And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus in Jerusalem also. In consequence of new attempts which the Jews here also made to take his life, the brethren brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him forth thence to Tarsus. He abode fifteen days only in Jerusalem; two apostles alone, Peter and James, were at that time in the city (Gal. 1 : 18, 19). OBS. The conversion of Paul is one of the most glorious triumphs of Christianity; it has, however, been since repeated, on a large and on a small scale, in countless cases. The divine seal of Christianity bears the inscription: "OF ENEMIES, FRIENDS." Paul was chosen by the Lord to be the Apostle of the Gentiles (Rom. 11: 13; Gal. 1: 16; 162. 1, OBS.); his authority was equal to that of any of the twelve messengers sent to the tribes of Israel; he "labored more abundantly than they all" (1 Cor. 15: 10)—a richer blessing crowned his labors. In order to qualify him to be a witness of the resurrection of the Lord, like the other apostles, it was essentially necessary that the Lord should appear to him personally and bodily, and give him a direct call, such as he had given to them (1 Cor. 15: 5-8). Hence he ascribes so much importance to the fact that the Lord had appeared to him also (1 Cor. 9: 1). § 168. Peter's Miracles in Lydda and Joppa. The Conversion of Cornelius. 1. Acts 931, &c. The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria, enjoyed undisturbed peace during several years, and their external and internal growth was abundantly promoted by the divine blessing.-Peter undertook a journey at this time, the object of which was a general visitation of the churches. In Lydda, a city lying between Jerusalem and Joppa, he healed, in the name of Christ, a man named Eneas, who had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. In Joppa he restored a certain disciple to life, named Tabitha, (that is, gazelle) who had been distinguished, previous to her death, by her benevolent acts. In consequence of the impression which these miracles produced, large additions were made to the Church in that region. But Peter tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon, a tanner. OBS. As the Gospel had already passed beyond the boundaries of Palestine (9: 30; 11: 19–21), and influenced increasing numbers of pagans who desired salvation, it became indispensably necessary to decide distinctly and positively the general question respecting the course which it would be proper to pursue with the Gentiles. The apostles had no doubts whatever, it is true, of the fact itself that the heathen world was also called to enter into the kingdom of God the prophecies of the Old Testament and those of the Lord himself, plainly taught it; nevertheless, they still believed it to be necessary that the Gentiles should also be circumcised and assume the obligation of keeping the ritual law. They were constrained to adhere to this opinion by the numerous declarations which they found in the Old Testament respecting the perpetual validity of circumcision and the ritual law, until they attained to a full and clear view of the meaning of Christ's words. (Matt. 5 : 17, 18, § 133. 1.) Under these circumstances it was of the utmost importance that the decision of this question should proceed from an apostle of the Jews, and, specially, from Peter, the most prominent of their number, who was the founder of the original Jewish congregation in Jerusalem, and who had hitherto conscientiously believed that he was himself bound to observe the ritual law. acts. 2. Acts 10: 1, &c. Cornelius, the centurion or commander of an Italian cohort in Cesarea, had already become a proselyte of the gate, and was distinguished by a godly life and benevolent As he was fasting and praying on a certain day, an angel of God appeared to him in a vision, who directed him to send to Joppa for Peter, and added that the latter would tell him what he ought to do, inasmuch as his prayers and alms were come up for a memorial before God. It was, on the other hand, necessary that Peter also, the strict observer of the law, should be duly prepared for this extraordinary mission. As the messengers of Cornelius were approaching the city, Peter was upon the housetop, engaged in prayer. And he became very hungry; his sense of a certain bodily want furnished the occasion for receiving instructions from God in a vision, and in a symbolic manner. Before the food was prepared for him, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened. A certain vessel descended like a great sheet knit at the four corners, filled with unclean animals of all - kinds, and he heard a voice, saying: "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat." But Peter said: "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean." The voice replied: "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." This was done thrice, after which the vision passed away. While Peter was reflecting on this occurrence, the men whom Cornelius had sent, reached the house, and the Spirit said to him: "Arise and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them." Cornelius had called together his kinsmen and near friends, and when Peter arrived, related to him all that had occurred. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him," (that is, when God invites men to embrace the Christian religion, he does not regard any claims derived from external circumstances, such as Jewish descent, but regards the state of the heart.) Peter preached to them Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead; and while he was speaking, the Holy Ghost fell on all them who heard the word, so that they spoke with tongues and magnified God. Then Peter said to the brethren who had accompanied him, and who were Jews by birth: "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. When the tidings of this Baptism reached Jerusalem, certain zealots were offended, and reproached Peter for it, but after he explained all the circumstances to them, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying: "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." OBS. That peculiar communication of the Spirit which in this case preceded Baptism, by no means rendered the latter superfluous, since it was essentially different from those operations of the Spirit which take place in Baptism. In the former case extraordinary gifts, particularly the gift of tongues, were bestowed, which were indeed more striking in appearance, but which are essentially far inferior in their kind to the gift of regeneration in Baptism. § 169. The Church in Antioch.-The Execution of James, and the Deliverance of Peter. 1. Acts 11: 19, &c.-The persecution which commenced with the stoning of Stephen, had scattered the seeds of the word as far as Phenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. Those who fled preached the Word to none except to Jews; a few Hellenists, however, who were among them, preached the Lord Jesus to the pagans in Antioch. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed. When the mother-church in Jerusalem received tidings of these things, Barnabas was sent thither, a man full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. He beheld the gracious and glorious development of the new congregation with joy; after having exhorted all to remain steadfast in the faith, he proceeded to Tarsus, for the purpose of securing Paul's services for this new field of labor, and both continued the work an entire year in Antioch. During this period, certain prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem, one of whom, named Agabus, announced, by the Spirit, that a severe famine would soon prevail extensively (which afterwards occurred during the reign of the emperor Claudius), and, in anticipation of it, instituted a collection in behalf of the poor brethren in Judea; the proceeds were conveyed by Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem. (Acts 12: 25, A. D. 45.) OBS. After the occurrence of these events, Antioch occupied a very prominent position in the history of the development of Christianity. Jerusalem had been constituted the centre of the operations of those who extended the Gospel among the Jews; Antioch, in the same manner, became the central point of the diffusion of the Gospel among the Gentiles. The elements were here developod of that greater freedom of spirit which obtained a complete victory through the efforts of Paul; here, too, the intellectual culture of paganism was first associated with Christianity, and the way was opened for the entire release of the latter from the fetters of the narrow-minded Judaism of the times. It was, consequently, in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians;” the name implied that a distinction existed between them and the Jews, and that they were independent of Judaism. 2. Acts 12: 1, &c.—After a period of repose which embraced eight years, a sanguinary persecution of the Christians was com menced in the year 44 by Herod Agrippa I. (§ 116. 3), who was desirous of gaining the favor of the people by this procedure. He subjected many members of the church in Jerusalem to severe trials, and beheaded James the greater (or, the elder), the brother of John. He imprisoned Peter also, intending to order his execution after the festival of the Passover had passed. But the angel of the Lord appeared to the apostle during the night which preceded the day appointed for his execution, a light filled the prison, and the chains by which he was bound to his two keepers fell off from his hands. The angel conducted him past the two stations of the guards, through the iron gate, which opened of its own accord to them, and placed him in the street. It was then only that Peter perceived that he had not merely seen a vision, but had been actually delivered from prison. He immediately went to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark, in which many Christians were at that moment assembled and engaged in prayer. To these he described his miraculous deliverance, and then left the city. The death of the king, which occurred soon afterwards, restored the peace of the Church. § 170. Paul's first Missionary Journey. - Barnabas. 1. Acts 13: 1, &c. - After Paul and Barnabas had labored together a whole year in Antioch, they commenced (A. D. 45) an extensive missionary journey, according to the command of the Holy Ghost, the brethren having first prayed and laid their hands. upon them. Barnabas took his nephew John Mark with him. After sailing to Cyprus (in which island Barnabas was born), and reaching Paphos, the chief city, Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, desired to see them and hear the word of God; he was one of those meditative pagans, who eagerly listened to every new doctrine which claimed a divine origin. (§ 120. 1.) A Jewish sorcerer was present, named Bar-jesus, who assumed the Arabic name Elymas (signifying a sage or magian); this man withstood them, and attempted to turn away the proconsul from the faith. When the proconsul saw that the sorcerer was struck blind, after Paul had sternly rebuked him, he was convinced by this sign of the truth of the apostle's doctrine, and believed in the Lord. |