7. XXI. 14. 6. let us seize our booty: greater are the benefits we receive ACTS than what we confer. He does not bid thee kill a calf: 1-17. give thou bread to the hungry, raiment to the naked, shelter to the stranger. But that thou mayest not make this thy pretext, there is a common apartment, that of the Church; throw thy money into that, and then thou hast received. them since (Abraham) there had the reward of those things also which were done by his servants. [He gave the calf Gen. 18, to a young man, and he hasted to dress it.] So well trained were his servants also! They ran, and murmured not as ours do: for he had made them pious. He drew Gen. 14, them out to war, and they murmured not: so well disciplined were they. For he had equal care for all as for himself: he all but said as Job did, We were alike Job 33, formed in the same womb. Therefore let us also take thought for their salvation, and let us make it our duty to care for our servants, that they may be good: and let our servants also be instructed in the things pertaining to God. Then will virtue not be difficult to us, if we train them orderly. Just as in war, when the soldiers are well-disciplined, the general carries on war easily, but the contrary happens, when this is not so: and when the sailors too are of one mind, the pilot easily handles the rudder-strings; so here likewise. For say now, if thy servants have been so schooled, thou wilt not be easily exasperated, thou wilt not have to find fault, wilt not be made angry, wilt not need to abuse them. It may be, thou wilt even stand in awe of thy servants, if they are worthy of admiration, and they will be helpers with thee, and will give thee good counsel. But from all these shall all things proceed that are pleasing to God, and thus shall the whole house be filled with blessing, and we, performing things pleasing to God, shall enjoy abundant succour from above, unto which may we all attain, through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost together be glory, might, honour, now and ever, world without end. Amen. HOMILY XLVI. v. 20. ACTS xxi. 18, 19. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James: and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. THIS was the Bishop of Jerusalem; and to him (Paul) ch. xv. is sent on an earlier occasion. This (James) was brother of the Lord; a great and admirable man. (To him, it says,) Paul entered in with us. Mark the (Bishop's) unassuming behaviour: and the elders (were present). Again Paul relates to them the things relating to the Gentiles, not indulging in vain-glory, God forbid, but wishing to shew forth the mercy of God, and to fill them with great joy. See accordingly: when they heard it, it says, they glorified God,-not praised nor admired Paul: for in such wise had he narrated, as referring all to Him-and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe. Observe with what modest deference they too speak: [they said to him:] not (James) as Bishop discourses authoritatively, but they take Paul as partner with them in their view [Thou seest, brother]; as though immediately and at the outset apologising for themselves, and saying, “We did not wish this. Seest thou the necessity of the thing? how many thousands, say they, of Jews there are which have come together." And they say not, "how many thousands we have made catechumens," but, there are. And these, say they, are all zealous for the law. Two reasons-the The wise counsel of James and the Elders. 615 XXI. number of them, and their views. For neither had they ACTS been few, would it have been right to despise them: nor, if 18-25. they were many and did not all cling to the law, would there have been need to make much account of them. Then also a third cause is given: And they all, it says, have been v.21. informed of thee-they say not," have heard," but [xaτnxonσav, that is,] so they have believed, and have been taught, that thou teachest apostasy from Moses to all the Jews which are among the Gentiles, by telling them not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it v.22.23. therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: they say these things as advising, not as commanding. We have four men which have a vow on v.23.24. them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them. Make thy defence in act, not in wordthat they may shave themselves, it says, and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law: they say not, "teachest," but, of superabundance, that thou thyself also keepest the law. For of course not this was the matter of chief interest, whether he did not teach others, but, that he did himself observe the law. "What then" (he might say), "if the Gentiles should learn it? I shall injure them." How so? say they, seeing that even we, the teachers of the Jews, have sent unto them. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we v. 25. have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. Here' with a kind of remonstrance, As we, say they, com- 'EvтPETmanded them, although we are preachers to the Jews, so do thou, although a preacher to the Gentiles, cooperate with us. Observe Paul: he does not say, "Well, but I can bring forward Timothy, whom I circumcised: well, but I can satisfy them by what I have to say (of myself):” but he complied, and did all: for in fact thus was it expedient (to do). For it was one thing to take (effectual) measures for clearing himself, and another to have done these things without the knowledge of any (of the parties). It was a τικῶς. XLVI. v. 26. HOMIL. Step open to no suspicion, the fact of his even bearing the expenses. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, signifying the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. 'Signifying,' dayyśλλwv, i. e. xatayɣéλλwv, publicly notifying: 7.27.28. so that it was he who made himself conspicuous. And when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia-for (his arrival) most keeps time with theirs when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. Mark their habitual conduct, how turbulent we everywhere find it, how men who with or without reason ▼.29.30. make a clamour in the midst. For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. Men of Israel, it says, help: this is the man that (teaches) against the people, and the law, and this place the things which most troubled them, the Temple and the Law. And Paul does not tax the Apostles. with being the cause of these things to him. And they drew him, it says, out of the Temple: and the doors were shut. For they wished to kill him: and therefore were v.31-34. dragging him out, to do this with greater security. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the tribune of the cohort, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the tribune • Old text: μάλιστα γὰρ ἐκείνοις συγχρονίζει, as the comment on οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ασίας Ἰουδαῖοι, meaning apparently that his arrival at Jerusalem would naturally fall at the same time with that of the Jews who, like himself, came from the same parts. Mod. t. transfers the comment to the first clause of the verse, "And as the days were about to be fulfilled: ὅρα πῶς μάλιστα δὴ αὐτοῖς ἐγχρονίζει,” it is not easy to see with what meaning. ὺ ὅμα τὸ ἦθος αὐτῶν πανταχοῦ ταραχῶδες, καὶ ἁπλῶς βοῶντων ἐν τῷ μέσῳ. Meaning perhaps that the conduct of these Ephesian Jews was of a piece with that of their heathen countrymen, ch. xix. 28. Then the ACTS XXI. and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. tribune came near, and took him, and commanded 26-38. him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude. But the tribune having come down delivered him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains: (hereby) appeasing the anger of the people. And when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, v.34-36. he commanded him to be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him! What means, Away with him? that is, what they say with us according to the Roman custom, To the standards with him! And as Paul was to be led into the ▾. 37. castle, he said unto the tribune, May I speak unto thee? In the act of being borne along up the stairs, he requests to say something to the tribune: and observe how quietly he does it. May I speak unto thee? he says. Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? Art thou not then that Egyptian, v. 38. which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? For (this Egyptian) was a revolutionary and seditious person. With regard to this then Paul clears himself, and * * * 1 tulation. προη [Do therefore this that we say unto thee etc.] He shews Recapithat it was not necessary to do this' upon principle-whence v. 23.24. also they obtain his compliance-but that it was economy poṇand condescension. [As touching the Gentiles etc.] then, this was no hindrance to the preaching, · ἐν τοῖς σίγνοις αὐτὸν ἔμβαλε. Am. monius in the Catena, "It was a custom of the Jews to utter this cry against the just, as they did against the Lord, Alpe autóv! i. e. away with Him from among the living." Hence Ecumen. combining this with the explanation in the text, "It was the custom of the Jews, &c. But some say, That is, what they say with us, &c." And so mod. t. "It was a custom of the Jews to say this against those whom they would condemn, as also in the case of Christ γουμέ Why, vws seeing they appear doing this, and saying, Mod. t. supplies the evident lacuna v. 25. |