Sec. 3. The Antiochian Collection for the Poor. 57
MATTER OF FACT I at that time MADE IT MY SPECIAL OBJECT TO PERFORM.
As is pointed out elsewhere in full detail, the concluding sentence defines the object which Paul carried out in Jerusalem : other events were incidental. This journey, therefore, is declared in Epist. Gal. to have been made " according to revelation," and in Acts the exact circum- stances of the revelation are narrated ; the object of the visit is described in Acts as being to relieve the distress ol the poor brethren in Jerusalem, and in Epist. Gal. Paul says he directed his attention specially to helping the poor brethren ; another purpose is said in Epist. Gal. to have been achieved on this journey, v. 3, but Paul immediately adds that this other purpose was carried out as a mere private piece of business, and implies thereby that it was not the primary or official purpose of the journey.
How graceful and delicate is the compliment which the older Apostles paid to Paul ! " the only advice and instruc- tion which we have to give is that you continue to do what you have been zealously doing," so they spoke at the con- clusion of his visit. And in what a gentlemanly spirit does Paul refer to that visit ! His object is to prove to the Galatians that, on his visits to Jerusalem, he received nothing in the way of instruction or commission from the older Apostles ; and to do this he gives an account of his visits. When he comes to the second visit he might have said in the tone of downright and rather coarse candour, " So far from receiving on this occasion, I was sent by Divine revelation to be the giver". But not even in this hot and hasty letter does he swerve from his tone of respect and admiration, or assume in the slightest degree a tone of superiority to Peter and James. The facts are all there to
58 The Church in Antioch. Chap. III.
show the real situation ; but they are put so quietly and allusively (the revelation in verse 2, the object in verse 10), as to avoid all appearance of boasting in what was really a very legitimate cause of satisfaction, and even of self-gratulation. It is precisely because on his second visit Paul was so obviously not the recipient, that he appeals to it with such perfect confidence as proving his independence.
Here as everywhere we find that Acts supplements and explains the incidents and arguments used by Paul in his letter. And we see that the influence which we have just ascribed to the visit in promoting the unity and solidarity of the whole Church is fully confirmed by Paul in verse 9 ; it resulted in a formal recognition by the older Apostles of the co-ordinate Apostolate of the two Antiochian delegates.
The same party in the Church which had criticised Peter's conduct to Cornelius, was discontented with the conduct of Barnabas and Saul to their companion, Titus ; but in the circumstances their discontent did not take public action, though it was so apparent as to put Saul on his guard, and once more they seem to have acquiesced in an exceptional case, as they did in that of Cornelius. But it was now be- coming evident that two distinct and opposed opinions existed in the Church, and were likely to come to open conflict ; and Saul privately satisfied himself that the leaders were in agreement with himself on the subject of difference.
But why is Acts silent about this ? Simply because it never came to an open discussion, and therefore did not reach the proper level of importance. Luke confines him- self to the great steps in development Nor is it strange that Titus is not mentioned by Luke. In carrying the relief to Jerusalem, it is obvious that Barnabas and Saul must have had assistants. The work was one of consider-