The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 108

birth. Commerce brought to it sRilors and merchants from all 1:arts of the world, There wae a considerable Greek population, and a large number of Roman settlers. And we may add that the Jewish nation was well represented. St. Paul preached the gospel to them all, and it proved the power of salvation nnto all who believed. 1f, CORINTH WAB THE PLACE TO TEST THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL ON MEN UTTERLY DEBASED AND CORRUPTED BY BIN, The moral iniquity of Rome, a.s described in Rom. i., may help us to realize the profligacy of Corinth. F. W. Robertson says, "The city wa.s the hotbed of the world's evil, in which every noxious plant, indigenous or trans- planted, rapidly grew and flourished; where luxury and sensuaiity tbrove rankly, stimulated by the gambling spirit of commercial life, till Corinth now in the ayostle's time, as in previous centuries, became a proverbial name for moral corruption.' Can the gospel cleanse the unclean, deliver those enslaved by vice, break the bondage of degrading ha.bits, and give men co=and over their passions? Can even worse than Jerusalem sinners be saved? And is there hope for the most abandoned nations? St. Paul's successes at Corinth are the sufficing answer. JU, CORINTH WAS THE PLAOE TO DEVELOP THE RELATIONS OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES TO SOCIAL AND FAMILY LIFE, Show how the common everyday life and relations of the people bad been toned by their idolatrous religion. The practical question comes to every man who yields his heart to Christ-What changes will the Christian principles make in my conduct? Illustrate how St. Paul had to decide many details, and illus- trate the working of the Christian principles in his letters to the Corinthian Church. And he thus has rendered invaluable service to the Church of all the ages.-R. T. Ver. 6.-Personal religiO'US responsibility. "Your blood be upon your own. heads." Introduce by reference to St. Paul's relations with the Jews. Up to this time be bad been strictly loyal to the Jews, and wherever he went he had ta.ken the gospel first to them. No doubt the hindrance of their prejudices, and the violence of their oppo- sition, had weaned him from them and prepared the way for the separation of the Gentile from the Jewish Christians, which took place at Ephesus (eh. x.i.x. 9). The terms that are used to describe the conduct of the Jewish party are very strong ones, and help to explain the intense feeling of indignation excited in the apostle. "Opposed themselves" is a military term, implying organized and systematic opposition. How strong St. Paul's feelings were is indicated in his act of "shaking his raiment." "As done by a Jew to Jews, no words and no act could so well express the apostle's indig- nant protest. It was the last resource of one who found appeals to reason and conscience powerless, aud was met by brute violence and clamour." The phrase which the apostle used is evidently a proverbial one; it must not be regarded as a mere passionate imprecation; it is a last solemn warning, With it should be compared such passages as 1 Kings ii. 32, 33, 37 ; Ezek. iii. 18; xx.xiii. 4 ; Matt. x.xiii. 35. St. Paul did not from this time entirely give up preaching to the Jews, but he gave up preaching to those who lived at Corinth. The point on which we fix attention is that St. Paul had recognized and borne responsibility for them as their teacher; but that responsibility he refused to bear any longer ; he cast it back altogether on themselves. I. 'l'HE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER. This is fully dealt with, in relation to the ancient prophets, by Ezekiel (iii. 17-21; xxxiii. 1-19). The prophet, or teacher, or preacher, is: 1. A man set in relation with others who is one of them; who can speak to, or influence, others. 2, A man with a message to be given to others. He is a recipient of Divine truth for the sake of others. He has a sphere and a message. Out of these two things comes his responsibility. For the time and occasion, he actually takes upon himself the responsibility of the souls of those to whom he is sent, since their eternal well-being may be dependent on his faithfulness in the delivery of his message. Illustrate that Jonah took upon himself the fate of Nineveh a.s a nation, So every true preacher now, who has a message from God, finds that the secret of his power lies in the measure in which be can take the responsibility of his audience upon himself, and feel that his testimony will be a savour of " life unto life,'' or of "death unto death," He can only be cleared of his responsibility before God in two ways. (1) By fully delivering his message, (2) By the wilful rejection of his message. !~press what a burden on the Christian preacher's heart is the burden of souls; and with what an agony of feeling he &:>metimes would cast off the burdeo, saying, "Wli,,  110 THE ACTS OF 'l'HE APOS'l'LES. [ou. XVllI. 1-28.