The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 450

le that which the Ohuroh maintains in ite united capacity. Individual and Isolated efforts are not so likely to be blessed. 3. The special importance of the mission of Paul and Barnabas in showing the open door of faith to the Gentiles. Such a fa.et could not have wielded the same influence had it not been rehearsed thus solemnly to the assembled brethren. Antioch was now the pledged source of light to the Gentile world.-R. Ver. 22.-Spiritual conformation. "Confirming the souls of the disciples." Connect with the narrative, showing that spiritual aggressive~ess at Antioch was the sign of e. deep and true spiritual life. '£he haste and superficiality of the teaching from place to place. Confirmation not e. ceremony, but e. process. I. CONFIRMATION OF FAITH. Continue in the faith-both objective and subjective ; not a creed alone, if that was given at all, but the real root of spiritual life. Faith we.a discipleship. II. CONFIRJlrlATION IN THE FELLOWBlllPOF THE CHURCH. "Ordained [or,' appointed'] them elders in every Church." A settled ministry; an orderly maintenance of worship. Preparation for work in the neighbourhood. III. CONFIRMATION OF HOPE. The kingdom in view. Work towards the future. Tribulation prepal'es for higher life.-R. Vere. 1-7.-The calm force of the gospel amid many distractions of men. This portion of the history names Paul and Barnabas to us for the first time as apostles (ver. 4). It is noticeable also as substituting the expression, "preaching the gospel," for speaking" the Word of God" (ver. 7). But it is remarkable much more as giving us such a distinct impression of the way in which the new truth, "the gospel," bore itself amid many a variety of opposition and unexpected combinations of foes. Let us notice some of the groupings a.mid which the gospel ma.de its way, either with their help or against their hindrance. l. A LARGE NUMBER OF JEWS AND GREEKS BELIEVING FORM THE FillST GROUP. As the gospel is still persistently first preached to the Jew and from the pulpit that the synagogue constituted, so it seems that generally some of the Jews (and of c0urse not unfrequently Greeks with them) believed. Now, however, it is a great multitude of these. Probably the early and trenchant conquests of the gospel again availed to waken all the bitterest an<l more active hostility in the new scene, whatever it might be, of labour. The first group shows Jew against Jew therefore. II. THE JEWS WHO DID NOT BELIEVE CONDESCEND TO ALLY TO THEMSELVES THE GENTILES, AND THIB IS THE SECOND GROUP. Jew and Gtmtile seldom worked together for good-at least not in any way directly or indirectly connected with religions matters. But now not only do they combine forces for evil, but it is at the instance of the Jew. "The same day Pilate and Herod were made friend!! together" (Luke xxiii. 12). Very true it is any way that enmity against Christ and the gospel of his truth and love will need all the combined force possible, and will need to try every possibl.e variety ot combina.tion, not then to succeed, but to prove to itself how vain its opposition and anger are. 111. THE WHOLE CITY ITSELF CONSTITUTES THE MATERIAL OF THE NEXT GROUPING. And this grouping is one that shows a whole city: 1. Not divided into its ordinary numerous civil, political, or ecclesiastical divisions. It owns to a very simple classifica- tion indeed. It is rent in just twain. 2. And the separating line, traversing all other considerations, is determined simply by men's attitude with regard to these two men, lately arrived at lconium after expulsion from Antioch. The question has come to be-- Who" hoid" with these two men, or who do not hold with them ?-for "holding with the J ewa" is merely the converse of this. Whatever may be true of these two men and of their word, evident it was in those days and in that city that they were forces that had to be reckoned with. Aud go where the gospel will, this at least has always been found. IV. THE NEX1' GROUP EXHIBlTS A MULTITUDE OF GENTILES, JEWS, AND THEIR RULERS, They are not, indeed, openly and compactly and homogeneously massed together, but they are ready to sink all differences for twenty-four hours, and are vrepariu~ to do so, that in untrained multitude they may try the effect of brute force. These were meditating an assault upon the two unarmed defenceless preachers. They were  448 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [011. uv. 1-28.