13:16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

13:17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

13:18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their¹ manners in the wilderness.

13:19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

13:20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space² of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

13:21 And afterward they desired a king:and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin,³ by the space of forty years.

13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.⁴

 

 

13:24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.⁵

13:25 And as John fulfilled his course,⁶ he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.⁷

5. Mal. 3:1, as quoted Mat. 11:10, not exactly after the LXX., but rather according to the literal translation of the Hebrew.

6. [Here, and in the speech at Miletus (Act. 13:25), it is worthy of notice that St. Paul uses one of his favorite and characteristic metaphors drawn from the foot-race. — H. ]

7. The imperfect is used here.

Act. 13:25- 31

13:26 Men and brethren,⁸ children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

13:27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

13:28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

13:30 But God raised him from the dead:

13:31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his⁹ witnesses unto the people.¹⁰

8. Literally "men that are my brethren." So in Act. 17:22, — "men of Athens." It might be rendered simply "Brethren."

9. The word for "now," evidently very important here, is erroneously omitted by the Textus Receptus.

10. "The people" always means the Jewish people.

Act. 13:32- 40

13:32 And we declare¹¹ unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,

13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again;¹² as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.¹³

13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.¹⁴

13:35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.¹⁵

13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation¹⁶ by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

13:37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.¹⁷

13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

13:40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

11. Observe, "we preach to you" emphatically contrasted with the preceding "they to the Jewish nation" (Humphry).

12. "Raised up from the dead." We cannot agree with Mr. Humphry that the word can here (consistently with the context) have the same meaning as in Act. 7:37.

13. Psa. 2:7, according to LXX. trans.

14. Isa. 55:3 (LXX.). The verbal connection (holy — Holy One) between vv. 34 and 35 should be carefully noticed.

15. David’s ministration was performed (like that of other men) in his own generation; but the ministration of Christ extended to all generations. The thought is similar to Heb. 7:23, 24. We depart here from the Authorized Version, because the use of the Greek words, for "to serve one’s own generation," does not accord with the analogy of the N. T.

16. We are here reminded of the arguments of St. Peter on the day of Pentecost, just as the beginning of the speech recalls that of St. Stephen before the Sanhedrin. Possibly, St. Paul himself had been an auditor of the first, as he certainly was of the last.

17. Hab. 1:5. (LXX)

Act. 14:15- 17

14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

14:16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

14:17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.¹

1. "You" and "your" are the correct readings, not "us" and "our."

Act. 15:23- 30

15:23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren¹ send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.²

15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls,³ saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law:to whom we gave no such commandment:

15:25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved⁴ Barnabas and Paul,

15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15:27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also⁵ tell you the same things by mouth.

15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

15:29 That ye abstain 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.

15:30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch:and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:

1. We adhere to the Textus Receptus, although the "and" before "Brethren" is omitted in many weighty MSS. But it is supported by Chrysostom, by several of the uncial MSS., and by many of the most ancient versions. Its omission might have been caused by hierarchical tendencies. It should be observed that the phrase without the conjunction is entirely unknown elsewhere, which is a strong argument against its being the correct reading here. Also the omission appears to render the superscription of this document inconsistent with the enumeration of the three distinct parties to it in verse 22.

2. "Greeting." The only other place where this salutation occurs is Jam. 1:1; an undesigned coincidence tending to prove the genuineness of this document.

3. Although the best MSS. omit the words "by telling… Law," yet we think they cannot possibly be an interpolation.

4. It is another undesigned coincidence that the names of these two Apostles are here in the reverse order to that which, in St. Luke’s narrative (except when he speaks of Jerusalem), they have assumed since chap. 13, In the view of the Church at Jerusalem, Paul’s name would naturally come after that of Barnabas. See above, p. 191, n. 2.

5. The present participle may be explained by the ancient idiom of letter-writing, by which the writer transferred himself into the time of the reader.

Act. 17:22- 23

17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions,¹ I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE² UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

1. The mistranslation of this verse in the Authorized Version is much to be regretted, because it entirely destroys the graceful courtesy of St. Paul’s opening address, and represents him as beginning his speech by offending his audience.

2. Although there is no article before the adjective, yet we need not scruple to retain the definite article of the Authorized Version; for although, if we take the expression by itself, "AN Unknown God" would be a more correct translation, yet if we consider the probable origin (see above) of these altars erected to unknown gods it will be evident that "To THE Unknown God" would be quite as near the sense of the inscription upon any particular one of such altars. Each particular altar was devoted to the unknown god to whom it properly belonged, though which of the gods it might be the dedicator knew not.

Act. 17:24- 28

17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;³

17:25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

17:26 And hath made of one blood⁴ all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

17:27 That they should seek the Lord,⁵ if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets⁶ have said, For we are also his offspring.

3. Here again (as at Antioch in Pisidia) we find St. Paul employing the very words of St. Stephen. Act. 7:48.

4. "Of one blood;" excluding the boastful assumption of a different origin claimed by the Greeks for themselves over the barbarians. It is not necessary to take the words together so as to mean "He caused to dwell," as some interpreters maintain.

5. The reading of MSS. A. B. G. H. &c. ("God," not "Lord") is the best.

6. The quotation is from Aratus, a Greek poet, who was a native of Cilicia; a circumstance which would, perhaps, account for St. Paul’s familiarity with his writings. His astronomical poems were so celebrated, that Ovid declares his fame will live as long as the sun and moon endure. How little did the Athenian audience imagine that the poet’s immortality would really be owing to the quotation made by the despised provincial who addressed them! Nearly the same words occur also in the hymn of Cleanthes. [ See p. 5, n. 2, and p. 318, n. 4. The opening lines of this hymn have been thus translated:— "Thou, who amid the Immortals art throned the highest in glory, Giver and Lord of life, who by law disposest of all things, Known by many a name, yet One Almighty forever, Hall, O Zens! for to Thee should each mortal voice be uplifted: Offspring are we too of thine, we and all that in mortal around us." H.]

Act. 17:29- 31

17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at;⁷ but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all⁸ men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

7. See notes upon St. Paul’s speech at Lystra. It should be observed that no such metaphor as "winked at" is to be found in the original.

8. Observe the coincidence between this sentiment and that in Rom. 1:4.

Act. 20:18- 24

20:18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them,¹ Ye know,² from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,

20:19 Serving the LORD³ with all⁴ humility of mind, and with many tears,⁵ and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait⁶ of the Jews:

20:20 And how I kept back⁷ nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house⁸ to house,

20:21 Testifying both to the Jews,⁹ and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

20:22 And now, behold, I¹⁰ go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem,¹¹ not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

20:23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city,¹² saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

20:24 But none of these things move me,¹³ neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy,¹⁴ and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

1. "Brethren" is found here in the Uncial Manuscript D (Codex Bezae) and in some early versions; and we have adopted it, because it is nearly certain that St. Paul would not have begun his address abruptly without some such word. Compare all his other recorded speeches in the Acts.

2. "Ye yourselves," emphatic.

3. "The Lord," as Col. 3:24. With this self-commendation Tholuck compares 1Th. 2:10, and 2Co. 6:3, 4. See note on verse 33 below. "Felix," says Bengel, "qui sic exordiri potest conscientiam auditorum testando."

4. "All." Tholuck remarks on the characteristic use of "all" in St. Paul’s Epistles.

5. "Tears." Compare 2Co. 2:4, and Php. 3:18.

6. "Plotting of Jews." Compare 1Co. 15:31.

7. "Kept back nothing." Compare 2Co. 2:2, and 1Th. 2:4.

8. "House to house." Compare lTh. 2:11.

9. Observe that the definite article is used here. THE repentance (which they ought to have) towards God, &c.

10. See next note.

11. The order of the words, according to the true reading, gives this turn to ‘he passage. St. Paul was "bound," i.e. a prisoner in chains, but as yet only in the spirit, not in body. This is not the Holy Spirit, from which it is distinguished by the addition of "Holy" in the verse below. This explanation of the passage (which agrees with that of Grotius and Chrysostom) seems the natural one, in spite of the objections of De Wette and others.

12. We have two examples of this afterwards, namely, at Tyre (Act. 21:4) and at Caesarea (Act. 21:10, 11). And from the present passage we learn that such warnings had been given in many places during this journey. St. Paul’s own anticipations of danger appear Rom 15:31.

13. The reading adopted by Tischendorf here, though shorter, is the same in sense.

14. Compare 2Ti. 4:7, and Php. 2:16. See the remarks which have been made in the early part of this chapter on this favorite metaphor of St. Paul, especially p. 585, n. 1. [See also p. 157, n. 6. — H.]

Act. 20:25- 31

20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all,¹⁵ among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood¹⁶ of all men.

20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers,¹⁷ to feed the church of God,¹⁸ which he hath purchased with his own blood.

20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.¹⁹

20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years²⁰ I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.²¹

15. This "all" includes not only the Ephesian presbyters, but also the brethren from Macedonia. (See Act. 20:4.) The "gone" is, literally, "gone through." With regard to the expectation expressed by St. Paul, it must be regarded as a human inference from the danger which he knew to be before him. If (as we think) he was liberated after his first imprisonment at Rome, he did see some of his present audience again. Tholuck compares Php. 1:20, 1:25, and 2:24.

16. See Act. 18:6. "Your blood be upon your own heads:I am clean."

17. Epikopouv. It is scarcely necessary to remark, that in the New Testament the words ejpiskopov and presbuterov are convertible. Compare verse 17 and Tit. 1:5, 7, and see p. 378. Tholuck remarks that this reference to the Holy Spirit as the author of church government is in exact accordance with 1Co. 12:8, 11, and 28.

18. We have retained the T. R. here since the MSS. and fathers are divided between the readings "God" and "Lord." At the same time, we must acknowledge that the balance of authority is rather in favor of "Lord." A very candid and able outline of the evidence on each side of the question is given by Mr. Humphry. The sentiment exactly agrees with 1Co. 6:20.

19. We read "themselves" with Lachmann on the authority of some of the best MSS.

20. This space of three years may either be used (in the Jewish mode of reckoning) for the two years and upwards which St. Paul spent at Ephesus; or, if we suppose him, to speak to the Macedonians and Corinthians also (who were present), it may refer to the whole time (about three years and a half), since he came to reside at Ephesus in the autumn of 54 A. D.

21. See p. 601, n. 7. We have much satisfaction in referring here to the second of A. Monod’s recently published sermons. (Saint Paul, Cinq Discours. Paris, 1851.)

Act. 20:32- 36

20:32 And²² now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

20:33 ²³ I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.

20:34 Yea, ye yourselves²⁴ know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.²⁵

20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak,²⁶ and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

20:36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.

22. This conclusion reminds us of that of the letter to the Romans so recently written. Compare Rom. 16:25.

23. This is the force of the aorist, unless we prefer to suppose it used (as often by St. Paul) for a perfect.

24. This way of appealing to the recollection of his converts in proof of his disinterestedness is highly characteristic of St. Paul. Compare 1Th. 2:5-11, 2Th. 3:7- 9, 1Co. 9:4- 15, 2Co. 12:14, &c.

25. This mention of his companions and attendants is characteristic. St. Paul seems always to have been accompanied by a band of disciples, who helped him in the discharge of the many duties in which he was involved by "the care of all the churches." Compare Gal. 1:2 for the expression.

26. "The weak," i.e. the poor. This interpretation is defended by Chrysostom, and confirmed by Aristophanes, quoted by Wetstein. The interpretation of Calvin (who takes it as the weak in faith), which is supported by Neander and others, seems hardly consistent with the context.

Act. 22:1- 5

22:1 Men, brethren, and fathers¹ hear ye my defense which I make now unto you.

22:2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew² tongue to them, they kept the more silence:and he saith,)

22:3 I am verily a man³ which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous⁴ toward God, as ye all are this day.

22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

22:5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the⁵ estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren,⁶ and went⁷ to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

1. To account for this peculiar mode of address, we must suppose that mixed with the crowd were men of venerable age and dignity, perhaps members of the Sanhedrin, ancient Scribes and Doctors of the Law, who were stirring up the people against the heretic. The phrase generally translated in A.V. "Men and brethren," literally, "Men who are my brethren," may be equally translated "Brethren."

2. That is, it was the Hebraic dialect popularly spoken in Judaea, which we now call Syro-Chaldaic.

3. The pronoun is emphatic.

4. See the note on Gal. 1:14.

5. The Presbytery. Compare Luk. 22:66. The high priest here appealed to was the person who held that office at the time of St. Paul’s conversion, probably Theophilus, who was high priest in 37 and 38 A. D.

6. i.e. the Jews resident at Damascus.

7. Literally, I was on my road (imperf.).

Act. 22:6- 10

22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

22:7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth,⁸ whom thou persecutest.

22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid;⁹ but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

22:10 And I said, What shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

8. Literally, Jesus the Nazarene. Saul was going to cast the Nazarenes (so the Christians were called, see Act. 24:5) into chains and dungeons when he was stopped by the Lord announcing Himself from heaven to be Jesus the Nazarene.

9. The clause "and were terrified" is omitted in some of the best MSS.

Act. 22:11- 16

22:11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

22:12 And one Ananias, a devout¹⁰ man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

22:13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight.¹¹ And the same hour I looked up upon him.

22:14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

22:15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men¹² of what thou hast seen and heard.

22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized,¹³ and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.¹⁴

10. The corresponding Greek word is omitted in some of the best MSS. (and altered in others), probably because the copyists were perplexed at finding it not here used in its usual technical sense of a Jewish Proselyte.

11. The verb here has the double meaning of to recover sight and to look up; in the former of which it is used in the accounts of blind men healed in the Gospels. Here the A.V. translates the same verb by two different words.

12. The meaning rather stronger than "alt men."

13. Literally, cause thyself to be baptized (mid.). With the following compare 1Co. 6:11.

14. The best MSS. read "His name," and not "the Lord’s name." The reference is to the confession of faith in Jesus, which preceded baptism.

Act. 22:17- 21

22:17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

22:18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem:for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

22:19 And I said,¹⁵ Lord, they know that I¹⁶ imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

22:20 And when the blood of thy martyr¹⁷ Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting¹⁸ unto his death,¹⁹ and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

22:21 And he said unto me, Depart:for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

15. St. Paul expected at first that the Jews at Jerusalem (the members of his own party) would listen to him readily, because they could not be more violent against the Nazarenes than they knew him to have been:and he therefore thought that they must feel that nothing short of irresistible truth could have made him join the sect which he had hated.

16. Literally, I was imprisoning, I kept on imprisoning.

17. This word (literally Witness) had not yet acquired its technical sense, but here it may be translated Martyr, because the mode in which Stephen bore testimony was by his death.

18. Compare Rom. 1:32.

19. "To his death," though omitted in the best MSS., is implied in the sense.

Act. 24:10- 13

24:10 Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

24:11 Because¹ that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.

24:12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising² up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

24:13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

1. The connection of this with the preceding is that Felix, having so long governed the province, would know that Paul had been resident there before, during several years; besides which he could easily ascertain the date of his recent arrival.

2. This is a Pauline word found nowhere else in N. T. except 2Co. 11:28. The literal translation would be a mob.

Act. 24:14- 16

24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way³ which they call heresy⁴ so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves⁵ also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

24:16 And⁶ herein do I exercise myself,⁷ to have always a conscience void to offense⁸ toward God, and toward men.

3. Way, i.e. a religious opinion or sect . (See Act. 22:4.)

4. Properly a sect or religious party; not used in a bad sense. See Act. 5:17 and Act. 15:6, and especially Act. 26:5, where the same word is used. St. Paul means to say (or rather did say in the argument of which St. Luke here gives the outline):"Our nation is divided into religious parties which are called sects; thus there is the sect of the Pharisees and the sect of the Sadducees, and so now we are called the sect of the Nazarenes. I do not deny that I belong to the latter sect; but I claim for it the same toleration which is extended by the Roman law to the others. I claim the right which you allow to all the nations under your government, of worshipping their national gods."

5. This shows that the Pharisees were the principal accusers of St. Paul; and that the effect produced upon them by his speech before the Sanhedrin was only momentary.

6. Compare 2Co. 5:9, where the same conclusion is derived from the same premises.

7. The best MSS. have also.

8. Literally, containing no cause of stumbling. This also is a Pauline word, occurring only 1Co. 10:32, and Php. 1:10, in N. T.

Act. 24:17- 21

24:17 Now after many⁹ years I came¹⁰ to bring alms¹¹ to my nation, and offerings.

24:18 Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple,¹² neither with multitude, nor with tumult.

24:19 Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.

24:20 Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,

24:21 Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

9. "Several," not so strong as "many."

10. "I came into this country."

11. This is the only mention of this collection in the Acts, and its occurrence here is a striking undesigned coincidence between the Acts and Epistles.

12. Offerings. We need not infer that St. Paul brought offerings to the temple with him from foreign parts; this in itself would have been not unlikely, but it seems inconsistent with St. James’s remarks (Act. 21:23, 24). The present is only a condensation for "I came to Jerusalem to bring alms to my nation, and I entered the temple to make offerings to the temple."

Act. 26:1- 8

26:1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

26:2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

26:3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews:wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

26:4 My¹ manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

26:5 Which knew me from the beginning,² if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

26:6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise³ made of God, unto our fathers:

26:7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving⁴ God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.⁵

26:8 Why⁶ should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?⁷

1. The Greek particles here are rightly left untranslated in A.V. They form a conjunction, denoting that the speaker is beginning a new subject, used where no conjunction would be expressed in English.

2. The tense is present.

3. The promise meant is that of the Messiah. Compare what St. Paul says in the speech at Antioch in Pisidia. Act. 13:32. Compare also Rom. 15:8

4. This properly means to perform the outward rites of worship: see note on Rom. 1:19.

5. Here again the best MSS. read Jews without the.

6. The punctuation adopted is, a note of interrogation after what. Compare the use of the same word by St. Paul in Rom. 3:3, 3:9, 6:15, Php. 1:18.

7. This is an argumentum ad homines to the Jews, whose own Scriptures furnished them with cases where the dead had been raised, as for example by Elisha. The Authorized Version is perfectly correct, notwithstanding the objections which have been made against it. The Greek idiom of "if" with an indicative cannot be better represented in English than by "that" with "should."

Act. 26:9- 11

26:9 I verily thought with myself,⁸ that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

26:10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem:and many of the saints⁹ did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests;¹⁰ and when they were put to death,¹¹ I gave my voice against them.

26:11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled¹² them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

8. The pronoun, from its position, must be emphatic.

9. This speech should be carefully compared with that in chap. xxii., with the view of observing St. Paul’s judicious adaptation of his statements to his audience. Thus, here he calls the Christians "Saints," which the Jews in the Temple would not have tolerated. See some useful remarks on this subject by Mr. Birks. Hor. Ap. 7:viii.

10. "The authority," — "this authority."

11. Literally, when they were being destroyed. On the "giving his vote," see p. 72.

12. Imperfect.

Act. 26:12- 18

26:12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief¹³ priests,

26:13 At midday,¹⁴ O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

26:15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said,¹⁵ I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet:for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make¹⁶ thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

26:17 Delivering thee¹⁷ from the people,¹⁸ and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn¹⁹ them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

13. By Chief Priests here, and above, verse 10, is meant (as in Luk. 22:52, Act. 5:24) the presidents of the 24 classes into which the priests were divided. These were ex officio members of the Sanhedrin. In the speech on the stairs accordingly St. Paul states that he had received his commission to Damascus from the high-priest and Sanhedrin (Act. 22:5).

14. The circumstance of the light overpowering even the blaze of the mid-day sun is mentioned before (Act. 22:6).

15. All the best MSS. read "the Lord said." This also agrees better with what follows, where St. Paul relates all which the Lord had revealed to him, both at the moment of his conversion, and, subsequently, by the voice of Ananias, and by the vision at Jerusalem. See Act. 22:12-21.

16. We have here the very words of Ananias (Act. 22:14, 15). The same very unusual word for "ordain" is used in both places.

17. "Choosing," not "delivering" (A.V.).

18. "The people." See on the speech at Antioch, p. 158, note 2.

19. Neuter, not active as in A.V. Compare, for the use of this word by St. Paul (to signify the conversion of the Gentiles), 1Th. 1:9 and Act. 14:15. Also below, verse 20.

Act. 26:19- 21

26:19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

26:20 But shewed first²⁰ unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea,²¹ and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

26:21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

20. This does not at all prove, as has sometimes been supposed, that Saul did not preach in Arabia when he went there soon after his conversion; see pp. 89, 90.

21. How are we to reconcile this with St. Paul’s statement (Gal. 1:22) that he continued personally unknown to the churches of Judaea for many years after his conversion? We must either suppose that, in the present passage, he means to speak not in the order of time, but of all which he had done up to the present date; or else we may perhaps suppose that St. Luke did not think it necessary to attend to a minute detail of this kind, relating to a period of St. Paul’s life with which he was himself not personally acquainted, in giving the general outline of this speech.

Act. 26:22- 24

26:22 Having therefore²² obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

26:23 That²³ Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first²⁴ that should rise from the dead, and should shew light²⁵ unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

26:24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

22. The conjunction here cannot mean "however."

23. The "if" in the original is equivalent to our "that" ("if, as they assert"). Compare note on Act. 26:8 above.

24. Compare Col. 1:18. Also 1Co. 15:20

25. Something more than merely "show" (A.V.).

Act. 27:21- 26

27:21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained¹ this harm² and loss.

27:22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer:for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.

27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,³

27:24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar:and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

27:25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer:for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

27:26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

1. The verb means "to be spared," not "to gain." (A.V.) We should observe that St. Paul’s object in alluding to the correctness of his former advice is not to taunt those who had rejected it, but to induce them to give credit to his present assertions.

2. The harm was to their persons, the loss to their property.

3. Compare Rom. 1:9, and note.

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