47<\/strong>. so hath the Lord commanded us<\/em> ] And the Lord’s command which the Apostle quotes is from Isa 49:6<\/span>, which shews that from the prophetic times the reception of the Gentiles was made manifest in the counsels of God. Whether the words of Isaiah are referred to himself or to Christ it is clear that, along with the Jews, the Gentiles also are to be recipients of the promised blessings.<\/p>\n For so … – <\/B>Paul, as usual, appeals to the Scriptures to justify his course. Here he appeals to the Old Testament rather than to the command of the Saviour, because the Jews recognized the authority of their own Scriptures, while they would have turned in scorn from the command of Jesus of Nazareth.<\/P> I have set thee … – <\/B>I have constituted or appointed thee. This passage is found in Isa 49:6<\/span>. See the notes on Isa 49:1-6<\/span>.<\/P> To be a light – <\/B>See the notes on Joh 1:4<\/span>.<\/P> Of the Gentiles – <\/B>This was in accordance with the uniform doctrines of Isaiah, Isa 42:1<\/span>; Isa 54:3<\/span>; Isa 60:3<\/span>, Isa 60:5<\/span>,Isa 60:16<\/span>; Isa 61:6<\/span>, Isa 61:9<\/span>; Isa 62:2<\/span>; Isa 66:12<\/span>; compare Rom 15:9-12<\/span>.<\/P> For salvation – <\/B>To save sinners.<\/P> Unto the ends of the earth – <\/B>To all lands; in all nations. See the notes on Act 1:8<\/span>.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 47. For so the Lord commanded us<\/B><\/I>] The apostles could quote a pertinent scripture for every thing they did; because the outlines of the whole Gospel dispensation are founded in the law<\/I> and the prophets<\/I>; and they were now building the Church of God according to the pattern shown them in the Mount. In the things of God, no man<\/I> nor minister<\/I> should go farther than he can say, Thus<\/I> it is written<\/I>, and thus it behoves me to do<\/I>; and let him see that his quotations are fairly made, and not a detached passage or member of a sentence produced, because it seems to look like the system he wishes to establish.<\/P> <\/P> I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles<\/B><\/I>] This quotation is from Isa 49:6<\/span>, and was most fully in point. The Jews could not resist the testimony of their own prophet; and the Gentiles rejoiced to find that the offers of salvation were to be made so specifically to them<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> For salvation unto the ends of the earth.<\/B><\/I>] The very name of the Messiah, viz JESUS, announced the design<\/I> and end<\/I> of his mission. He is the Saviour<\/I>, and is to be proclaimed as such to the ends of<\/I> the earth<\/I>; to all mankind; to every nation<\/I>, and people<\/I>, and tongue<\/I>; and, wherever the Gospel is preached, there is a free, full, and sincere offer of salvation to every soul that hears it. And the offer is proof sufficient, in itself, that there is a power to receive its blessings given to those to whom the offer is made; as it would be of no use to offer them a salvation which it was designed they either should<\/I> not or could<\/I> not receive. A son of Satan might be capable of such dissimulation and bad faith; but the holy God cannot.<\/P> <\/p>\n Because that prophecy must be fulfilled which we find, Isa 49:6<\/span>, the apostle infers aright, that they were commanded<\/I> to publish Christ unto the Gentiles; for how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?<\/I> Rom 10:14<\/span>. <\/P> I have set thee to be a light; <\/B>all knowledge is ignorance, and all light is darkness, without Christ. <\/P> <\/p>\n 47. For so hath the Lord commandedus, saying,<\/B> c.These and other predictions must have been longbefore this brought vividly home to Paul’s mind in connection withhis special vocation to the Gentiles. <\/P> I have set thee<\/B>thatis, Messiah from which Paul inferred that he was but following outthis destination of his Lord, in transferring to the Gentiles those”unsearchable riches” which were now by the Jews rejectedand despised.<\/P><\/p>\n For so hath the Lord commanded us<\/strong>,…. For though Christ in his first commission restrained his disciples from going into the Gentiles, and preaching to them, yet when he enlarged their commission after his resurrection, he bid them go into all nations, and preach the Gospel to every creature; and told them, that they should be his witnesses to the uttermost part of the earth; see<\/p>\n Mt 28:19<\/span> unless this should rather be thought to refer to what follows:<\/p>\n saying<\/strong>; or “as it is written”, as the Syriac version supplies; or “because so saith the Scripture”, as the Ethiopic version, namely in<\/p>\n Isa 49:6<\/span>.<\/p>\n I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles<\/strong>; to enlighten the Gentiles that sit in darkness, by the preaching of the Gospel to them, and the Spirit of God attending it: this supposes the Gentiles to have been in darkness; as they were about divine things, before the times of the Gospel: they had no true knowledge of God himself; for though they knew there was a God, they did not know, at least but few of them, that there was but one God; and none of them knew anything of him as in Christ; they had not a revelation of his will, they were without the written law, and were strangers to the true manner of worshipping the divine Being; they knew nothing at all of the Messiah, and of his righteousness and salvation by him; nor of the Spirit of God, and the operations of his grace, nor of the resurrection of the dead, and were very ignorant of a future state: it was therefore an unspeakable mercy to them, that Christ was appointed to be a light to them; not in a way of nature, as he is that light which lightens every man that comes into the world; but in a way of grace, through the ministration of the Gospel, and by the special illuminations of the divine Spirit; whereby they see there is a righteous judge, and that there will be a righteous judgment; and that sin is exceeding sinful, and cannot be atoned for by them, and therefore they are in themselves miserable and undone; and they further see, that pardon and righteousness are only by Christ, and that salvation is alone in him. The words are spoken by God the Father to his Son, and express the eternal decree of God, and the designation of Christ to be the light of his people; the mission of him in time as the light of the world, and the exhibition of him in the Gospel, for the illumination of men by his Spirit and grace. In the Hebrew text it is, “I will give thee”, c. for all this springs from the free grace of God Christ in all respects is the gift of God, as he is the head of the church, and the Saviour of the body, so as he is the light of men; and it is necessary that he should be light, in order to be salvation, as follows; for though men may go to hell in the dark, yet not to heaven; the way of the wicked is darkness, but the path of just is shining light: those whom God rives, he enlightens with the light of life:<\/p>\n that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the earth<\/strong>; impetratively as the author of it, and applicatively by means of the Gospel, which publishes salvation by Christ; and is the power of God unto salvation, to Gentiles as well as Jews, even to all that believe, in what part of the world soever they live: thus what was decreed and resolved on by God the Father, and was declared by him to his Son, is applied to his ministers and ambassadors, who represented him; so that what they did, he may be said to do; and who by them was to go, and did go to the Gentiles, and enlighten them with the light of the Gospel, and became salvation to them; so that this prophecy is produced by the apostles, to vindicate their conduct, as well as to show the agreement between the command of Jesus Christ to his disciples, and the decree of God the Father; as also to illustrate and confirm the particular order, which the Apostle Paul had, to go to the Gentiles, and to which he may have a regard here; see Ac 26:17<\/span>. In the Hebrew text it is, “my salvation”: provided, promised, and sent by God, the Saviour of his people.<\/p>\n For so hath the Lord commanded us <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Perfect middle indicative of <\/SPAN><\/span>, poetic (Pindar) and late verb to enjoin (1:2<\/span>). The command of the Lord Paul finds in Isa 49:6<\/span> quoted by Simeon also (Lu 2:32<\/span>). The conviction of Paul’s mind was now made clear by the fact of the rejection by the Jews. He could now see more clearly the words of the prophet about the Gentiles: The Messiah is declared by God in Isaiah to be “a light to the Gentiles” (<\/SPAN><\/span>, objective genitive), “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” ( <\/SPAN><\/span>, Lu 2:32<\/span>). So Paul is carrying out the will of God in turning to the Gentiles. He will still appeal to the Jews elsewhere as they allow him to do so, but not here.<\/P> That thou shouldest be <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Genitive articular infinitive of purpose with the accusative of general reference. This is all according to God’s fixed purpose (<\/SPAN><\/span>, perfect active indicative of <\/SPAN><\/span>).<\/P> Unto the uttermost part of the earth <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). Unto the last portion (genitive neuter, not feminine) of the earth. It is a long time from Paul to now, not to say from Isaiah to now, and not yet has the gospel been carried to half of the people of earth. God’s people are slow in carrying out God’s plans for salvation. <\/P> <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 1) “For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,<\/strong><\/p>\n (houtos gar entetaltai hemin ho kurios) “For thus has the Lord commanded (mandated) us,” or this is the very thing the Lord commanded us to do, as alluded to and specifically related, Isa 42:6<\/span>; Isa 49:6<\/span>; Luk 2:30-32<\/span>; Jesus was that light and He commissioned the church to be His light-bearer to all nations, Mat 4:12-16<\/span>; Joh 8:12<\/span>; Mat 5:13-16<\/span>; Rev 1:20<\/span>.<\/p>\n 2) “I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles,” <\/strong>(tetheika se eis phos ethon tou) “(Saying), I have set, put, or placed you for the purpose of being a light of (to) the Gentiles or nations;” Christ is that true light, Joh 1:9<\/span>; Joh 8:12<\/span>; Joh 9:5<\/span>. His church is the chosen, commissioned, mandated lighthouse or light bearer of the gospel to all nations, Mat 5:15-16<\/span>; Rev 1:20<\/span>; Joh 15:16<\/span>; Joh 15:27<\/span>; Joh 20:21<\/span>; and Paul was the Apostle to blaze the trail of missions among the Gentiles, Act 9:15<\/span>; Act 26:16-23<\/span>; in regions beyond that of Judea.<\/p>\n 3) “That thou shouldest be for salvation,”<\/strong> (einai se eis esoterian) “That you should be for salvation, for deliverance,” for the purpose of bearing the salvation message; This was the heart of God’s love for all men, manifest in His marching orders to His church, which He had chosen and called, Joh 15:16<\/span>; Joh 15:27<\/span>; Act 1:20-21<\/span>; Joh 20:21<\/span>; Act 1:8<\/span>.<\/p>\n 4) “Unto the ends of the earth.”<\/strong> (heos oschatou tes ges) “Even to the end of the earth, the inhabited land,” in regions beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, to the uttermost part of the earth, Rom 10:17-21<\/span>; Mar 16:15<\/span>; Luk 24:46-48<\/span>.<\/p>\n 47. As he hath commanded. The place is taken out of Isaiah, where, notwithstanding, God doth rather speak unto his Son than unto the apostles. But we must note, that many things which the Scripture attributeth to Christ do appertain unto his ministers. I say many things; not all things: for there be certain titles proper to the person of Christ, wherewith to adorn the ministers were wicked sacrilege. Christ is called our Righteousness, because he was the only purging sacrifice, (834) and hath reconciled the Father to us by his death, and did rise again afterward, that, having overcome death, he might purchase for us eternal life. Therefore the whole substance of our salvation is in Christ’s person; but inasmuch as he worketh by his ministers, by resigning to them his office, he doth also impart with [to] them his titles. Of this sort is the preaching of the gospel. He alone was appointed by the Father to be our teacher; but he hath put in his place pastors and doctors, who speak, as it were, out of his mouth. So that the authority remaineth wholly to him, and he is nevertheless heard in his ministers. Therefore Paul doth fitly apply unto himself the testimony of Isaiah, where he intreateth of the preaching of the gospel. <\/p>\n I have made thee a light. It should seem that he speaketh in that place of such a calling of the Gentiles as doth not carry with it the casting off of the old people. For God doth rather associate strangers unto the Jews, who were before of the household. It is but a small matter, saith he, that thou be my minister in teaching Israel, because I have made thee a light to the Gentiles. God doth seem to begin his Church among the children of Abraham, and, that done, to reach out his hand to the Gentiles, that they may both make one Church by one consent of faith. But Paul doth in such sort cite the prophecy, as if it could not be fulfilled unless the Jews had been cast off. For he signifieth that the light of Christ was lighted to the Gentiles, after that they were cast into the darkness of death. I answer, that this cannot be necessarily proved out of the text, that Paul doth affirm that the Gentiles could not have been illuminated before the light of the Jews had been put out. For this may be the sense, Forasmuch as you have deprived yourselves of eternal life, there is no cause why ye should think that the grace of God is profaned, if, leaving you, we take care and charge of the Gentiles; for the Messiah is not given to you alone, but he is appointed to be the Savior of the whole world; as it is written, “I have made thee,” etc.; although, if you weigh the place of the prophet more thoroughly, you shall find the casting off of the old people included therein. For God pronounceth that he will be glorious and renowned in the ministry of Christ, though Israel be not gathered together. He addeth afterward, by way of exposition, that the power of Christ shall not be restrained unto one people only, because his light shall shed abroad his beams unto the farthest parts of the world unto salvation. It seemeth that Paul noteth this occasion of calling the Gentiles, namely, because, seeing he found no matter to exercise himself in among the Jews, he gave himself wholly to the Gentiles. We must note this by the way, in the words of the prophet, that salvation is put after light, according to that saying of Christ, <\/p>\n “<\/p>\n This is eternal life, to know thee, the true God,” etc. (Joh 17:3<\/span>.) <\/p>\n For if the knowledge of God alone bring to us salvation, it is likewise the only resurrection from destruction of eternal death, for us to be illuminated into the faith of Christ, after that we be delivered from the darkness of ignorance. <\/p>\n (834) “ Victima expiatrix,” expiatory victim <\/p>\n (47) I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles.<\/strong>The context of the quotation has to be remembered as showing that St. Paul identified the Servant of the Lord in Isa. 49:6<\/span> with the person of the Christ. (See Note on Act. 4:27<\/span>.) The citation. is interesting as the first example of the train of thought which led the Apostle to see in the language of the prophets, where others had found only the exaltation of Israel, the divine purpose of love towards the whole heathen world. It is the germ of the argument afterwards more fully developed in Rom. 9:25<\/span>; Rom. 10:12<\/span>.<\/p>\n 47<\/strong>. <\/strong> A light of the Gentiles<\/strong> Paul here quotes Isa 49:6<\/span>. What Isaiah there says in a diluted sense of himself, the apostles here apply in its fulness to Christ. Having complained of his rejection by his own countrymen, the prophet is assured by God that to gain the Jews were a small thing, for he is beautifully told that he should be a light of the Gentiles, a salvation to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n “For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the uttermost part of the earth.’<\/p>\n And they were comforted by this one fact. That this was what the Lord had commanded them in the Scriptures. For He had declared to His Servant ‘I have set you for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the uttermost part of the earth’ (Isa 49:6<\/span>). Thus by their action in bringing light to these darkened hearts they were demonstrating their oneness with the Servant of God Who had come, and were aligning themselves with Him in His task of bringing them salvation, a task which also became theirs, because by being united with Him they too had become God’s Servant.<\/p>\n Act 13:47<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>For so hath the Lord commanded us,<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> The mighty have argued this very properly from the passage which they quote, as well as from their very commission itself. Comp. Mat 28:19<\/span> and Act 1:8<\/span>. But St. Paul had also received a more express command to this purpose. See ch. Act 22:21<\/span> Act 26:17-18<\/span>. <\/p>\n 47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying<\/em> , I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Ver. 47. I have set thee<\/strong> ] This, spoken at first to Christ, is here applied to his messengers and ministers, who are labourers together with Christ, 1Co 3:9<\/span> , and are in Scripture called both lights and saviours, Mat 5:14<\/span> ; Oba 1:21 1Ti 4:16<\/span> . <\/p>\n 47.<\/strong> ] Agreeing with LXX- [71] [72] , [73] reading for . They refer the not to themselves as teachers<\/em> (as Meyer seems to think), but to Christ<\/em> .<\/p>\n [71] The MS. referred to by this symbol is that commonly called the Alexandrine, or CODEX ALEXANDRINUS. It once belonged to Cyrillus Lucaris, patriarch of Alexandria and then of Constantinople, who in the year 1628 presented it to our King Charles I. It is now in the British Museum. It is on parchment in four volumes, of which three contain the Old, and one the New Testament, with the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. This fourth volume is exhibited open in a glass case. It will be seen by the letters in the inner margin of this edition, that the first 24 chapters of Matthew are wanting in it, its first leaf commencing , ch. Mat 25:6<\/span> : as also the leaves containing , Joh 6:50<\/span> , to , Joh 8:52<\/span> . It is generally agreed that it was written at Alexandria; it does not, however, in the Gospels<\/em> , represent that commonly known as the Alexandrine text, but approaches much more nearly to the Constantinopolitan, or generally received text. The New Testament, according to its text, was edited, in uncial types cast to imitate those of the MS., by Woide, London, 1786, the Old Testament by Baber, London, 1819: and its N.T. text has now been edited in common type by Mr. B. H. Cowper, London, 1861. The date of this MS. has been variously assigned, but it is now pretty generally agreed to be the fifth century<\/em> .<\/p>\n [72] The CODEX SINAITICUS. Procured by Tischendorf, in 1859, from the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. The Codex Frederico-Augustanus (now at Leipsic), obtained in 1844 from the same monastery, is a portion of the same copy of the Greek Bible, the 148 leaves of which, containing the entire New Testament, the Ep. of Barnabas, parts of Hermas, and 199 more leaves of the Septuagint, have now been edited by the discoverer. A magnificent edition prepared at the expense of the Emperor of Russia appeared in January, 1863, and a smaller edition containing the N.T. &c., has been published by Dr. Tischendorf. The MS. has four columns on a page, and has been altered by several different correctors, one or more of whom Tischendorf considers to have lived in the sixth century. The work of the original scribe has been examined, not only by Tischendorf, but by Tregelles and other competent judges, and is by them assigned to the fourth<\/em> century<\/em> . The internal character of the text agrees with the external, as the student may judge for himself from the readings given in the digest. The principal correctors as distinguished by Tischendorf are: A, of the same age with the MS. itself, probably the corrector who revised the book, before it left the hands of the scribe, denoted therefore by us -corr 1 ; B (cited as 2 ), who in the first page of Matt. began inserting breathings, accents, &c., but did not carry out his design, and touched only a few later passages; C a (cited as 3a ) has corrected very largely throughout the book. Wherever in our digest a reading is cited as found in 1 , it is to be understood, if no further statement is given, that C a altered it to that which is found in our text; C b (cited as 3b ) lived about the same time as C a , i.e. some centuries later than the original scribe. These are all that we need notice here 6 .<\/p>\n [73] The CODEX VATICANUS, No. 1209 in the Vatican Library at Rome; and proved, by the old catalogues, to have been there from the foundation of the library in the 16th century. It was apparently, from internal evidence, copied in Egypt. It is on vellum, and contains the Old and New Testaments. In the latter, it is deficient from Heb 9:14 to the end of the Epistle; it does not contain the Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon; nor the Apocalypse. An edition of this celebrated codex, undertaken as long ago as 1828 by Cardinal Angelo Mai, has since his death been published at Rome. The defects of this edition are such, that it can hardly be ranked higher in usefulness than a tolerably complete collation, entirely untrustworthy in those places where it differs from former collations in representing the MS. as agreeing with<\/em> the received text. An 8vo edition of the N.T. portion, newly revised by Vercellone, was published at Rome in 1859 (referred to as ‘Verc’): and of course superseded the English reprint of the 1st edition. Even in this 2nd edition there were imperfections which rendered it necessary to have recourse to the MS. itself, and to the partial collations made in former times. These are (1) that of Bartolocci (under the name of Giulio de St. Anastasia), once librarian at the Vatican, made in 1669, and preserved in manuscript in the Imperial Library (MSS. Gr. Suppl. 53) at Paris (referred to as ‘Blc’); (2) that of Birch (‘Bch’), published in various readings to the Acts and Epistles, Copenhagen, 1798, Apocalypse, 1800, Gospels, 1801; (3) that made for the great Bentley (‘Btly’), by the Abbate Mico, published in Ford’s Appendix to Woide’s edition of the Codex Alexandrinus, 1799 (it was made on the margin of a copy of Cephalus’ Greek Testament, Argentorati, 1524, still amongst Bentley’s books in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge); (4) notes of alterations by the original scribe and other correctors. These notes were procured for Bentley by the Abb de Stosch, and were till lately supposed to be lost. They were made by the Abbate Rulotta (‘Rl’), and are preserved amongst Bentley’s papers in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge (B. 17. 20) 1 . The Codex has been occasionally consulted for the verification of certain readings by Tregelles, Tischendorf, and others. A list of readings examined at Rome by the present editor (Feb. 1861), and by the Rev. E. C. Cure, Fellow of Merton College, Oxford (April 1862), will be found at the end of these prolegomena. A description, with an engraving from a photograph of a portion of a page, is given in Burgon’s “Letters from Rome,” London 1861. This most important MS. was probably written in the fourth century<\/em> (Hug, Tischendorf, al.).<\/p>\n Act 13:47<\/span> . : this action of the Apostles in turning to the Gentiles was not arbitrary. , cf.<\/em> Isa 49:6<\/span> (Luk 2:32<\/span> ). In LXX [265] reads instead of ., and inserts after it ; not in Hebrew. really refers to the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah; cf.<\/em> Delitzsch, Das Buch Jesaia<\/em> , p. 486, fourth edition; but the Apostles speak of an given to them, because through them the Messiah is proclaimed to the Gentiles; see note on Act 1:8<\/span> .<\/p>\n [265] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.<\/p>\n Acts<\/p>\n JEWISH REJECTERS AND GENTILE RECEIVERS<\/p>\n Act 13:44 – Act 13:52 <\/strong> – Act 14:1 – Act 14:7 .<\/p>\n In general outline, the course of events in the two great cities of Asia Minor, with which the present passage is concerned, was the same. It was only too faithful a forecast of what was to be Paul’s experience everywhere. The stages are: preaching in the synagogue, rejection there, appeal to the Gentiles, reception by them, a little nucleus of believers formed; disturbances fomented by the Jews, who swallow their hatred of Gentiles by reason of their greater hatred of the Apostles, and will riot with heathens, though they will not pray nor eat with them; and finally the Apostles’ departure to carry the gospel farther afield. This being the outline, we have mainly to consider any special features diversifying it in each case.<\/p>\n Their experience in Antioch was important, because it forced Paul and Barnabas to put into plain words, making very clear to themselves as well as to their hearers, the law of their future conduct. It is always a step in advance when circumstances oblige us to formularise our method of action. Words have a wonderful power in clearing up our own vision. Paul and Barnabas had known all along that they were sent to the Gentiles; but a conviction in the mind is one thing, and the same conviction driven in on us by facts is quite another. The discipline of Antioch crystallised floating intentions into a clear statement, which henceforth became the rule of Paul’s conduct. Well for us if we have open eyes to discern the meaning of difficulties, and promptitude and decision to fix and speak out plainly the course which they prescribe!<\/p>\n The miserable motives of the Jews’ antagonism are forcibly stated in Act 13:44 – Act 13:45 . They did not ‘contradict and blaspheme,’ because they had taken a week to think over the preaching and had seen its falseness, but simply because, dog-in-the-manger like, they could not bear that ‘the whole city’ should be welcome to share the message. No doubt there was a crowd of ‘Gentile dogs’ thronging the approach to the synagogue; and one can almost see the scowling faces and hear the rustle of the robes drawn closer to avoid pollution. Who were these wandering strangers that they should gather such a crowd? And what had the uncircumcised rabble of Antioch to do with ‘the promises made to the fathers’? It is not the only time that religious men have taken offence at crowds gathering to hear God’s word. Let us take care that we do not repeat the sin. There are always some who-<\/p>\n ‘Taking God’s word under wise protection,<\/p>\n Correct its tendency to diffusiveness.’<\/p>\n <\/em> It needed some courage to front the wild excitement of such a mob, with calm, strong words likely to increase the rage.<\/p>\n ‘Lo, we turn to the Gentiles.’ This is not to be regarded as announcing a general course of action, but simply as applying to the actual rejecters in Antioch. The necessity that the word should first be spoken to the Jews continued to be recognised, in each new sphere of work, by the Apostle; but wherever, as here, men turned from the message, the messengers turned from them without further waste of time. Paul put into words here the law for his whole career. The fit punishment of rejection is the withdrawal of the offer. There is something pathetic in the persistence with which, in place after place, Paul goes through the same sequence, his heart yearning over his brethren according to the flesh, and hoping on, after all repulses. It was far more than natural patriotism; it was an offshoot of Christ’s own patient love.<\/p>\n Note also the divine command. Paul bases his action on a prophecy as to the Messiah. But the relation on which prophecy insists between the personal servant of Jehovah and the collective Israel, is such that the great office of being the Light of the world devolves from Him on it and the true Israel is to be a light to the Gentiles. These very Jews in Antioch, lashing themselves into fury because Gentiles were to be offered a share in Israel’s blessings, ought to have been discharging this glorious function. Their failure showed that they were no parts of the real Israel. No doubt the two missionaries left the synagogue as they spoke, and, as the door swung behind them, it shut hope out and unbelief in. The air was fresh outside, and eager hearts welcomed the word. Very beautifully is the gladness of the Gentile hearers set in contrast with the temper of the Jews. It is strange news to heathen hearts that there is a God who loves them, and a divine Christ who has died for them. The experience of many a missionary follows Paul’s here.<\/p>\n ‘As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.’ The din of many a theological battle has raged round these words, the writer of which would have probably needed a good deal of instruction before he could have been made to understand what the fighting was about. But it is to be noted that there is evidently intended a contrast between the envious Jews and the gladly receptive Gentiles, which is made more obvious by the repetition of the words ‘eternal life.’ It would seem much more relevant and accordant with the context to understand the word rendered ‘ordained’ as meaning ‘adapted’ or ‘fitted,’ than to find in it a reference to divine foreordination. Such a meaning is legitimate, and strongly suggested by the context. The reference then would be to the ‘frame of mind of the heathen, and not to the decrees of God.’<\/p>\n The only points needing notice in the further developments at Antioch are the agents employed by the Jews, the conduct of the Apostles, and the sweet little picture of the converts. As to the former, piously inclined women in a heathen city would be strongly attracted by Judaism and easily lend themselves to the impressions of their teachers. We know that many women of rank were at that period powerfully affected in this manner; and if a Rabbi could move a Gentile of influence through whispers to the Gentile’s wife, he would not be slow to do it. The ease with which the Jews stirred up tumults everywhere against the Apostle indicates their possession of great influence; and their willingness to be hand in glove with heathen for so laudable an object as crushing one of their own people who had become a heretic, measures the venom of their hate and the depth of their unscrupulousness.<\/p>\n The Apostles had not to fear violence, as their enemies were content with turning them out of Antioch and its neighbourhood; but they obeyed Christ’s command, shaking off the dust against them, in token of renouncing all connection. The significant act is a trace of early knowledge of Christ’s words, long before the date of our Gospels.<\/p>\n While the preachers had to leave the little flock in the midst of wolves, there was peace in the fold. Like the Ethiopian courtier when deprived of Philip, the new believers at Antioch found that the withdrawal of the earthly brought the heavenly Guide. ‘They were filled with joy.’ What! left ignorant, lonely, ringed about with enemies, how could they be glad? Because they were filled ‘with the Holy Ghost.’ Surely joy in such circumstances was no less supernatural a token of His presence than rushing wind or parting flames or lips opened to speak with tongues. God makes us lonely that He may Himself be our Companion.<\/p>\n It was a long journey to the great city of Iconium. According to some geographers, the way led over savage mountains; but the two brethren tramped along, with an unseen Third between them, and that Presence made the road light. They had little to cheer them in their prospects, if they looked with the eye of sense; but they were in good heart, and the remembrance of Antioch did not embitter or discourage them. Straight to the synagogue, as before, they went. It was their best introduction to the new field. There, if we take the plain words of Act 14:1 , they found a new thing, ‘Greeks,’ heathens pure and simple, not Hellenists or Greek-speaking Jews, nor even proselytes, in the synagogue. This has seemed so singular that efforts have been made to impose another sense on the words, or to suppose that the notice of Greeks, as well as Jews, believing is loosely appended to the statement of the preaching in the synagogue, omitting notice of wider evangelising. But it is better to accept than to correct our narrative, as we know nothing of the circumstances that may have led to this presence of Greeks in the synagogue. Some modern setters of the Bible writers right would be all the better for remembering occasionally that improbable things have a strange knack of happening.<\/p>\n The usual results followed the preaching of the Gospel. The Jews were again the mischief-makers, and, with the astuteness of their race, pushed the Gentiles to the front, and this time tried a new piece of annoyance. ‘The brethren’ bore the brunt of the attack; that is, the converts, not Paul and Barnabas. It was a cunning move to drop suspicions into the minds of influential townsmen, and so to harass, not the two strangers, but their adherents. The calculation was that that would stop the progress of the heresy by making its adherents uncomfortable, and would also wound the teachers through their disciples.<\/p>\n But one small element had been left out of the calculation-the sort of men these teachers were; and another factor which had not hitherto appeared came into play, and upset the whole scheme. Paul and Barnabas knew when to retreat and when to stand their ground. This time they stood; and the opposition launched at their friends was the reason why they did so. ‘Long time therefore<\/em> abode they.’ If their own safety had been in question, they might have fled; but they could not leave the men whose acceptance of their message had brought them into straits. But behind the two bold speakers stood ‘the Lord,’ Christ Himself, the true Worker. Men who live in Him are made bold by their communion with Him, and He witnesses for those who witness for Him.<\/p>\n Note the designation of the Gospel as ‘the word of His grace.’ It has for its great theme the condescending, giving love of Jesus. Its subject is grace; its origin is grace; its gift is grace. Observe, too, that the same connection between boldness of speech and signs and wonders is found in Act 4:29 – Act 4:30 . Courageous speech for Christ is ever attended by tokens of His power, and the accompanying tokens of His power make the speech more courageous.<\/p>\n The normal course of events was pursued. Faithful preaching provoked hostility, which led to the alliance of discordant elements, fused for a moment by a common hatred-alas! that enmity to God’s truth should be often a more potent bond of union than love!-and then to a wise withdrawal from danger. Sometimes it is needful to fling away life for Jesus; but if it can be preserved without shirking duty, it is better to flee than to die. An unnecessary martyr is a suicide. The Christian readiness to be offered has nothing in common with fanatical carelessness of life, and still less with the morbid longing for martyrdom which disfigures some of the most pathetic pages of the Church’s history. Paul living to preach in the regions beyond was more useful than Paul dead in a street riot in Iconium. A heroic prudence should ever accompany a trustful daring, and both are best learned in communion with Jesus.<\/p>\n light. Greek. phos. App-130. The quotation is from Isa 49:6. This commission to Jehovah’s Servant is cited as their authority for turning to the Gentiles. <\/p>\n that thou shouldest be = to be. <\/p>\n unto = as far as. Greek. heos. <\/p>\n earth. Greek. ge. App-129. <\/p>\n 47.] Agreeing with LXX-[71] [72], [73] reading for . They refer the not to themselves as teachers (as Meyer seems to think), but to Christ.<\/p>\n [71] The MS. referred to by this symbol is that commonly called the Alexandrine, or CODEX ALEXANDRINUS. It once belonged to Cyrillus Lucaris, patriarch of Alexandria and then of Constantinople, who in the year 1628 presented it to our King Charles I. It is now in the British Museum. It is on parchment in four volumes, of which three contain the Old, and one the New Testament, with the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. This fourth volume is exhibited open in a glass case. It will be seen by the letters in the inner margin of this edition, that the first 24 chapters of Matthew are wanting in it, its first leaf commencing , ch. Mat 25:6 :-as also the leaves containing , Joh 6:50,-to , Joh 8:52. It is generally agreed that it was written at Alexandria;-it does not, however, in the Gospels, represent that commonly known as the Alexandrine text, but approaches much more nearly to the Constantinopolitan, or generally received text. The New Testament, according to its text, was edited, in uncial types cast to imitate those of the MS., by Woide, London, 1786, the Old Testament by Baber, London, 1819: and its N.T. text has now been edited in common type by Mr. B. H. Cowper, London, 1861. The date of this MS. has been variously assigned, but it is now pretty generally agreed to be the fifth century.<\/p>\n [72] The CODEX SINAITICUS. Procured by Tischendorf, in 1859, from the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. The Codex Frederico-Augustanus (now at Leipsic), obtained in 1844 from the same monastery, is a portion of the same copy of the Greek Bible, the 148 leaves of which, containing the entire New Testament, the Ep. of Barnabas, parts of Hermas, and 199 more leaves of the Septuagint, have now been edited by the discoverer. A magnificent edition prepared at the expense of the Emperor of Russia appeared in January, 1863, and a smaller edition containing the N.T. &c., has been published by Dr. Tischendorf. The MS. has four columns on a page, and has been altered by several different correctors, one or more of whom Tischendorf considers to have lived in the sixth century. The work of the original scribe has been examined, not only by Tischendorf, but by Tregelles and other competent judges, and is by them assigned to the fourth century. The internal character of the text agrees with the external, as the student may judge for himself from the readings given in the digest. The principal correctors as distinguished by Tischendorf are:-A, of the same age with the MS. itself, probably the corrector who revised the book, before it left the hands of the scribe, denoted therefore by us -corr1; B (cited as 2), who in the first page of Matt. began inserting breathings, accents, &c., but did not carry out his design, and touched only a few later passages; Ca (cited as 3a) has corrected very largely throughout the book. Wherever in our digest a reading is cited as found in 1, it is to be understood, if no further statement is given, that Ca altered it to that which is found in our text; Cb (cited as 3b) lived about the same time as Ca, i.e. some centuries later than the original scribe. These are all that we need notice here6.<\/p>\n [73] The CODEX VATICANUS, No. 1209 in the Vatican Library at Rome; and proved, by the old catalogues, to have been there from the foundation of the library in the 16th century. It was apparently, from internal evidence, copied in Egypt. It is on vellum, and contains the Old and New Testaments. In the latter, it is deficient from Heb 9:14 to the end of the Epistle;-it does not contain the Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon;-nor the Apocalypse. An edition of this celebrated codex, undertaken as long ago as 1828 by Cardinal Angelo Mai, has since his death been published at Rome. The defects of this edition are such, that it can hardly be ranked higher in usefulness than a tolerably complete collation, entirely untrustworthy in those places where it differs from former collations in representing the MS. as agreeing with the received text. An 8vo edition of the N.T. portion, newly revised by Vercellone, was published at Rome in 1859 (referred to as Verc): and of course superseded the English reprint of the 1st edition. Even in this 2nd edition there were imperfections which rendered it necessary to have recourse to the MS. itself, and to the partial collations made in former times. These are-(1) that of Bartolocci (under the name of Giulio de St. Anastasia), once librarian at the Vatican, made in 1669, and preserved in manuscript in the Imperial Library (MSS. Gr. Suppl. 53) at Paris (referred to as Blc); (2) that of Birch (Bch), published in various readings to the Acts and Epistles, Copenhagen, 1798,-Apocalypse, 1800,-Gospels, 1801; (3) that made for the great Bentley (Btly), by the Abbate Mico,-published in Fords Appendix to Woides edition of the Codex Alexandrinus, 1799 (it was made on the margin of a copy of Cephalus Greek Testament, Argentorati, 1524, still amongst Bentleys books in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge); (4) notes of alterations by the original scribe and other correctors. These notes were procured for Bentley by the Abb de Stosch, and were till lately supposed to be lost. They were made by the Abbate Rulotta (Rl), and are preserved amongst Bentleys papers in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge (B. 17. 20)1. The Codex has been occasionally consulted for the verification of certain readings by Tregelles, Tischendorf, and others. A list of readings examined at Rome by the present editor (Feb. 1861), and by the Rev. E. C. Cure, Fellow of Merton College, Oxford (April 1862), will be found at the end of these prolegomena. A description, with an engraving from a photograph of a portion of a page, is given in Burgons Letters from Rome, London 1861. This most important MS. was probably written in the fourth century (Hug, Tischendorf, al.).<\/p>\n Act 13:47. , hath enjoined) by sending us forth, Act 13:4, and by offering us the opportunity of fulfilling His will and prediction.-, us) It often happens, that one and the same prophetical saying urges some rather than others to the fulfilment of itself. So it was that this saying urged Paul, as also that which he quotes in Rom 15:21. Another instance occurs in 2Ki 9:13; 2Ki 9:25 (The anointing of Jehu by the prophet is the occasion of Jehus companions putting him on the throne; and again, Elijahs prophecy urges him to cast Jehorams corpse into the ground of Naboth).- -) Isa 49:6, , -.-, Thee) the Messiah.<\/p>\n so: Act 1:8, Act 9:15, Act 22:21, Act 26:17, Act 26:18, Mat 28:19, Mar 16:15, Luk 24:47 <\/p>\n I have: Act 26:23, Isa 42:1, Isa 42:6, Isa 49:6, Isa 60:3, Luk 2:32 <\/p>\n that thou: Act 15:14-16, Psa 22:27-29, Psa 67:2-7, Psa 72:7, Psa 72:8, Psa 96:1, Psa 96:2, Psa 98:2, Psa 98:3, Psa 117:1, Psa 117:2, Isa 2:1-3, Isa 24:13-16, Isa 42:9-12, Isa 45:22, Isa 52:10, Isa 59:19, Isa 59:20, Jer 16:19, Hos 1:10, Amo 9:12, Mic 4:2, Mic 4:3, Mic 5:7, Zep 3:9, Zep 3:10, Zec 2:11, Zec 8:20-23, Mal 1:11 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 1:17 – General Deu 32:43 – Rejoice Jdg 4:6 – Hath Job 13:16 – my salvation Psa 67:7 – all the Isa 24:16 – uttermost part Isa 40:28 – the ends Isa 56:3 – the son Zec 8:23 – We will Zec 11:9 – I will Mal 4:2 – the Sun Mat 22:9 – General Luk 14:23 – Go Joh 8:12 – I am Joh 9:5 – long Joh 12:36 – believe Act 3:26 – first Act 11:18 – hath Act 13:41 – for Act 15:15 – General Act 18:6 – from Act 28:28 – sent Rom 2:9 – of the Jew Rom 9:24 – not of the Jews Rom 10:21 – All day long Rom 11:20 – because Rom 16:26 – according Eph 5:14 – Christ Tit 2:11 – hath appeared Heb 4:6 – some<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n Act 13:47. Paul verified his work by quoting Isa 49:6.<\/p>\n Act 13:47. I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. The apostles now show the assembled crowds that it was no momentary impulse of anger which had moved them to that solemn declaration of their intention to speak directly to the Gentile world. It was in obedience to the word of the Lord, spoken centuries before by the mouth of Isaiah (Isa 49:6). They could see, then, in their own sacred oracles, that the work of Messiah was not by any means to be confined to the Jews. A far grander field was to be subjected to the influence of His blessed Spirit. For similar indications of Messianic blessings to be poured on the Gentile nations, see Isa 2:1-10; Isa 42:6. On the threshold of the Gospel story, too, we find the aged Simeon, who, though waiting for the consolation of Israel, yet saluting the rising of the same glorious Light over the darkened Gentile lands (Luk 2:32).<\/p>\n See notes one verse 46<\/p>\n Paul quoted the Isaiah commission because he was addressing Jews. Isaiah explained their duty. He and Barnabas were only carrying out God’s will. The servant of the Lord is the person addressed in Isa 49:6. Jesus Christ, the perfect Servant of the Lord, was the ultimate light to the Gentiles who would bring salvation to the end of the earth (cf. Luk 2:28-32). As Israel and Christ had been lights to the Gentiles (Gen 46:3; Luk 2:29-32), so now were Paul and Barnabas (cf. Mat 5:14-16). Not only had the Jews received a commission to reach out to the Gentiles with blessing (Exo 19:5-6; Isa 49:6), but so had Jesus’ disciples (Mat 28:19-20).<\/p>\n For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying,] I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 47. so hath the Lord commanded us ] And the Lord’s command which the Apostle quotes is from Isa 49:6, which shews that from … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 13:47”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27368\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"