1. Acts 17: 1, &c. After leaving Philippi, they went to Thessalonica, in which city Paul preached three sabbath-days in the synagogue. The result was the establishment of a congregation, consisting principally of Greeks. The unbelieving Jews excited a tumult, assaulted Jason, who had received the apostles as his guests, and compelled them to leave the city. Paul and Silas now visited Berea, and preached in the Synagogue. The Jews did not oppose them in the beginning, but received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. A congregation, consisting of both Jews and Greeks, was soon founded. But the Jews of Thessalonica came thither, stirred up the people, and again constrained Paul to withdraw. Silas and Timothy remained a short period, but Paul was conducted by the brethren to Athens.

2. Acts 17: 16, &c. In this city, the central point of pagan wisdom and religion, Paul preached daily in the synagogue and in the market. He attracted so much attention that he was conducted to Areopagus (hill of Mars), in order that he might set forth his new doctrine in that place. For all the Athenians and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing. He had seen an altar, as he was passing through the city, bearing this inscription: "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD" (ȧyvore de). He commenced his address with an allusion to this circumstance, and then introduced the following points: - That he now declared to them that God whom they had sought in vain at that altar, the only and the true God, the Lord of heaven and earth; that He had made of one blood all nations of men, to dwell upon the face of the whole earth, and had already ordained to each the appointed times and the bounds of their habitation; that he had assigned to paganism the task of seeking him, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he be not far from every one of them; that in him we live and move and have our being, or, as their own poets had said, "for we are also his offspring" (tov yap xai yévos šoμév, Cleanthes and Aratus); that God had overlooked the times of

this ignorance, but now commanded all men every where to repent, because he had appointed a day in which he would judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, whom he had raised from the dead. Here Paul was interrupted; when he spoke of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said: "We will hear thee again of this matter." Nevertheless, there were some, including Dionysius, a member of the court of Areopagus, and a matron named Damaris, whose minds were decided, and who embraced the Christian faith.

§ 174. Continuation.

Corinth.

The Return to Antioch.

(The Epistles to the Thessalonians.)

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1. Acts 18 1, &c. - Paul departed in the year 52 from Athens and came to Corinth, a wealthy and flourishing commercial city, in which science was successfully cultivated, but which was also notorious for its licentiousness. He was kindly received by Aquila, who practised the same trade which Paul had learned (§ 167. 1). Aquila and his wife Priscilla, who were Israelites, were born in Pontus, but had recently come from Rome, having been banished from that city with all the other Jews by the emperor Claudius. Here, too, Silas and Timothy rejoined Paul. The latter commenced to preach with great zeal in the synagogue, and his work was successful. Many Greeks believed, as well as many Jews, among whom appeared Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, together with all his house. When the other Jews violently opposed Paul, the latter shook his raiment, and said: "Your blood be upon your own heads: I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." He afterwards taught in the house of a proselyte named Justus. The congregation continually increased in number, and Paul was strengthened by a cheering vision, in which the Lord assured him of his divine protection, and informed him that He had much people in the city. The Jews at length arose with one accord against Paul and accused him of having perverted the Law: the proconsul Gallio (a brother of Seneca the philosopher), would not, however, listen to their complaints, but drove them from his presence.

OBS.-During Paul's stay of eighteen months in Corinth, he wrote his two Epistles to the Thessalonians. He had sent Timothy from Berea to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3 : 1, &c.), and received from him, on his return, the most joyful tidings respecting the state of the congregation in that city. As the members were, however, exposed in that large commercial city to corruptions of morals, and were also liable to corruptions of doctrine respecting the second coming of the Lord, he wrote the First Epistle for the purpose of preserving them from violations of duty and of strengthening them in the faith. Before he left Corinth he again received tidings from them. Certain deceivers had attempted to derive advantage from the somewhat indiscreet expectations of the believers respecting the speedy coming of the Lord. He therefore explained clearly and impressively, in his Second Epistle, the doctrine of the coming of the day of the Lord, and revealed the fact that the appearance of Antichrist would precede the coming of the Lord.

Acts 18: 18, &c.; Gal. 2: 1–14. — Paul departed from Corinth in the year 54, after having, through the divine blessing, labored in that city with eminent success. Before he went to Asia Minor, he fulfilled a certain Nazaritic vow (§ 52. A) which his grateful heart had impelled him to make. Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him to Ephesus. The Jews of this city received him kindly, and solicited him to tarry with them, but Paul would not consent, as he desired, in consequence of his vow, to reach Jerusalem before the occurrence of the feast of Pentecost; another inducement to proceed was furnished by a special revelation which he had received. (Gal. 2: 2.) Barnabas and Titus accompanied him to Jerusalem. On his arrival, which occurred fourteen years after his conversion (Gal. 2: 1), he availed himself of the opportunity to satisfy the minds of the apostles Peter, John and James, respecting the position which he assumed and the commission which he had received as the apostle of the Gentiles; for certain false brethren in Jerusalem had grossly misrepresented his course. He fearlessly vindicated his. claim to be regarded as an apostle, and it was cordially recognized by James, John and Peter. They gave the right hands of fellowship to him and Barnabas, and arranged that the two latter should preach to the heathen, and they themselves to the Jews. To the single condition which they proposed, namely, that aid

should be obtained for the poor of the mother-church in Jerusalem, Paul cheerfully assented. - He went thence to Antioch. Peter also came to that city, and did not scruple, at the beginning, to eat with the Gentile Christians; but after the arrival from Jerusalem of certain narrow-minded Jewish Christians, through fear of them, he discontinued entirely his intercourse. with the former; his example led the other Jewish Christians of Antioch astray, and even Barnabas did not remain steadfast, but was guilty of the same dissimulation. Then Paul stood forth boldly, and openly rebuked Peter on account of his fear of men, and his want of firmness. We are not informed of the manner in which Peter received the rebuke, but it may be confidently assumed that he humbly confessed the error which he had committed, and that he afterwards adopted a different course.

3. Acts 18: 24, &c.—Aquila and Priscilla had, in the mean time, returned from Ephesus to Corinth, accompanied by a Jew of Alexandria, named Apollos, who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but knew only the baptism of John; he was, therefore, one of those who had believed before the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but who were not yet acquainted with the succeeding events. As he combined great eloquence with a very accurate knowledge of the scriptures, and taught with great zeal and earnestness the way of the Lord, as far as he understood it, Aquila and Priscilla associated him with themselves, and communicated to him a more perfect knowledge of Christian truth. He was then qualified to continue at Corinth the work which Paul had commenced, convincing the Jews publicly and with great power, and showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ or Messiah.

§ 175. Paul's third Missionary Journey.—Ephesus. — (The Epistles to the Galatians to Timothy (the First)-to the Corinthians (the First); and—to Titus.)

1. Acts 19: 1, &c. - Paul did not continue long in Antioch, on this occasion, but was constrained by the love of Christ to labor in other parts of his vast field. He commenced his third great apostolic journey in the year 54 or 55, accompanied by

Luke, Titus and Timothy. After passing through Galatia and Phrygia, he came to Ephesus. Here he found twelve disciples, who had, like Apollos, received only John's baptism, and who possessed no knowledge respecting the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. When he baptized them in the name of Jesus, and laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them. He preached regularly for the space of three months in the synagogue, without being disturbed. At length he encountered the opposition of the Jews, which induced him to retire to the school or hall of a Greek philosopher named Tyrannus, where he preached the Gospel two years longer. In this manner he not only established a large congregation in Ephesus, but, occupying the city as a central point, also exercised a most blessed influence on large portions of Asia Minor. God confirmed his doctrine by working special miracles by his hands, insomuch that diseases were healed and evil spirits driven out, when any of his garments were brought to the afflicted. These surprising results induced. seven Jewish exorcists, the sons of a distinguished priest named Sceva, to repeat the names of Jesus and Paul when they attempted to exorcise a possessed person. But the evil spirit, in place of yielding, prevailed against them, and compelled them to flee. Then great fear fell on all, both Jews and Greeks, and many who had practised magic arts abandoned these entirely, and burned their costly magic books.

Oss.The Ephesian magical books (γράμματα αλεξιφάρμακα Εφέσια) were held in special esteem, and their pecuniary value was very great. Thus, those that were burnt in the present case, were estimated to be worth 50,000 drachmæ, or 10,000 [German] dollars.*

pre

2. Acts 1921, &c. - In the mean time Paul had made parations to travel to Macedonia and Achaia, and had already sent Timothy before him, when he and the church in Ephesus were suddenly involved in great danger. A silver-smith of the city, named Demetrius, who derived large profits from the busi

[* The whole cost thus sacrificed and surrendered amounted to as much as two thousand pounds of English money." Conybeare and Howson: Life and Epistles of St. Paul, London, 1854. Vol. II., p. 17. -TR.]