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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.)

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(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).

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OTHER VISIONS.

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The Man of Macedonia appears to Paul at Troas call-
ing 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

Lystra :

MIRACLES.

Elymas struck with blindness (xiii. 11).
Healing of the Cripple (xiv. 8-10).

Philippi: The Girl possessed healed (xvi. 16-18).
Ephesus: Special miracles worked (xix. II-12).
Eutychus restored to life (xx. 9–10).
The father of Publius healed of dysentery
(xxviii. 8).

Troas :

Melita :

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.

A.D. 57-59.

A.D. 59.

A.D. 59–61.

First Missionary Journey.

Council at Jerusalem.

Claudius' Decree, banishing the Jews

from Rome.

Second Missionary Journey.

Third Missionary Journey.

Last visit of Paul to Jerusalem.
Paul in prison at Cæsarea.
Voyage to Rome.

Paul a prisoner at Rome.

Acts.

End of the

QUOTATIONS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.

By PAUL: In Pisidian Antioch.

xiii. 33.

xiii. 34.

xiii. 35.

xiii. 41.

xiii. 47.

xxviii. 26.

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Thou art my Son, this day have I," etc
Ps. ii. 7. (Of Jesus, declared to be God's
Son by the Resurrection.)

"I will give you the sure mercies of," etc.
Isa. lv. 3. (Of the Resurrection.)
Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy," etc.
Ps. xvi. 10. (Of the Resurrection.)
"Behold ye despisers, and wonder," etc.
Hab. i. 5. (Of the rejection of the Gospel
by the Jews.)

"I have set thee to be a light of the,” etc.
Isa. xlix. 6. (Of preaching the Gospel
to the Gentiles.)

At Rome.

"Go thou unto this people," etc.

Isa. vi. 9-10. (Of the rejection of the
Gospel by the Jews.)

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After this I will return," etc.

Amos ix. II, 12. (Of God's calling the
Gentiles.)

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.).
But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against
2 the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and asked
of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he
found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he
3 might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed,
it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and
suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven :
4 and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him,
5 Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who

art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou perse-
6 cutest but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told
7 thee what thou must do. And the men that journeyed with
him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but beholding no
8 man. And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were
opened, he saw nothing; and they led him by the hand,
9 and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days
10 without sight, and did neither eat nor drink. Now there was
a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the
Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold
II I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go
to the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the
house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for
12 behold, he prayeth; and he hath seen a man named Ananias
coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive
13 his sight. But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from
many of this man, how much evil he did to thy saints at
14 Jerusalem and here he hath authority from the chief priests
15 to bind all that call upon thy name. But the Lord said unto

him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear
my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of
16 Israel: for I will shew him how many things he must suffer
17 for my name's sake. And Ananias departed, and entered

into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother
Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way
which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive
18 thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And straightway
there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his
19 sight; and he arose and was baptized; and he took food and
was strengthened. And he was certain days with the disciples
which were at Damascus.

ACTS xxii. 4-16. (R.V.)
4 And I persecuted this Way unto the death,
binding and delivering into prisons both
5 men and women. As also the high priest
doth bear me witness, and all the estate of
the elders: from whom also I received
letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to
Damascus, to bring them also which were
there unto Jerusalem in bonds, for to be
6 punished. And it came to pass, that, as
I made my journey, and drew nigh unto
Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone
from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a
voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why
8 persecutest thou me? And I answered,
Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me,
I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou perse-
9 cutest. And they that were with me beheld
indeed the light, but they heard not the
10 voice of him that spake to me. And I said,
What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord
said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus;
and there it shall be told thee of all things
II which are appointed for thee to do. And
when I could not see for the glory of that light,
being led by the hand of them that were
12 with me, I came into Damascus. And one
Ananias, a devout man according to the law,
well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt
13 there, came unto me, and standing by me
said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy
sight. And in that very hour I looked up
14 on him. And he said, The God of our fathers

hath appointed thee to know his will, and to
see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice
15 from his mouth. For thou shalt be a witness

for him unto all men of what thou hast
16 seen and heard. And now why tarriest
thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash
away thy sins, calling on his name.

9

ACTS xxvi. 9-18. (R.V.)

I verily thought with myself, that I
ought to do many things contrary to the
10 name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this I
also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut
up many of the saints in prisons, having
received authority from the chief priests,
and when they were put to death, I gave
II my vote against them. And punishing
them oftentimes in all the synagogues,
I strove to make them blaspheme; and
being exceedingly mad against them,
I persecuted them even unto foreign
12 cities. Whereupon as I journeyed to
Damascus with the authority and com-
13 mission of the chief priests, at midday,
O king, I saw on the way a light from
heaven, above the brightness of the sun,
shining round about me and them that
14 journeyed with me. And when we were
all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice
saying unto me in the Hebrew language,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
it is hard for thee to kick against the
15 goad. And I said, Who art thou, Lord ?

And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom
16 thou persecutest. But arise, and stand
upon thy feet: for to this end have I
appeared unto thee, to appoint thee
a minister and a witness both of the
things wherein thou hast seen me, and
of the things wherein I will appear
17 unto thee; delivering thee from the

people, and from the Gentiles, unto
18 whom I send thee, to open their eyes,

that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in

me.

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OF THE APOSTLES.

(cc. xiii-xxviii).

III. THE CHURCH OF THE UNCIRCUMCISED: GROWTH OF GENTILE CHRISTIANITY.

(a) FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY: CYPRUS,
PAMPHYLIA AND SOUTHERN GALATIA
(xiii.-xiv).

I. THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH (IN SYRIA): SENDING
FORTH OF BARNABAS AND SAUL (xiii. 1–3).

CHAPTER XIII.

I

No

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 (Xxiii. 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).

(a) Salamis (4, 5)

4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia;

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.) The Hebrew

Manaen. 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."

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The Tetrarch. Herod Antipas; the Herod who beheaded John the Baptist.

and from thence they

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,

Cyprus. The message of the Lord had already been carried there after the death of Stephen (xi. 19); and 66 men of Cyprus mentioned in connection with the Church in Antioch; Barnabas also came from there.

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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 mav 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

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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.

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