The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 27

time was not yet come. It was the purpose his third missionary journey on hie way from of the Holy Ghost that the Galrltinn Aclmia to Jerusalem (oh. xx. ll, 6), where we Chur~hes should he founded first, and then find him still with the npostle (oh. xx. 17, th<.> Churches of Mncedonie. and AchRia. 18). We again find him with St. Pnul at The apostles were ~ent, did not go anywhere Cmso.ren., while he was e. prisoner there (oh. of their nwn BOOord (oomp. Matt. x. 5 6). xxni. 1), and he accompanied him on the Vt>r. 7.-And when for after, A.V. and voyage to Rome, which is the last place T.R.. ; rome 01,er rtf1a-in8t (1eaTa) for come to, where we hear of him (eh. xxvii. 2, 3, etc.; A.Y.: and the Spirit of JetU8 for but thB xxviii. 2, 11, H-16; Col. iv. H; Philem. Sl'i-r~t, A.V. and •r.R. But the phrase," the 24). It is quite oho.ro.oteristio of Holy Spmt of Jesus," occurs nowhere in the Scripture that things a.re told, or appear on !\' c'W T<.>,tnment, and is on tlmt ttee0unt very the face of the narrative, without any ex- improbable here, though there is oonsidemble p~anation. Who Luke wo.e, what brought manuscript authority for it. It is aooepted by him to Troas, how he beoame e. companion llreyer and Alford and Wordsworth, follow- of St. Paul, whether as his medical adviser ing Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, etc. or otherwise, we know not. His Christian Ver. 8.-Passing . . . they ea= for they modesty forbade his speaking a.bout hiruselt. passing •.. came, A.V. They would have Ver. 11.-Setting sail therefore for there- gone north to Bithynia., where, we know from fore loosing, A.V.; madB for came with, A.V. l Pet. i. 1, there were mo.ny Jews. But (,Mu5pdµ.,.,, elsewhere only in eh. xxi. 1) l the Spirit ortlered them westwards, to the Samothrace for Samothracia, A..V.; day scaco:i,t of Trons, th:i,t they might be ready jullowing for next day, A.. V. lo the New to sail for :M:i.ceJonio.. In like manner Testament this latter phrase only occurs in Abraham went out not knowing whither he the Acts. w,•nt (Heh. xi. 8). Truly the footsteps of Ver. 12.-.A. city of Macedonia, the.first of God's pro'"idence are not known! the district, a Roman colony for the chief city Ver. 9.-There was a man . . . standing, of that part of Macedonia, and a colony, beseeching him, and saying for there stood a A. V. ; this for that, A.. V. ; tarrying for man . . . and prayed him, saying, A.V. abiding, A.V. A city of Macedonia, etc. Thns was ushered in the most momentous This is a difficult sentence. The naturo.1 event in the history of Europe, the going way of construing the words undoubtedly forth of the Word of the Lord from J eruso.lem is, as in the A.V., '' which is the chief city to eulighten the nations of the West, and of the [ or, ' tho.t '] district of Macedonia, bring them into the fold of Jesus Christ. and a colony." Tile only difficulty in the Paul saw and hea.rd tl,is in a vision in the way of so taking it is that when .2Emilius ni~ht. It is not ca!lcd a dream (Bengel), Paulus, as related by Livy (xiv. 29), divided but was like the vision seen by Ananias the conquered kingdom of Macedonia into ( eh. ix. 10 ), and tliose seen by Paul ( eh. ix. four districts (regiones or partes), Amphi- 12; x. 5; Hiii. 9). A vision (opa.,,a.) is dis- polis was made the capita.I of the district in tinguished from a dream ( lidnrviov, eh. ii. 17). which Philippi was situated. But the It is applied to things of a marvellous cha- epithet 1rpd,-r11 does not necessarily mean racter seen objectively, as to the Transfb;u- the capital; it is found on coins applied to ro.tion (Matt. xvii. 9) and to the burning cities which were not capitals, Besiucs, in bush (eh. vii. 31 ). the interval of above two hundred years Ver. 10.- When for after, A. V.; Btraigh~ between .2Emilius Paulus and St. Paul (from u;ay for immedial,ely, A. V. ; sought for B.c. 167 to A.D. 50), it is very probnble tho.t endearoured, A.. V.; go forth for go, A.V.; the eity of Philippi, with its gold-mines and concluding for asBUredly gathe1-ing, A.V.; its privileges as a colony, may have really God for the Lord, A. V. and T.R. Concluding; become the capital. And so Lewin, follow- tTuµ.f3,f3a.(ovns, only here in the sense of ing Wetstein, understands it (vol. ii. p. "concluding" or'' gathering." In eh. ix. 22 209). We know that in the reign of Theo- it is "proving." In Eph. iv. 16 and Col. dosius tl:e Younger, when Mo.cedonia was ii. 2 it means io "join togetlier." In clas- di \"ided into two provinces, Philippi be- sical Greek to "bring together" in the came the ecclesiastical head of Mo.cedonia sense of" reconeilini?," sometimes of" agree- Priwa. It had been made a colony by ing" to a proposition. In the LXX., to Augustus Cmsar, with the ne.me "Col. Jui. "instruct," "tea.eh" (1 Cor. ii.16). In this Aug. Philip.," i.e. Colonia Augusta Julia verse we first remark the very important Philippensis (' Diet. of Greek and Romon introduction of the pronoun u;e into the nar- Geog.'). It must, therefore, anyhow ho.vo rative, murking the presence of the historian been a placP, of first-rate im portanoe at this hiwsdf, and showing that he fir1t joined St. time. 'rhose, however, who do not accept Paul at Troa.s. He went with him to this explanation, couple ,coll.wvla with 1r&ll.,s, Philippi (ver. 12). and there he appears to "which is the first colony-city," etc. Others have B1.opped till bt. Paul r.,turned there in take wptrr11 in a local sense, " the first city on. xn 1-40,] THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLEa 29