The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 382

CHAPTER XII. erges (which is a corruption or ti.1r:i '.1=1 ), son11 of thunder. Nothing is recorded· of 'him in Ver. 1,-::Put for Btret.ched, A.V.; a:ffliot the Acts but his presence in tho upper room for vez, A. 'V. The phl'&.-!e, About that time, at Jerusalem after the Ascension (eh. i. 13), RS in eh. xix. 23, points to what he.d just and this his mnrtyrdom, which wus the ful- before been rcle.ted. (l\1eyer). The inter- filment of our Lord's p1·edictiou in i\Iatt. xx. position of the narrative in this <'.hapter 23. His being siuglcd out by Herod for between eh. xi. 20 and xii. 25 evidently death in company with Peter is rather an implies that the bulk or rather the chief of indication of his zeal and activity in the the events no.rruted he.ppenecl in thll in- Lord's service, though we know nothin"' of terv11.l. Which of the events was the chief bis work. Eusebius relates o.n nnecdo~ of in the mind of the no.rrator with reference Lis martyrdom, extracted from the lost to his general nnrrative, and what are the work of Clement of Alexandria., called the coincidences which he wished to note, it is "l.",r0Tu,rwcr<1s (or in Latin Aduml>rationes), not easy to say with certainty. The ne.rrati 1°0 which Clement professed to have received iu this chapter doubtless overlaps at both by tradition from his predecessors, to the ends the embassy of Paul and Barnabas, but effect that the inl'ormer who accused James perhaps the object was to show the harassed was so sttuck with his constancy in con- state of the Church from famine and persecu- fessing Christ before the judge, that he tion at the time that Paul and Barne.bas ea.me forward and confessed himself e. were at Jerusalem. Herod the king here Christian too. The two were then led off mentioned is Herod Agrippa L, grandson of to execution together; and on the way the Herod the Great, aud son of Aristobulus informer asked James's forgiveness. After and Bernice. Daring the reign of Tiberius e. moment's hesitation, James so.id to him, he resided at Rome, in alternate favour and "Peace be unto tLiee,'' and kissed him. disgrace, sometimes bo.ni,;hed, sometimes They were then both beheaded (' Eccl. a prisoner, sometimes a guest o.t the im- Hist.,' ii. ix.). As Clement flow·ished about perial court, He was a great friend of A.D. 190, the tradition need not have passed Caius Ciese.r Caligula, and, on his sncceeding through more than three persons. It has to the empire on the death of 'fiberius, was been thought strange that Luke relates the promoted by liim to the tetrarchy of Herod death of e. chief apostle with sucli brevity. Philip, with the title of king. He was But it did not bear on the me.in object of flll'tller ad vancro three yeal'll afterwards to his work. Lightfoot (' Works,' vol. viii. p. the tetmrchy of Herod Antipa.s; and, on 282, etc.) mentions a fanciful story related by the e.cceBSion of Claudius to the throne, Rab11nus Maurus, that a.bout this time the J udme. and Samaria were added to his apostles composed the ApostleR' Creed, ea.eh dominions, which now comprised the whole contributing one clause, and that the clause kingdom of his grandfather, Herod the contributed by Ja.mes the brother of John Great. Agrippa., in spite of his close in- was, "And in Jesus Christ his only Son our timacy with Drusus, Caligula., Claudius, and Lord." other Roman magnates, was " exactly care- Ver. 3.-When for because, A.V.; that ii ful in the observe.nee of the laws of his pleased for it pleased, A. V.; proceeded for country, not allowing a day to pass without proceeded further, A, V.; seize for take, A. V.; it.a appointed sBCrifice; n and he he.d given and those for then, A. V. He proceeded to proof of his strong Jewish feeling by inter- seize (,rpocr,8ero crv7'.7'.a./3,iv) is a, Hebraism. posing his whole influence with Caligula. to This trait of his plea.sing the Jews is in prevent his statue being placed in the holy exact accordance with Josephu8's description of holies. This spirit accounts for Lis of him, as .,,; {3,ojjv iv •vl/>71µ.lc, xa.ipwv, loving enmity against the Church. He was e. man popularity, and as being very kind and o! Yery expeDBive and luxurious hubit.B, but sympathizing with the Jewish people, and not without some great qualities. liking to live much at J eruso.lcm (' Ant, J ud.,' Ver. 2.-J'amea, tile son of Zebedee, or xix. vii. 3). The days ot unleavened bread; James the Elder, to whom, with his brother i.e. as exprel!S0d by Luke xxii. I, "'fhe John, our Lord gave the sul'Il&Dle of Boan- Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called CR, :m, 1-26.] THE AC'fS OF THE APOSTLES.