God will judge the world A. D. 54. Z THE ACTS. с by Jesus Christ. A. D. 54. A. M. 4058. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the || all men every where to repent: A. M. 4058 offspring of God, we ought not to 31 Because he hath appointed a think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or day, in the which he will judge the world in silver, or stone, graven by art and man's de- righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath 'given assurance he hath raised him from vice. 30 And a the times of this ignorance || unto all men, in that God winked at; but now commandeth || the dead. 2 Isa. xl. 18.——————— a b Chap. xiv. 16; Rom. iii. 25.b Luke xxiv. Chapter x. 42; Rom. ii. 16; xiv. 10.© 10.-'Or, offered faith. 47; Tit. ii. 11, 12; 1 Pet. i. 14; iv. 3. d Chap. ii. 24. do, the continual and necessary dependance of all created beings, in their existence and all their operations, on the fiirst, the universal, and almighty Cause, which the truest philosophy, as well as divinity teaches.·• As certain also of your own poets have said—Aratus, whose words these are, and who also added another sentence, equally just and striking, namely, We are his offspring, especially in respect of intelligence, and other mental powers, similar to his, with which we are endowed. This poet, Aratus, was an Athenian, who lived almost three hundred years before this time. The words are also to be found, with the alteration of one letter only, in the hymn of Cleanthes to the Supreme Being, one of the purest and finest pieces of natural religion in|| the whole world of pagan antiquity. idolatry, and wickedness. There is a dignity and grandeur in this language of the apostle becoming an ambassador from the King of heaven. And this universal demand of repentance declared universal guilt in the strongest manner, and admirably confronted the pride of the haughtiest Stoic of them all. At the same time it bore down the idle plea of fatality. For how could any one repent of doing what he could not but have done. Because he hath appointed a day, &c.-To persuade them more effectually to repent, God hath set before mankind the greatest of all motives, that of a future judgment. He hath appointed a day-A great and awful day; in which he will judge the world-Even the whole world; in righteousness—And will pass a final sentence of happiness or misery on each, according to Verse 29. For as much then as we are the off- his true character and behaviour. How fitly does spring of God—We, with all the powers and facul- the apostle speak thus in their supreme court of ties of our rational nature, and since these bear but justice! By that man whom he hath ordained-a very imperfect and distant resemblance of those For that important purpose. Thus he speaks, suit original, consummate, and infinite glories which || ing himself to the capacity of his hearers. Wheref shine forth in him; we ought not surely to think- || he hath given assurance, &c., in that he hath raised A tender expression; especially in the first person him from the dead-The resurrection of Jesus from plural: that the Godhead is like unto gold and sil- || the dead hath put the resurrection and judgment of ver, fc., graven by art and man's device-For such all men beyond dispute: 1st, Because it hath conthings, conveying no idea of mind, if they be like-firmed the doctrine of Christ, one important branch nesses of God, they represent him as being mere of which was, that he would raise the dead and judge matter, void of intelligence; but if he be so, how all mankind. 2d, Because God raised him from the could he give intelligence, and all the other faculties || dead, as on divers other accounts, so especially that of mind to us? As if he had said, Can God himself || he might judge mankind by him. We are by no be a less noble Being than we who are his offspring? || means to imagine that this was all which the apostle Nor does he only deny here that these images are like God, but he denies, also, that they have any analogy to him at all, so as to be capable of representing him in any degree or respect. intended to have said. But the indolence of some of his hearers, and the petulancy of others, cut him short. For when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked-Made a jest of it, as a deVerses 30, 31. And the times of this ignorance- spicable and incredible tale, not worthy to be any What! Does he object ignorance to the learned and longer heard; thereby interrupting him. These knowing Athenians? Yes, and they acknowledged || were probably the Epicureans, who took offence at it by this very altar; God winked at-Greek, vπepidav,|| that which is a principal object of faith, from the having overlooked, bearing with it, as if he did not pride of reason. And having once stumbled at this, take notice of it: that is, in his great long-suffering, they disbelieved all the rest; and so went down to he suffered mankind to go on in their course of ig- || righteous condemnation, under the guilt of having norance and idolatry, without interrupting them in rejected a gospel, the proof of which they might it, by sending express messages to them, by divine- || have learned in one single day, but would not give ly-commissioned instructers, as he did to the Jews; themselves the trouble of examining: and this is the because he meant to show them experimentally the condemnation to which many among us are exposed. insufficiency of their own reason in matters of reli- || And others-More candid; said, We will hear thee gion; but now-This day, this hour, saith Paul, puts || again on this matter—And having said this, they put an end to the divine forbearance, and brings either an end to the apostle's discourse, and to the assemgreater mercy or punishment. Now he commandeth | bly, without allowing him an opportunity of showing all men everywhere to repent-Of their ignorance, || how the resurrection of Jesus renders the resurrec ! tion and judgment of mankind probable; or of explain- || wrought any miracles at Athens; and the little sucing the other fundamental doctrines of the gospel. cess with which he preached, gives reason to supVerses 33, 34. So Paul departed from among them pose that he wrought none. Doubtless, this was by —Leaving his hearers divided in their judgment, and divine appointment, and probably to try what recepthe generality of them in that deplorable state of ig- tion the gospel would meet with from learned and norance, folly, and superstition, in which he found || inquisitive men, when offered to them merely on the them; being himself astonished, no doubt, that men footing of its own reasonableness. The truth is, who professed wisdom were so little able to discern if such an experiment was anywhere to be made, truth. Howbeit, certain men clave unto him—And in order to confute those in after times who should inquired further into the evidence of that extraordi- || affirm that the general reception of the gospel, in nary doctrine which he taught concerning Jesus || the first stage, was owing not to miracles, but to the and his resurrection; the consequence of which was, || absurdities of heathenism, and to the reasonableness that they believed the gospel, and made a public and of the gospel doctrine, Athens surely was the place courageous confession of it. Among whom was Di- where the trial could be made with most advantage, onysius the Areopagite-One of the judges of that and Paul's oration in the Areopagus was the discourt; and a woman named Damaris-One of con- course which should have convinced reasonable siderable rank and character in the city; and others men. Nevertheless, at Athens, where the human with them-Whose names it is not necessary here faculties were carried to the greatest perfection, the to mention. These, it seems, were the only persons apostle was not able to convince his hearers of the Paul met with in this famous mart of learning, ca- folly of idolatry, nor of the reasonableness of worpable of seeing and acknowledging the absurdity of shipping and serving the one living and true God, the prevailing idolatry! It is not said that Paul by purity of mind and goodness of life! CHAPTER XVIII. (1,) Paul, going from Athens to Corinth, meets with Aquila and Priscilla, and works with them as a tent-maker, 1–3. (2,) He preaches first to the Jews in the synagogue, and, when they opposed and blasphemed, to the Gentiles with more success, 4-8. (3,) Being encouraged by a vision, he continues a year and a half teaching and preaching among the Corinthians, 9-11. (4,) He is accused by the Jews to Gallio, the Roman governor, who refuses to take cognizance of such matters as they complained of, 12-17. (5,) He returns by Ephesus to Jerusalem; goes from thence to Antioch, and, after spending some time there, revisits the churches he had planted in Galatia and Phrygia, 18-23. (6,) Apollos, coming to Ephesus, is instructed by Aquila and Priscilla; and with great eloquence, fervour, and force of argument, preaches the gospel there, and in Achaia, with great success, 24-28. A. M. 4058. AFTER these things, Paul departed 2 And found a certain Jew named A. M. 4058. from Athens, and came to Corinth; a Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come a Rom. xvi. 3; 1 Cor. xvi. 19; 2 Tim. iv. 19. NOTES ON CHAPTER XVIII. Verse 1. And after these things Paul departed, &c.-After having so unsuccessfully preached to the philosophers and others in Athens, the apostle judged it needless any longer to attempt the conversion of men so frivolous, easy, indolent, and wise in their own eyes. He therefore left them as incorrigible, and proceeded forward to Corinth, now become more considerable for the number, learning, and wealth of its inhabitants, than even Athens itself. Corinth was situated on an isthmus, or narrow neck || of land, which joined Peloponnesus to Greece. On the east side of the isthmus were the ports of Cenchrea and Schænus, which received the merchandise of Asia, by the Saronic gulf; and on the west a side, the port of Lechæum received the merchandise of Italy, Gaul, and Spain, by the Crissæan gulf. Corinth, being thus conveniently situated for commerce, soon became extremely rich and populous; and being seated on the isthmus which joined Peloponnesus to Greece, it commanded both countries. In the course of the Achæan war, the Roman consul, Mummius, burned it to the ground; but Julius Cesar rebuilt it after it had long lain in ashes. When Achaia was made a Roman province, Corinth, becoming the seat of government, soon regained its ancient celebrity, in respect of commerce and riches, but especially in respect of the number and quality of its inhabitants. For, at the time the apostle arrived, it was full of learned men, some of Paul, going to Corinth, A. D. 51. THE ACTS. e preaches in the synagogue. A. D. 54. A. M. 4058. from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, || come from Macedonia, Paul was A. M. 4058 (because that Claudius had com- pressed in the spirit, and testified to inanded all Jews to depart from Rome,) and the Jews that Jesus 1was Christ. came unto them. whom taught philosophy, rhetoric, poetry, and painting; others studied these sciences and arts; insomuch that there was no city in Greece where philosophy, and the fine arts, and learning were carried to greater perfection than at Corinth; no city in which there were more men of a cultivated understanding. f 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, h Your blood be upon your own heads: I am clean: k from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that * Neh. v. 13; Matt. x. 14; Chap. xiii. 51.h Lev. xx. 9, 11, 12; 2 Sam. i. 16; Ezek. xviii. 13; xxxiii. 4.- Ezek. iii. 18, 19; xxxiii. 9; Chapter xx. 26. -k Chapter xiii. 46; xxviii. 28. i attend in the synagogue (though they did not commonly worship there) to hear such an extraordinary preacher as Paul was, especially considering the miracles which he wrought at Corinth, and to which he so often refers in the two epistles afterward written to the church formed there. Verses 2, 3. And found a certain Jew-Afterward converted to the faith of Christ, (verse 26,) doubtless by the instrumentality of Paul; born in Pontus—A province of the Lesser Asia, not far from Galatia and Cappadocia ; lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla-Who also became an eminent Christian; because that Claudius-The Roman emperor; had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome-All who were Jews by birth; whether they were Jews or Christians by religion, the Romans were too stately to regard; and came unto them, because he was of the same craft-Namely, that of tent-making. It being a rule among the Jews (and why is it not also || among Christians?) to bring up all their children to some trade, were they ever so rich and noble. Paul, || though intended to have a better education than ordinary, had learned this when young, and being now capable of exercising it, he found it of great use to-And the more probably from what Silas and Tihim on many occasions, particularly at this time. motheus related; and testified to the Jews that JeFor by the profits of his labour therein, he main- sus was the Christ-Confirming his testimony by tained himself all the while he abode at Corinth, arguments brought from the Scriptures, and by the without burdening the Corinthians in the least. The miracles which he wrought. And when they opsame course he had followed some time before this,|| posed themselves-To his doctrine; and blasphemed while he preached in Thessalonica; (1 Thess. ii. 9;) -Jesus, by affirming that he was not the Christ, but and afterward at Ephesus, where, as also probably an impostor; he shook his raiment-To signify that in many other places, he supported not only him- || from that time he would refrain from them, and that self, but his assistants likewise, by his labour. See || God would soon shake them off as unworthy to be Acts xx. 34. The tents, or pavilions, which Paul || numbered among his people; and said, Your blood and these his friends were employed in making, and —That is, the guilt of your destruction; be upon your which were formed of linen or skins, were much own heads: Iam clean-From it, agreeably to God's used, not only by soldiers and travellers, but by declaration, Ezek. xxxiii. 2-9. By this wilful imathers in those hot countries. penitence and unbelief, you are your own murderVerse 4. And he reasoned in the synagogue, &c.ers; and, as God and man can testify that I have The Jews being numerous in Corinth, Paul, ac- done all in my power to prevent so sad an event, I cording to his custom, began his ministry in the syn- now desist from any further attempts of this kind; agogue; and persuaded-That is, endeavoured to from henceforth-While I continue in this city, persuade; the Jews and Greeks-It is probable that leaving the synagogue, I will go and preach to the most of these Greeks, since they attended the Jew-|| Gentiles-Who will readily receive that gospel ish synagogue, were a kind of proselytes. It is pos- which you so ungratefully reject. sible, however, that some of them might not be such, but Gentiles, who were drawn out of curiosity to Verses 5, 6. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia-Silas seems to have stayed a considerable time at Berea; but Timotheus, having come to the apostle while he was at Athens, and having been sent back by him to comfort and con|| firm the church at Thessalonica, now left that city to join Paul at Corinth; and in his way calling upon Silas at Berea, they travelled together to Corinth, where they found the apostle, and gave him the agreeable information that the Thessalonian brethren stood firm in the faith, bare the persecution of the unbelievers with exemplary fortitude, and entertained a grateful remembrance of him their spiritual father, 1 Thess. iii. 5, 6. These tidings, it seems, filled the apostle with joy, and encouraged him to deal more plainly with the Jews at Corinth than he had hitherto done. For he was pressed in spirit || || Verses 7, 8. He entered into a man's house, named Justus-A Gentile, but a worshipper of the true God: Chap. xxiii. 11.-" Jer. i. 18, 19; Matt. 1 Cor. i. 14.-m Chap. xxiii. 11. believe und are baptized. A. D. 54. 11 And he 2 continued there a year A. M. 4058 and six months, teaching the word of God among them. A. D. 55. ending. 12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment-seat, 13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. 14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or wicked lewdness, xxviii. 20.- -2 Gr. sat there.- - Chap. xxiii. 29; xxiii. 11, 19. and he preached there, though probably he still sionally left Corinth, and went into the adjacent lodged with Aquila. He the rather chose to country of Peloponnesus, where there were many preach in the house of this religious proselyte, be- || synagogues of the Jews, especially in the chief cities; cause, as it was near the synagogue, such of the Jews and that, having preached to the Jews and Gentiles as were of a teachable disposition, had thereby an in those cities, he returned again to Corinth. This opportunity of hearing him. Accordingly, when he supposition is countenanced by Paul himself, 2 Cor. preached in this house, Crispus, the chief ruler of xi. 10, where he intimates that he preached in the the synagogue, believed-Whom Paul baptized; with || region of Achaia, and where, according to 2 Cor. all his house. And many of the Corinthians-The|| i. 1, he made many disciples. formerly idolatrous inhabitants of the city; hearing Verses 12, 13. When Gallio was the deputy-Greek, -The conversion of Crispus, and the preaching of Taλhiwvos avduπarevovros, Gallio being proconsul; of Paul; believed and were baptized-Namely, by Silas Achaia-Of which Corinth was the chief city. This and Timothy; for the apostle affirms that he bap-|| Gallio, the brother of the famous Seneca, is much tized none of the Corinthians but Crispus and Gaius, commended both by him and by other writers, for and the household of Stephanus, 1 Cor. i. 14, 16. the sweetness and generosity of his temper, and Verses 9-11. Then spake the Lord-The Lord || easiness of his behaviour. Yet one thing he lacked! Jesus; in the night by a vision to Paul-Who, pro- But he knew it not, and had no concern about it! bably, had been discouraged in view of the learning, The Jews made insurrection with one accord politeness, and grandeur of many Gentile inhabitants against Paul-His great success at Corinth, and in of the city, to whom he was to speak, so that he was, || Peloponnesus, in converting the Gentiles to the faith as he himself expresses it, (1 Cor. ii. 3,) among them || of Christ, provoked the Jews to the highest pitch of in weakness and fear, and in much trembling;|| rage, especially when they found he led his converts which alarms were probably much increased by the to despise the institutions of Moses, by assuring violent assaults which had been made upon him in them that they might be justified and saved through other places, and the contempt with which he had|| faith in Christ, without the use of these institutions: generally been treated: Be not afraid, but speak- and brought him to the judgment-seat-Of Gallio; My gospel boldly and courageously; and hold not thy|| saying, This fellow-The author of insufferable peace-Be not silent through any present discour-mischiefs, here and all over the country; persuadeth agement or future apprehension; for I am with thee-By my powerful and gracious presence, to protect, support, and comfort thee; and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee-A promise this which was fulfilled to Paul and also to others of God's servants; so that whatsoever troubles they met with, even when they were killed, they were not hurt, Rom. viii. 28, 36-39. For I have much people in this city -So he prophetically calls them that he foreknew would believe. And he continued there a year and six months-A long time! But how few souls are now gained frequently in a longer time than this by ministers of the gospel! Who is in the fault? gen- Verses 14-16. And when Paul was now about to erally both teachers and hearers. Teaching the open his mouth-To speak in his own defence; word of God among them-It is probable this is not Gallio-Sensible of the futility of the charge; said to be understood of the Corinthians alone, but of the to the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or wicked inhabitants of the neighbouring parts of Achaia also. || lewdness-With which you charged the person you For it is reasonable to suppose that the apostle occa- || have now brought before me: that is, If you accused VOL. I. ( 51 ) || || men to worship God contrary to the law—It seems Paul had taught that, the law of Moses being now abrogated, men were no longer bound to worship God with sacrifices and washings, and other bodily services, but in spirit and in truth. And this doctrine being deemed contrary to the law of Moses, the unbelieving Jews, in this tumultuous manner, brought Paul, the teacher of it, before the proconsul, in order to have him punished, as one who, by opposing the law of Moses, had acted contrary to the laws of the empire, which tolerated the Jews in the exercise of their religion. 801 a this man of any injury done to particular persons, affair. Probably he was pleased with the indignity or of wantonly disturbing the peace of society; done by the Greeks to the chief magistrate of the reason would—That is, it were reasonable; that I || Jews, whose bigoted and persecuting spirit he disshould bear with you-In this prosecution; and even liked. It seems what Sosthenes now suffered had a that I should exert the power with which I am in- happy effect on him; for he afterward became a vested, to punish the offender in proportion to his Christian. crime. But if it be a question of words-Greek, Verse 18. Paul after this-After these tumultuTepi hoye, concerning discourse, or doctrine; and of ous proceedings, and the opposition that was raised names, and of your law-If your accusation respect against him at Corinth by the Jews; tarried there opinions taught by Paul, which ye think heretical; yet a good while-Greek, nμɛpas ikavaç, many days, and whether the names of the Christ, and the Son after the year and six months, mentioned verse 11, of God, which he hath given to any one, ought to be to confirm the brethren. And then took his leave, given to that person; and whether all who worship and sailed into Syria-That is, in order to return the God of the Jews, are bound to worship him ac- thither; and with him Priscilla and Aquila-His cording to the rites of your law; look ye to it- two intimate friends; having shorn his head in These are matters which belong to yourselves, and|| Cenchrea-Commentators are much divided in with which, as a magistrate, I have no concern. I will be no judge of such matters-Matters so foreign to my office. The apparent coolness and contempt with which Gallio speaks of the matters in debate between Paul and the Jews does not merit commendation, but the severest censure. The names of the heathen gods, and the institutions concerning their worship and service, were fables, shadows, and deceits; but the question concerning the name of Jesus, his person, character, and offices, and the worship and service of the living and true God, is of more importance than all things else under heaven. Yet, there is this singularity (among a thousand others) in the Christian religion, that human reason, curious as it is in all other things, abhors to inquire into it. And he drave them from the judgment-seat -Not regarding their clamorous importunity. opinion, whether this is spoken of Aquila or Paul. Chrysostom, Grotius, Heinsius, Hammond, and Witsius, with many others, refer it to the former; but Jerome, Augustin, Beda, Calmet, Whitby, Doddridge, Dodd, and Macknight, understand it of Paul And it seems more probable from the construction, that this clause, and the beginning of the next verse, should refer to the same person, that is, to Paul. "Aquila being left at Ephesus, and not going up to Jerusalem as Paul did, hence I conclude," says Dr. Whitby, "that the vow was made by Paul." Macknight's paraphrase on the clause is, "They took ship at Cenchrea, the eastern port of Corinth, where Paul shaved his head, and thereby put a period to the duration of a vow which he had made, perhaps, on occasion of the great deliverance he had obtained, when the Jews made insurrection against him." What sort of a vow this was we are not informed. Salmasius has justly observed, it could not be a vow of Nazariteship, for then the hair must have been burned in the temple, under the caldron in which the peace-offerings were boiled, Num. vi. 18. It was the custom, it seems, on the accomplishment of vows, for persons to shave their heads, chap. xxi. 23, 24. Verse 17. Then all the Greeks-Who were present, perceiving how little favour the Jews found from the court, and displeased with them for their turbulent, persecuting spirit, perhaps, thinking that Paul was thus insulted for the regards he had ex- || pressed for the Gentiles; took Sosthenes-The successor of Crispus, as chief ruler of the synagogue- || And probably Paul's chief accuser; and beat him-- Verses 19-23. And he came to Ephesus-The It seems, because he had occasioned them so much ship in which they sailed probably having occasion trouble to no purpose; before the judgment-seat- to touch there. And he entered into the synagogue, While Gallio looked on without hindering them. and reasoned with the Jews-Upon whom his disBut though this was certainly a very irregular pro- | course made such an impression, that they desired ceeding, Gallio cared for none of those things- || him to tarry longer with them-However, as his Did not concern himself at all to interpose in the vow made it necessary that he should offer the |