sake Moses, saying, That they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them: Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them; that they may shave their heads: and all may know, that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them, xxi. 20-26. VER. 21. Τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος, (μὴ ὢν ἄνομος Θεῷ, ἀλλ ̓ ἔννομος Χριστῷ) ἵνα κερδήσω ἀνόμους. To them that are without law, as with out law, a (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. a See on Matt. v. ver. 17. clause 1. and ver. 19. clause 7. VER. 22. Ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν ὡς ἀσθενὴς, ἵνα τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς κερδήσω. Τοῖς πᾶσι γέγονα τὰ πάντα, ἵνα πάντως τινὰς σώσω. a To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: b I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. a See on Rom. xv. ver. 1. b Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved, 1 Cor. x. 33. VER. 25. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιῶ διὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ἵνα συγκοινωνὸς αὐτοῦ γένωμαι. A. D. 59. Οὐκ οἶδατε ὅτι οἱ ἐν σταδίω τρέχοντες, πάντες μὲν τρέχουσιν, εἷς δὲ λαμβάνει τὸ βραβεῖον; Οὕτω τρέχετε ἵνα καταλάβητε. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? a So run, that ye may obtain. a Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? Gal. v. 7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, 2 Tim. iv. 7. VER. 25. Πᾶς δὲ ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος, πάντα ἐγκρατεύεται· ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν ἵνα φθαρτὸν στέφανον λάβωσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄφθαρτον. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, a but we an incorruptible. a Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him, Jam. i. 12. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away, 1 Pet. v. 4. VER. 26. Ἐγὼ τοίνυν οὕτω τρέχω, ὡς οὐκ ἀδήλως· οὕτω πυκτεύω, ὡς οὐκ ἀέρα δέρων· a I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; b so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: a See on John x. ver. 28. clauses 2, 3. b Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, Eph. vi. 11, 12. See also on Matt. xi. ver. 12. VER. 27. ̓Αλλ ̓ ὑπωπιάζω μου τὸ σῶμα καὶ δου A. D. 59. 1 COR. IX. 27.-х. 1-3. A. D. 59. λαγωγῶ· μήπως ἄλλοις κηρύξας, αὐτὸς | the Lord they pitched: as long as the ἀδόκιμος γένωμαι. a But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: blest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. a See on Rom. viii. ver. 13. clause 3. b See on Matt. vii. ver. 22. clause 2. • Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them, Jer. vi. 30. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? Luke ix. 25. That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place, Acts i. 25. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates, 2 Cor. xiii. 5, 6. CHAP. X.-VER. 1. Οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν πάντες ὑπὸ τὴν νεφέλην ἦσαν, καὶ πάντες διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης διῆλ θον Moreover, brethren, a I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, band all passed through the sea; cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed; whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed, Numb. ix. 15-22. b And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left, Exod. xiv. 21, 22. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left, 29. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over, Josh. iv. 23. VER. 2. a And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people, Exod. xiii. 21, 22. And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it ἐν τῇ νεφέλῃ καὶ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ· was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of | κὸν ἔφαγον VOL III. Καὶ πάντες εἰς τὸν Μωσῆν ἐβαπτίσαντο a And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; a Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples, John ix. 28. VER. 3. Καὶ πάντες τὸ αὐτὸ βρῶμα πνευματι D • And did all eat the same spiritual meat; See on John vi. ver. 31. VER. 4. Καὶ πάντες τὸ αὐτὸ πόμα πνευματικὸν ἔπιον· ἔπινον γὰρ ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας· ἡ δὲ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστός. * And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: band that Rock was Christ. * Or, went with them. * Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel, Exod. xvii. 6. And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly: and the congregation drank, and their beasts also, Numb. xx. 11. b See on John iv. ver. 10. clause 3. VER. 5. ̓Αλλ ̓ οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν αὐτῶν εὐδόκη σεν ὁ Θεός· κατεστρώθησαν γὰρ ἐν τῇ ἐρή μα. a But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. a And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your car A. D. 59. cases, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness, Numb. χίν. 26-33. These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho. But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai: For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun, xxvi. 63-65. For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed. So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people, Deut. ii. 15, 16. Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and aid, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest, Psal. xcv. 8-11. into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly, 2 Pet. ii. 6. and Jude 7. b And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick, Numb. xi. 4, 5. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea, And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; They were not estranged from their lust: but while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel, Psal. lxxviii. 27-31. They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel; But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert, cvi. 13, 14. VER. 7. Μηδὲ εἰδωλολάτραι γίνεσθε, καθώς τινες αὐτῶν· ὡς γέγραπται· Ἐκάθισεν ὁ λαὸς φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν, καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν. Neither be ye idolaters, bas were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. a Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry, ver. 14. But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? 20-22. Little children keep yourselves from idols, 1 John ν. 21. And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves: they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image, Deut. ix. 12. 4. D. 59. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings: and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play, Exod. xxxii. 6. VER. 8. Μηδὲ πορνεύωμεν, καθώς πινες αὐτῶν ἐπόρνευσαν, καὶ ἔπεσον ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ εἶκοσιτρεῖς χιλιάδες, • Neither let us commit fornication, bas some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. a See on Acts xv. ver. 20. clause 2. b And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor. And, behold, one of the children of Israel came, and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman, in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand, Numb. xxv. 1-9. a Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, band were destroyed of serpents. A. D. 59. 1 COR. X. 9-13. A. D. 59. • Wherefore the people did chide | sat by the flesh-pots, and when we with Moses, and said, Give us water tempt the LORD your God, as ye 7-9. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died, Numb. xxi. 6. VER. 10. Μηδὲ γογγύζετε, καθὼς καὶ τινες αὐτῶν ἐγόγγυσαν, καὶ ἀπώλοντο ὑπὸ τοῦ ὀλοθρευ- | τοῦ. of a Neither murmur ye, bas some them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. a Do all things without murmurings and disputings; That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, Phil. ii. 14, 15. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? Exod. xv. 24. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we did eat bread to the full! for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger, xvi. 2, 3. And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? xvii. 3. VER. 11. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα τύποι συνέβαινον ἐκείνοις· ἐγράφη δὲ πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν, εἰς οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων κατήντησεν. a Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, bupon whom the ends of the world are come. • Or, types. See on ver. 6. clause 1. b Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time, 1 John ii. 18. VER. 12. Ωστε ὁ δοκῶν ἑστάναι, βλεπέτω μὴ wέση. a Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. a Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief, Prov. xxviii. 14. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples, Matt. xxv. 33-35. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith: Be not highminded, but fear, Rom. xi. 20. VER. 15. Πειρασμὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ εἴληφεν εἰ μὴ ἀνθρώπινος· πιστὸς δὲ ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς οὐκ ἐάσει ὑμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δύνασθε, ἀλλὰ ποιήσει σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν, τοῦ δύνασθαι ὑμᾶς ὑπενεγκεῖν. |