The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 362

population in Cyprna. Antiooh, 1 the oopital Ver. 21.-Thatbelieved turned for believed of the Greek kingdom of Syrio,, on the 1·iver andtm·ned, A.V. and T.R. Tho hl\nd ofthn Orontes, built by the first kin:::-, Seleucus Lord; i.e. his power working with them nn,l Nicstor, in honour of bis f,.ther Antiochus, throu"h them. Compare tho frequent phrase who was one of Aleimnder the Great's in tho"Old Testnment, "with a mighty hnud generals. It lny abont one hundred and nnd a stretched out arm" (see too oh. iv. eighty miles north of the northern frontier of 30; Luke i. 613), Phamioie.. There was B l&rge populittion of Ver. 22.-And the report conaerning them Jews. whom 8eleucus &ttracted to his new for then tidings of these things, A. V. ; to for city by giving them equal political privi- unto, A.V.; asfa.r as for tha.t he should go as le:::-es with the Greeks. It was reckoned by far as, A.V. and T.R. The news of this Josephus to be the third city iu importance accession of Gentiles to the Church w11s of the whole Roman empire, Rome and Alex- quickly carriNl to J crusalem, with the ea.me nndria being the two first. motive, probflbly, tlmt brou~ht thither the Ver. 20.-But the.re were some of tJ,.em .•• account of the baptism of Cornelius o.nd hie wlwfor and some of them were .. . which, A. V.; household, as we read in vers. 1--3 of this the Grub also for the Grecians, A.V. and chapter. The conduct of the Church in T.R. This last is B most important variation sending so excellent and temperate a person of rea.ding-'E7'7';;vas, Greeks, for 'EM 11via·-ras, as Barnabas (as we read in the next verse), Grecians, i.e. Grecian Jews, or Hellenists. the friend of Saul (eh. ix. 27) and a favourer It is snpported, however, by strong authority of preaching the gospel to Gentiles (eh. xiii. of manuscripts, versions, and Fathers, and 1, 2) to inspect the work at Antioch, is an is accepted by Grotins, Witsius, Griesbach, indication that they had already heard the Lnchman, Tischendorf, Meyer, Conybeare account of the conversion of Cornelius from and Howson, Alford, Westcott, Bishop Light- the mouth of Peter, and were alreadv led to foot, and the • Speaker's Commentary' (ap- the conclusion, •• Then to the Gentiies also parently) and most modern critics. It is bath God granted repentance unto life I" also strongly argued that the internal Ther~ is no clue whatever to the length of evidence proves 'E7'7'ijvas to be the right time that elnpsed between the flight from reading, because the statement thnt the men persecution and the arrival nt Antioch, ex- of Cyprus and Cyrene preached the gospel cept that Saul had had time to sojourn three to them is contrasted with the action of vears in Arabin, to come to Jerusaiem, and the others, who preached to the Jews only. from thence to go and settle nt Te.rans, whero Obviously, therefore, these Hellenes were Be.me.bas found him; thus leaviug- abundant not Jews. Moreover, there was nothing time for Peter'& operations in Judree. and novel in the conversion and admission into Cmsarea. the Church of Hellenistic Jews (see eh. ii Ver. 23.-Was come for came, A.V.; he 5, etc. ; ix. 22, 29). And these very preachers exhorted for exhorted, A.V. Had seen the were in all probability Hellenists themselves. grace of God; i.e. had seen the number and Bishop Wordsworth, however, on the con- the truth of the conversions of Gentiles trary, defends, though with doubt, the effected by God's grace. He exhorted them reading ·EM1111trrras ; and argues that even all (7rap<1«l11. .. m:v-ras); thus showing himself if 'E7'7',ivas is the right reading, it must a true v/bs 11'apa,cM1u•ws, son of exhortation meu.n. the same as 'EM.1111/rr-ras. He also hints (see eh. iv. 36, note). Cleave unto the Lord; that it might mean "proselytes" (see eh. 11'porrµ.lv•w, to abide, continue, parsevere in xiv. 1, where the Hellenes attend the (comp. eh. xiii. 43; 1 Tim. v. 5). In 2 Tim. synagogue, and eh. xvii 4). But there is iii. 14 it is simply µ.Ev•. The frequent no evidence that these were proselytes any exhortations to perseverance and steadfast- more than Cornelius was. The Hellenes, or ness should warn us of the great danger of Greeks, here were probably nncircumcised falling away from the faith, under the Greeks who feared God, like Cornelius, and pressure of temptation. attended the synagogue worship (see Ver. 24.-A good man. The predominant Meyer on eh. xiv. 1). It is very likely that idea in a:ya86s is simply "goodness," mornl in Antioch, where the Jews occupied such excellence. So in Matt. xix. 16, "Good a prominent position, some of the Greek Master." To which our Lord answers, inhabitants shonld be attracted by their "There is none good but One." In Luke doctrines and worship, repelled, perhaps, by xxiiL 50 Joseph of Arimathrea is il.1111p a-yaO~s the prevalent superstitions a.nd profligate ,cal 5l1Ca1os, "a good man and a righteous." levity of the great city. In Matt. v. 45 11'01111pol Kai o:yc.6ol, " the evil 1 Renan reckons the population at above and the good," are contrasted. In cl llSijice.l 500,000 sonls. (For a glowing description Greek the common phrase, tcall.bs ,c'o.-ya6os, of its splendour, see • Les Apotrcs,' eh. xii ; describes an honourable and good man. It also Conybea.re and Howson, vol. i. eh, iv.; is pleasing to read this testimony from Lewin, vol. i. eh. vi.) Luke, Paul's companion and friend, Full ott. iL 1-30.J THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES,