[175] This is strangely rendered by Ben. At alioquin, postquam illos sic appellare dignati fuerant, et dixerant. Erasmus rightly, Et aliter: quoniam illi eos primum ita appellare dignati fuerunt. OEcumen. "And because Peter in the beginning of his discourse had so addressed them, hence they themselves had a handle for so addressing the Apostles."
[176] Touto gar en to baptismati parelabon. St. Chrysostom cannot mean to say that they received the gift of faith in baptism, not having it before: (see Mark xvi. 16, Acts viii. 37.) But the meaning seems to be, with allusion to the traditio symboli in baptism, "He does not as yet say, "Believe:" the question, "Dost thou believe?" would be put to them in their baptism, when the Creed was delivered to them. So that the injunction "Believe" is in fact included in the "Be baptized."
[177] We adopt the reading of A. N. The other mss. have kai ton paronton kai ton mellonton apallattei kakon, "both from present and from future evils." Below, v. 42, homothumadon, which Chrys. seems to have had in his copy, was probably derived into this verse after proskart. from proskart. homoth. v. 46.
[178] The exact force of koinonia here has been much disputed. By many it is thought to mean communication (to the needy) in the having all things common (koina), Ols., Lechler, et al. By others it is understood to refer to the Lord's Supper, but against this view is the fact that koinonia did not become a name for the sacrament until the third or fourth century. Others render: fellowship understanding either the participation in common meals (agapai) or the enjoyment of mutual sympathy, helpfulness and encouragement--the fellowship of Christian friendship. So Bengel, Mey., Hack., Gloag. This view is the preferable one.--G.B.S.
[179] Of our mss. N. E. have the true reading, pepuroto, which is attested by the Catena: the rest, peporoto "were hardened."
[180] This citation from v. 44. is not misplaced: it refers to the words epi to auto with which in Chrysostom's copy and many considerable authorities, this verse ended. (O Kurios prose. t. soz. kath' hemeran epi to auto. Petros de kai 'I. anebainon k. t. l. Lachm.)--In the opening of the next paragraph, the modern text has: "And with many other words he testified. This he says, showing that what had been said," etc. But it is evident that the recapitulation begins here, with v. 37. and ta lechthenta, and ekeina, mean the preceding discourse, v. 14-36.; tauta, not "the many other words," v. 40. but, "Repent and be baptized."
[181] The main lines of the picture which Luke here draws of the Apostolic community are: (1) Constant teaching and exhortation on the part of the Apostles. (2) Christian fellowship, with prayer and the regular observance of the Lord's Supper. (3) The doing of miracles. (4) The contribution of all to the common fund--not all at once, but gradually and as occasion required--as the imperfects and kathoti an tis chreian eichen (v. 44) show. (5) The confident hope and exultant joy with which the work of the new kingdom was carried forward in the conviction that the gospel was for all (v. 39). The pasin tois eis makran must, we think, refer to the heathen (Calv., Beng., Lech., De W., Lange, Alf., Hack., Gl.) and not merely to distant members of the Jewish nation (Baumg., Mey.).--G.B.S.
[182] In the old text (mss. and Catena) after ton pleionon logon to kephalaion comes the clause touto esti, phesin, he dorea tou A. Pn. where it is clearly misplaced: for to heukolon k. t. l. is, "Be baptized, and ye shall receive," etc., and tote epi ton bion agei refers to v. 40.: "And with many other words," of which pleionon logon the kephalaion is, "Save yourselves," etc. Hence the clause must belong to v. 39. and accordingly the Catena gives the whole passage from 'Axiopistos ho logos to epi to bapt. exerchontai. as the comment on v. 38, 39. We have restored the proper order, and supplied the omitted citations.--The modern text after to kephalaion, has kai touto prostithesi, deiknus, hoti he dorea tou A. Pn. "Since the hearer, etc. this also he adds, showing that it is the gift of the Holy Ghost."--But the "hearer" is the person hearing or reading the narrative.
[183] Here E. strangely inserts the formula of recapitulation, 'All' idomen anothen ta legomena: received by Sav., Ben. but bracketted by Morel.
[184] Here the mss. have: "And fear came," etc., v. 43, with its comment, which we have restored to its proper place.
[185] Ouchi homou de, all' homothumadon esan; "kath' hemeran te phesin, proskart. homothum. en to hiero," toutesti, mia psuche. B. C. F. D. St. Chrys. here returns to v. 42. in which he read in his copy the word homothumadon. Commenting on that expression, he refers to v. 46 (as his remark on that verse above was that they were taught, tes didaskalias apelauon, in the Temple). Or perhaps this clause may have been added by the scribe, because he did not find proskart. homoth. in v. 42, but did find it in v. 46.--E. "But he says not homou, but homoth since it is possible to be homou yet not homoth., when people are divided in opinion. And with words he exhorted. And here again," etc. So Edd.
[186] 'Epi touto, epi to pasi metadounai B. C D. F. N. Cat. on v. 46, but on v. 45, Cat. has epi to auti, which is doubtless the true reading: for which the innovator, not understanding it, has epi to ta auton pasi diadounai. On epi to auto compare the comment on ch. iv. 32. in Hom. xi. §1.
[187] hama tes touton (N. and Cat. tou Pneumatos) parresias (parousias B.) polles ouses, kath' hemeran te k. t. l. B. C. D. F. N. Cat. We have adopted the reading preserved by N. and the Catena.--E. and Edd. "Who also with boldness, seeing there was great boldness now, daily went up and continued in the Temple."
[188] kai aute (l. haute de he time eis ton topon diebaine to en to oiko esthiein; poi& 251; oiko; en to hiero; B. C. D. F. Cat. This "eating in the house" refers to the clause klontes te kat' oikon arton. If the passage be sound, Chrys. here represents that the Temple was honored by the breaking of bread (the Holy Eucharist?), there--Edd. from E. kai aute de he eis ton topon time diebaine pros ton tou hierou Despoten; "And the honor itself paid to the place passed over to the Lord of the Temple."
[189] Edd. add, to psuchron rh& 210;ma, "That cold expression."
[190] Despotika, i.e. of Christ their common Master. But Erasm. Erant enim ut dominorum, and so Ben.
[191] kai tauta en mesois kindunois embeblekoton auton. Erasm. omits the two last words: Ben. in media pericula conjectis. The meaning is: "Not even in the midst of dangers, which they themselves had boldly charged, or, invaded."
[192] Although he speaks below of Joseph the Patriarch, it seems that the husband of Mary is meant here.
[193] Monos gar, phesin, antlesei ta kaka. A. omits this and the next clause: E. substitutes, "so is he even to himself an enemy. Of such an one the soul is," etc. so Edd.
[194] We adopt the reading preserved by A. N. (what is also contained in the modern text with additions meant for explanation.) "Ti poiesomen;" eroton ekeinoi. Emeis de to enantion; Ti poiesomen; Aper edei genesthai epoioun. Emeis de tounantion. The modern text, after er. ekeinoi, inserts, apoginoskontes heauton; "despairing of themselves:" and, after the second question, legomen, epideiknumenoi pros tous parontas, kai mega phronountes eph' heautois; "Say (we), showing off ourselves to those present, and thinking great things of ourselves." B. C. omit, perhaps by oversight, the clauses between, Ti poiesomen (B. ti poiesomen); and, Aper edhei. In the following sentences, the force of the verbs kategnosan, apegnosan, egnosan might be rendered thus: "They knew themselves guilty, knew that in them was no power to save themselves--knew what a gift they received."
[195] pros andra mainomenon echon, pur pneonta. E. F. D. and Edd. omit these words.
[196] me gar ampherista ta pragmato; Erasm. negligently, non sunt æque amabiles illæ res: Ben. num res sunt mutuo comparabiles?