412 Τ Η Ε Α C T S. when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said of Jews there are which believe, and they are all 21 zealous of the law. And they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among ought not to circumcise their children, neither to 22 walk after the customs. What is it therefore (f)? the multitude must needs come together : for they 23 will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: we have four men which have a 24 vow on them: Them take, and purify thyself with them (8), and be at charges with them, that they are nothing, but that thou thyself also walkest order25 ly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded, that blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purify ing himself with them, entered into the temple, to tion, until that an offering should be offered for every 27 one of them. And when the seven days were almost ender!, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid 28 hands on him, Crying out, Men of Ifrael, help : 3c. ( What then do you purpose to do? The charges here mentioned were the price of the offerings, which by the law of Moses persons purified were required to make. We see by this instance, that for peace sake, and to avoid giving Offence, it is expedient and lawful to consorm to established customs and ceremonies, if innocent, though not essential to religion. this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place : ani farther, brought Greeks (b) also into the temple, and 29 hath polluted this holy place. (For they had feen before with him in the city Trophimus an Epheli. an, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into 30 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 forth with the doors 31 were fhut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the ban?, that 32 all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers, and centurions, and ran down unto them : and when they saw the chief captain and the 33 soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the chief captain caine near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains (i); and demande 34 ed who he was, and what he had done. And fine cried one thing, some another, among the multitude : and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he coinmanded him to be carried into the 35 castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne of the soldiers (k), for the violence 36 of the people. For the multitude of the people fol37 lowed after, crying, Away with him. And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canít 38 thou speak Greek? Art not thou that Egyptian which before these days, madeft an uproar, and led deft out into the wilderness four thousand men that 39 were murderers ? But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak 1 (h) By Greeks were meant Gentiles or Heathens. (k) Supported by the soldiers, not being able to stand for the violence of the crowd. 40 unto the people. And when he had given him li cence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people: and when there was made a great filence, he fpake unto then in the Hebrew tongue, saying, 2 1 MEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, 3 they kept the niore filence: and he saith,) I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel (a), and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous to4 wards God, as ye all are this day. And I persecut ed this way unto the death, binding and delivering 5 into prisons both men and women (b). As also the high-priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there, bound unto Jerusalem, for 6 to be punished. And it came to pass, that as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus, a bout noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great 7 light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why 8 persecutest thou me? And I anfwered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jefus of Na9 zareth whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, and were afraid ; but (a) I was inftruted by Gamaliel, not only in the knowledge of the law of Moses, but in all the traditions and customs of the elders, w! I thought to be for the honour of God, an was as zealous for their observance as you all now are. (6) See Chap. ix. 2. they they heard not the voice of him that spake to me (c). 10 And I said, what shall I do, Lord ? And the Lord faid unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed II for thee to do. And when I could not fee for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them 12 that were with me, I came into Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which divelt 13 there, Caine unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy fight. And the faine 14 hour I looked up upon him. And he faid, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that the u fhouldest know his will, and see that Just One (14) 15 and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men, of what thou 16 haft seen and heard. And now why tarrieft thou ? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy fins, 17 calling on the name of the Lord. And it came to pass, that when I was come again to Jerusaleim, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him, saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem : for they will 19 not receive thy testimony concerning me. And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in 20 every fynagogue, them that believed on thee. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was fhed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, 21 and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee fár 22 hence unto the Gentiles. And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lift up their voices, and faid, Away with such a fellow from the earth : for it (c) They did not diflinétly hear the words that were spoken, though they heard a confused found. Chap. ix. 7: (d) That Just One is Jesus Christ, the righteous, the only Son of God.. 23 is not fit that he should live. And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the 24 air.(e), The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging : that he might know 25 whicrefore they cried so against him. And as they bourd him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man 26 that is a Roman (s), and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief cap tain, saying, Take heed what thou doeft; for this 27 man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman? He 28 faid, Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, 29 But I was free born (b). Then straightway they departed from him which fould have examined him (i): and the chief captain also was afraid after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had 30 bound him. On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jevis, he loosed him from his bands, and cominanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. () See Chap. xviii. 6. To throw duft into the air at any one, was a mark of contempt; thus Shimei did to David. 2 Sam. xvi. 13. (f) Scourging is called examining, because it was inflicted in order to make a prisoner confess the crime he was accused of. (g) A free citizen of Rome was exempt by law from scourging, and from every punishment before trial and conviction. See Chep. (h) I also am a free citizen of Rome, and having paid a great price for that privilege, know how to respect it in others. But, faid Paul, I inherit it from my parents; for I was born free. ., (i) They who were going to have scourged him. See Verse 24. Note. xxiii. 3. C H A P. |