25. Barnabas and Paul. Here, as in ver. 12, Barnabas is named first, contrary to the practice of Luke since Acts xiii. 9. Barnabas was the elder and better known, and in the church at Jerusalem his name would naturally precede Paul’s. The use of the Greek salutation, and this order of the names, are two undesigned coincidences going to attest the genuineness of this
Cu. XV.] THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 527
first document preserved to us from the Acts of the primitive church.
29. Blood. Because in the blood was the animal’s life, and it was the blood that was consecrated to make atonement. See Gen. ix. 6; Lev. xvii. 10-14; Deut. xii. 23, 24. The Gentiles had no scruples about eating blood; on the contrary, it was a special delicacy. Thus Homer:
“At the fire Already lie the paunches of two goats, Preparing for our evening meal, and both Are filled with fat and blood. Whoever shows Himself the better man in this affray, And conquers, he shall take the one of these He chooses.”
Odyssey, xviii., 44 sq.
The heathen were accustomed to drink blood mingled with wine at their sacrifices.
Farewell (€6pwate). Lit., be strong, like the Latin valete. Compare the close of Claudius Lysias’ letter to Festus (ch. xxiii. 30).
31. Consolation. See on Acts ix. 31.
32. Many words. Or, lit., much discourse; adding the spoken to the written consolation.
Exhorted. Or comforted. See on ver. 31. The latter agrees better with consolation there.
Confirmed. See on ch. xiv. 22.
36. Let us go again and visit (émvctpéyravtes 57 émrickepa- peda). Lit., Having returned, let ws now visit. The A. V. omits now. See on ch, xiii. 2.
in every city (kara macav modu). Kard has the force of city by city.
528 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Cu. XVI.
38. Him (rodrov). Lit., that one. It marks him very strongly, and is an emphatic position at the end of the sentence.
Departed (amocravta). Rev., withdrew. It furnishes the derivation of our word apostatize.
39. The contention was so sharp (éyévero trapoEvcpos). More correctly, there arose a sharp contention. Only here and Heb. x. 24. Our word paroxysm is a transcription of rapogéve- pos. Anangry dispute is indicated.
Barnabas. The last mention of him inthe Acts.
40. Recommended. Which was not the case with Barna- bas, leading to the inference that the church at Antioch took Paul’s side in the dispute.