III.

TO SAUL IN THE TEMPLE: THE MISSION TO THE GENTILES ANNOUNCED.

(Acts xxii. 17-21.)

To avoid prolixity we shall refrain from any introductory discussion of the scene and the hearers of this speech of St Paul; but we entreat our readers to strive to reproduce the whole vividly in their imagination. He stands upon the steps of the Castle Antonia, in the presence of the Jewish people, inflamed against him on account of his supposed desecration of the temple; and testifies now, for the first time, in great publicity, and at Jerusalem, concerning Christ. They were reduced to silence by a movement of his hand. From ver. 1 to 16 he has narrated the manifestation at Damascus, and Ananias' declaration at his baptism; he now goes on to give, in all simplicity, as it occurred, the narrative of a further appearance of the Lord, which belongs properly to this place.

And it came to pass, that, as I made my persecuting journey to Damascus—that was his sublime and simple word in ver. 6. With the same word he here makes a new beginning, having something most important to announce: And it came to pass, that, when I came again to Jerusalem. Consequently, this was the first return after his conversion, as it is recorded in ch. ix. 26-30. Further, this return took place, as we find in Gal. i. 17, 18, not till after a three years' abode in Arabia, the solitude of which, probably having for its object the calm preparation of the Apostle for his work, is concealed as a mystery.1 Thus much is certain from Scripture; St Luke, ch. ix., passes over these three years, as he often passes over long intervals, without a word. Whether this is to be interpolated after ver. 25 in his history, or before that, between ver. 22 and 23, as we think,2 is of

1 We cannot (with Wieseler) consent to say, without qualification—“ He preached three years in Arabia !”

2 For this may the nμépa: ixavaí be understood: the complete time (that is, a considerable period past). The narrative is thus distributed, from ver.

comparatively little moment. Wieseler declares it to be indubitable that the "trance" mentioned by St Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 2-4, is the same which is recorded in Acts xxii. 17; but this we cannot by any means allow. The chronological reckoning is not decisive in his favour; for the vision and revelation of the Lord, 2 Cor. xii. 1, were certainly not so unfrequent as to oblige us to investigate the time of each. If the Apostle here singles out one of them only, which occurred to him fourteen years before, the reason lay in the high and heavenly matter of that revelation, as in ver. 7 he speaks of its abundance, its superabundance. The unspeakable words heard in the third heaven and paradise scarcely harmonize with the simple matter and calm procedure of the conversation with the Lord in the temple, which he relates to the Jews. We cannot understand how both could have concurred in one revelation; and should regard the trance of the Epistle to the Corinthians as rather suitable to the sojourn in Arabia (with which the chronology may be easily conformed). Nor, after all, should we assume that the manifestation recorded in Acts xxii. was actually the second communication of the Lord to the Apostle after His appearance at Damascus: the contrary is far more probable. Suffice, that to know the time and order is no more necessary here than it is in relation to the Lord's words generally, and to the appearances of the risen Lord in particular.

Trance is certainly more indirect than bodily appearance. Near Damascus Saul was not entranced; although for such seeing and hearing as that, it was necessary that a susceptibility of hearing and seeing, different from his ordinary condition, should be excited. The stages and distinctions, however real they may be, nevertheless shade off into each other. Thus, the trance may, under some circumstances, as we have just seen in the Corinthians, go far beyond other visions; while, on the other hand, it may be only the medium (as with St Peter, Acts xi. 5) for the witnessing of a vision. So was it with St Paul, who while praying was entranced, literally, fell into a trance; comp. Acts x. 9, the praying of St Peter. But that he was in the body, and not out of the body, he here knows full well; for

23: at the beginning the Jews would kill him in Damascus; at the end, even the Greeks (Hellenists), in Jerusalem; in the interim, ver. 26, the disciples would not acknowledge him.

he was bodily present in the temple :-probably at the customary hour of prayer, like Peter and John, ch. iii. 1. For, as long as the desolate temple, left over to destruction, stood yet under the patience of the Lord, so long was it honoured even by the Jewish Christians. St Paul prays in the temple, not indeed with the prejudiced mind of those thousands of believers spoken of in ch. xxi. 20 as so zealous for the law, but yet with the true love of devotion to his people and their sanctuary: he prays, who had only in Damascus learned to pray aright! · He had certainly long ago come to understand St Stephen's doctrine, how much or how little the holy place was to be regarded-yet he can here, to the satisfaction of the people, relate with sincerity that he had prayed in the temple.

"That I was in a trance, and saw Him!" Thus, still more, the Lord Himself counts the temple worthy to be the scene of a revelation to His servant-though, indeed, only to command him, Get thee out! "I saw Him"-thus does the Apostle express himself, only in ver. 8 throughout the narrative mentioning “Jesus of Nazareth" as the name spoken by the Lord Himself : in all the rest it is the Lord, the Just One, the great He, whose unacknowledged dignity and unrendered honour are here concerned. "And saw Him saying unto me"-in which arrangement of the words is expressed the near and continuous seeing; not as at Damascus, where there was a sudden momentary beholding, before the hearing of the voice.

MAKE HASTE, AND GET THEE QUICKLY OUT OF JERUSALEM:

FOR THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE THY TESTIMONY CONCERNING ME! This word, now reported, would vex and offend the unbelieving multitude; but scarcely less strange, though for a different reason, did it sound to the Apostle and witness himself, when he heard it first. He had returned to Jerusalem with the firm persuasion that of course the Jews in Jerusalem would be among the men to whom he should be a witness for the Lord: he burns with desire to bear his mighty witness in this place. The Lord takes it for granted that he felt it to be the strong impulse of his soul-provided there was no countercommand-at once to preach in Jerusalem, as he had done in Damascus, Jesus as the Son of God; He assumes no other remaining in Jerusalem than that which had a testimony concerning Himself for its object. Wherever this man may be, and

before whomsoever he may stand, there he does bear his Master's name, as Jesus had said at the first. But He now utters a counter-command! He enjoins upon him to cease, and restrain the preaching which had been already boldly commenced, Acts ix. 21, 27-29. He even commands him—and most expressly with twofold injunction—to go quickly, not only from the temple, but from the city itself! Wherefore, then, so quickly? Is there danger in delay? There was danger, and this is the unexpressed undertone of this remarkable utterance: the Lord will save him from the people, as it runs afterwards, ch. xxvi. 17. The foreign, Greek-speaking Jews, had already laid plots for the life of the bold preacher of the name of Jesus (ch. ix. 29)—what, then, might be expected from the rigorously orthodox, fanatical Hebrews? The open insurrection which had been excited (now as afterwards in the council, ch. xxiii. 10) had, on this his almost disobedient return, showed that. But all this the Lord does not say to St Paul; because he held not his life dear if he could only finish his course with joy, and testify the Gospel of the grace of God (ch. xx. 24). The reason of this interdict upon his earnest zeal, which the Lord's majesty condescends to assign, is most decidedly this only: because they would not receive the testimony, that is, would not believe it, therefore the life of His valued servant, destined to the benefit of many, should not be uselessly sacrificed. Thus the Lord speaks, who knows all things beforehand, the faith or the unbelief of all men; by this He further assures us that He reserves or takes away the testimony from no man who will yet receive it, but rather sends back again for their conviction, if it may be, the testimony to those who have not believed it-as now by Paul coming once more to Jerusalem. "Not receive.

spoken gently and mildly, instead of "cast it from them and blaspheme" (ch. xiii. 45, 46). For, if it may be permitted thus to speak of Him who sitteth at the right hand of God, He here utters with sorrowful tenderness, and not in threatening wrath, the sad confirmation of what He had prophesied upon earth in the anger of His love, Matt. xxiii. 32, etc., concerning the unbelief of this people and generation. He anticipates the foreseen objection in the heart of Paul: Even thy testimony (emphatically first in the original) will not suffice, though it be irresistible for conviction; because that testimony is concerning

Me-yea, concerning Me, upon whom the decree once was, Away with Him! We will not have this man to rule over us!

In spite of this plain and express word, the Apostle cannot refrain from uttering his objection-"But my testimony, O Lord, will not that be received by them?" He speaks confidently, like Ananias, with his Master; and indeed with still more confidence than Ananias, in harmony with the position which he had now by grace assumed. He has also, in a certain sense, more reason and propriety in his counter-appeal; for certainly he might think and hope that, humanly speaking, his most strong and self-evidencing testimony-less in persuasive words, than in the express fact of his so wonderfully changed personal character- must exert some influence, and win some good results. And this is reinforced by the impulse of his burning love to blinded Israel, his brethren according to the flesh who were rushing to destruction, the people of God's election :—this is most affectingly attested by the narrative throughout, which seems to avow, against all accusation-"Not through enmity against my people, or apostasy from them, have I become what I now am in opposition to my former self!" St Paul would have desired nothing better than to remain, or to become, a missionary to the Jews. He cannot altogether reconcile himself to the Lord's word—Get thee out! As many new converts who have been quickly and marvellously brought in-however otherwise not to be compared with Paul-think they will carry on a more vigorous and successful war upon the world than others, so Paul, whose soul might well be filled with the conviction-"If I go forth preaching Jesus, it will be with more demonstrative power than all the words and acts of Peter or John, and all the other Apostles! All know what I was, what I did should they not believe when I, the same man, preach concerning Thee, and declare Thy power in my conversion?" He refers to his own approbation when the blood of Stephen was shed, and even to his actual participation in that act,1 in order to declare that he was ready for the same destiny even as in the second journey, the present one, he had remained firm, notwithstanding all prophecy of bonds and im

1 The keeping of the garments—not to preserve them from theft!-was something official on the part of the young man; who, however, according to ch. xxvi. 10, had given his voice against Stephen in the council.