= Paul preaches]

same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

6 And when they opposed them selves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean 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 worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in

[at Corinth. the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:

10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

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, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:

15 But if it be a question of words. and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.

16 And he drave them from the judgment seat.

17 Then all the Greeks took Sos

presiding over all his creatures, and taking account of all their actions, with the design, at some future day, of bringing all before his bar. With this design he had commanded all men to repent of their idolatry and other crimes, and had ordained that same august person, whose name he preached, to be the judge; and though he had been rejected and crucified by his own nation, yet had God, most high, given assurance of such design "in that he had raised him from the dead."

Here he could proceed no farther. The very idea of a resurrection appeared to them all so absurd-to Stoics as well as

Epicureans-that they began to mock and ridicule; and even others, not so rude, thought it a matter of so little consequence, that it were better to defer the subject "to a more convenient season." As, however, there was a Joseph and a Nicodemus in the Jewish Sanhedrim, who believed in Jesus, so, even among the judges of the Areopagus, there was Dionysius who believed, as well as a noble lady of the name of Damaris, which, with a few others, were all the fruit of his labours in this metropolis of science, literature, and taste.

a

Ver. 5. Pressed in the spirit.-Doddr." borne away by (his) spirit." Heinsius and others, " by the spirit," meaning the Holy Ghost. But some ancient copies read," was earnestly employed in the word," i. e. in preaching. See Griesbach.

Ibid. Was Christ.-Marg. "is the Christ," or Messiah.

Ver. 6. Shook his raiment-As signifying, as he said, that he was clean," pure," or clear" of their blood. Compare ch. xx. 26. A like ceremony is still used in Turkey. See Orient. Lit. No. 1425.

Ver. 7. Justus, one that worshipped God-i. e. a Jewish proselyte.

Ver. 10. Set on thee.-Doddr. " fall on thee."
Ver. 11. He continued.-Marg. " sat."

Ver. 12. Deputy-i. e. Proconsul of Achaia, or Greece.

Ver. 14. Wrong-i. e. injustice.

Ver. 17. Sosthenes, the chief ruler-Probably the successor of Crispus, who had been converted, ver. 8, and of course of an opposite spirit, and in this case the prosecutor.

·Apollos instructed by]

thenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.

18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not;

21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

22 And when he had landed at Cesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went

[Aquila and Priscilla.

over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.

25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ. (N)

CHAP. XVIII.

(N) Ver. 1-28. Paul preaches at Corinth, and afterwards at Ephesus-the character and talents of Apollos.-From Athens Paul went to Corinth, at that time the metropolis of Greece. "It was (says Mr. Milner) at once full of opulence, learning, luxury, and sensuality. Here Providence gave him the acquaintance and friendship of Aquila and Priscilla, two Jewish Christians lately expelled from Italy with other Jews, by an edict of the Emperor Claudius. With them he wrought as a tent-maker, being of the same occupation; for every Jew, whether rich or

poor, was obliged to follow some trade." After the arrival of Silas and Timothy, the apostle earnestly addressed his country. men in the synagogue at Corinth, but meeting with little beside opposition and abuse from them, he turned to the Gentiles, and shaking his garment, with an intimation that he was free from the blood of his own nation, who had refused his mes sage, he immediately devoted his whole attention to the idolatrous Corinthians. Crispus, however, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house, as did also Justus, at whose house he lodged, adjoining to the syua

Ver. 18. For he had a vow.-This appears to have been the vow of the Nazarite, for it is said, he had "shaved his head at Cenchrea." By the original law, it appears that Nazarites were to shave their heads "at the door of the tabernacle," Num, vi. 18; but this must have been dispensed with, in the instance of persons residing in foreign countries, as well as that of going up to the three great feasts; the Rabbies, however, considered such persons as bound to come to Jerusalem to complete their vows; and this is supposed to be the reason that Paul was so anxious to go up and keep the approaching feast,

ver. 21. See Lardner's Cred. vol. i. ch. ix. 7. It should not be concealed, however, that Grotius, Hammond, Witsius, and others, consider Aquila (and not Paul) as the person who had made the vow: and the naming Aquila after Priscilla (contrary to every other instance) favours this interpretation. If this be adopted, the word there, in ver. 19, must refer, not to Ephesus, but to Cenchrea.

Ver. 24. Mighty in the Scriptures-Namely, of the Old Testament, the New not being yet written. Ver, 28. Was Christ. See note on ver. 3.

gogue. Many also of the idolatrous Corinthians believed, and were baptised, and it is possible that he might now be ready to think his work here completed; but, in a vision of the night, he was animated and encouraged to persevere by the assurance of his heavenly Master: "Be not afraid; but speak and hold not thy peace, for I have much people in this city." He accordingly continued there a full year and a half, "teaching the word of God among them."

It was to be expected that the Jews would be exasperated by his success among the Gentiles, and they made zealous attempts to hinder him. "But the moderate spirit of the Roman government (says the excellent church historian above cited) prevented them from raising any serious persecution. Gallio, the proconsul, brother to the famous Seneca, was perfectly indif ferent concerning the progress of Christianity, and refused to pay the least attention to their complaints against St. Paul, who now finding himself effectually preserved from the fury of his countrymen, remained in Corinth some considerable time longer than the above-mentioned year and a half." (Milner's Church Hist. vol. i. chap. XI.)

The Romans evidently, and indeed justly, considered the Jews as a factious, quarrelsome, and superstitious people; and it was upon this principle that Gallio refused to listen to their complaints; and, indeed,

afterwards, when the Greeks took Sosthenes, who was a ringleader against the Christians, and beat him before the judgment seat, he refused to interfere; for which, however, we cannot commend him, for he ought to have kept the peace: but "Gallio cared for none of those things."

From Corinth Paul came to Ephesus, another celebrated Greek city, whither Aquila and Priscilla accompanied him. Here he addressed the Jews with better acceptance, for they wished him to tarry with them; but, having determined to attend the next feast at Jerusalem, he proceeded on his journey, promising shortly

to return.

After Paul had left this city, Apollos came, an Alexandrian Jew, who is described as "an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures, and fervent in spirit," but as yet but partially acquainted with Christianity, "knowing only the baptism of John." Aquila and Priscilla, however, when they heard his admirable talents and slender information, took him to their home, instructed him more fully in the peculiar truths of the gospel, and gave him letters of commendation to the brethren whither he travelled, to whom he became very useful, especially in preaching to the Jews, whom he mightily convinced, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ," the true Messiah, promised to their fathers.

CHAP. XIX. Ver. 1. The upper coasts-i. e. the upper parts of Asia Minor, which were more remote from the Mediterranean Sea.

Ver. 2. Whether there be any Holy GhostThat is, whether it be yet given. ellipsis occurs John vii. 39: "The Holy Ghost was A parallel bot yet" i. e. "not yet given," as our translators Supply the word. So here, they had not heard whether the Holy Ghost were yet given." This is the sense we believe generally given to the passage;

and it is difficult to believe that any of John's disciples should not have heard of the Holy Ghost, for he said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me.... he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." Matt. iii. 11; John i. 33.

Ver. 5. Baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.This seems clearly to indicate, that John's was not Christian baptism, or it would not have been repeated.

CHAP. XIX.

[in Macedonia.

22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. (O)

(0) Ver. 1-22. The Holy Ghost given by Paul's hands. The Jewish exorcists confounded, and their books burnt.-We now find Paul returned to Ephesus, according to his promise (ch. xviii. 21), where he finds about

dozen of John's disciples, who, though they associated with the Christians, had received only John's baptism, and appear to have heard nothing of the miraculous events of the day of Pentecost. They now, however, willingly consented to receive baptism in the name of Jesus, after which, Paul laying his hands on them, they received the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, and prophesied and spake with tongues.

Paul, during his three months' continuance here, attended and preached at the Jewish Synagogue, "disputing" with objectors, and "persuading" them to believe in Christ Jesus, and to receive the doctrines and precepts of his kingdom. Some of the Jews, however, were so hardened, that they not only refused to receive the truth themselves, but abused those who did believe, insomuch that Paul and his friends were obliged to withdraw from them, and hold their meetings in the school-room of one Tyrannus, whom Dr. Lightfoot supposes to have been a converted Jew, who here delivered lectures on theology; but Dr. Booth royd rather conceives him to have been a Gentile philosopher. The fact is unknown and unimportant. "All at Ephesus and the adjacent country heard the word of the Lord Jesus, and many of them, both Jews and Greeks, believed."

"In no place (says Mr. Milner) does the word of God seem so much to have triumphed as at Ephesus. No less numerous than those of Corinth, the believers were much more spiritual. The work of conversion was deep, vigorous, and soultransforming to a great degree. Many persons, struck with the horror of their former crimes, made an open confession; and many, who had dealt in the abominations of sorcery, now showed their sincere detestation of them, by burning their books before all men, the price of which amounted to a large sum. "So mightily

grew the word of God, and prevailed!" Thus triumphs the sacred historian. Satan must have trembled for his kingdom: the emptiness of all the systems of philosophy appeared no less palpable than the flagitiousness of vice, and the enormities of idolatry. The spiritual power of Jesus was never seen in a stronger light since the day of Pentecost; and the venal priesthood of Diana, the celebrated goddess of Ephesus, apprehended the total ruin of their hierarchy." (Church Hist. vol. i. ch. 14.)

We are farther informed, that it pleased God to honour Paul with powers singularly miraculous, such as the cure of diseases and the ejection of demons, by means of handkerchiefs and aprons which he wore, of which we recollect nothing parallel in the New Testament. But every instrument is equally effective when endued with a divine virtue-the power is alone of God.

Satan is ever imitating where he cannot rival; he now stirred up certain vagabond (or travelling) Jews, the seven sons of a chief priest, exorcists by profession, who took upon them to call over them that had evil spirits, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth." This was a dangerous experiment. Jesus they knew, aud Paul they knew, but these men they knew not; they were glad therefore to escape naked and wounded from the hands of one of these demoniacs. Dr. Boothroyd says, "I should think that this man was insane." We should think so too, and believe that maniacs often are possessed yet we would by no means assert that all are possessed who are insane, or all insane who are possessed.

This miracle had a salutary effect in calling the public attention to the divine superiority of the Christian religion; and the present contest reminds us of that between Moses and the magicians of Egypt. The latter, indeed, did wonders in the sight of Pharoah, by turning their rods (apparently) into serpents; but that of Moses evinced a superior power, by devouring them. (See on Exod. vii. and viii. Expos. and Notes.) Ephesus seems to have been at this time as much famed