3; but some of the converted Jews were not willing to admit his authority upon this subject, and persecuted him with great violence for this opinion: he maintained the rights of the Gentiles, however, with invariable perseverance and intrepidity, both in his discourses and writings. On the present occasion, he is willing to refer the question to the opinion of the apostles and brethren at Jerusalem.

3. And being brought on their way, "being deputed," by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

The apostles were first encouraged to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, by the conversion of Cornelius, in consequence of a divine vision to Peter; but they do not seem to have undertaken to do it, until Paul went among them to the neighbourhood of Antioch, encouraged by the advice of Christ to him at his conversion, or, perhaps, by a particular revelation. The conversion of Gentiles, therefore, was new and unexpected intelligence to the brethren, and excited in their minds unfeigned joy.

4. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received, "they were joyfully received," of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them, "what they and God had done," the miracles which God had wrought, and the services which they had performed.

The

This was Paul's third journey to Jerusalem, seventeen years after his conversion: so long was it before much progress had been made in converting the Gentiles, and before this controversy arose respecting their conformity to the law of Moses. words of the next verse, as they are at present translated, seem to contain an account of a party formed at Jerusalem, of the same principles with those at Antioch, who were for imposing the law upon the neck of the Gentiles: but they are, in reality, nothing more than the report of Paul and Barnabas to the church of the conduct of those at Antioch, who had been the occasion of their taking this journey.

5. "But there arose up, "there had risen up," i. e. in foreign parts, certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

This was the language of the believers at Antioch, who opposed Paul; they are mentioned before as men who came down from Judæa; but we here learn, what indeed we might have supposed before, that they were Pharisees, since that sect was the most zealous for the law.

6. And the apostles and elders came together, for to consider of this matter.

7. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know how that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the Gentiles, by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

8. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did

unto us;

9. And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Peter endeavours to prove, that the Gentiles who believed were in a state of favour and privilege, as well as the Jews; and his argument for this purpose is God's having given them the Holy Spirit, or poured out upon them miraculous powers, as was the case in the instance of Cornelius, to which he himself had been witness. This was a proof of their faith in the gospel; since it was a favour that would never have been conferred, except upon a believer. This faith is said afterwards to purify the heart; this refers, not to any moral efficacy of their faith, but its cleansing them from that uncleanness which adhered to them as idolaters and unbelievers. In allusion to this, the vision said to Peter, "what God hath cleansed, that call thou not common or unclean."

10. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God, "why try ye God," to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Why try ye the patience of the Divine being, by treating the Gentiles in a manner so contrary to his own conduct towards them? so contrary, likewise, to the principles of humanity, which teaches us not to lay upon another what we are unwilling or unable to bear ourselves. It was certainly true of the ancient Jews, that they were not able to bear the yoke of the law, for they were continually forsaking it to worship idols; it was also true of the modern Jews, who had so corrupted or broken their law, as to cast themselves wholly, as a people, out of the divine covenant, and to reduce themselves to the state of the Gentiles. By believing in Christ, however, they were reinstated in the divine favour, not on the ground of merit but of mercy.

11. But we believe as well as those men, Paul and Barnabas, that they, the Gentiles, are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have given what appears to me the sense of this

passage, and

The grace

what the language of the original will certainly bear. of our Lord Jesus Christ is the favour of God in the gospel of Christ: by this favour Peter expresses his persuasion, that the Gentiles are saved. The apostle is speaking of what has actually taken place, and not of what will be in future; and he refers to the sentiments of Paul and Barnabas, and not to those of the Gentiles.

12. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

REFLECTIONS.

The same

1. WE may observe, how early a spirit of imposing doctrines and practices began in the church, and what mischief it was likely to produce. The Jews will not associate with Gentiles, nor allow them the name of brethren, unless they conform exactly to their faith and manners, unless they submit to every rite and to every ceremony which they had been taught to regard as sacred and important; thus imposing restraints upon their brethren, which it would be impossible for them to bear, and placing a bar in the way of all improvement in religion, by requiring every generation of men' rigidly to adhere to the practices of their ancestors. spirit still prevails in the world, and has the same pernicious tendency. There are men who are for imposing their own opinions, their own feelings and language, upon others, as the only genuine standard of religion, as the ouly terms of acceptance with God. Those who cannot conform to it they will not acknowledge as brethren; they anathematize, and condemn, and treat them with the most opprobrious language; limiting the favour of the Almighty and their own benevolence to the few who constitute their own party, and cherishing a spirit of aversion and hatred to the rest of the human race; compelling mankind, as far as they are able, to retain a system of faith erroneous in the extreme, merely because it is that in which they have been educated.

But, blessed be God, true Christianity breathes a different spirit; it lays but little stress upon ceremonies, and allows of great diversity of sentiment in articles of belief, if there be but genuine faith in Christ; it thus tends to cement into one body the various classes of mankind, instead of dividing them. This spirit let us cherish and cultivate, both in ourselves and others, with the utmost care, and discountenance every appearance of pride and bigotry.

2. We learn, from this portion of history, the utility and necessity of disputes on religious matters. They are necessary to correct the errors of the mistaken, to oppose the usurpation of the

arbitrary and assuming, and to defend the cause of truth. The apostolic age was not exempt from contention, and the world still enjoys the benefit of the firmness and resolution of the preachers of the gospel. Had no disputes then taken place, we must at this time have been observers of the law of Moses, and not Christians at all, being Jewish Christians.* Had no disputes taken place at a subsequent period, we must have been what our ancestors were, idolaters and papists. If the same zeal in opposing error and usurpation had been manifested in all ages, which was displayed by the apostles, popery would never have raised its head; but some becoming indifferent to the truth, while others were zealous in propagating error, a huge mass of Jewish ceremonies or heathen superstitions were added to Christianity, which destroyed every appearance of the original system. Let us not, therefore, lay aside weapons of defence, because they have sometimes been applied to a bad purpose; let disputes be conducted with candour and good temper, and we shall have nothing to fear from them they will become the source of liberty and knowledge.

13. AND after they, i. e. Paul and Barnabas, had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me:

14. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name; referring to the conversion of Cornelius by Peter.

15. And to this agree the words of the prophets. Peter had already mentioned a very powerful argument in favour of the admission of Gentiles to the privileges of the Christian church, without conformity to the law, the circumstance of their receiving the Holy Spirit, or miraculous powers, upon faith in Christ alone. This afforded a strong presumption that God did not require from them the observance of Jewish rites, since the marks of his favour were bestowed without them. The apostle James has recourse to another argument of no small weight, upon the same subject, the circumstance of the call of the Gentiles being foretold by the prophets.

As it is written,

16. After this, I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up.

17. That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is

* Galatians, v. 2.

called, "who are called by name," i. e. who are called my people, saith the Lord, who doth all these things.

18. Known unto God are all his works* from the beginning of the world.

These words are taken from the book of Amos, in which the recovery of the glory of the house of David by some illustrious person of that family, and, by his means, the conversion of the Gentiles, are foretold. It seems to be foretold, likewise, that they would be the people of God without becoming Jews; for Gentiles are spoken of in it as called by his name. The apostle subjoins to his quotation, that known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. This may prevent all surprise at such predictions, since God foresees all things, the minutest events as well as the most important.

19. Wherefore my sentence is, "my opinion is," that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God;

20. But that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

21. For Moses of old time hath in every city, them that preach him, being read in the synagogue every sabbath day.

"From pollutions of idols," i. e. from things relating to idols, which cause pollution. By these, the apostles evidently mean meats offered to idols; for it is so expressed in the letter which was written on his recommendation. Persons might partake in two ways of meats offered to idols, according to the current forms of idolatry which prevailed in the heathen world; for sometimes one of the company took part of the flesh, and threw it into the fire, accompanied with libations of wine, as an offering to some god, who was invoked upon the occasion; at other times, those who had offered sacrifice in the temple, invited their friends to partake with them of the flesh of the victim, at an entertainment which they had provided, or sent it to them to their own houses. To partake of entertainments in either of these ways, which had so evident a relation to idolatry, was by the Jews justly considered as participating in idolatrous worship, and as producing pollution; and they felt exceedingly averse from associating with those who had been guilty of it. To prevent offence from being given to the Jews, the Gentiles are advised to abstain from such entertainments.

"And from fornication." By fornication in this place, some understand that irregular intercourse between the sexes, which took place in heathen temples, and made a part of their worship; but I con

* The words εστι τω Θεω παντα τα έργα αυτού are omitted by Griesbach.Editor.