The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 143

chiefly to the Gl'ntilcs, nnd faith to the I know that yG all, eto. It Is a vory pcr- JC'ws ~•('e eh. ii. 3S; iii. 19; v. SI, eto.; pkxing ·quostion whether St. Pnul in this ]\lo rk 1. 15, etc.). st,ntoment spako with prophetic, and thore• Yer. 22.-Bcund in the spirit. T,ji fore infBllihle, foreknowledgo, or whether ..-,·euµ.a-r, may either mean "in my spirit" or ho merely expressed the strong present oou- "by the Spirit," i.e. the Holy Ghost. If the l"iction of his own miud, th1tt ho should former, which is the most probable sense never return to Asia ag1tin. Tho question (ns .,.1, ITJ•eiiµ.a 'TO S.-y,ov follows in the next is 1tn important one, 1ts the authonticity of \'erse ), is t1tken, the sense "·ill b11 thnt St,. the pastoral Epistles is in n gre1tt measuro Paul felt himself constrained to go to J eru- b~tmd up with it. For, in tho nppuront salem. A sense of absolute ncoossity wns fat! uro of 1tl1 hypotheses to bring tho upon him, and he did not feel himself a free writing of them within tbe time of St. agent to go anywliere else. If the Intl.er Luke's narrative, prior to St. Pnul's journey sense be taken, tlrn menning will be that the to Rome, we nrc driven to the theory which Holy Ghost was constraining him to go to places the writing of them, o.nd the circum- Jcrnsnlnm. stances to which they allude, to a timo sub- Yer. 23.-T~tifieth u'l1UJ me fortDitne.<.,eih, sequent to St. Paul's imprisonment at Rome, A.V. and T.R. The Holy Ghost, speaking But this involves the supposition that St. by the prophets in the different Church Paul returned to Ephesus after his rclea.so assemblies, as 1he apostle journeyed from from his Roman imprisonment (1 Tim. i. city to city. We ha\'e one instance of such 3; iv. 14; 2 Tim. i. 15, 18; iv. 9-14, 19; prophesying recor<lPd in eh. u:i.. 10, 11. Titus i. 5), e.nd consequently that St. Paul's 'l'he instances to which St. Paul here e.1- anticipation, that he was in Asia for the lnded were not mentioned in Luke's brief last time, was not realized. The question narrative. is well disoussed by Alford, in the • Prolego- 1"er. 24.-lho1d not my life of any a.ocount, mena to the Pastoral Epistles,' and in °" dear for flOne of these things mooe me, Paley's' Horm Paulinm,' oh. xi. But it can 11either count I my life dear, A.V. and T.R.; hardly be said to be definitively settled (see may accomplish my course for might finish my above, note to ver. 15). Bengel thinks the coorae withjm.J, A. V. and T.R.; receioed for explanation mAy be that most of those have received, A.V.; from for of, A.V. I present were dead or dispersed when Paul hold not my life, etc. li is inconceivable returned some ye1trs later. that St. Paul should hove uttered, or St. Ver. 26.-Testijy unto you. for take you w Luke have reported, El!Ch an unintelligible record, A.V. The solemnity of this address sentence as that of the R.T., when it was is dependent upon the speaker's conviction perfectly easy to e,,:press the meaning clearly. that he was speaking to his hearers for the Neither does the mention of his life, in the last time. Hence the force of the words, first insto.nce, tally with that of" bonds and "this da(' ( Iv -rfi ,n/µ.•pov '1/P.EPCf); "my last afflictions." The T.R., which has con- opporturuty." I am pure, etc. (comp. Ezck. siderable support, seems to be far preferable. iii.17-21; xxxi.iL 2, 9; Heh. xiii.17). Note The first claw;e, Oi,5,vl>s >..&,,ov ,ro10iiµ,,.', means the peril of hiding or watering God's truth. qnite naturally," I take no acoonnt of any- Ver. 27.-BhranT, not from declaring for thing; " I value nothing, neither liberty, ha:De not shunned to declare, A.V. (see ver. nor ease, nor comfort. I am ready to suffer 20, note); the whole for all the, A.V. Coun- the loss of all things, and I do collllt them WI sel of God. His revealed will and pnrpose dung (Phil iii. 7-9); and then he adds concerning man's salvation (eh, ii, 23; iv, yet further, "Neither do I count my own 28; Eph. i 11). life e.s precious, so as to accomplish my Ver. 28.-Tali:e heed for take heed there- course," etc. This metaphor of running a /ore, A.V. and T.R.; in for mier, A.V,; race is a favourite one with St. Paul (1 Cor. bishops for overseers, A.V,; pwroluued for ix. 24 ; Gal. v. 7 ; Phil. iii 13, 14; 2 Tim. hath pwchaaed, A,V, Take heed, etc. ; ,rpo- iv. 7). To testify the gospel of the grace of u•x•.,.. <laV"Toir, peculiar to Luke (oh. v. 53; God. An invaluable epitome of the Chris- Luke xii. 1 ; xvii. 3; xxi 34). Now follows tian ministry. The essential feature of the the weighty charge of this great bishop to gospel is its declaration of God's free grace the clergy assembled at his visitation. t.o a guilty world, forgiving sins, and im- With the true feeling of a ohief pastor, he onting righteonsness throngh fa.ith in Jesna thin)[s of the whole flook, but deals with Obrist. The distinotive work of the ministry them chiefly through the under-shepherds. ia to declare that grace. So St. Pe.ul de- If he ce.n awaken iil these individually 11. scribea his own ministry, and the record of deep concern for the 110uls committed to their his ministry in the Acts and in his Epistles charge, he will have done the beet that can exactly agrees with this description. be done for the flock at large. The first Ver. 25.-Went abuu.t for haoe gone, A. V. : step t.o Buch concern for the flock is that ldflgdom for kifi!Jdom of God, A. V. and T.R. ea.eh be thoroughly alive to tbe worth und r,11, XX, l--38,j THE AUTS OF THE APOSTLES. 147