122 Foundation of the Churches of Galatia. Chap. V.
in keeping with our conception of the precise and often pragmatically accurate expression of Luke, that he should in this passage have used the terra xeipoTovtf- aavres, unless he intended its strict sense. If he did not mean it strictly, the term is fatally ambiguous, where definiteness is specially called for. It must, 1 think, be allowed that the votes and voice of each congrega- tion were considered ; and the term is obviously used in that way by Paul, II Cor. VIII 19.
It is also apparent that a certain influence to be exercised by himself is implied in the instructions given to Titus (I 5) ; but those instructions seem only to mean that Titus, as a sort of presiding officer, is to instruct the people what conditions the person chosen must satisfy, and perhaps to reject unsuitable candi- dates. Candidature, perhaps of a merely informal character, is implied in I Tim. Ill 1 ; but, of course, if election has any scope at all, candidature goes along with it.
The procedure, then, seems to be not dissimilar to Roman elections of magistrates, in which the presiding magistrate subjected all candidates to a scrutiny as to their qualifications, and had large discretion in rejecting those whom he considered unsuitable.
Finally, it is stated in XX 28 that the Holy Spirit made men Bishops ; but this expression is fully satisfied by what may safely be assumed as the final stage of the appointment, viz., the Bishops elect were submitted to the Divine approval at the solemn prayer and fast which accompanied their appointment. This meeting and rite of fasting, which Paul celebrated in each city on his return journey, is to be taken as the form that was to be permanently observed (cp. XIII 3).
Sec. io. Organisation of the New Churches. 123
These inferences seem to follow naturally from the authorities to whom we have restricted ourselves.
The use of the first person plural in v. 22 is not personal, but general ; Paul impressed on them the universal truth that " we Christians " can enter the king- dom of God by no other path than that of suffering. At the same time the author, by using the first person, associates himself with the principle, not as one of the audience at the time, but as one who strongly realised its truth. This is one of the few personal touches in Acts; and we must gather from it that, at the time when he was writing, the principle was strongly im- pressed on him by circumstances. I can understand this personal touch, in comparison with the studious suppres- sion of personal feelings and views throughout Acts, in no other way than by supposing that Luke was com- posing this history during a time of special persecution. On that supposition the expression is luminous ; but otherwise it stands in marked contrast to the style of Acts. Now evidence from a different line of reasoning points to the conclusion that Luke was writing this second book of his history under Domitian, the second great persecutor (Ch. XVII).
n. PISIDIA AND PAMPHYLIA. (XIV 24) AND HAVING MADE A MISSIONARY JOURNEY THROUGH PISIDIA, THEY CAME INTO PAMPHYLIA | (25) AND AFTER HAVING SPOKEN THE WORD IN PERGA, THEY CAME DOWN TO the harbour ATTALEIA ; (26) AND FROM THENCE THEY SAILED AWAY TO ANTIOCH, WHENCE THEY HAD BEEN COMMITTED TO THE GRACE OF GOD FOR THE WORK WHICH THEY FULFILLED. (27) AND REACHING ANTIOCH, AND HOLDING A MEETING OF THE
124 Foundation of the Churches of Galatia. Chap. V.
CHURCH, THEY PROCEEDED TO ANNOUNCE ALL THAT GOD DID WITH THEM, AND THAT HE OPENED TO THE NATIONS THE GATE OF BELIEF (see p. 85).
Next, the journey goes on from Antioch (v. 21), leading first into Pisidia, a Region of the province Galatia, and then into the province Pamphylia. It is clearly implied that Pisidian Antioch was not in Pisidia ; and, strange as that seems, it is correct (p. 104). Any Church founded in Pisidia would rank along with those founded in Galatic Phrygia and Galatic Lycaonia as one of " the Churches of Galatia " ; but neither Pisidia nor Pamphylia plays any further part in early Christian history. There was, how- ever, a Pauline tradition at Adada.