The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 206

w&Ile of their own houses, only beButif'ul Ver. 6.-Brethre,a tor men and brethren, 011 the c,utside." "Wl1&t &re our gilt roofs A. V. (e.s in ver. 1); 11 son of Pharisee, for but lies? for we well :know tb&t under the the son of a Pharisee, A.V. and T.U.; touoh- i::iI,ling unseemly beams are couce&led." ing for of, A. V. When Pa.ul perceived, eto. " It is not only our WBlls whioh &re oo&ted Possibly the Pharisees in tbe So.uhedrim with B thin outward ornament; the great- were disgusted at tho bruta.l act of Ano.nio.s, ness of tbose men whom you see strutting and were not sorry to hear I.Jim oolled " o in their pride is mere tinsel; look bene&th whited we.11;" e.nd St. Paul's quiok intelli• the surface, and yon will see all the evil genoe saw e.t e. glance that the whole oounoil that is hid under that thin crust of dignity" did not symp&thize with their president, (' De Provid.,' o. 6, and ' Epist.' 115). and divined tbe ea.use. With a reo.dy wit, An&nias was sitting in his priestly robes therefore, be prooll\imed himself a Phari- of office, presiding over the oouncil in power see, and, seizing upon the great dogmo. of nnd dignity, and presum1<bly a righteons the resurrection, which Christiane held in judge, but his heart within wu polluted oommon with the Pharisees, he rallied to with injustioe, selfishness, and a oorrupt his side e.11 who were Pharisees in the assem- disposition, whioh made him aot un- bly. Ot Phe.risees. 'fhe R.T. has flapuralwv righteously (comp. Matt. uiiL 27). Con• (in the plure.l), which gives the sense that trary to the La.w ; or, acting illegally; his ancestors were Pharisees (oomp. Phil. ,rapcu,o,,_,;,11, only found liere in the New iii. 5). Touching the hope, eto. (see eh. :uiv. Testament, but common in classica.l Greek. 21). The words o.re somewhat di.fli.cult to St. Paul's temper was very excusably roused oonstrue. Some take " the hope e.nd resur- by the brutality and injustice of Ananias. rection of the dee.d" for a hendiadye, equi- But we may, perhaps, think the.t he did valent to "the hope of the resurreotion of not quite e.tte.in to" the mind that was in the dee.d." Some te.ke l11.1rls by itself, e.s Christ Jesus," who "when he we.s reviled, meaning " the hope of a future life." Per- reviled not age.in," but was "led e.s a sheep haps the exe.ct form of the words is, " Touch- to the slaughter, e.nd like a lamb dumb ing the hope and (its ultimate object) the before his shearer, he opened not his mouth" resurrection of the dead I e.m ea.lied in ques- (eh. viii. 82). tion." The article is omitted after the pre- Ver. 4.-God's high priest. This seems to position (Alford). As regards St. Paul's show that Ananias actually we.s high priest, action in ta.king e.dve.nte.ge of the strong though some think that he had thrust him- party feeling by which the Sanhedrim we.s self into the office after hie return from divided, there is e. difference of opinion. Rome, without due authority, and that this Some, as Alford, think that tbe presence of wu the ree.son why St. Paul excused him- mind and skill with whlch Pe.ul divided the self by saying, in ver. 5, "I wist not that he hostile assembly we.s e. direct fulfilment of was high priest." our Lord's promiae (Me.rk :xiii. 9-11; see Ver. 5.-.And Paul said for then said Paul, Homiletics, 1-11) to suggest by his Spirit A. V.; high for the high, A.V.; a nu.er for to those under persecution whe.t they ought t/1£ nu.er, A.V. I wist not, etc. These to se.y. Farrar, on the contrary, strongly words express, as distinctly as words can blames St,:Pa ul, e.nd says, "The ple.n showed express anything, that St. Pe.ul was not gre.Jl,t knowledge of character . . . but we.a awe.re, when he ce.lled Ananias a "whited it worthy of St. Paul? ... Could he worthily we.ll," that he was addressing the high se.y, • I am e. Pharisee'? He.d he e.ny right priest Di1ferent reasons for this ignore.nee to inflame e.n existing animosity ? " e.nd have been given. Some think that it a.rose more to the se.me e1l"ect (vol. iL pp. 325-- from the uncertainty that existed whether 328). But it could not be wrong for St. Ananias really was high priest or not at Pe.ul to take e.dve.nte.ge of the agreement of this time, or whether the office we.a not in Christian doctrine with some of the tenets abeya.noe. Others attribute to Pe.ul'1 weak- of the Pharisees, to check the Phe.risees ness of sight the fact that he did not see from joining with the Sadducee& in crushing that Ana.niu we.a Bitting in the presidential that doctrine. He had never thrown 011" his chair, neither we.s able to recognize his profeBBion e.s e. Jew, e.nd if e. Jew, then one features. Others, giving to ob1t -/3,u, a of the stre.itest sect of the Jews, in any of sellB8 which it never he.s, render, "I did its main features; e.nd if he claimed the not rellect," or "bear in mind, that be W&B freedom of e. Rome.n citizen to se.ve himself high priest." What is certain is that for from scourging, why not the "fa.et of being a some reuon or other Paul did D ~t know Pharisee of Pharisees to save himself from the.t he we.a speaking to the high priest. an iniquitous sentenoe of the Se.nhedrim? He.d he known ii, he would not have Did Ver. 7 . - S ~ • for UUJ Badduc668, A, V.; what he did uy, bees.use the Law iii express auembly for muUituds, A. V. which aya, •Apxo,,.,a. ... oii A<Wii ,rou oC, 1t'1fi-• Ver. tl.-Neither angel, etc. Is there any JpE'iS (Exod. µii, 281 ~-)• oorµiection behvee11 ~i, exrrll48iOll and ~t 01i. X'.XtII. 1-35.] THE AOTB OF THt APOSTUS. 213