transcendently important, that for it, they were willing to endure all the afflictions and disgrace which it might involve. (3.) They had been told to expect this; it was a part of their enterprise. They had been warned of these things, and they now rejoiced that they had this evidence that they were engaged in the cause of truth. (Matt. v. 11, 12; x. 17, 22. 2 Cor. xii. 10. Phil. i. 29. James i. 2.) (4.) Religion appears to a Christian so excellent and lovely, that he is willing, for its sake, to endure trial, and persecution and death. With all this, it is infinite gain; and we should be willing to endure these trials, if, by them, we may gain a crown of glory. Comp. Mark x. 30. (5.) Christians are the professed friends of Christ. We show attachment for friends, by being willing to suffer for them; to bear contempt and reproach on their account; and to share their persecutions, sorrows, and calamities. (6.) The apostles were engaged in a cause of innocence, truth, and benevolence. They had done nothing of which to be ashamed; and they rejoiced, therefore, in a conscience void of offence; and in the consciousness of integrity and benevolence. When other men disgrace themselves by harsh, or vile, or opprobrious language, or conduct towards us, we should not feel that the disgrace belongs to us. It is theirs; and we should not be ashamed or distressed, though their rage should fall on us. See 1 Peter iv. 14, 16.

Counted worthy.-Esteemed to be deserving. That is, esteemed fit for it by the sanhedrim. It does not mean that God esteemed them worthy, but that the Jewish council judged them fit to suffer shame in this cause. They evinced so much zeal, and determination of purpose, that they were judged fit objects to be treated as the Lord Jesus had himself been. To suffer shame.-To be dishonoured or disgraced in the estimation of the Jewish rulers. The particular disgrace to which reference is made here, was whipping. To various other kinds of shame they were also exposed. They were persecuted, reviled, and finally put to death. Here we may remark, that a profession of the Christian religion has been in all ages esteemed by many to be a disgrace. The reasons are, (1.) That Jesus is himself despised; (2.) That his precepts are opposed to the gaiety and follies of the world; (3.) That it attacks that on which the men of the world pride themselves, rank, wealth, fashion; (4.) That it requires a spirit which the world esteems mean and grovelling-meekness, humility, self-denial, patience, forgiveness of injuries; and (5.) That it requires duties-prayer, praise, seriousness, benevolencewhich the men of the world despise. All these things the world esteem degrading and mean; and hence they endeavour to subject those who practise them to disgrace. The kinds of disgrace to which Christians have been subjected are too numerous to be mentioned here. In former times they were subjected to the loss of property, of reputation, and to all the shame of public punishment, and to the terrors of the dungeon, the stake, or the rack. One main design of persecution was, to select a kind of punishment so disgraceful as to deter others from professing religion. Disgrace even yet may attend it. It may subject one to the ridicule of friends-of even a

father, mother, or brother. Christians hear their opinions abused; their names vilified; their Bible travestied; the name of their God profaned, and of their Redeemer blasphemed. Their feelings are often wantonly and rudely torn by the cutting sarcasm, or the bitter sneer. Books and songs revile them; their peculiarities are made the occasion of indecent merriment on the stage and in novels; and in this way they are still subjected to shame for the name of Jesus. Every one who becomes a Christian should remember that this is a part of his inheritance, and should not esteem it dishonourable to be treated as his master was before him. (John xv. 18, 20. Matt. x. 25.) For his name.-For attachment to him. VER. 42. And daily "in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

In those days, &c.-The first part of this chapter contains an account of the appointment of deacons. It may be asked, perhaps, why the apostles did not appoint these officers at the first organization of the church? To this question we may reply, that it was better to defer the appointment until an occasion should occur when it should appear to be manifestly necessary and proper. When the church was small, its alms could be distributed by the apostles themselves without difficulty. But when it was greatly increased; when its charities would be multiplied; and when the distribution might give rise to contentions, it was necessary that this matter should be intrusted to the hands of laymen, and that the ministry should be freed from all embarrassment, and all suspicions of dishonesty and unfairness in regard to pecuniary matters. It has never been found to be wise that the temporal affairs of the church should be intrusted in any considerable degree to the clergy; and they should be freed from such sources of difficulty and embarrassment. Was multiplied.-By the accession of the three thousand on the day of Pentecost, and of those who were subsequently added. (Chap. iv. 4; v. 14.) A murmuring.-A complaint as if there had been partiality in the distribution. Of the Grecians.-There has been much diversity of opinion in regard to these persons, whether they were Jews that had lived among the Gentiles, and who spoke the Greek language, or whether

The

they were proselytes from the Gentiles. former is probably the correct opinion. The word here used is not that which is usually employed to designate the inhabitants of Greece, but it properly denotes those who imitate the customs and habits of the Greeks, who use the Greek language, &c. In the time when the gospel was first preached, there were two classes of Jews-those who remained in Palestine, who used the Hebrew language, &c., and who were appropriately called Hebrews; and those who were scattered among the Gentiles, who spoke the Greek language, and who used in their synagogues the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint. These were called Hellenists, or as it is in our translation, Grecians. Note, John vii. 35. These were doubtless the persons mentioned here not those who were proselyted from Gentiles, but those who were not natives of Judea, who had come up to Jerusalem to attend the great festivals of the Jews. See chap. ii. 5, 9--II. Dissensions would be very likely to arise between these two classes of persons. The Jews of Palestine would pride themselves much on the fact that they dwelt in the land of the patriarchs, and the land of promise; that they used the language which their fathers spoke, and in which the oracles of God were given; and that they were constantly near the temple, and regularly engaged in its solemnities. On the other hand, the Jews from other parts of the world would be suspicious, jealous, and envious of their brethren, and would be likely to charge them with partiality, or of taking advantage in their intercourse with them. These occasions of strife would not be destroyed by their conversion to Christianity, and one of them is furnished on this occasion. Because their widows, &c.-The property which had been contributed, or thrown into common stock, was understood to be designed for the equal benefit of all the poor, and particularly, it would seem, for the poor widows. The distribution before this, seems to have been made by the apostles themselves— or possibly, as Mosheim conjectures, (Comm. de rebus Christianorum ante Constantinum, p. 139, 118,) the apostles committed the distribution of these funds to the Hebrews, and hence the Grecians are represented as murmuring against them, and not against the apostles. In the daily ministration. In the daily distribution which was made for their wants. Comp. chap. iv. 35. The property was contributed doubtless with an understanding that it should be equally and justly distributed to all classes of Christians that had need. It is clear from the Epistles that widows were objects of special attention in the primitive church, and that the first Christians regarded it as a matter of indispensable obligation to provide for their wants. (1 Tim. v. 3, 9, 10, 16. James i. 27.)

VER. 2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God,

and serve tables.

y Exod. xviii. 17-26.

Then the twelve.-That is, the apostles. Matthias had been added to them after the apostasy of Judas, which had completed the original number. The multitude of the disciples.-It is not necessary to suppose that all the disciples were convened, which amounted to many thousands, but that the business was laid before a large number; or perhaps the multitude here, means those merely who were more particularly interested in the matter, and who had been engaged in the complaint. It is not reason.—The original words, used here, properly denote, it is not pleasing or agreeable; but the meaning evidently is, it is not fit or proper. It would be a departure from the design of their appointment, which was, to preach the gospel, and not to attend to the pecuniary affairs of the church. Leave the word of God.-That we should neglect or abandon the preaching of the gospel, so much as would be necessary, if we attended personally to the distribution of the alms of the church.The gospel is here called the "word of God," because it is his message; it is that which he has spoken; or which he has commanded to be proclaimed to men. Serve tables. This expres

sion properly denotes to take care of, or to provide for the table, or for the daily wants of the family. It is an expression that properly applies to a steward, or a servant. The word "tables is however sometimes used with reference to money, as being the place where money was kept for the purpose of exchange, &c. (Matt. xxi. 12; xxv. 27.) Here the expression means, therefore, to attend to the pecuniary transactions of the church, and to make the proper distribution for the wants of the poor.

VER. 3. Wherefore, brethren, look * ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

z Deut. i. 13. a Chap. xvi. 2. 1 Tim. iii. 7, 8, 10.

Look ye out.-Select, or choose. As this was a matter pertaining to their own pecuniary affairs, it was proper that they should be permitted to choose such men as they could confide in. By this means the apostles would be free from all suspicions. It could not be pretended that they were partial, nor could it ever be charged on them that they wished to embezzle a part of the funds by managing them themselves, or by intrusting them to men of their own selection. It follows from this, also, that the right of selecting deacons resides in the church, and does not pertain to the ministry. And it is evidently proper that men, who are to be intrusted with the alms of the church, should be selected by the church itself. Among you. That is, from among the Grecians and Hebrews, that there may be justice done, and no further cause of complaint. Seven men.-Seven was a sacred number among the Hebrews, but there does not appear to have been any mystery in choosing this number. It was a convenient number, sufficiently numerous to secure the faithful performance of the duty, and not so numerous as to produce confusion and embarrassment. It does not follow, however,

that the others were native-born Jews, though a part of them might have been born out of Palestine, and have been of the denomination of Grecians, or Hellenists. Of Antioch.-This city, often mentioned in the New Testament, (Acts xi. 19, 20, 26; xv. 22, 35. Gal. ii. 11, &c.) was situated in Syria on the river Orontes, and was formerly called Riblath. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but is frequently mentioned in the Apocrypha. It was built by Seleucus Nicanor, B.C. 301, and was named Antioch, in honour of his father Antiochus. It became the seat of empire of the Syrian kings of the Macedonian race, and afterwards of the Roman governors of the eastern provinces. In this place the disciples of Christ were first called Christians. (Acts xi. 26.) Josephus says it was the third city in size of the Roman provinces, being inferior only to Seleucia and Alexandria. It was long, indeed, the most powerful city of the East. The city was almost square, had many gates, was adorned with fine fountains, and possessed great fertility of soil and commercial opulence. It was subject to earthquakes, and was often almost destroyed by them. In A.D. 588, above sixty thousand persons perished in it in this manner. In A.D. 970, an army of one hundred thousand Saracens besieged it, and took it. In 1268, it was taken possession of by the Sultan of Egypt, who demolished it, and placed it under the dominion of the Turk. It is now called Antakia, and till the year 1822 it occupied a remote corner of the ancient enclosure of its walls, its splendid buildings being reduced to hovels, and its population living in Turkish debasement. It contains now about ten thousand inhabitants.-Robinson's Calmet. This city should be distinguished from Antioch in Pisidia, also mentioned in the New Testament. (Acts xiii. 14.)

And when they had prayed.-Invoking in this manner the blessing of God on them to attend them in the discharge of the duties of their office. They laid their hands, &c.-Among the Jews it was customary to lay hands on the head of a person who was set apart to any particular office. (Numb. xxvii. 18.) Comp. Acts viii. 19. This was done, not to impart any power or ability, but to designate that they received their authority, or commission, from those who thus laid their hands on them, as the act of laying hands on the sick by the Saviour was an act signifying that the power of healing came from him. (Matt. ix. 18.) Comp. Mark xvi. 18. In this case the laying on of the hands conveyed of itself no healing power, but was a sign or token that the power came from the Lord Jesus. Ordination has been uniformly performed in this way. See 1 Tim. v. 22. Though the seven deacons had been chosen by the church to this work, yet they derived their immediate commission and authority from the apostles.

h Isa. lv. 11. Chap. xii. 24; xix. 20.

i Psa. cxxxii. 9, 16. John xii. 42.

And the word of God increased. That is, the gospel was more and more successful, or became more mighty and extensive in its influence. An instance of this success is immediately added. And a great company of the priests.-A great multitude. This is recorded justly as a remark. able instance of the power of the gospel. How great this company was is not mentioned. But the number of the priests in Jerusalem was very great; and their conversion was a striking proof of the power of truth. It is probable that they had been opposed to the gospel with quite as much hostility as any other class of the Jews. And it is now mentioned, as worthy of special record, that the gospel was sufficiently mighty to humble even the proud, and haughty, and selfish, and envious priest to the foot of the cross. One design of the gospel, is to evince the power of truth in subduing all classes of men; and hence in the New Testament we have the record of its having actually subdued every class to the obedience of faith. Some MSS. however, here instead of priests read Jews. And this reading is followed in the Syriac version. Were obedient to the faith.-The word "faith" here is evidently put for the Christian religion. Faith is one of the main requirements of the gospel, (Mark xvi. 16,) and by a figure of speech is put for the gospel itself. To become obedient to the faith, therefore, is to obey the requirements of the gospel, particularly that which requires us to believe. Comp. Rom. x. 16. By the accession of the

priests" also no small part of the reproach would be taken away from the gospel, that it made converts only among the lower classes of the people. Comp. John vii. 48.

VER. 8. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

And Stephen.-The remarkable death of this first Christian martyr, which soon occurred, gave occasion to the sacred writer to give a detailed! account of his character, and of the causes which '| led to his death. Hitherto the opposition of the Jews had been confined to threats and imprisonment; but it was now to burst forth with furious rage and madness, that could be satisfied only with blood. This was the first in a series of persecutions against Christians that filled the church with blood, and that closed the lives of thousands, perhaps millions, in the great work of establishing the gospel on the earth. Full of faith.-Full of confidence in God; or trusting entirely to his promises. See Note, Mark xvi. 16. And power. -The power which was evinced in working miracles. Wonders.-This is one of the words commonly used in the New Testament to denote miracles.