14 S Symeon hath declared how God at s ver. 7. 15 And to this agree the words of t 12. hearken unto me: the first did visit people for his name. the prophets; as it is written, 16 t After this I will return, Amos ix. 11, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore " my sentence is, that we trouble u see ver. 28. ° for the whole of this, read, who maketh these things known. writers of the New Test., the representative His reign over all nations. During the y Gen. xxxv. 2. x1 Thess. 1. 9. not them, which from among the Gentiles * are P turned to Exod. xx. 3, God: 20 but that we write unto them, that they abstain 23. Ezek. vii.1. ii. 14, 20: ix. 20, 21. z 1 Cor. vi. 9, Gal. v. v. 3. Col. iii. 5. 3. 1 Pet. iv. 3. a b Rev. from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old 19. Eph. time hath in every city them that preach him, being Thess. iv. read in the synagogues every sabbath day. 22 Then a Gen. ix. 4. pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, Deut. xii. 18, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with bch. xii, 15, 27. Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23 and they wrote letters by them [t after this manner]; The apostles Lev. iii. 17. 23. c ch. i. 23. P render, turning. literally, ancient generations. с I render, from of. $ render, choose out men of their own company, and send them. xvi. 25, 26; Eph. iii. 5, 6, &c. 19.] not, as A. V. are turned,' but are turning:the converts daily gathered into the church. 20.] The pollutions of idols are the things polluted by being offered to idols, about which there was much doubt and contention in the early church :- see Exod. xxxiv. 15, and 1 Cor. viii. and x. 19. fornication] It may seem strange that a positive sin should be made the subject of these enactments which mostly regard things in themselves indifferent, but rendered otherwise by expediency and charity to others. In consequence we have the following attempts to evade the simple rendering of the word: (1) Some explain it of spiritual fornication in eating things offered to idols: (2) others, of the committal of actual fornication at the rites in idol temples, &c. See further in my Greek Test. But the solution will best be found in the fact, that fornication was universally in the Gentile world regarded on the same footing with the other things mentioned, as indifferent, and is classed here as Gentiles would be accustomed to hear of it, among those things which they allowed themselves, but which the Jews regarded as forbidden. The moral abomination of the practice is not here in question, but is abundantly set forth by our Lord and his Apostles in other places. things strangled as containing the blood, -see Levit. xvii. 13, 14. blood] in any shape: see Gen. ix. 4; Levit. xvii. 13, 14; Deut. xii. 23, 24. Some of the fathers, and others, interpret the word of homicide, which is refuted by the context. Living as the Gentile converts would be in the presence of Jewish Christians, who 21.] heard these Mosaic prohibitions read, as they had been from generations past, in their synagogues, it would be well for them to avoid all such conduct and habits as would give unnecessary offence. On the reading of the law, &c., in the synagognes, see ch. xiii. 15, note. 22. Barsabas] In most of our old authorities, Barsabbas. Of this Judas nothing further is known than that (ver. 32) he was a 'prophet' (see ch. xiii. 1). Wolf and Grotius hold him to have been the brother of Joseph Barsabas, ch. i. 23. Silas otherwise Silvanus: the former name is found in the Acts, the latter in the Epp. of Paul. He also was a prophet' (ver. 32). He accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey through Asia Minor and Macedonia (ver. 40-ch. xvii. 10),—remained behind in Beroa (xvii. 14), and joined Paul again in Corinth (xviii. 5; 1 Thess. i. 1; 2 Thess. i. 1), where he preached with Paul and Timotheus (2 Cor. i. 19). Whether the Silvanus (1 Pet. v. 12), by whom the first Epistle of Peter was carried to the churches of Asia Minor, was the same person, is altogether uncertain. Tradition distinguishes Silas from Silvanus, making the former bishop of Corinth, the latter of Thessalonica. On the hypothesis which indentities Silas with Luke, and makes him the author of the Acts, see Introduction to Acts, § 1. 11, b, c. I may repeat here, that in my mind the description of Silas here as one of the "chief men among the brethren," of itself, especially when contrasted with the preface to Luke's gospel, would suffice to refute the notion. It has been also supposed that Silas (because it may signify third in Hebrew) is the same name with Ter ii. 4: v. 12. Tit. i. 10, 11. and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia 24 forasmuch as we have heard, that certain & ver. 1. Gal. which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, [saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law:] to whom we gave no [ such] commandment: 25 it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 e men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater read, with all our most ancient MSS., elder brethren. ▾ omit. tius, who wrote the Ep. to the Romans, Rom. 24. subverting] The word implies turning up the foundations. The words "saying ye must be circumcised and keep the law," inserted in the common text, are manifestly, in my view, an interpolation, from the desire to specify in what particulars these persons had sought to unsettle the souls of the Gentile brethren. The persons to whom the epistle was addressed would very well know what it was that had disturbed their minds, and the omission of formal mention of it would be natural, to avoid prominent cause of offence to the Jewish converts by an apparent depreciation of circumcision and the observance of the law. 25. Barnabas and Paul] Paul has generally been mentioned first, since ch. xiii. 43. (The exception, ch. xiv. 14, appears to arise from the people calling Barnabas Jupiter, and thus giving him the ch.10.50 e xiii, Cor. xv. 30. 2 Cor. xi. 23. 26. literally, delivered up. precedence in ver. 12, after which the next mention of them follows the same order.) But here, as at ver. 12, we have naturally the old order of precedence in the Jerusalem congregation preserved. 26. men that have delivered up their lives] The sacrifice of their lives was made by them they were martyrs in will, though their lives had not as yet been laid down in point of fact.-This is mentioned to shew that Paul and Barnabas could have no other motive than that of serving the Lord Jesus Christ, and to awaken trust in the minds of the churches. But, although this was so, the Apostles and Elders did not think proper to send only Paul and Barnabas, who were already so deeply committed by their acts to the same side of the question as the letter which they bore,-but as direct authorities from themselves, Judas and Silas also, who might by word confirm the contents of the Epistle. 27.] the same things as above, the contents of the Epistle (and any explanation required): not, as Neander, the same things as Paul and Barnabas have preached' by mouth, as opposed to by letter,' decides against this interpretation. 28. it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us] Not to the Holy Ghost in us, but as, in ch. v. 32, the Holy Spirit, given to the Apostles and testifying by His divine power, is coupled with their own human testimony,-so here the decision of the Holy Spirit, given them as leaders of the church, is laid down as the primary and decisive determination on the matter,-and their own formal ecclesiastical decision follows, as giving utterance and scope to His will and com f ver. 20. i. 25. h. Rev. g Lev. xvii. 14. burden than [these] necessary things; 29 that ye abstain ii. 14, 20. from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. 30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: 31 which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. 32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them. 33 And after they 11. had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles. [a 34 Notwithstanding it kch. xiii. 1. pleased Silas to abide there still.] 35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. xviii. 23. i1 Cor. xvi. Heb. xi. 31. 14, 51: xiv. 1, 6, 24, 25. 36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us 1 ch. xiii. 4, 18, go again and visit our brethren 'in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. 37 And Barnabas b determined to take with them m John, whose surname was Mark. 38 But Paul thought not good m ch. xii. 12, 25: xiii. 5. Col. iv. 10. 2 Tim. iv. 11. Philem. 24. n ch. xiii, 13. to take him with them, " who departed from them from y omitted by some of our older MSS. Z read, with all our most ancient MSS., them that had sent them forth. a omit, with the great majority of our most ancient authorities. b render, was minded. 32.] mand. The other interpretation weakens 34. omitted] On every account it is probable that the words forming this verse in the common text are an interpolation, to account for Silas being found again at Antioch in ver. 40. On this his subsequent presence at Antioch, see note, ver. 40.-We learn from Gal. ii. 10, that a condition was attached to the cordiality with which the Gentile mission of Paul and Barnabas was recognized by the chief Apostles;-that they should remember the poor, i. e. the poor at Jerusalem :-that the wants of the mother church should not be forgotten by those converts, whose Judaical bond to her was thus cast loose. This was an object which Paul was ever most anxious to subserve. See Gal. 1. c. and note. 36 CH. XVIII. 22.] PAUL'S SECOND 39 And Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. the contention, was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; 40 and Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren och. xiv. 26. unto the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, P confirming the churches. b p ch. xvi. 5. a ch. xiv. 6. Rom. xvi. 21. Cor. iv. 17. Phil. ii. 19. 2. 2 Tim. i. XVI. 1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, bch. xix. 22. the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2 which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and 21 Iconium. 3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father с I read, the Lord. man. We may well believe that St. Paul's own mouth gave originally the character to the sentence. who departed from them] See ch. xiii. 13. It hence is evident that his departure was not by the authority of the Apostles. 39.]"Paul sought justice, Barnabas courtesy," Chrysostom: who also remarks on their separate journeys,—“It seems to me that their parting was by agreement, and that they said to one another, Since you will it, and I do not, that we be not at strife, let us divide our courses.' So that they did this out of a yielding spirit to one another." Yet it seems as if there were a considerable difference in the character of their setting out. Barnabas appears to have gone with his nephew without any special sympathy or approval; whereas Paul was commended to the grace of God by the assembled church. We find Mark afterwards received into favour by Paul, see Col. iv. 10; 2 Tim. iv. 11; and in the former of those places it would seem as if he was dependent for his reception on Paul's special commendation. 40. Silas] He may perhaps have come down again to Antioch (see ver. 33) in Peter's company. We find (see above on ver. 22) a Silvanus (which is the same name) in 1 Pet. v. 12, the bearer of that epistle to the congregations of Asia Minor. 41. Syria and Cilicia] See note, ver. 23. Here we finally lose sight of Barnabas in the sacred record. CHAP. XVI. 1.] We have Derbe first, as lying nearest to the pass from Cilicia into Lycaonia and Cappadocia. Paul probably travelled by the ordinary road VOL. I. c 2 Tim. i. 5. d ch. vi. 3. e 1 Cor. ix. 20. Gal. ii. 3. see Gal. v. 2. through the Cilician gates,' a rent or fissure in the mountain-chain of Taurus, extending from north to south through a distance of eighty miles. See various interesting particulars in Conybeare and Howson, i. p. 301 ff. and notes. was there] At Lystra: which, and not Derbe, was in all probability the birth-place of Timotheus, see on ch. xx. 4. This view is confirmed by ver. 2.-He had probably been converted by Paul during his former visit, as he calls him his son in the Lord, 1 Cor. iv. 17; 1 Tim. i. 2; 2 Tim. i. 2; perhaps at Antioch in Pisidia, see 2 Tim. iii. 10, 11. His mother was Eunice, his grandmother, Lois,-both women of wellknown piety, 2 Tim. i. 5. Whether his father was a proselyte of the gate or not, is uncertain: he certainly was uncircumcised. He would be, besides his personal aptness for the work, singularly fitted to be the coadjutor to Paul, by his mixed extraction forming a link between Jews and Greeks. 2.] Some of these testimonies were probably intimations of the Spirit respecting his fitness for the work: for Paul speaks, 1 Tim. i. 18, of "the prophecies which went before on thee" (see ch. xiii. 1, 3). He was set apart for the work by the laying on of the hands of Paul and of the presbytery, 1 Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i. 6, after he had made a good confession before many witnesses, 1 Tim. vi. 12. 3. took and circumcised him] Every Israelite might perform the rite. because of the Jews] That he might not at once, wherever he preached, throw a stumbling-block before the Jews, by having 3 D |