ject cf. xiv. 15-18, xvii. 22-31; Rom. i. 19, 20, ii. 15, 16.

36. The word which God sent, etc. The statements in this and the following verses are difficult to follow, because the sentences are involved and broken. The main clause, viz., "ye know," only comes in ver. 37. The passage may be paraphrased thus: "Ye know the message which God sent unto the children of Israel, proclaiming peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)—the message, I mean, which was published throughout all Judæa, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism of John-the message how that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth," etc.

he is Lord of all. The title "Lord" was one of the first to be bestowed on Jesus; in fact, the earliest Christian creed consisted of the three words, "Jesus is Lord."

appears

37. ye know. According to the best Greek Text, this phrase is far more emphatic than in the A.V. It should be rendered " 'ye yourselves know." Peter is speaking to men who were already acquainted with the facts of Christianity.

all Judæa. "Judæa" is here used in a wide sense, and denotes the whole of Palestine.

38. how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. Peter here repeats the explanation of Christ which he gave in the earlier speeches, and which is now known as the Adoptionist Theory. See n. on ii. 36. anointed made him Messiah; i.e., "the Anointed One."

41. who did eat and drink with him. Compare Luke xxiv. 30, 42; John xxi. 13.

42. he commanded us to preach. See n.

on i. 8. Compare also Luke xxiv. 47-49; Matt. xxviii. 19.

to be the Judge of the quick and dead. There is no specific instruction in the Gospels ordering the disciples to preach Christ as the Judge of men, but according to the Fourth Gospel Jesus made explicit claims to this prerogative; cf. John v. 22, 27.

etc.

43. To him bear all the prophets witness, Another appeal-this time in general termsto the witness of prophecy: cf. Luke xxiv. 44-46; Acts iii. 24.

every one that believeth on him. Peter's address ends in the same broad spirit in which it commenced-by an enunciation of the universality of the gospel.

44. the Holy Ghost fell on all. Every forward step in the Acts is characterised by a fresh Pentecost (compare viii. 17). The work amongst the Gentiles, like the work in Jerusalem and the mission to Samaria, is inaugurated by a Baptism of the Spirit.

45. they of the circumcision. The six Jewish Christians who had accompanied Peter from Joppa; cf. xi. 12.

46. heard them speak with tongues. It is quite clear that this phrase does not mean speaking in foreign languages. See notes on ii. 1-4; cf. xix. 6.

In

47. Can any man forbid water? It is significant that in the present instance the Baptism of the Spirit preceded the Baptism of water. Samaria the process was just the reverse (viii. 15-18).

48. commanded them to be baptized.

Peter left the actual administration of the rite to

others in the present case.

of Paul (1 Cor. i. 17).

Cf. also the custom

THE CONVERSION OF THE FIRST
GENTILE (continued).

IV. THE PROTEST AT JERUSALEM, AND PETER'S
REPLY (xi. 1–18).

And the apostles and brethren that were in Judæa heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that 3 were of the circumcision contended with him, saying,

Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with 4 them. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, 5 and expounded it by order unto them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even 6 to me: upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the 7 air. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; 8 slay and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my 9 mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven,

What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 10 And this was done three times and all were drawn up II again into heaven. And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent 12 from Cæsarea unto me. And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house :

ΙΟ

13 and he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house,

which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and 14 call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell

thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, 16 as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what 18 was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

The admission of Cornelius into the Church evoked a protest at Jerusalem. The particular point of criticism seems to have been Peter's conduct in visiting Cornelius and partaking of a meal with him (see ver. 3), though it is quite clear from ver. 18 that the larger question entered into the controversy as well. Peter defends himself by recounting the story of the Divine manifestations to himself and Cornelius, and his arguments meet with general approval.

2. they that were of the circumcision. I.e., the Jewish Christians. Many of the Jewish converts at Jerusalem carried the narrowness and exclusiveness of Judaism over into Christianity. They were most anxious that the "new wine should not burst the "old bottles." Hence their criticism of Peter.

3. Ye went in to men uncircumcised. See n. on x. 28.

4. Peter . . . from the beginning. The last three words are not found in the original. R.V.,

"Peter began and expounded the matter unto them.

6. and wild beasts. This phrase does not occur in the account of the vision given in x. 12 (R.V.). It is added for the sake of emphasis.

11. And, behold, immediately, etc. This verse should be translated, as in the R.V., "And behold, forthwith three men stood before the house in which we were.'

12. nothing doubting. The word used in the true Greek Text means 66 making no distinction" (so R.V.).

six brethren. In x. 23 the number is not given. We simply read "certain of the brethren." 13. had seen an angel (R.V., “the angel "). See x. 3.

66

15. the Holy Ghost fell on them. See n. on X. 44. The significant words, as on us at the beginning," prove that Pentecost was not an isolated event in the history of the Church.

16. John indeed baptized, etc. See n. on i. 5. 17. who believed. These words belong to "them as well as to "us." Faith both in the case of the first believers at Jerusalem and the Gentile friends of Cornelius is the condition precedent for the bestowal of the Spirit.

18. they held their peace. In the light of later history we know that the peace was only temporary. The question was not permanently settled. We learn from Acts xv. and Paul's Epistle to the Galatians that a long struggle had still to be waged before the universality of the gospel became generally accepted by the Jewish element in the Church.