above it: so that the words may be translated inner and outer garments.

Ver. 40. Εκβαλὼν δὲ ἔξω πάντας ὁ Π. But Peter having put them all out; after the example of his Master, and in order that he might be undisturbed in his prayers. eÌS Tà yóvaта πρоσnúğaro—kneeled down and prayed; namely, to Christ, in whose name the apostles performed their miracles. "This prayer," observes Lechler, "is the essential feature by which the resurrection of Tabitha is distinguished from that of the daughter of Jairus. Jesus, without any preceding prayer, took the dead child by the hand, and recalled her to life; but Peter does not do so until he had prayed to the Lord for this miracle." 1

"1

The raising of Tabitha-the first instance of such a miracle in the Acts has been explained away by those critics who do not believe in the reality of miracles; some explaining it as a natural occurrence, and others as an unhistorical legend. Critics of the rationalistic school (Heinrichs, Kuinol) explain the fact as an awakening from apparent death. With them Ewald agrees, who refers the awakening to that boundary line when the last spark of life still remains in man. So also De Wette observes, that although the idea of an apparent death is contrary to the view of the author and of the eye-witnesses, yet they might have erred in their judgment of the case. But such an opinion is directly opposed to the words of the narrative. Tabitha is there represented not only as dead, but as having been dead for some time (ver. 37). Critics of the mythical school (Baur, Zeller) have recourse to the explanation of mythical exaggeration. They suppose that this narrative is a mere transference of the narrative of the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, for the purpose of glorifying the apostles. Baur even lays stress on the similitude of sound between Taxiðá (Mark v. 41) and Taßilá, and supposes that the latter is borrowed from the former. And Zeller supposes that the narrative is taken rather from Mark's Gospel than from Luke's, because 1 Lange's Bibelwerk: Apostelgeschichte, p. 174. 2 De Wette's Apostelgeschichte, p. 92.

it did not proceed from the author of the Acts himself, but from another who had the Gospel of Mark before him.1 To such forced suppositions must these critics have recourse. The account given of Tabitha is entirely natural, especially the fact that the assembled widows showed to Peter the garments she had made. There is no resemblance between this Christian woman and the daughter of Jairus, who is represented as a girl of twelve years of age; so that they cannot be supposed to be one and the same person.

Ver. 43. 'Huépas ikavàs-many days: a long period. (See note to Acts ix. 23.) Perhaps for a year; for we find that Peter abode in Joppa, until he went to Cæsarea. The city was large, and the inhabitants showed a susceptibility toward the gospel. Παρά τινι Σίμωνι βυρσεϊ — with one Simon, a tanner. By the strict Jews the operation of tanners was regarded as unclean, and they were ordered to dwell apart. This conduct of Peter, then, in lodging with a tanner, proves that he was free from these scruples. The Jewish law in its strictness was gradually losing its hold on him, and he was becoming prepared for the reception of the great truth-the admission of the Gentiles without circumcision into the church of Christ.

1 Zeller's Apostelgeschichte, p. 177.

SECTION XXI.

VISIONS OF CORNELIUS AND PETER.-ACTS X. 1–23.

1 And a certain man in Cæsarea, called Cornelius, a centurion of the cohort called the Italian, 2 A devout man, and fearing God with all his house, and doing many alms-deeds to the people, and praying to God always, 3 Saw in a vision evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, Cornelius. 4 But he, gazing on him, and being afraid, said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, who is surnamed Peter: 6 He lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea-side. 7 And when the angel who spoke to him was departed, he called two of the household servants, and a devout soldier of them who waited on him; 8 And having related all things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9 And on the morrow, as they journeyed, and drew nigh to the city, Peter went up to the house-top to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but, while they made ready, an ecstasy happened to him, 11 And he saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as a great linen cloth, united by the four corners, and let down to the earth; 12 In which were all quadrupeds and reptiles of the earth, and birds of heaven. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. 14 But Peter said, By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean. 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, What God has cleansed, that regard not thou as common. 16 And this happened thrice: and straightway the vessel was taken up into heaven. 17 Now, while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men sent from Cornelius, after they had made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate; 18 And having called, they asked if Simon, who is called Peter, lodges here. 19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, men seek thee. 20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: because I have sent them. 21 Then Peter, having gone down to the men, said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? 22 And they said, Cornelius, a centurion, a just man, and one who fears God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned by a holy angel to send for thee to his house, and to hear words from thee. 23 Then, having invited them in, he lodged them.

CRITICAL NOTES.

Ver. 1. 'Hv after Tis is wanting in A, B, C, E, G, and x, and is omitted by Lachmann and Tischendorf. Ver. 4. Ενώπιον before τοῦ Θεοῦ, found in C, E, G, is rejected by Tischendorf, who prefers eμπроo@ev, found in A, B, x. Ver. 5. After Zipova Tischendorf and Lachmann read Tɩva, found in A, B, C. Ver. 6. The concluding words, οὗτος λαλήσει σοι, τί σε δεῖ ποιεῖν, are wanting in A, B, C, E, G, and x, and consequently are to be rejected as spurious. Ver. 7. After λαλῶν G reads τῷ Κορνηλίῳ; whereas A, B, C, E, read air@, the reading adopted by the best critics. AUTOû after oikeTŵv, found in G, is omitted in A, B, C, E, s, and rejected by Lachmann, Tischendorf, etc. Ver. 10. E, G read éπéπeσev; whereas A, B, C, & read éyévero, the reading preferred by Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Alford. Ver. 11. After καταβαῖνον the textus receptus has ἐπ ̓ αὐτόν, which is wanting in A, B, E, &, and rejected by the best critics. Ver. 12. A, B, C, E, & place rŷs yŵs after éρπeтá, the position adopted by Lachmann and Tischendorf. The words xai Tà Onpía, found in G, are omitted in A, B, E, &, and erased by Lachmann and Tischendorf. Ver. 16. Instead of πáλ, A, B, C, E, & read eveús, the reading now generally adopted. Ver. 19. The compound Sievovμovμévov, found in all the best MSS., is to be preferred to the simple verb évvμovμévov. Tpeîs after avopes is found in A, C, E, §, and wanting in D, G, H (B reads dúo): it is omitted by Tischendorf. Ver. 21. The words τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους ἀπὸ τοῦ Κορνηλίου Tρòs avτóv are only found in a single uncial Ms., H, and are certainly spurious.

EXEGETICAL REMARKS.

This and the two subsequent sections treat of an event which formed a most important crisis in Christianity. Hitherto Christianity had been limited to the Hebrew and Hellenistic Jews, the Jewish proselytes, and the Samaritans, whose religious opinions were allied to those of the Jews;

and thus the Christians might still be regarded as a Jewish sect, differing from their fellow-countrymen only in their belief that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah. But now it was to include the Gentiles: the restrictions which still existed were to be abolished; the universal character of the gospel was to be proclaimed. This truth, almost selfevident to us, was one of the most important declarations in the apostolic times: it was, as Paul terms it, that mystery "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, but was now revealed unto the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel" (Eph. iii. 5, 6).

It may indeed, at first sight, appear strange that Peter should require a special revelation to teach him that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, especially after the repeated predictions of the call of the Gentiles made in the Old Testament, and the plain statements of the Lord Himself on this subject. But it is to be observed, that the apostles did not doubt that the Gentiles should be received into the Christian church: they received and held it as the commission of their Master, that they should make disciples of all nations. But then they supposed that the conversion of the Gentiles would take place through the medium of Judaism; that in order to be received into the Christian church, they must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. Some of the Christian teachers, as Stephen, Philip, and other Hellenists, may have held more liberal views; but even they do not seem to have attempted the direct conversion of the Gentiles. Indeed, there were difficulties in the reception of this truth, which nothing but a divine revelation could overcome. Circumcision was of God, and the uncircumcised were commanded to be cut off from among His people the law of Moses was of divine origin; Jesus Himself had said, that He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; and besides, all their national prejudices as Jews were enlisted in the maintenance of the opinion that they were the peculiar people of God. Hence it was necessary