Chapter XXX: Part 30

During this retirement of Saul to his native home, the first great call of the Gentiles had been made through the summons of Simon Peter to Cornelius. There was manifest wisdom in this arrangement of events. Though the original apostles were plainly never intended, by providence, to labor to any great extent in the Gentile field, yet it was most manifestly proper that the first opening of this new field should be made by those directly and personally commissioned by Jesus himself, and who, from having enjoyed his bodily presence for so long a time, would be considered best qualified to judge of the propriety of a movement so novel and unprecedented in its character. The great apostolic chief was therefore made the first minister of grace to the Gentiles; and the violent opposition with which this innovation on Judaical sanctity was received by the more bigoted, could of course be much more efficiently met, and disarmed, by the apostle specially commissioned as the keeper of the keys of the heavenly kingdom, than by one who had been but lately a persecutor of the faithful, and who, by his birth and partial education in a Grecian city, had acquired such a familiarity with Gentile usages, as to be reasonably liable to suspicion, in regard to an innovation which so remarkably favored them. This great movement having been thus made by the highest Christian authority on earth,――and the controversy immediately resulting having been thus decided,――the way was now fully open for the complete extension of the gospel to the heathen, and Saul was therefore immediately called, in providence, from his retirement, to take up the work of evangelizing Syria, which had already been partially begun at Antioch, by some of the Hellenistic refugees from the persecution at the time of Stephen’s martyrdom. The apostles at Jerusalem, hearing of the success which attended these incidental efforts, dispatched their trusty brother Barnabas, to confirm the good work, under the direct commission of apostolic authority. He, having come to Antioch, rejoiced his heart with the sight of the success which had crowned the work of those who, in the midst of the personal distress of a malignant persecution, that had driven them from Jerusalem, had there sown a seed that was already bringing forth glorious fruits. Perceiving the immense importance of the field there opened, he immediately felt the want of some person of different qualifications from the original apostles, and one whose education and habits would fit him not only to labor among the professors of the Jewish faith, but also to communicate the doctrines of Christ to the Grecians. In this crisis he bethought himself of the wonderful young convert with whom he had become acquainted, under such remarkable circumstances, a few years before, in Jerusalem,――whose daring zeal and masterly learning had been so signally manifested among the Hellenists, with whom he had formerly been associated as an equally active persecutor. Inspired both by considerations of personal regard, and by wise convictions of the peculiar fitness of this zealous disciple for the field now opened in Syria, Barnabas immediately left his apostolic charge at Antioch, and went over to Tarsus, to invite Saul to this great labor. The journey was but a short one, the distance by water being not more than one hundred miles, and by land, around through the “Syrian gates,” about one hundred and fifty. He therefore soon arrived at Saul’s home, and found him ready and willing to undertake the proposed apostolic duty. They immediately returned together to Antioch, and earnestly devoted themselves to their interesting labors.

“_Antioch_, the metropolis of Syria, was built, according to
some authors, by Antiochus Epiphanes; others affirm, by Seleucus
Nicanor, the first king of Syria after Alexander the Great, in
memory of his father Antiochus, and was the ‘royal seat of the
kings of Syria.’ For power and dignity, Strabo, (lib. xvi. p.
517,) says it was not much inferior to Seleucia, or Alexandria.
Josephus, (lib. iii. cap. 3,) says, it was the third great city
of all that belonged to the Roman provinces. It was frequently
called Antiochia Epidaphne, from its neighborhood to Daphne,
a village where the temple of Daphne stood, to distinguish it
from other fourteen of the same name mentioned by Stephanus
de Urbibus, and by Eustathius in Dionysius p. 170; or as
Appianus (in Syriacis,) and others, sixteen cities in Syria,
and elsewhere, which bore that name. It was celebrated among the
Jews for ‘Jus civitatis,’ which Seleucus Nicanor had given them
in that city with the Grecians and Macedonians, and which, says
Josephus, they still retain, Antiquities, lib. xii. cap. 13;
and for the wars of the Maccabeans with those kings. Among
Christians, for being the place where they first received that
name, and where Saul and Barnabas began their apostolic labors
together. In the flourishing times of the Roman empire, it was
the ordinary residence of the prefect or governor of the eastern
provinces, and also honored with the residence of many of the
Roman emperors, especially of Verus and Valens, who spent here
the greatest part of their time. It lay on both sides of the
river Orontes, about twelve miles from the Mediterranean sea.”
(Wells’s Geography New Testament――Whitby’s Table.) (J. M.
Williams’s Notes on Pearson’s _Annales Paulinae_.)

Having arrived at Antioch, Saul gave himself, with Barnabas, zealously to the work for which he had been summoned, and labored among the people to good purpose, assembling the church and imparting to all that would hear, the knowledge of the Christian doctrine. Under these active exertions the professors of the faith of Jesus became so numerous and so generally known in Antioch, that the heathen inhabitants found it convenient to designate them by a distinct appellation, which they derived from the great founder and object of their religion,――calling them _Christians_, because the heathen inhabitants of Syria were not acquainted with the terms, “Nazarene” and “Galilean,” which had been applied to the followers of Christ by the Jews, partly from the places where they first appeared, and partly in opprobium for their low provincial origin.

The name now first created by the Syrians to distinguish the
sect, is remarkable, because being derived from a Greek word,
_Christos_, it has a Latin adjective termination, Christ_ianus_,
and is therefore incontestably shown to have been applied by
the Roman inhabitants of Antioch; for no Grecian would ever
have been guilty of such a barbarism, in the derivation of one
word from another in his own language. The proper Greek form of
the derivation would have been _Christicos_, or _Christenos_,
and the substantive would have been, not Christianity, but
_Christicism_, or _Christenism_,――a word so awkward in sound,
however, that it is very well for all Christendom, that the
Roman barbarism took the place of the pure Greek termination.
And since the Latin form of the first derivative has prevailed,
and Christi_an_ thus been made the name of “a believer
in Christ,” it is evident to any classical scholar, that
Christian_ity_ is the only proper form of the substantive
secondarily derived. For though the appending of a Latin
termination upon a Greek word, as in the case of Christ_ianus_,
was unquestionably a blunder and a barbarism in the first place,
it yet can not compare, for absurdity, with the notion of
deriving from this Latin form, the substantive Christian_ismus_,
with a Greek termination foolishly pinned to a Latin one,――a
folly of which the French are nevertheless guilty. The error,
of course, can not now be corrected in that language; but those
who stupidly copy the barbarism from them, and try to introduce
the monstrous word, ChristianISM, into English, deserve the
reprobation of every man of taste.

“Before this they were called ‘disciples,’ as in this
place――‘believers,’ Acts v. 14――‘men of the church,’ Acts
xii. 1――‘men of the way,’ Acts ix. 2――‘the saints,’ Acts ix.
13――‘those that called on the name of Christ,’ verse 14――and
by their enemies, Nazarenes and Galileans, and ‘men of the
sect;’――but now, by the conversion of so many heathens, both in
Caesarea and Antioch, the believing Jews and Gentiles being made
all one church, this new name was given them, as more expressive
of their common relation to their Master, Christ. Whitby
slightly alludes to the prophecy, Isaiah lxv.” (J. M. Williams’s
Notes on Pearson.)

While Saul was thus effectually laboring in Antioch, there came down to that city, from Jerusalem, certain persons, indued with the spirit of prophecy, among whom was one, named Agabus, who, under the influence of inspiration, made known that there would be a great famine throughout the world;――a prediction which was verified by the actual occurrence of this calamity in the days of Claudius Caesar, during whose reign,――as appears on the impartial testimony of the historians of those times, both Roman and Jewish,――the Roman empire suffered at different periods in all its parts, from the capital to Jerusalem,――and at this latter city, more especially, in the sixth year of Claudius, (A. D. 46,) as is testified by Josephus, who narrates very particularly some circumstances connected with the prevalence of this famine in Jerusalem. The disciples at Antioch, availing themselves of this information, determined to send relief to their brethren in Judea, before the famine should come on; and having contributed, each one according to his ability, they made Barnabas and Saul the messengers of their charity, who were accordingly dispatched to Jerusalem, on this noble errand. They remained in Jerusalem through the period of Agrippa’s attack upon the apostles by murdering James, and imprisoning Peter; but they do not seem to have been any way immediately concerned in these events; and when Peter had escaped, they returned to Antioch. How long they remained here, is not recorded; but the date of subsequent events seems to imply that it was a space of some years, during which they labored at Antioch in company with several other eminent prophets and teachers, of whom are mentioned Simeon, who had the Roman surname of Niger, Lucius, the Cyrenian, and Manaen, a foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch. During their common ministrations, at a season of fasting, they received a direction from the spirit of truth which guided them, to set apart Saul and Barnabas for the special work to which the Lord had called them. This work was of course understood to be that for which Saul in particular, had, at his conversion, been so remarkably commissioned,――“to open the eyes of the GENTILES,――to turn them from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God.” His brethren in the ministry therefore, understanding at once the nature and object of the summons, now specially consecrated both him and Barnabas for their missionary work; and after fasting and praying, they invoked on them the blessing of God, in the usual oriental form of laying their hands on them, and then bade them farewell.

“That this famine was felt chiefly in Judea may be conjectured
with great reason from the nature of the context, for we find
that the disciples are resolving to send relief to the elders
in Judea; consequently they must have understood that those in
Judea would suffer more than themselves. Josephus declared that
this famine raged so much there, πολλῶν ὑπό ἐνδείας ἀναλωμάτων
φθειρομένων, ‘so that many perished for want of victuals.’”

“‘Throughout the whole world,’ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, is first to
be understood, orbis terrarum habitabilis: Demosthenes in Corona,
Æschines contra Ctesiphon Scapula. Then the Roman and other
empires were styled οικουμένη, ‘the world.’ Thus Isaiah xiv.
17, 26, the counsel of God against the empire of Babylon, is
called his counsel, ἐπὶ τὴν ὅλην οἰκουμένην, ‘against all the
earth.’――(Elsley, Whitby.) Accordingly Eusebius says of this
famine, that it oppressed almost the whole _empire_. And as for
the truth of the prophecy, this dearth is recorded by historians
most averse to our religion, viz., by Suetonius in the life
of Claudius, chapter 18, who informs us that it happened ‘ob
assiduas sterilitates;’ and Dion Cassius History lib. lx. p.
146, that it was λιμὸς ἰσχυρὸς, ‘a very great famine.’ Whitby’s
Annotations, Doddridge enumerates nine famines in various years,
and parts of the empire, in the reign of Claudius; but the first
was the most severe, and affected particularly Judea, and is
that here meant.” (J. M. Williams’s notes on Pearson.)

HIS FIRST APOSTOLIC MISSION.

Going from Antioch directly eastward to the sea, they came to Seleucia, the nearest port, only twelve miles from Antioch, and there embarked for the island of Cyprus, the eastern end of which is not more than eighty miles from the coast of Syria. The circumstance that more particularly directed them first to this island, was probably that it was the native home of Barnabas, and with this region therefore he would feel so much acquainted as to know its peculiar wants, and the facilities which it afforded for the advancement of the Christian cause; and he would also know where he might look for the most favorable reception. Landing at Salamis, on the south-eastern part of the island, they first preached in the synagogues of the Jews, who were very numerous in Cyprus, and constituted so large a part of the population of the island, that some years afterwards they attempted to get complete possession of it, and were put down only by the massacre of many thousands. Directing their efforts first to these wandering sheep of the house of Israel, the apostles everywhere preached the gospel in the synagogues, never forsaking the Jews for the Gentiles, until they had been driven away by insult and injury, that thus the ruin of their nation might lie, not upon the apostles, but upon them only, for their rejection of the repeated offers of salvation. Here, it would seem, they were joined by John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, who was probably staying upon the island at that time, and who now accompanied them as an assistant in their apostolic ministry. Traversing the whole island from east to west, they came to Paphos, a splendid city near the western end, famed for the magnificent temple and lascivious worship of the Paphian Venus, a deity to whom all Cyprus was consecrated; and from it she derived one of her numerous appellatives, _Cypris_ being a name under which she was frequently worshipped; and the females of the island generally, were so completely devoted to her service, not merely in temple-worship, but in life and manners, that throughout the world, the name _Cyprian woman_, even to this day, is but a polite expression for one abandoned to wantonness and pleasure. The worship of this lascivious goddess, the apostles now came to exterminate, and to plant in its stead the dominion of a faith, whose essence is purity of heart and action. At this place, preaching the gospel with openness, they soon attracted such general notice, that the report of their remarkable character soon reached the ears of the proconsul of Cyprus, then resident in Paphos. This great Roman governor, by name Sergius Paulus, was a man of intelligence and probity, and hearing of the apostles, soon summoned them to his presence, that he might have the satisfaction of hearing from them, in his own hall, a full exposition of the doctrine which they called the word of God. This they did with such energy and efficiency, that they won his attention and regard; and he was about to profess his faith in Jesus, when a new obstacle to the success of the gospel was presented in the conduct of one of those present at the discourse. This was an impostor, called Elymas,――a name which seems to be a Greek form of the Oriental “_Alim_” meaning “a magician,”――who had, by his tricks, gained a great renown throughout that region, and was received into high favor by the proconsul himself, with whom he was then staying. The rogue, apprehending the nature of the doctrines taught by the apostles to be no way agreeable to the schemes of self-advancement which he was so successfully pursuing, was not a little alarmed when he saw that they were taking hold of the mind of the proconsul, and therefore undertook to resist the preaching of the apostles; and attempted to argue the noble convert into a contempt of these new teachers. At this, Saul, (now first called Paul,) fixing his eyes on the miserable impostor, in a burst of inspired indignation, denounced on him an awful punishment for his resistance of the truth. “O, full of all guile and all tricks! son of the devil! enemy of all honesty! wilt thou not stop perverting the ways of the Lord? And now, lo! the hand of the Lord is on thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and turning around, he sought some persons to lead him by the hand. At the sight of this manifest and appalling miracle, thus following the denunciation of the apostle, the proconsul was so struck, that he no longer delayed for a moment his profession of faith in the religion whose power was thus attested, but believed in the doctrine of Jesus, as communicated by his apostles.

“_Seleucia_ was a little north-west of Antioch, upon the
Mediterranean sea, named from its founder, Seleucus.――_Cyprus_,
so called from the flower of the Cypress-trees growing
there.――Pliny, lib. xii. cap. 24.――Eustathius. In Dionysius p.
110. It was an island, having on the east the Syrian, on the
west the Pamphylian, on the south the Phoenician, on the north
the Cilician sea. It was celebrated among the heathens for its
fertility as being sufficiently provided with all things within
itself. Strabo, lib. xiv. 468, 469. It was very infamous for
the worship of Venus, who had thence her name Κύπρις. It was
memorable among the Jews as being an island in which they so
much abounded; and among Christians for being the place where
Joses, called Barnabas, had the land he sold, Acts iv. 36; and
where Mnason, an old disciple, lived; Acts xxi. 16.――(Whitby’s
Table.) Salamis was once a famous city of Cyprus, opposite to
Seleucia, on the Syrian coast.――(Wells.) It was in the eastern
part of Cyprus. It was famous among the Greek writers for the
story of the Dragon killed by Chycreas, their king; and for the
death of Anaxarchus, whom Nicocreon, the tyrant of that island,
pounded to death with iron pestles.”――(Bochart, Canaan, lib. i.
c. 2――Laert, lib. ix. p. 579.) Williams’s Pearson.

_Proconsul._――The Greek title Ανθυπατος, was applied only
to those governors of provinces who were invested with
_proconsular_ dignity. ‘And on the supposition that Cyprus was
not a province of this description, it has been inferred that
the title given to Sergius Paulus in this place, was a title
that did not properly belong to him. A passage has indeed been
quoted from Dion Cassius, (History of Rome, lib. liv. p. 523,
edited by Hanoviae, 1690,) who, speaking of the governors of
Cyprus and some other Roman provinces, applies to them the same
title which is applied to Sergius Paulus. But, as Dion Cassius
is speaking of several Roman provinces at the same time, one
of which was certainly governed by a proconsul, it has been
supposed, that for the sake of brevity, he used one term for all
of them, whether it applied to all of them or not. That Cyprus,
however, ought to be excluded, and that the title which he
employed, as well as St. Luke, really _did_ belong to the Roman
governors of Cyprus, appears from the inscription on a coin
belonging to Cyprus itself. It belonged to the people of that
island as appears from the word ΚΥΠΡΙΩΝ on the reverse: and,
though not struck while Sergius Paulus himself was governor,
it was struck, as appears from the inscription on the reverse,
in the time of Proclus, who was next to Sergius Paulus in the
government of Cyprus. And, on this coin the same title ΑΝΘΥΠΑΤΟΣ,
is given to Proclus, which St. Luke gives Sergius Paulus.’
(Bishop Marsh’s Lecture part v. pp. 85, 86.) That Cyprus was a
proconsulate, is also evident ♦from an ancient inscription of
Caligula’s reign, in which Aquius Scaura is called the proconsul
of Cyprus. (Gruteri Corpus Inscriptionem, tom. i. part ii. p,
cccix. No. 3, edited by Graevii Amsterdam, 1707.) Horne’s Introd.

♦ “lrom” replaced with “from”

HIS CHANGE OF NAME.

In connection with this first miracle of the apostle of Tarsus, it is mentioned by the historian of the Acts of the Apostles, that Saul thenceforth bore the name of Paul, and the reader is thence fairly led to suppose, that the name was taken from that of Sergius Paul, who is the most important personage concerned in the event; and being the first eminent man who is specified as having been converted by the apostle, seems therefore to deserve, in this case, the honor of conferring a new name on the wonder-working Saul. This coincidence between the name and the occasion, may be justly esteemed sufficient ground for assuming this as the true origin of the name by which the apostle was ever after designated,――which he applies to himself in his writings, and by which he is always mentioned throughout the Christian world, in all ages. With the name of “Saul of Tarsus,” there were too many evil associations already inseparably connected, in the minds of all the Jewish inhabitants of the east, and the troublesome character of those prevalent impressions having been perhaps particularly obvious to the apostle, during his first missionary tour, he seized this honorable occasion, to exchange it for one that had no such evil associations; and he was therefore afterwards known only by the name of PAUL.

Embarking at Paphos, the apostles, after doubling cape Acamas, the most western point of the island, sailed northwestward, towards the northern coast of Asia Minor,――and after a voyage of about two hundred miles, reached Perga, a city in Pamphylia. This place was not a sea-port, but stood on the west bank of the river Cestrus, about eight miles from the sea. It was there built by the Attalian kings of south-western Asia, and was by them made the most splendid city of Pamphylia. Near the town, and on a rising ground, was a very famous temple of Diana, to which every year resorted a grand religious assembly, to celebrate the worship of this great Asian goddess. In such a strong hold of heathenism, the apostles must have found much occasion for the preaching of the gospel; but the historian of their Acts gives no account of anything here said or done by them, and only mentions that at this place their companion, John Mark, gave up his ministration with them, and returned to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas then went on without him, to the north, and proceeded, without any material delay, directly through Pamphylia, and over the ranges of Taurus, through Pisidia, into Phrygia Katakekaumene, where they made some stay at the city of Antioch, which was distinguished from the great capital of Syria bearing the same royal name, by being called “Antioch of Pisidia,” because, though really within the boundaries of Phrygia, it was often numbered among the cities of the province next south, near whose borders it stood, and was therefore associated with the towns of Pisidia by those who lived south and east of them. At this place the apostles probably arrived towards the last of the week, and reposing here on the sabbath, they went into the Jewish synagogue, along with the usual worshiping assembly, and took their seats quietly among the rest. After the regular service of the day (consisting of the reading of select portions of the law and the prophets) was over, the minister of the synagogue, according to custom, gave an invitation to the apostles to preach to the people, if they felt disposed to do so. It should be noticed, that in the Jewish synagogues, there was no regular person appointed to preach, the _minister_ being only a sort of reader, who conducted the devotions of the meeting, and chanted the lessons from the Scriptures, as arranged for each sabbath. When these regular duties were over, the custom was to invite a discourse from any person disposed or qualified to address the people,――the whole being always thus conducted somewhat on the plan of a modern “conference meeting.” On this day, the minister, noticing two grave and intelligent-looking persons among the worshipers, joining devoutly in the service of God, and perceiving them to be of a higher order than most of the assembly, or perhaps having received a previous hint of the fact that they were well-qualified religious teachers, who had valuable doctrines to communicate to the people,――sent word to them, “Brethren! if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Paul then,――as usual, taking the precedence of Barnabas in speaking, on account of his own superior endowments as an orator,――addressed the meeting, beginning with the usual form of words, accompanied with a graceful gesticulation, beseeching their favor. “Men of Israel! and you that fear God! give your attention.” The two different classes of persons included in this formula, are evidently, first, those who were Jews by birth and education, and second, those devout Gentiles who reverenced the God of Israel and conformed to the law of Moses, worshiping with the Jews on the sabbath. Paul, in his sermon, which was of considerable length, began in the usual form of an apostolic discourse to the Jews, by recurring to the early Hebrew history, and running over the great leading events and persons mentioned in their sacred writings, that might be considered as preparing the way for the Messiah. Then, proceeding to the narration of the most important points in the history of the new dispensation, he applied all the quoted predictions of the inspired men of old, to the man Christ Jesus, whom they now preached. The substance of his discourse was, that in Jesus Christ were fully accomplished those splendid prophecies contained in the Psalms, concerning the future glories of the line of David; and more especially that by his attested resurrection he had fulfilled the words spoken by the Psalmist, of the triumphs of the “Holy One” over the grave and corruption. Paul thus concluded,――“Be it known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man is preached to you forgiveness of sins; and every one that believes in him is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken by the prophets,――‘See! you despisers! and wonder and be amazed; for I will do a work in your days, which you shall not believe, even if one should tell it to you.’” These denunciatory concluding words are from the prophet Habakkuk, where he is foretelling to the Israelites of his day, the devastating invasion of the Chaldeans; and the apostle in quoting them, aimed to impress his hearers with the certainty of similar evils to fall upon their nation,――evils so tremendous, that they might naturally disbelieve the warning, if it should give them the awful particulars of the coming ruin, but whose solemn truth they would, nevertheless, too soon learn in its actual accomplishment. These words being directed in a rather bitter tone of warning to the Jews in particular, that portion of the audience do not appear to have been much pleased with his address; but while the most of them were retiring from the synagogue, the Gentiles declared their high satisfaction with the discourse, and expressed an earnest desire that it might be repeated to them on the next sabbath,――a request with which ministers in these modern times are very rarely complimented by their congregations. After the meeting broke up, many of the audience were so loth to part with preachers of this extraordinary character, that they followed the apostles to their lodgings. These were mostly the religious proselytes from the heathen who worshiped with the Jews in the synagogue, but some even of the Jews were so well satisfied with what they had heard, that they also accompanied the throng that followed the apostles. Paul and Barnabas did not suffer this occasion to pass unimproved; but as they went along, discoursed to the company, exhorting them to stand fast in the grace of God. They continued in the city through the week, and meanwhile the fame of their doctrines and their eloquence extended so fast and so far, that when on the next sabbath they went to the synagogue to preach according to promise, almost the whole city came pouring in, along with them, to hear the word of God. But when the Jews, who had already been considerably displeased by the manner in which they had been addressed the last sabbath, saw the multitudes which were thronging to hear these new interlopers, they were filled with envy, and when Paul renewed his discourse, they openly disputed him,――denied his conclusions, and abused him, and his doctrine. Paul and Barnabas, justly indignant at this exhibition of meanness, that thus set itself against the progress of the truth among the Gentiles, from whom the Jews, not content with rejecting the gospel themselves, would also exclude the light of the word,――boldly declared to them――“It was necessary that the word of God should be first spoken to you; but since you have cast it off, and thus evince yourselves unworthy of everlasting life,――behold, we turn to the heathen. For thus did God command us, ‘I have set thee for a light to the _heathen_, that thou mightest be for their salvation, even to the uttermost part of the earth.’” And the heathen hearing this, rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord, and many of them believed, to their everlasting salvation. And the word of God was spread throughout that whole country; but the opposition of the Jews increasing in proportion to the progress of the faith of Christ, a great disturbance was raised against the apostles among the aristocracy of the city, who favored the Jews, and more especially among the women of high family, who were proselytes; and the result of the commotion was, that the apostles were driven out of the city. Paul and Barnabas, in conformity to the original injunction of Jesus to the twelve, shook off the dust of their feet, as an expressive testimony against them,――and turning eastward, came to another city, named Iconium, in Lycaonia, the most eastern province of Phrygia.

Lycaonia is a province of Asia Minor, accounted the southern
part of Cappadocia, having Isauria on the west, Armenia Minor
on the east, and Cilicia on the south. Its chief cities are
all mentioned in this chapter xiv. _viz._, Iconium, Lystra, and
Derbe. They spake _in the Lycaonian tongue_, verse 10, which is
generally understood to have been a corrupt Greek, intermingled
with many Syriac words.――Horne’s Introduction.

Iconium was the capital of Lycaonia, and is mentioned by the Grecian and Roman writers, before and after the apostolic times, as a place of some importance; but nothing definite is known of its size and character. It appears, at any rate, from the apostolic record, that this flourishing city was one of the numerous centers of the Jewish population, that filled so much of Asia Minor; and here, according to their custom, the apostles made their first communication of the gospel, in the Jewish synagogue. Entering this place of worship, they spoke with such effect, that a great number both of Greeks and Jews were thoroughly convinced of the truth of the Christian doctrine, and professed their faith in Jesus. But, as usual, there was in Iconium a great residue of bigoted adherents to the Mosaic faith, who could appreciate neither the true scope of the ancient dispensation, nor the perfection of gospel truth; and a set of these fellows undertook to make trouble for the apostles, in the same way that it had been done at the Pisidian Antioch. Not having power or influence enough among themselves to effect any great mischief, they were obliged to resort to the expedient of exciting the ill-will of the Gentile inhabitants and rulers of the city, against the objects of their mischievous designs,――and in this instance were successful, inasmuch as “they made their minds disaffected against the brethren.” But in spite of all this opposition, thus powerfully manifested, “long time they abode there, speaking boldly in the Lord,” who did not fail to give them the ever-promised support of his presence, but “gave testimony to the word of his grace, and caused signs and miracles to be done by their hands.” The immediate effect of this bold maintenance of the truth was, that they soon made a strong impression on the feelings of the mass of the people, and created among them a disposition to defend the preachers of the word of heavenly grace, against the malice of their haters. The consequence of course was, that the whole city was directly divided into two great parties, one for and the other against the apostles. On one hand the supporters of the Jewish faction were bent upon driving out the innovators from the city, and on the other, the numerous audiences, who had been interested in the preaching of Paul and Barnabas, were perfectly determined to stand by the apostles at all hazards, and the whole city seems to have been on the eve of a regular battle about this difference. But it did not suit the apostles’ scheme to make use of such means for their own advancement or defence; and hearing that a grand crisis in affairs was approaching, in the opposition of the Jewish faction, they took the resolution of evading the difficulty, by withdrawing themselves quietly from the scene of commotion, in which there was but very little prospect of being useful, just then. The whole gang of their opponents, both Gentiles and Jews, rulers and commonalty, having turned out for the express purpose of executing popular vengeance on these odious agitators, by abusing and pelting them, the apostles, on getting notice of the scheme, moved off, before the mob could lay hands on them, and soon got beyond their reach, in other cities.

These fugitives from popular vengeance, after having so narrowly escaped being sacrificed to public opinion, turned their course southward, and stopped next on their adventurous route at the city of Lystra, also within Lycaonia, where they preached the gospel, and not only in the city and its immediate vicinity, but also throughout the whole surrounding region, and in the neighboring towns. In the progress of their labors in Lystra, they one day were preaching in the presence of a man who had been lame from his birth, being in exactly the same predicament with the cripple who was the subject of the first miracle of Peter and John, in the temple. This unfortunate auditor of Paul and Barnabas believed the word of truth which they preached; and as he sat among the rest, being noticed by the former apostle, was recognized as a true believer. Looking earnestly on him, Paul, without questioning him at all as to his faith, said to him at once, in a loud voice, “Rise, and stand on thy feet.” Instantly the man sprang up, and walked. When the people saw this amazing and palpable miracle, they cried out, in their Lycaonian dialect, “The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.” Struck with this notion, they immediately sought to designate the individual deities who had thus honored the city of Lystra with their presence; and at once recognized in the stately form, and solemn, silent majesty of Barnabas, the awful front of JUPITER, the Father of all the gods; and as for the lively, mercurial person attending upon him, and acting, on all occasions, as the spokesman, with such vivid, burning eloquence,――who could he be but the attendant and agent of Jupiter, HERMES, the god of eloquence and of travelers? Full of this conceit, and anxious to testify their devout sense of this condescension, the citizens bustled about, and with no small parade brought out a solemn sacrificial procession, with oxen and garlands, headed by the priests of Jupiter, and were proceeding to offer a sacrifice in solemn form to the divine personages who had thus veiled their dignity in human shape, when the apostles, horror-struck at this degrading exhibition of the idolatrous spirit against which they were warring, and without a single sensation of pride or gratitude for this great compliment done them, ran in among the people, rending their clothes in the significant and fantastic gesture of true Orientals, and cried out with great earnestness, “Sirs! what do you mean? We also are men of like constitutions with yourselves, and we preach to you with the express intent that you should turn from these follies to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them.――He, indeed, in times past, left all nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he left himself not wholly without witness of his being and goodness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” With these words of splendid eloquence and magnificent conception bursting from their lips in the inspiration of the moment,――the apostles, with no small ado, stopped the idolatrous folly of the Lystrans, who probably felt and looked very silly, when the mistake into which they had been drawn by a mere mob-cry, was shown to them. Indignant, not so much at themselves, who alone were truly blamable for the error, as against the persons who were the nobly innocent occasions of it,――they were in a state of feeling to overbalance this piece of extravagance by another,――much more wicked, because it was not mere nonsense, but downright cruelty. When, therefore, certain spiteful Jews came to Lystra from Antioch and Iconium, from which places they had been hunting, like hounds, on the track of the apostles, and told their abusive lies to the people about the character of these two strange travelers, the foolish Lystrans were easily persuaded to crown their absurdity by falling upon Paul, who seemed to be the person most active in the business. Having seized him, before he could slip out of their hands, as he usually did from his persecutors, they pelted him with such effect that he fell down as if dead; and they, with no small alacrity, dragged him out of the city as a mere carcase. But the mob had hardly dispersed, when he rose up, to the great wonder of the brethren who stood mourning about him, and went back with them into the city. The whole of this interesting series of events is a firm testimony to the honesty of the apostolic narrative, exhibiting, as it does, so fairly, the most natural, and at the same time, the most contemptible tendencies of the human character. Never was there given such a beautiful illustration of the value and moral force of public opinion! unless, perhaps, in the very similar case of Jesus, in Jerusalem:――“Hosanna,” to-day, and “Crucify him,” to-morrow. One moment, exalting the apostles to the name and honors of the highest of all the gods; the next, pelting them through the streets, and kicking them out of the city as a nuisance. The Bible is everywhere found to be just so bitterly true to human nature, and the whole world cannot furnish a story in which the character and moral value of popular movements are better exhibited than in the adventures of the apostles, as recorded by Luke.

Acts xiv. 12. “It has been inquired why the Lystrans suspected
that Paul and Barnabas were Mercury and Jupiter? To this it may
be answered, 1st. that the ancients supposed the gods especially
visited those cities which were sacred to them. Now from
verse 13, it appears that _Jupiter_ was worshiped among these
people; and that Mercury too was, there is no reason to doubt,
considering how general his worship would be in so commercial a
tract of Maritime Asia. (Gughling de Paulo Mercurio, p. 9, and
Walch Spic. Antiquities, Lystra, p. 9.) How then was it that the
priest of Mercury did not also appear? This would induce one
rather to suppose that there was no temple to Mercury at Lystra.
Probably the worship of that god was confined to the _sea-coast_;
whereas Lystra was in the interior and mountainous country. 2. It
appears from mythological history, that Jupiter was thought to
generally descend on earth accompanied by _Mercury_. See Plautus,
Amphitryon, 1, 1, 1. Ovid, Metamorphoses, 8, 626, and Fasti,
5, 495. 3. It was a very common story, and no doubt, familiar
to the Lystrans, that Jupiter and Mercury formerly traversed
Phrygia together, and were received by Philemon and Baucis.
(See Ovid, Metamorphoses, 8, 611, Gelpke in Symbol. ad Interp.
Acts xiv. 12.) Mr. Harrington has yet more appositely observed,
(in his _Works_, p. 330,) that this persuasion might gain
the more easily on the minds of the Lycaonians, on account of
the well-known fable of Jupiter and Mercury, who were said to
have descended from heaven in human shape, and to have been
entertained by Lycaon, from whom the Lycaonians received their
name.

“But it has been further inquired why they took Barnabas for
Jupiter, and Paul for Mercury. Chrysostom observes, (and after
him Mr. Fleming, Christology Vol. II. p. 226,) that the heathens
represented Jupiter as an old but vigorous man, of a noble and
majestic aspect, and a large robust make, which therefore he
supposes might be the form of Barnabas; whereas Mercury appeared
young, little, and nimble, as Paul might probably do, since
he was yet in his youth. A more probable reason, however, and
indeed the true one, (as given by Luke,) is, that Paul was so
named, _because he was the leading speaker_. Now it was well
known that Mercury was the god of eloquence. So Horace, Carmen
Saeculare, 1, 10, 1. Mercuri facunde nepos Atlantis Qui feros
cultus hominum recentum Voce formasti cantus. Ovid, Fasti,
5, 688. Macrobius, Saturnalia, 8, 8. Hence he is called by
Jamblichus, de Mysteriis, θεὸς ὁ των λόγων ἡγεμὼν, a passage
exactly the counterpart to the present one, which we may render,
‘for he had led the discourse.’” (Bloomfield’s Annotations, New
Testament, Vol. IV. c. xiv. § 12.)

“They called Paul Mercury, because he was the chief speaker,”
verse 12. Mercury was the god of eloquence. Justin Martyr says
Paul is λόγος ἑρμηνευτικὸς καὶ πάντων διδάσκαλος, _the word;
that is, the interpreter and teacher of all men_. Apology ii. p.
67. Philo informs us that Mercury is called Hermes, ὡς Ἑρμηνέα
καὶ προφήτην τῶν θειων, _as being the interpreter and prophet of
divine things_, apud Eusebius, Praeparatio evangelica, Lib. iii.
c. 2. He is called by Porphyry παραστατικὸς, _the exhibitor or
representor of reason and eloquence_. Seneca says he was called
Mercury, _quia ratio penes illum est_. De Beneficiis, Lib. iv.
cap. 7.――Calmet, Whitby, Stackhouse.

All this pelting and outcry, however, made not the slightest impression on Paul and Barnabas, nor had the effect of deterring them from the work, which they had so unpropitiously carried on. Knowing, as they did, how popular violence always exhausts itself in its frenzy, they without hesitation immediately returned by the same route over which they had been just driven by such a succession of popular outrages. The day after Paul had been stoned and stunned by the people of Lystra, he left that city with Barnabas, and both directed their course eastward to Derbe, where they preached the gospel and taught many. Then turning directly back, they came again to Lystra, then to Iconium, and then to Antioch, in all of which cities they had just been so shamefully treated. In each of these places, they sought to strengthen the faith of the disciples, earnestly exhorting them to continue in the Christian course, and warning them that they must expect to attain the blessings of the heavenly kingdom, only through much trial and suffering. On this return journey they now formally constituted regular worshiping assemblies of Christians in all the places from which they had before been so tumultuously driven as to be prevented from perfecting their good work,――ordaining elders in every church thus constituted, and solemnly, with fasting and prayer, commending them to the Lord on whom they believed. Still keeping the same route on which they had come, they now turned southward into Pamphylia, and came again to Perga. From this place, they went down to Attalia, a great city south of Perga, on the coast of Pamphylia, founded by Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamus. At this port, they embarked for the coast of Syria, and soon arrived at Antioch, from which they had been commended to the favor of God, on this adventurous journey. On their arrival, the whole church was gathered to hear the story of their doings and sufferings, and to this eager assembly, the apostles then recounted all that happened to them in the providence of God, their labors, their trials, dangers, and hair-breadth escapes, and the crowning successes in which all these providences had resulted; and more especially did they set forth in what a signal manner, during this journey, the door of Christ’s kingdom had been opened to the Gentiles, after the rejection of the truth by the unbelieving Jews; and thus happily ended PAUL’S FIRST GREAT APOSTOLIC MISSION.

Bishop Pearson here allots three years for these journeys of the
apostles, viz. 45, 46, and 47, and something more. But Calmet,
Tillemont, Dr. Lardner, Bishop Tomline, and Dr. Hales, allow two
years for this purpose, viz. 45 and 46; which period corresponds
with our Bible chronology. (Williams on Pearson.)

THE DISPUTES ON THE CIRCUMCISION.

The great apostle of the Gentiles now made Antioch his home, and resided there for many years, during which the church grew prosperously. But at last some persons came down from Jerusalem, to observe the progress which the new Gentile converts were making in the faith; and found, to their great horror, that all were going on their Christian course, in utter disregard of the ancient ordinances of the holy Mosaic covenant, neglecting altogether even that grand seal of salvation, which had been enjoined on Abraham and all the faithful who should share in the blessings of the promise made to him; they therefore took these backsliders and loose converts, to task, for their irregularities in this matter, and said to them, “Unless you be circumcised ♦according to the Mosaic usage, you can not be saved.” This denunciation of eternal ruin on the Gentile non-conformists, of course made a great commotion among the Antiochians, who had been so hopefully progressing in the pure, spiritual faith of Christ,――and were not prepared by any of the instructions which they had received from their apostolic teachers, for any such stiff subjection to tedious rituals. Nor were Paul and Barnabas slow in resisting this vile imposition upon those who were just rejoicing in the glorious light and freedom of the gospel; and they at once therefore, resolutely opposed the attempts of the bigoted Judaizers to bring them under the servitude of the yoke which not even the Jews themselves were able to bear. After much wrangling on this knotty point, it was determined to make a united reference of the whole question to the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, and that Paul and Barnabas should be the messengers of the Antiochian church, in this consultation. They accordingly set out, escorted beyond the city by the church; and passing first directly southward, along the Phoenician coast, they next turned inland through Samaria, everywhere visiting the churches on the route, and making known to them the joyful story of the conversions among the Gentiles of Asia Minor, which was news to the Christians of Palestine, and caused great congratulations among them, at these unexpected triumphs of their common faith. Arriving at Jerusalem, they there, for the first time, gave to the twelve apostles, a detailed account of their long Asian mission; and then brought forward the grand question under debate. As soon as this point was presented, all the obstinate Jewish prejudices of that portion of the church who were of the order of the Pharisees, were instantly aroused,――and with great earnestness they insisted “that it was necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” This first meeting however, adjourned without coming to any conclusion; and the apostles and elders were called together again to consider upon the matter. As soon as they were assembled they all fell to disputing with great violence, and, of course, with no decisive or profitable result; but at last the great apostolic chief rising up, ended the debate with a very clear statement of the results of his own personal experience of the divine guidance in this matter, and with brief but decisive eloquence hushed their clamors, that they might give Barnabas and Paul a chance to declare in what manner God had sanctioned their similar course. The two apostles of the Gentiles then narrated what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the heathen by them. Such was the decisive effect of their exposition of these matters of fact, that all debate was checked at once; and James himself, the great leader of the Judaical order, rose to express his perfect acquiescence in the decision of the apostolic chief and the Hellenists. His opinion was, that only so much conformity to the Mosaic institutions should be required of the Gentile converts, as they might without inconvenience submit to, out of respect to the old covenant, and such observances as were necessary for the moral purity of a professing Christian of any nation. The whole assembly concurred; and it was resolved to dispatch two select persons out of their own company, to accompany Paul and Barnabas to Antioch, and thus by their special commission, enforce the decision of the apostolic and presbyterial council. The decision of the council was therefore committed to writing, in a letter which bore high testimony to the zeal and courage of Barnabas and Paul, as “men who had hazarded their lives for the sake of the gospel,”――and it was announced as the inspired decision of the apostles, elders and brethren, that the Gentile converts should not be troubled with any greater burden than these necessary things:――“That you abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication;” and if they should only keep themselves from these, they would do well. Jude and Silas were the envoys commissioned with the charge of this epistle, and accordingly accompanied Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch.

♦ “acccording” replaced with “according”

“Those who maintained this position were Jews, of the sect of
the Pharisees, Acts, xv. 5, converted to Christianity, but still
too zealous for the observance of the law; and their coming
immediately from Judea might make it rather believed, that the
necessity of circumcision, in order to salvation, was a tenet
of the apostles. The Jews themselves indeed were of different
opinions in this matter, even as to the admission of a man into
_their_ religion. For some of them would allow those of other
nations who owned the true God, and practised moral duties,
to live quietly among them, and even without circumcision, to
be admitted into their religion; whilst others were decidedly
opposed to any such thing. Thus Josephus tells us that when
Izates, the son of Helen, queen of Adiabene, embraced the Jews’
religion, Ananias, who converted him, declared that he might
do it without circumcision; but Eleazer, another eminent Jew,
maintained, that it was a great impiety in such circumstances,
to remain uncircumcised; and this difference of opinion
continued among the Jewish Christian converts, some allowing
Gentiles to become converts to Christianity, without submitting
to circumcision and the Jewish law: whilst others contended
that without circumcision, and the observance of the law,
their profession of the Christian faith would not save them.”
(_Stackhouse_ from Whitby and Beausobre.)

“It is very evident, that this is the same journey to which
the apostle alludes in Galatians ii. First, from the agreement
of the history here and the apostle’s relation in the epistle,
as that ‘he communicated to them the gospel, which he preached
among the Gentiles,’ Galatians ii. 2. which he now did, Acts
xv. 4. That circumcision was not then judged necessary to the
Gentiles, verse 3, as we find, Acts xv. 24, ‘that, when they saw
the gospel of uncircumcision was committed to him, they gave to
him and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship,’ Galatians ii. 9,
as they did here, sending their very decree with one consent to
the Gentiles, ‘_by the hands of Paul and Barnabas_,’ Acts xv. 22,
25, who were received by the ‘_whole church_,’ verse 4. and
styled _beloved_,’ verse 25.

“Secondly, it appears unlikely that the apostle, writing this
epistle about nine years after this council, should make no
mention of a thing so advantageous to a cause he is pleading
here, and so proper to confute the pretenses of the adversaries
he disputes against. And,