράξας ἐξεγερεῖ, “to stir up by troubling or disturbing.” Contrary to this is κατάστασις, a quiet tranquillity, and so is used by the stoics and Epicureans for ἀταραξία, un-troubledness. Thus Cicero renders καταστάσεις sometimes constantias, sometimes sedationes, as the contrary perturbationes. And then ἀναστατεῖν contrary to κατάστασις, must be to disturb, disquiet, stir up. And so it will most properly be here rendered also, in the same sense that ἀκαταστασία is used, James iii. 16, for disturbance, confusion, &c. Many therefore of those Jews received the faith; and so likewise of the Gentiles many of the better sort, both women and men. And when those Jews of Thessalonica, which opposed Paul there, had knowledge— And suddenly the Christians, to delude the persecutors, sent Paul toward the sea side, as if he meant to take ship, whereas he meant to go a-foot to Athens: but Silas— [b] wholly given to idolatry] Κατείδωλος πάλις is a city full of images or idols or altars erected to the gods, and much given to the worship of them. That Athens was such, appears by Pausanias, the number of the simulacra or εἴδωλα there being more than in all Greece besides: so saith Philostratus in Apollonius’s travel thither, φιλοθύτας τοὺς Ἀθηναίους εἶδεν, de Vit. Apollon. l. 4. c. 6, “he saw the Athenians were lovers of devotion, of sacrificing,” &c. And therefore in his discourse with Timasionᵉ, he tells him, σωφρονίστερον περὶ πάντων θεῶν λέγειν εὖ, καὶ ταῦτα Ἀθήνησιν, “it was the soberest way to speak well of all gods, especially at Athens, where there were altars of unknown gods.” See Suidas in Τιμασίων. So saith Pausaniasᶠ, that they did εὐσεβεῖν θεοὺς ἄλλων πλέον, “express more piety to the gods than any;” and presently adds, as an evidence of their piety, that they had “altars, αἰδοῦς, φήμης, καὶ ὁρμῆς, of bashfulness, of fame, and of desire;” and again, Ἀθηναίοις, περισσότερον τι ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις εἰς τὰ θεῖα ἐστι σπουδῆς, “they exceed all in their diligence about the gods.” So Strabo, Ἀθηνοῖοι δὲ ὥσπερ περὶ τὰ ἄλλα φιλοξενοῦντες διατελοῦσιν, οὕτω καὶ περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς, πολλὰ γὰρ τῶν ξενικῶν ἱερῶν παρεδέξαντο, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐκωμωδήθησαν, “their hospitality to strangers extends to the gods too, being very ready to receive in any strange worships.” So Himerius, in his Declamation against Epicurus, when, saith he, I named Athens, τὸ μέγιστον εἶπον τῆς εὐσεβείας κεφάλαιον, “I named the greatest sum of piety.” So Theophylact, setting down the full inscription of the altar, ver. 23, θεοῖς Ἀσίας, καὶ Εὐρώπης, καὶ Λιβύης, θεῷ ἀγνώστῳ καὶ ξένῳ, supposes them to have received all the strange gods of the world, of Asia, Europe, Afric, and moreover one strange one which they knew not who or whence he was. Whereas Dionysius Halic., speaking of the Romans, ᵉ In Iliad. 1. p. 60. ll. 27. 29. ᵈ l. 25. ᵉ l. 6. c. 7. ᶠ p. 15. And thereupon he did not only preach in the synagogue of the Jews to the Jews and proselytes, but in other places of concourse he took occasion to make known the Christian doctrine to all the heathens that he met with there. And some of the learned men of Athens of the two contrary sects, one that denied all providence, the other that denied all freedom of will, encountered him— h to the place of judicature at Athens, and examined him what new religion it was that he taught. [c] babbler] The notion of the word σπερμολόγος (all one with σπερμονόμος) is clear by the concurrence of the grammarians in their explication of the Attic word, as it is proverbially used among them, and by the Greek fathers upon this place, both generally agreeing that the word primarily signifies εἶδος ὀρνέου, “a sort of bird,” that was wont to be about the streets, λωβώμενον τὰ σπέρματα, “picking up the seeds.” So Œcumenius and Phavorinus: from whence, say they, the Attic writers applied the word proverbially to those that do περὶ ἐμπόρια καὶ ἀγορὰς διατρίβειν, “spend their time in the streets, at fairs and markets,” that is, very idly; and from hence, say they, it comes to signify τοὺς εὐτελεῖς καὶ οὐδενὸς λόγου ἀξίους, “mean, vile persons, that are worth nothing.” And so Eustathius on Homer Ὀδυσσ. ε', and Suidas also. [d] Jesus, and the resurrection] That Jesus and ἀνάστασις, the resurrection, were by them taken to be (both of them) δαιμόνια ξένα, new or strange gods, is not only affirmed by some of the fathers, but very reasonable to believe, when we remember out of Pausanias, that αἰδώς, and φήμη, and ὁρμή, “modesty, and fame, and vehement desire,” were gods, and had altars erected to them by these Athenians. See note [a]. [e] Areopagus] Their Areopagus was their senate or standing court of judicature in Athens, by whose laws and orders any new gods were received among them; and therefore as soon as they conceived that Paul was καταγγελεὺς ξενῶν δαιμονίων, a promulger of new strange deities, they bring him to the Areopagus, to have him examined what gods they were that he thus preached. Two judicatures they had in Athens; one every year changed, made up of five hundred chosen men, of whom the republic consisted; the other perpetual, which judged of murders and the like capital offences, and this was in Areopago: of which, and the customs thereof, see Buddæus on the Pandects. This Juvenal calls curiam Martis, and ℣Pausanias tells us that it was so called, because when Mars had killed Neptune's son Alirrothios, he was the first that was there judged. Ἄρειος πάγος καλούμενος, ὅτι πρῶτος Ἄρης ἐνταῦθα ἐκρίθη. But this, saith ℣St. Austin, Varro would not yield to, but produces another original of it, de obscurarum notitia literarum, “out of the knowledge of dark learning.” The word πάγος in the ℣ Attic. p. 26. l. 44. and p. 19. l. 19. ℣ De Clr. l. 18. c. 18. For all that yet we hear is very new and strange: we desire to have a full account of all. Paul being brought before the judges in Areopagus, said, Ye Athenians have a greater number of gods, which ye worship, than any other cities have. k This God therefore whom you acknowledge not to know, and yet profess to worship, is he that I preach, the invisible God of heaven and earth, ruler, because creator, of all, which cannot be contained in any shrine of man's framing. [ʃ] too superstitious] What is the notion of δεισιδαιμονία, superstition, doth here deserve to be considered. And by what hath been said of κατείδωλος (note [a]), it will soon appear that in this place δεισιδαιμονίστεροι, more superstitious than ordinary, signifying the worship of more gods than other cities worshipped, the positive δεισιδαιμων, and the substantive δεισιδαιμονία must denote no more than the worship of God; and accordingly it follows, ver. 23, ὃν οὖν εὐσεβείτε, whom ye wor- [g] To the unknown God] Concerning this altar at Athens inscribed To the unknown God, there is a famous story in Laertius in Epimenid., that in time of pestilence at Athens, Epimenides being accounted by them θεοφιλέστατος, one "most beloved of God," was consulted by them, who appointed this lustration for the city. Taking many sheep, black and white, he brought them into Areopagus, and permitted them to go whither they would, appointing some to follow each, and wherever they lay down there to kill and sacrifice them προσήκοντι θεῷ, "to a fit god," or to a god to whom sacrifices were due, and so the plague ceased, ὅθεν ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐστιν εὑρεῖν κατὰ τοὺς δήμους τῶν Ἀθηναίων βωμοὺς ἀνωνύμους, "whence," saith he, "is it that among the Athenians in public places there are altars that have no names on them." So Hesychius, Θεοὶ ξενικοὶ παρὰ Ἀθηναίοις τιμῶνται, οὓς καταλέγει Ἀπολλοφάνης ἐν Κρησίν, "Strange gods are worshipped among the Athenians, which Apollophanes reckons up in his Cretians." So in Philostratus, l. 6. c. 7, of Apollonius mentioning Athens, οὗ καὶ ἀγνώστων δαιμόνων βωμοὶ ἴδρυνται, saith he, "where are built altars of unknown demons, or spirits, or gods." And so Lucian in his Philopater, Νὴ τὸν ἄγνωστον ἐν Ἀθήναις, "By the unknown God at Athens." And, Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν ἐν Ἀθήναις ἄγνωστον ἐφεύραντες καὶ προσκυνήσαντες, χεῖρις εἰς οὐρανὸν ἐκτείναντες τούτῳ εὐχαριστήσομεν, "We having found and worshipped the unknown God at Athens, will stretch out our hands to heaven, and give thanks to him." And so saith Pausanias, that there were at Athens "altars of unknown gods." And the same author mentions among the Lydians or Persians some sacrifices, that by invocation of an unknown God, and a form which he calls barbarous, because not understood by the Grecians, (the God of Abraham, &c.) brought fire down, and burnt the wood upon the altar, Eliac. l. 1, which is a description of the πυραυθεία mentioned by Strabo, l. 15, which may well be thought an imitation of that fact of Elias in Ahab's time, who, by invoking the name of God, brought down fire upon the altar. Of St. Paul's making use of this inscription at Athens against the heathens, see Photii Epist. ξβ. p. 114. Nor can any image made by man be a proper instrument to worship or propitiate him, he being so far from wanting any help of ours, that he gives to all their very life, and all that they have. And from one Adam first, and then from one Noah, hath framed a whole world of men, fixing times and places in great order and wisdom of disposal. And the end of all that is, that they might look after him that created them, and worship him. And though they were left through their sins, as in the dark, in gross ignorance, yet was God so palpably to be discerned, that by feeling or groping, as blind men in that dark, they might, if they would but seek, find him, who is indeed very near every one of us, even as the soul that animates every one: For our life, motion, and subsistence, is wholly through him, according to that which Aratus an heathen poet said, For we are— [h] in him we live] This seems to have reference to an old iambic, Ζῶμεν δ' ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ κινούμεθα, Καὶ ἐσμίν. God therefore being our creator can in no reason be supposed by us his workmanship to be the work of our hands, such as a piece of gold, or silver, or stone, with a signature upon it. And it is certainly long enough that men have gone on in such prodigious conceits as this: be it therefore now known unto you, that there is place of repentance, if you will make haste to accept it; for God, not looking or fastening his eyes upon the continued idolatry of the heathens for many years, (which might provoke him to desert them for ever,) now sends us to you, their progeny, to call you to repentance, enters a new covenant with you, as well as others, a covenant of free pardon upon reformation. Having now determined the way by which the whole world shall be judged, viz., by their receiving ¹⁷ needing, προσεύμενος. ἀγλαφθένιον αὐτόν. ¹⁸ himself giving, αὐτὸς διδούς. ¹⁹ grope him out, ²⁰ taking no notice of, doth now command, ὑπερὶν, ταῦν παρὰν.