The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 288

in the a.pnetolic Rgo. B hundred feet wide that, if they were be.ptized e.t all, whloh ls with oolonnadee eepnrating the two footwRy~ doubtful, they must have been b11ptized by on the eicle from the central road and Christ himself; whereas St. l'l\ul n•oeived &dorned with & triumphal e.rch, it i; oon• his bl\ptism e.t the hands of Annni11.11. This tre.c-.ted into e. nRrrow mea.n passage (see is one mo.rk of his being •• born out of due Lewin, vol. i. p. 69). time." And yet he we.a not behind the Ver. 12.-He hath seen for hat.h seen in a very chicfest e.poetles. ml>ion. A.V. and T.R.; l.aying hu hande for Ver. 19.-He took food and for whera 'h8 p11IU11g hi,i han-1, A.V. and T.R. hnd receii,ed meat he, A. V.; and he wae for Ver. 13.-But for then, A.V.; from many then wa,i Saul, A.V. a.nd T.R. Some com• for by ,,,any, A.V.; did for hath done, A.V. mentAtors would interpose the journey to Ananie.s'e answer shows his profound A8ton- Arabia (mentioned Ge.l. i. 17) between vers. ishment., mixed with doubt and mi8giving, 19 e.nd 20; and this seems to he the inten- at the commission given to him. It shows, tion of the A,V., where the clo.ueo com- too, how the news of S&nl's oommi.lsion had mencing with Then (ver. 19) seems to wind prooeded him. e.nd CRUBed terror among the up and close the preceding no.rra.tive. Thie disciples &t D&masons. Little did Ananias too is the view strongly supported by Ca.non suspect thRt this dreaded enemy wonld be Farra.t, vol. i. eh. xi., o.nd by Lewin. Alford the channel of God's richest blessings to places the journey to Arabia. in the time hie Ol.mrch throughout all e.ges until the comprised in ver. 22; others before ver. 22; coming of Christ. How empty our fears N eander, Meyer, nnd others. in the time often a.re I how ignora.nt e.re we where our comprised in the "many dnys" of ver. 23. chief good lies hid I But God knows. Let And this Inst is undoubtedly the easiest, us trust him. were it not for the considerations urged by Ver. 14.-Upon for on, A.V. Tha.t call Fe.rre.r with grent force e.s to the probability upon thy name. So a.lso ver. 21; Rom. x. of St. Paul seeking a. period of retirement 12, IS ; 1 Cor. i. 2; and above, eh. vii. 59, after his conversion before commencing any this same phrase describes the believer who publio preaching, e.nd the further counte- makes his pre.yer to the Lord Jesus and nance given to this view by Ge.I. i. 17, where trusts in hie Name for sa.lva.tion. St. Pe.ul certainly so.ye of himself that Ver. 15.-A chosen vossel (comp. Ga.l. ,i,8,r,,s, immediately, o.fter his conversion he ii. 15; Rom. ix. 21, 22). To bear my name "went e.wny to Arabia." Taking all things before the Gentiles (see eh. nii. 21; xxvi. iuto consideration, e.nd supposing that either 17, 18; Rom. xv.16; Gal. ii. 7-9,etc.)e.nd Luke was not aware of the sojourn in kin,,"S (eh. xxv.; :xxvi; 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17, Arabia, or that he omitted from his notes with reference to Nero), and the obildren of some brief notice of it immediately pre- Israel. The Gentiles a.re named before ceding the description of Saul's preaching in the children of Isre.el, beca.use St. Paul's Damascus, which explained the following special call WllS to be the apostle of the ,i,B,,,,s, it seems best to understand the Gentiles. But we know that even St. Pe.ul'e latter po.rt of ver. 19 e.nd e.11 that followR o.s practice we.a to preach Chriet to the J ewe subsequent to his return from Arabia; and first, in every city where there were Jews. to conclude that he only stayed at Do.ma.sous Ver. 16.-Many for great, A. V. St. Paul's .;,µ,pas -r!va.r, a. few days, e.fter his conversion, whole life we.e the fulfilment of thie word and then retired to Arabia. It m11y be of ChriBt (see 2 Cor. xi. 23-27; vi. 4-10). obsen-ed, too, tho.t this interpretation gives Ver. 17.-Deparl.ed for u,ent his way, A. V.; a significance to the mention of the "certain 'laying for putting, A. V.; who appeared for days" which otherwise it has not. There that appeared, l.. V.; which thou cameat for is a further difference of opinion as to whe.t as, etc., A.V.; mayest for mightest, A.V. is meant by Arabia. The most common The laying on of hands ie the medium of view ie that .Auranitis, bordering upon conveying any specie.I grace. Here it pre- Ara.hie. Deserta, e.nd reckoned as po.rt of cedes the baptism, and was the channel of Arabia, not above two days' journey from rc·storing eight to his eyes. Doubtless he Damascus, is the country meant. But others did not receive the Holy Ghost till after understand it in its more strictly Hebrew his baptiem (see eh. ii. 38.) sense of the Peninsula of Sinai (Farrar, vol. Ver. ltl.-Btraightway for immedia!ely, i p. 212, a.Dd Excursus ix.; Dean Howson A. V.; GB it were for as it had been, A. V.; on Galatians in • Speaker's Commentary;• recci1Joo hi$ sight for receitJed sight forthwith, Bishop Lightfoot on Gal. i. 17). Tliie view A.. V. e.nd T.R.; he arose for arose, A.V. is decidedly strengthened by the fact that, A8 it were see.lea (>....,.(5,s); ecala, or ftak.u; in the fourth chapter of the Epietlo to tho e.ny thin substance which pee.ls off; a fre- Galatians, St. Paul clearly means by .Arabia quent term in Greek medical writers. And the Peninsula of Arabia, where Sinai was we.a baptized. It is a curious difference (Ga.I. iv. 25). On the &SSumption that the be~hft Si. Paul and the other apo11tle1 Sinaitio Penilllula 1e meant, Bishop Light- OIi. 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