to Cæsarea. The three men standing at the house where Peter was, furnished the interpretation of the vision; and the intimation of the Spirit to him was an assurance of its correctness. Ἦλθον δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ καὶ οἱ ἐξ ἀδελφοὶ οὗτοι and these six brethren also accompanied me. From this it would appear that the six brethren from Joppa, who came with Peter to Cæsarea, also accompanied him to Jerusalem. Probably Peter took them with him, because he expected that his conduct might be called in question by the church of Jerusalem, or on account of the extreme importance of the event, in order that they might be there as witnesses of what took place in the house of Cornelius. They could testify to the direct effusion of the Holy Ghost upon Cornelius and his household, before Peter received them into the Christian church by baptism. It was of great importance that the facts should be fully attested. The existence of Christianity as a universal religion, and not as a mere Jewish sect, depended on the decision arrived at in this dispute it was the most important crisis through which the church had yet passed, since its birth on the day of Pente cost. Vers. 13, 14. Here we have the third account of the vision. of Cornelius. Tòv ayyeλov-the angel; i.e. the angel already mentioned in ch. x. Luke writes from the standpoint of his readers, or Peter mentions the angel definitively, because he himself was already informed about his appearance. Probably, however, the church of Jerusalem had already received a general account of the vision. Καὶ πᾶς ὁ οἶκός σου -and all thy house. These words are here added. The household of Cornelius were similarly disposed with himself (Acts x. 2), and were therefore included in the message of the angel. And the event justified the declaration; for while Peter spake, the Holy Ghost fell on all them who heard the word (Acts x. 44). Ver. 15. Επέπεσεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπ' αὐτούς—the Holy Ghost fell on them. It does not appear that this effusion of the Spirit took place in a visible form, as was the case with the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, when cloven ། tongues as of fire rested on each of the disciples; but the descent of the Spirit was made evident in an audible manner by Cornelius and his friends speaking with tongues and magnifying God. "NOTEρ кaì è' μas-as on us; referring to the fact of the descent of the Spirit, and not necessarily to its form. 'Ev ȧpx?-in the beginning. The beginning here referred to is evidently the memorable day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost in a visible form descended on the disciples. This may well be regarded as the beginning of the Christian dispensation, the birthday of the church of Christ, just as the announcement of the law at Sinai was regarded as the beginning of the Jewish dispensation: both events happened at the same period of the year, namely at Pentecost. If, as is most probable, the call of Cornelius is to be dated after Paul's departure from Jerusalem to Tarsus, then a period of nearly eight years had elapsed between the effusion of the Spirit at Pentecost and the admission of the Gentiles into the church of Christ: for so long a period had Christianity been restricted to the Jews. Ver. 16. Εμνήσθην δὲ τοῦ ῥήματος Κυρίου-And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. This word of the Lord was uttered by Him after His resurrection, and shortly before His ascension (Acts i. 5), with a probable reference to the words of the Baptist himself (Luke iii. 16). (See note to Acts i. 5.) Peter remembered the word. The saying was forcibly brought to his recollection by the event which happened. In the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the Gentiles, he saw the fulfilment of the promise which the Lord had made to His apostles. Hence he regarded the Gentiles as included in the pronoun vues: the promise embraced them. If, then, argues the apostle, the Lord Himself bestowed on them the substance of baptism, by making them partakers of the Holy Ghost, surely the symbol was not to be denied them. By receiving the Spirit, they were already constituted members of the church of Christ. Ver. 17. Εἰ οὖν τὴν ἴσην δωρεὰν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς ὡς Kai nuiv-Since then God gave them the like gift as He did to us; i.e., Since God made no distinction between them and us, bestowing upon both the gift of the Holy Ghost. IIoΠιστ Teúσaow-who believed. This participle has been variously understood. Some (Beza, Heinrichs, Kuinoel, Humphry) unite it with aurois-on their believing; but this is the remote antecedent, and is thus contrary to ordinary usage. Others (Alford, Hackett) suppose that it refers to both pronouns— avτoîs and ημîv—setting forth the analogy between the two cases on believing. All received the same gift of the Holy Ghost in the same character, viz. that of believers. The most natural interpretation, however, is to unite it to the subject nearest to it, μîv-to us who believed. So Meyer, Bengel, Lechler. Nor is this, as some object, an unmeaning addition; for it marks the special character of the Jewish Christians, on account of which the Holy Ghost was bestowed on them. As Bengel well observes: "It was not, says Peter, because we had circumcision, but because we had faith, that the Holy Ghost was given to us."1 Ἐγὼ δὲ τίς ἤμην δυνατὸς κωλῦσαι τὸν Θεόν—How then was I able to resist God? Two questions are conjoined in one, Who am I, to resist God? And, Was I able to resist God? The first question contrasts the insignificance of man with the majesty of God, and the second question the weakness of man with the omnipotence of God. The meaning evidently is God, by the effusion of His Spirit, had made known His will that the Gentiles should be received into the Christian church. How then was it possible for me to oppose myself to this revealed will of God? To forbid or hinder that which God had determined to be done, was not only an act of folly or impiety, but an impossibility. Ver. 18. Ακούσαντες δὲ ταῦτα ἡσύχασαν— When they heard these things, they were silent. The opponents of the apostle were silenced by his statement of the facts of the case: they ceased to contend. The greater part of them were probably convinced of the propriety of the apostle's conduct; and thus their objections were changed into exclamations of praise and thanksgiving to God: "They glorified God, saying, Then 1 Bengel's Gnomon, in loco. hath God to the Gentiles given repentance unto life." Thus the controversy was quieted for a time: the Jewish Christians as a body acquiesced in the admission of the Gentiles without circumcision into the church of Christ. Shortly afterwards the controversy broke forth anew: it was difficult for the Jews to relinquish their peculiar privileges as the favoured people of God: it required much teaching and many revelations and dispensations of Providence, before they could assent to the fact that the law of Moses, having served its purpose, was at once fulfilled and abolished in Christ Jesus. SECTION XXIV. THE FIRST GENTILE CHURCH.-ACTS XI. 19-30. 19 Now they who were dispersed, owing to the persecution which arose on account of Stephen, travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, declaring the word to none but to the Jews only. 20 But some of them were Cyprians and Cyrenians, who, when they were come to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 And tidings concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem; and they sent forth Barnabas, to go as far as Antioch : 23 Who, when he came, and saw the grace of God, rejoiced, and exhorted them all with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and a great multitude was added to the Lord. 25 Then he departed to Tarsus, to seek Saul; and having found him, he brought him to Antioch. 26 And it came to pass, that during a whole year they assembled in the church, and taught much people; and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. 27 And in those days came prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And there arose one of them, named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over the whole empire: which also came to pass in the reign of Claudius. 29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea: 30 Which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. CRITICAL NOTES. Ver. 20. The two readings of this verse are, 'EXλnvotás, Hellenists, adopted by the textus receptus; and "Exλnvas, Greeks. The former reading is best attested by external authorities it is found in B, E, G, H; whereas the latter is found only in A, D. The Codex Sinaiticus (N) reads ἐλάλουν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς εὐαγγελιστάς, probably a mistake for N |