The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 260

J'Cce.lled here, e.s tending to confirm St. whfrh thou 1uut ,een, A.V. and T.R.: the Paul's claim to be 11, thorough Jew, a thi11g.~ wherein for tJune thing, in the tthich, Hebrew of the Hebrews, and, moreover to A.V. For to this end have I e.ppeared, eto. represent Christianity as o. thing not allen On comparing this statement with those In from, but rather in thorough he.rmony with, <'h. ix. 6 and oh. xxii. 10, H, 16, it e.ppee.ra the true ne.tione.l life nnd spirit of Israel. that in this condensed account given before It is hard for thee to kiok, etc. Thie o.lso, King Agrippa, St. Pe.ul bleud11 into ono R~cording to the best me.nuecriptB, 'is an message the words spoken to him when the ndditione.l dete.il not mentioned before. The Lord first appeared to him, and the in- proverb npos rdv-rpu Atl.l<Tl(.,v, to ldck struction subsequently given to him through e.ge.inst the ox-goe.de, as the unbroken Ananias, e.nd the words spoken to him in bullock does to his own hurt, instead of the tranoe (eh. nii. 17-21). This me.y quietly submitting, a.s he must do at last, especially be inferred from eh. ix. 6, e.nd 1o go the way and the pace hie master again from comparing eh. xxii. 15 with this chooses he should go, is found in Pindar, verso. lEschylus, Euripides, P!autus, Terence, eto. Ver. 17.-Unto whom for unto whom now, The passages are given in Bocbnrt, • Hicro- A.V. Unto [the Gentiles]. These seem to zoic-on.,' po.rt i. lib. ii. eh. xxxix.; in Kuinoel, be the words heard in the tre.nce reported and in Bishop Wordsworth. The passage in eh. :u:ii. 21, the sequel to which, as con- in Eurip., • Ba.cch.,' 1. 793, 794 (750, 751), tained in ver. 18, the e.postle would then brings out the force of the proverb, viz. have recited, had he not been cut short by fruitless resistance to a superior power, the furio □s cries of the J ewe. - most distinctly : " Better to sacrifice to him, Ver. 18.-That they may turn for and t.o than, being mortal, by rninly raging against turn them, A.V. and T.R.; remission {or God, to kick ago.inst the goads." Saul had forgiTJenesa, A.V. ; an inheritance for in- better yield at once to the constraining heritance, A.V.; that for which, A.V.; /aitJ,, grace of God, and no longer do despite to in me for faith that is in me, A.V. To open the Spirit of grace. It does not appear their eyes (comp. Luke iv.18 and the LXX. clearly that the proverb was used by the of Isn. Jxi. I; 2 Cor. iv. 4-6, eto.). That Hebrews. Dr. Donaldson (' Chrilltia.n Or- they may turn from de.rkness to light (comp. thodoxy,' p. 293) e.ffirms the.t " there is no Col. i. 12, 13; Eph. v. 8; 1 Pet. ii. 9, etc.). Jewish use of this proverbial expression." Remission of sine (see oh. ii. 38; iii. 19; x.. And this is borne out by Lightfoot, who 43). adduces tho two passages, Deut. xxxii. 15 Ver. 19.-Wherefore for whereupon, A.V. and 1 Sam. ii. 9, as the only evidences of Disobedient (a,r<19iis); see Luko i. 17; Rom. the existence of such a proverb, together i 30, etc. The turn of the phre.se is most with a rabbinice.l saying, "R. Bibai sat e.nd skilful; e.s if he should say, " Ce.n you taught, and R. Isaac Ben Cahna kicked blame me for obeyin~ such a heavenly against him " (' Exercit. on Acts,' ix. 5). It messe.ge? How could I act otherwise, being is, therefore, a curious question how this thus directed?" Vision (6,,..,.ao-la); Luke i. classical phrase co.me to be used here. 22 ; x:ri v. 23; 2 Cor. xii. 1. Found e.leo Bi.shop Wordsworth says," Even in hee.ven repeatedly in the LXX. of Daniel and onr Lord did not disdain to use a proverb Wisdom (comp. the use of ,hrr&.v.,, eh. i. 3). familie.r to the heathen world." But, per- Ver. 20.-Declared for showed, A.V.: both haps, we ma.y e.esume that such a proverb to them of Damascus first for first unto them was substantially in use among the Jews, of Damascus, A.V. e.nd T.B.; CO'Untry for though no distinct evidence of it has been coasts, A. V.; al.so for then, A.V. , tloing for preserved ; and that St. Pe.ul, in rendering and do, A.V.: worthy of for meet for, A.V. the Hebrew words of Jesus into Greek, Them of Dame.sc118 first, etc. He enumerates made use of the laug□age of Euripides, hie evangelical labours in the order in whioh with which he WIU:l familiar, in a case bear- they took place: at Damascus first, as re- ing a strong e.nalogy to his own, viz. the lated in eh. iL 19-22; then at Jerusalem, resistance of Pentheus to tho claims of as in eh. ii. .1!6-29; and then tho8f3 on a Bacchus. This is to a certain extent borne larger and wider scale, among the Jews of out by the use of the words 6,oµ.dxos and Palestine and the heathen in all the ooun- 6,oµ.axE'iv (eh. v. 39; xxiii 9); the latter of tries which he visited. Throughout all the which is twice UBed in the • Bacchm' of collll.try ot Jndma. This does not allude Euripides, though not common elsewhere. to any preaching in the le.nd of Judma. at lt is, however, found in 2 Mace. vii 19. the time of his first visit to Jerusalem (eh. Ver. 15.-Tlie Lord for lie, A. V. and T.B. ix. 28), been.use he se.ys in Gal. i. 22, the.t at Ver. 16.-.AriBe for rue, A.V.; to thu end that time, viz. before he went into the hatie I, etc., for I haTJe, etc., for (ku purpose, regions of Syria and Cilioia, he we.a still A. V.; appoint for make, A.V.; Oie thing, "unknown by fe.ce unto the Churches of t«U!f'M fJwu hut - me {or 0 - thing, Judm&." But he had opportunities later of on. :nn 1-32.) THE AC'fS O.F THE APOSTLES. 267