BRIEF ANALYSIS. To show the Geographical Spread of the Gospel. Part III.-The Church of the Uncircumcised: Growth of Gentile Christianity. (a) The First Missionary Journey (xiii.-xiv.). New Ground: Cyprus, Pamphylia, Southern Galatia. The Journey is marked by the growth of Jewish hostility, but the favour of the Roman governor in Cyprus. (b) Council of Jerusalem (xv. 1-35). The Relation of the Gentile to the Law of Moses settled. (c) The Second Missionary Journey (xv. 36-xviii. 22). New Ground: Entrance into Europe: Macedonia and Achaia. Further development of Jewish opposition, but Roman protection. (d) The Third Missionary Journey (xviii. 23-xxi. 16). New Ground Asia, with its chief city Ephesus, and the neighbouring cities. (The short visit of Paul to Ephesus at the close of the previous journey and the work of Apollos form part of the work at Ephesus.) (a) Paul at Jerusalem: His Defence to the Jews (xxi. 16– xxiii. 35). (b) Paul at Cæsarea: His Defence before Felix, Festus and Herod Agrippa II. (xxiv.-xxvi.). (c) The Voyage to Rome (xxvii.-xxviii. 15). (d) Paul at his goal, Rome, the capital of the Empire (xxviii. 16-31). Jewish Hostility centres itself on Paul. APPEARANCE OF THE LORD. Paul twice relates the story of the appearance of Jesus to him on the road to Damascus (xxii. 7 ff.; xxvi. 13 ff.). OF OUR LORD. VISIONS. To Paul at Corinth assuring him of safety (xviii. 9-10). To Paul in the Temple, after his return from Damascus, sending him to the Gentiles(xxii. 17-21). To Paul, at Jerusalem, after his arrest, assuring him that he will bear witness also in Rome" (xxiii. 11). OTHER VISIONS. The Man of Macedonia appears to Paul at Troas calling him to come over and help us (xvi. 9-10). An angel to Paul on the voyage assuring him of the safety of all (xxvii. 23-24). At Paphos Philippi : Troas : Melita : MIRACLES. Elymas struck with blindness (xiii. 11). The Girl possessed healed (xvi. 16–18). The father of Publius healed of dysentery CHRONOLOGY. St. Luke gives us no definite dates in the Acts, but in c. xii. he mentions the death of Herod Agrippa I. which took place in 44 A.D. This gives us a date to start the second half; beside this we know that Gallio was at Corinth in 52 A.D., and that the edict banishing the Jews from Rome was in 49. Felix became Procurator of Judæa in 52, and Festus followed him in 57. This enables us to date the chief events in the second part with a fair amount of accuracy: Barnabas and Paul come to Jerusalem with alms. A.D. 44. A.D. 45-7. A.D. 48. A.D. 49. A.D. 49-52. A.D. 53-7. A.D. 57-59. First Missionary Journey. Council at Jerusalem. Claudius' Decree, banishing the Jews from Rome. Second Missionary Journey. Last visit of Paul to Jerusalem. A.D. 59. A.D. 59–61. Paul a prisoner at Rome. End of the Acts. QUOTATIONS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. By PAUL: In Pisidian Antioch. xiii. 33. xiii. 34. xiii. 35. xiii. 41. xiii. 47. Thou art my Son, this day have I," etc (Of Jesus, declared to be God's Son by the Resurrection.) "I will give you the sure mercies of," etc. 66 I have set thee to be a light of the," etc. Isa. xlix. 6. (Of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles.) Go thou unto this people," etc. Isa. vi. 9-10. (Of the rejection of the the Council. After this I will return," etc. Amos ix. II, 12. (Of God's calling the *** Most of the quotations come from the Greek Translation of the O.T. known as the Septuagint (LXX.). I THE THREE ACCOUNTS OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL. ACTS ix. 1-19. (R.V.) and art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou perse- him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother ACTS xxii. 4-16. (R.V.) 4 And I persecuted this Way unto the death, indeed the light, but they heard not the hath appointed thee to know his will, and to for him unto all men of what thou hast ACTS xxvi. 9-18. (R.V.) 9 I verily thought with myself, that I And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom people, and from the Gentiles, unto me. OF THE APOSTLES. (cc. xiii-xxviii). III. THE CHURCH OF THE UNCIRCUMCISED: GROWTH OF GENTILE CHRISTIANITY. (a) FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY: CYPRUS, I. THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH (IN SYRIA) SENDING CHAPTER XIII. I NOW TOW there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul 3 for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. II. CYPRUS (xiii. 4-12.) (a) Salamis, with John Mark as Attendant through the Island to Paphos (4, 5). (b) Paphos First Statement of the Gospel to a Roman Official (6-12). 4 (a) Salamis (4, 5.) So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they 1. R.V., Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there. The use of the word "church" shows the growth of the community: it was now a church, an organized body. Simeon. R.V., Symeon. The name Niger may have been for use when mixing with the Greeks. Some writers wish to identify him with the Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross (Luke xxiii. 26). Lucius of Cyrene. (Comp. xi. 20; and Rom. xvi. 21.) Manaen. The Hebrew name would be " Menahem." The R.V. describes him as The foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch. The term is a court title meaning an intimate friend." The Tetrarch. Herod Antipas; the Herod who beheaded John the Baptist. 2. Ministered: i.e., in the public services of the Church and the special work of preaching and teaching. Fasted. The early Christians kept Wednesday and Friday. Separate me. The personality of the Holy Spirit is here clearly shewn. 3. R. V., Then, thus marking that what follows was the consequence of the Spirit's intimation. The threefold act of the service of dedication to this new work should be noted: fasting, prayer, and the laying on of hands (comp. vi. 16.) 4. R.V., Went down to Seleucia. The port of Antioch. Cyprus was only a few hours' sail with a favourable wind. 5 sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews and they had also John to their minister. (b) Paphos: First statement of the Gospel to a Roman official (6-12.) 6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false 7 prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, 5. Salamis. N.E. of the island. The use of the plural "" synagogues "shows it had a large colony of Jews; the Apostles go, as St. Paul always does, to the synagogue (ix. 20). John to their minister. R.V., As their attendant. John Mark is mentioned here to show that he had been chosen by the two Apostles, not by the Holy Spirit, as they themselves had been. St. Mark may have been the one employed as catechist to instruct the candidates for Baptism; or he may have acted dragoman who would make the travelling arrangements and get accommodation. (Larger Manual on St. Mark, P. 14.) as 6. When they had gone through the isle. R.V., The whole island. They made a missionary journey, visiting all the various places on the route. Paphos. Nea Paphos, the chief town, now called Baffa. St. Luke's accurate knowledge of the political world is shown here. We know from other sources that this was the head-quarters of the governor. A certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew. The gravity of the sin lay in the fact that, as a Jew, he had the true knowledge of God. The presence of these men is always remarked in the Acts we have already had Simon of Samaria; later on we shall meet with the sons of Sceva (xix. 13). Bar-jesus. R.V., Bar-Jesus son of Jesus. 7. The deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. R.V. reads The proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The Roman provinces under the Emperor Augustus were divided into Imperial and Senatorial : Cyprus was at first under the Emperor; in B.C. 22 Augustus transferred it to the Senate; it would therefore have a proconsul. The name of the man and the Greek term used have been found in Cyprus. R.V., The same called unto him. An official command. The first occasion on which the Apostles set forth the Gospel before the representative of the Emperor. Under the Roman government all religions were compelled to be licensed, and the pro-consul may have wished to learn what this new teaching was, and its relation to the Jewish faith. |