This may seem strange to some. But now we discern the reason of it from the account that has been lately given of the continuance of the persecution in Judea, after the death of Stephen, and also of Paul's retired way of life, for some while, in Arabia. Paul had but lately begun to preach openly in the name of Jesus, in the synagogues of Damascus. And the believers in Judea being much harassed by the persecution which they met with at home, had not received any intelligence about what had passed at Damascus, and in the way thither. Nor were the Jewish rulers forward to publish the loss of so active a servant as Paul had been.

Acts ix. 27-30," But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them, how he had seen the Lord in the way, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus."

There have been different conjectures concerning the reasons, why Barnabas, in particular, brought Paul to the apostles. Some have imagined that he and Barnabas had studied together under Gamaliel or at least, that they had been acquainted formerly. But I see no ground for such a supposition in the history. If that had been the case, there would have been some intimation of it; which there is not. I therefore rather think, that it was entirely owing to the circumstances of things. When Paul came to Jerusalem, it was a time of persecution, as before observed, and the apostles lived privately. Paul endeavoured to join himself to the disciples, and be acquainted with them: but they were all shy of him. And possibly they were desirous that he should be approved by some of the apostles, before they took notice of him. However, he met with Barnabas,

Says Lightfoot, in his Commentary upon Acts ix. 26. Vol. I. p. 814, 'Some cannot conceive how it should be possible, that he should have been a 'convert three years, and yet his conversion and present qualities should be unknown to the church at Jerusalem. But these two or three considerations may help the scruple. 1. The distance between Damascus and Jerusalem. 2. The persecution that continued still upon the church of Judea, which 'would keep the disciples of Damascus from going thither. And, 3. The just 'fear that might possess the disciples at Jerusalem, in the very time of persecution. For though it was said before, that the church of Jerusalem, and of Judea, enjoyed a great deal of rest and tranquillity after the conversion of Paul, their great persecutor, in comparison of what they had done before, yet was not the persecution of the church utterly extinct to the very time of 'Paul's coming up to Jerusalem, but continued still. And therefore it is the 'less wonder, if the disciples there be the more fearful and cautelous.'

* On prétend, qu'il avoit étudié avec Saül sous Gamaliel. L'Enfant, sur Actes, ix. 27. See also Pool's English Annotations upon the place.

Forte Barnabas Saülum ante conversionem noverat, credebatque ei ut minime mendaci. Grot. ad loc.

and gave him an account of his conversion, and of every thing that had happened to him since he went from Jerusalem. And Barnabas gave credit to his account. Nor is it impossible, but that some believers might come from Damascus, and confirm the truth of it. Whereupon Barnabas was willing to introduce him to the apostles. Unquestionably, they placed full confidence in Barnabas, and he might know where they were. However, it is evident he bad access to James. To him he brought Paul and James brought him to Peter: so Paul had communion with all the apostles. After which he was readily received by the disciples, or believers in general. "And he was with them, coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed with the Grecians," or Greeks: meaning proselytes to the Jewish religion, in whom we see the true spirit of the Jewish proselytes about this time, as declared by our Saviour himself, Matt. xxiii. 15," But they went about to slay him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus."

By Cæsarea I should be apt to understand" Cæsarea by the sea side," mentioned before, ch. viii. 40. But some learned men, particularly Witsius, and Dr. Doddridge, hereby suppose to be intended Cæsarea Philippi. If we could be assured of that interpretation, perhaps it might lead us to the meaning of that expression of Paul in his speech to Agrippa, cited not long ago: "throughout all the coasts of Judea." And indeed it may be reckoned probable, that therein Paul refers to what was now done by him. For we cannot think of any more likely season for it, considering how short a stay he generally made in Judea, whenever he came thither after his conversion. It is very probable, that as he travelled with the disciples, who accompanied him, he was not silent. Though he made no long stay in any one place, he would embrace every opportunity that offered, to speak of the doctrine, which now lay with so much weight on his mind.

"The brethren," as St. Luke says, " brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus." And St. Paul -Hierosolymam reliquit, et a fratribus Cæsaream deductus est, non maritimam illam, quæ et Turris Stratonis dicta, de quâ supra cap. viii. 40, sed Cæsaream Philippi, quæ sita erat circa montem Libanum, ad confluentem Jor et Dan, unde Jordanes originem ducit, quæ olim Lachis, deinde Dan appellata fuit, de quâ Jud. xviii. Cujus pomaria quum rex Agrippa protulisset, mutato nomine in honorem Neronis vocavit Neroniada. Joseph. Antiq. 20. viii. Wits. de Vità Pauli, sect. 3. n. ii. See the Family Expositor,

Vol. III. p. 146. upon Acts ix. 30.

himself says, Gal. i. 21, "Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia." Tarsus was now the chief city of Cilicia, and Paul's native place: where he had not been since he first came up to Jerusalem, to study the law under Gamaliel. Possibly, Paul now found some of his relatious, and likewise some others, who were disciples of Jesus before him. See Rom. xvi. 7, 11. Possibly also, while he travelled now in these countries of Cilicia and Syria, he met with some of those dangers and difficulties, which are entirely omitted by St. Luke, but are mentioned or hinted by the apostle in his epistles, especially the eleventh chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians.

In those countries Paul was the remainder of the year 40, and all 41, and likewise all 42, or the greatest part of it, till about the beginning of the year 43, preaching, undoubtedly, in the name of Jesus to native Jews, and to proselytes of the Jewish religion.

Afterwards he went to Antioch, and began to preach to Gentiles, as we shall see presently.

The churches having peace, and being no longer disturbed by a violent persecution, Peter visited the disciples in the several parts of Judea, Acts ix. 32-43. Before he returned to Jerusalem, whilst he was in the city of Joppa, "where he tarried many days," he received an order from heaven to go to Cæsarea. And in ch. x. and xi. 1—18, St. Luke gives a distinct account of St. Peter's going to the house of Cornelius at Cæsarea, and there preaching to Gentiles, and of the defence which he made of his conduct to the apostles and brethren at Jerusalem, and their acquiescence therein, upon which I do not now enlarge.

Afterwards, at ver. 19, 20, St. Luke says, "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene: who when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus."

These men had preached the gospel to Jews, and the proselytes to judaism, in Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch. But some time after their arrival at Antioch, hearing of Peter's having opened the door of the kingdom of heaven to Gentiles at the house of Cornelius, they began to preach also to the Greeks at Antioch, that is, the people of the

b

b

that is, the people of the country,' Acts xix. 10.

so that

all they which dwelt in Asia, heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.' And ver. 17. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also

country who might, possibly, some few of them, be pious men like Cornelius, who even before his conversion was a worshipper of the true God, the God of Israel: but the greatest part of them must have been heathen idolaters, as all the people of the earth, except the Jews, generally were, till the coming of Christ, and the preaching of his gospel among them.

C

Ver. 21. "And the hand of the Lord was with them." God graciously accompanied their ministry with miraculous works, which he enabled them to perform in the name of Jesus." Whereby they who saw them were awakened and convinced. And those evangelists likewise were greatly encouraged, being thereby fully satisfied, that what they did was approved by God himself." And a great number believed and turned unto the Lord."

Ver. 22-26. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church, which was at Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should cleave unto the Lord. "Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul. And when he had found him he brought him unto Antioch."

VIII. If Peter preached to Cornelius, in the year 41, and about the middle of that year, as is probable, it would be near the end of the year 42, or the beginning of the year 43, when Paul was brought by Barnabas to Antioch.

During this time of Paul's being at Antioch, in the year of Christ 43, he might have the rapture, mentioned by him 2 Cor. xii. It seems to me to have happened soon after he came to Antioch, when he first began to preach to Gentiles, who hitherto had preached to Jews only.

Ver. 26. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much dwelling at Ephesus.' It is common with all authors about that time, to call the people, who inhabited the cities of Asia and Syria, Greeks. Oi de per' avπαντα τοις επ' Αντιοχειας Ιεδαίοις απέδοσαν,

τον

- και συνεχωρησαν

αυτοις εξ ισε της πόλεως τοις Έλλησι μετέχειν. Jos. de B. J. l. 7. cap. 3. n. 3. p. 1299. Hudson. Iter igitur ita per Asiam feci.--Nullo judicio, nullâ contumelia, auctoritate et cohortatione perfeci, ut et Græci, et cives Romani, qui frumentum compresserant, magnum numerum populis pollicerentur. Cic. ad Att. 1. 5. ep. 21. et passim. Ut ut sit, Gentiles hic

intelligi, res ipsa clamat. Atque hoc primum exemplum est evangelii publice Gentibus prædicati. Nam alterum illud Cornelii non nisi domesticum fuit. Quum vero Dei favorem in sancto hoc opere insigniter experirentur fideles illi Cyprii ac Cyrenenses, multusque Græcorum numerus, fide ipsis habità, converteretur ad Christum, non potuit tantæ rei fama Hierosolymitanæ ecclesiæ proceres diu latere. Wits. de Vità Paul. sect. 3. n. iii.

people; and the disciples were called christians first at Antioch."

This whole year, I think, must be part of the years 43 and 44, according to the vulgar computation. It may have reached some way into the year 44. Indeed, I apprehend the whole year, mentioned by Luke, to have expired not long before the time that Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem, with the contributions made at Antioch, for the relief of the believers in Judea in the approaching famine. For that is what St. Luke immediately proceeds to relate in ver. 27-30, that is, to the end of the chapter. And in this year, 44, I suppose the believers in Jesus to have obtained this denomination.

"And the disciples were called christians." Which a some think to have been done by a divine admonition. And they translate after this manner: "And the disciples were by divine appointment first named christians at Antioch."

Witsius does not discern any particular emphasis in the word, and readily admits the interpretation of Grotius, that the Greek word, according to its usual meaning in the best Greek writers, and in the New Testament itself, signifies named, or called. And he inclines to the conjectures of Abp. Usher, that this appellation was given to the believers by the Romans, then at Antioch.

Suicer in his Thesaurus explains the original word, and understands this text exactly as Grotius did.

Dr. Heumann has a Dissertation concerning the origin of the name of christians. Wherein he largely shows it

d See Dr. Benson's History of the first Planting the Christian Religion, Vol. i. ch. 1. sect. vi. p. 241. first ed. p. 248. second ed.

That is Dr. Doddridge's translation. Family Expositor, Vol. iii. p. 178. f Quod nomen Latinâ non Græcâ formâ a Christo deflexum, a Romanis Antiochiæ degentibus impositum illis fuisse, conjectat in Annalibus suis Usserius. Nec desunt, qui emphasin quærant in voce xpnuarioai, quâ Lucas utitur. Scilicet talem volunt nominationem eo vocabulo designari, quæ publico edicto, ei jussu Reipublicæ fit.- -Non invideo sane observationes istas doctissimis auctoribus suis, modo mihi dubitare liceat, an tam solidæ quam subtiles sint. Simplicior videtur annotatio Grotii: xonuaritev, pro nominari, est vox melioris Græcitatis, quam et Polybius non semel usurpat, et Paulus, Rom. vii. 3. apa ουν ζωντος τε ανδρος μοιχαλις χρηματισει. Ubi hæc jactata vocis emphasis ? Wits. ubi supr. sect. 3. num. iv. * Χρηματιζω significat nominor, vocor, appellor. Ita sumitur Acts xi. 26.Factum est autem, ut primum Antiochiæ discipuli nominarentur vel appellarentur Christiani.* Χρηματισαι hic est ονομοσθήναι, προσαγορευθήναι, λεχθηναι, κληθήναι. Suicer. De Ortu Nominis Christianorum. Diss. xi. ap. Primit. Gotting. p. 130 -147. Satis nunc cognovimus, Christianorum appellationis auctores fuisse non ipsos Christi cultores, sed ethnicos.——Illud præterea hinc discimus, Latinum potius esse nomen Christianorum, quam Græcum. Ac proinde facile subscribimus sententiæ Usserii, in Annalibus suis