21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, i. e. they were enabled to work miracles: and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord, i. e. professed themselves the disciples of Jesus. 22. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. 23. Who when he came, and had seen the grace of God, "the kindness of God," in inclining Gentiles to believe in Jesus, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord, that they would adhere to Christ. The reason for his earnestness is assigned in the next verse. 24. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith; and much people was added unto the Lord. 25. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul. He had been sent to Tarsus, which was his native place, by the brethren at Jerusalem, to avoid an attempt made against his life by some zealous Jewish proselytes with whom he disputed, as we were informed in the ninth chapter. Barnabas, who had been before acquainted with Saul, went to seek him, as a useful fellowlabourer in the work in which he was engaged. 26. And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. As Antioch was a populous city, and the inhabitants discovered a readiness to receive the gospel, Paul and Barnabas found encouragement to take up their residence, and to preach there, for a long time. Some have supposed that Christians were so called by divine appointment, and that this is implied in the Greek word used on this occasion; but it was so natural and so common to give to disciples the name of their teacher or master, that there is no occasion to have recourse to a miracle. Before this time they had undoubtedly a name; but they had been hitherto called Nazarenes, disciples or believers. Their new name seems to have been of Latin origin; for it has a Latin and not a Greek termination, and was probably given them by the Romans, to whom Antioch was at this time subject. Had Christians given it to themselves, it is probable that the writer of this history would have used it; but it is remarkable that he carefully avoids this appellation, calling them brethren, believers, and saints. The same observation has been made respecting the apostle Paul, who never calls the disciples of Christ Christians, but speaks of them under some other denomination. They are once called so by Peter. (1 Ep. iv. 16.) The reason of this caution in Paul and Luke was probably an apprehension that by giving them that name, they might make Christ appear like an ordinary leader of a sect among the heathen philosophers.* 27. And in these days came prophets, "teachers," from Jerusalem unto Antioch. Their office was that of instructors, and they came hither for the purpose of preaching the gospel: one of them, indeed, delivers a prediction, but as this power of foretelling future events was only occasional, it would not entitle him to the appellation of a prophet, in the same sense in which we apply the term to the prophets of the Old Testament; or, if he deserved the name, there appears no reason for giving it to all his companions. 28. And there stood up one of them, named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there would be great dearth, "a great famine," throughout all the world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cæsar. The words which we translate all the world, frequently signify no more than all the land, and are to be taken in a more enlarged or limited sense, according to the subject of which the writer is speaking as, in the present instance, Jerusalem is the place last mentioned, the whole land will signify the whole country of Judæa, and the meaning of the writer is, that the famine was not confined to Jerusalem, but extended over all the neighbouring territory. Luke tells us that this prediction was fulfilled under Claudius Cæsar, and we learn from Josephus that such a famine actually took place in Judæa, in the reign of this prince, and about this time. 29. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judæa: This itself is a proof that the famine was not expected to extend to this country; for otherwise they would not have determined upon this act of liberality, when they themselves were likely to want; or, if they had done so, such an act of generosity could not have failed to be noticed by this historian. * Lardner, Vol. VI. p. 265, &c. 30. Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. 1. REFLECTIONS. THE exhortation of Barnabas to the Christians at Antioch, that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord, is equally proper for the professors of the gospel at the present day. The temptations to desert him are not few or light; if we are not now exposed to persecution, we have trials of another kind, which are not less dangerous. Unlawful pleasure and unrighteous gain entice us to violate the precepts of Christ; the insinuating arts of unbelievers are calculated to undermine our faith; in either case the effect will be equally fatal: Guard yourselves, Christians, against these evils, and be not offended with those who warn you of your danger. 2. The liberality of the Christians at Antioch to their brethren in Judæa, in a season of distress, is a pleasing proof and specimen of the spirit of the gospel. To the inhabitants of Judæa in general, and particularly to the church at Jerusalem, they were indebted for the knowledge of the most important truth. They could not make them a sufficient return by communicating a like favour; but what they have they are willing to give; having received spiritual blessings, they send them such as are temporal, as a proof of their thankfulness. In this instance they acted the part of gratitude and benevolence; and where men are sensible of the value of the gospel in the present day, they will be ready to manifest their gratitude in a like manner. SECTION XVIII. Herod puts to death James, and imprisons Peter, who is miraculously delivered. Death of Herod. ACTS xii. 1-25. 1. Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex, "to hurt," certain of the church: This Herod is not the same with the prince of that name who put John the Baptist to death, and before whom our Lord appeared at Jerusalem; but one of the same family, who, therefore, takes the family name: he is distinguished by the additional name of Agrippa, as the other is by that of Antipas. Josephus represents him as strongly attached to the institutions of the Jews, and as taking much pains to render himself agreeable to them; which disposition, probably, induced him to commence a persecution against the disciples of Jesus.* 2. And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. These were the two sons of Zebedee, the fisherman, and our Lord had informed them, that they should drink of the same cup with himself; a prophecy which was in part fulfilled upon the present occasion. 3. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded farther to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) He did not choose, perhaps, to disturb the harmony of the festival by an execution. The Jews ate unleavened bread for several days before the passover; hence the whole festival came to be called the feast or festival of unleavened bread. 4. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers, i. e. to sixteen soldiers, to keep him; intending, after Easter, "after the passover," to bring him forth to the people. He set so many soldiers to guard Peter, because he came out of prison the last time he was put there, in a way which they did not know how to account for. I can see no reason for introducing the term Easter into the English translation of this verse, but a desire to countenance a modern festival by the authority of the apostolic age. The word used in the original, signifies passover, and ought so to be rendered. 5. Peter, therefore, was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing, or, " earnest prayer was made," of the church unto God for him. The object of these prayers was, no doubt, to entreat Heaven to exercise the same miraculous powers for his benefit in the present instance, which had been exerted before. To pray to God for benefits which we desire for ourselves or our friends, is highly proper at all times. 6. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, to bind him to each the soldiers, and keepers before the door kept the prison. * Lardner, Vol. I p. 20, &c. 7. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, "came to him," and a light shined in the prison, "in the room," and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly; and the chains fell off from his hands. 66 8. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, 'gird thy coat about thee," and bind on thy sandals : and so he did; and he saith unto him, Cast thy garment, "thy mantle," about thee, and follow me. 9. And he went out and followed him, and wist not, "knew not," that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. 10. When they were past the first and second ward, they came unto the iron gate, so called because it was covered with iron plates,* that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of its own accord, i. e. without the application of any external means; and they went out, and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11. And when Peter was come to himself, was recovered from his surprise, he said, Now I know of a surety, or, "certainly," that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. Peter knew something of the nature of vision, because he had already seen one; yet he seems to have been doubtful for some time, whether what happened to him at this time, might not be one, which shows, that the impressions made upon the imagination by visions were not easily distinguishable at the time, from those made upon the senses, however they might be discerned afterwards. Paul remained in uncertainty upon this subject many years after the event; for, after saying that he was canght up into the third heaven, he adds, "whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell;" i. e. whether literally and truly, or only by mental representation.t 66 12. And when he had considered the thing, after some consideration," i. e. about what he should do, or whither he should go, he came to the house of * Harmer's Observations, Vol. I. p. 207. |