GOLDEN TEXT.— And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them. — ACTS 20: 7. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. I. The Author. Luke, the author of the third Gospel. He was born, probably, at Antioch; of Greek descent; a physician; a companion of Paul. He first joined Paul at Troas, and accompanied him on his second missionary journey to Philippi (Acts 16: 10, 11), A.D. 51. After that there is no mention of his presence till he joins Paul again at Philippi, A.D. 57 (Acts 20: 6), on his third missionary journey, and remains with him till Paul's arrival at Jerusalem. Lewin thinks Luke remained all these years at Philippi. II. Date of Writing. Somewhere between A.D. 63 and 66. III. Place of Writing. Probably it was written and first published at Rome. IV. Scope and Nature. "It is a record of the personal action of the Lord Jesus Christ in the first evolution of his Gospel and the formation of his Church." "It is a record of the inspired life of the Church." TIME of this lesson. The few recorded events of this lesson occupied nearly a year of Paul's third great missionary journey, from May 28, A.D. 57 to Apr. 23, A.D. 58. PAUL'S JOURNEYINGS in this lesson: May 28, A. D. 57 (Pentecost), or just before November, Paul departs from Macedonia for Nov. 27, he arrives at Corinth in Greece. : March 26 or 27, arrival at Philippi. Sun., March 26, from sunset, to sunset on Mon., Apr. 3, the eight days of the feast Tues., Apr. 4, A.D. 58, Paul leaves Philippi for Sat., Apr. 8, arrives at Troas. Mon., Apr. 17, leaves Troas and goes to Tues., Apr. 18, to Chios. Sun., Apr. 23, Paul preaches at Miletus to the - a CONTEMPORARY EVENTS. - Nero, emperor of Rome, 4th year, age about 21. Felix, governor of Judea. Agrippa II., king of Trachonitis, etc., east of the Sea of Galilee and upper Jordan. Seneca, a stoic philosopher, at Rome, formerly tutor to Nero, writer of a number of books. Suetonius, a Roman general in Great Britain. EPISTLES. During this time Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, autumn, 57, in Macedonia; Galatians, winter of 57, 58, at Corinth; and Romans, spring of 58, at Corinth. PRONUNCIATIONS. Aristär'chus (chk); A'sia (A'shĕă); As'sos; Bĕrē'ă; 2. And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, 3. And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. 1 Acts 9:23; 23: 12; 25: 3. 2 Cor. 11:26. Chi'os; Der'be; Eph'ěsus; Eu'tychus (ch = k); Gā'iŭs (Gā'yŭs); Măcědō'niă (c = s); Mile'tus; Mityle'ne; Philip'pi; Sa'mos; Secun'dūs; Sõp'ǎter; Syr'iă; Thessalonians; Timō'theŭs; Trō'as; Troph'imus; Trogỳl'liŭm; Tých'ĭcŭs (ch = k). INTRODUCTION. We now resume the course of the history of the Church as given in the Acts of the Apostles at the point where we left it last summer, Lesson VII., Second Quarter, 1884. Paul was then on his third great missionary journey, and had spent nearly three years at Ephesus. Finally at the great Ephesian Games, in May, A.D. 57, the silversmiths, who made shrines of Diana and found their sales seriously lessened by the progress of the Gospel, stirred up the mob and made a great uproar, so that Paul left the city. He went first to Troas (2 Cor. 2: 12, 13), and thence to Macedonia, where we find him at the beginning of the present lesson. EXPLANATORY. I. Nine Months in Macedonia and Greece. Vers. 2, 3. From May 27, A.D. 57 to Feb. 27, A.D. 58. 2. And when he had gone over those parts, i.e., of Macedonia (ver. 1). Six years had elapsed since Paul had first visited Macedonia, and been beaten with rods in the market-place of Philippi. He would again visit those cities of Macedonia where he had founded churches, namely, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Gloag. And he would preach the Gospel in those portions he had not hitherto visited. He travelled as far westward as the confines of Illyricum, the western borders of Macedonia (Rom. 15: 19), laying the foundation of future Christian churches in every principal town (Rom. 15:23). It was here and now that Paul wrote his Second Epistle to the Corinthians. That he wrote the letter in Macedonia is evident from 2 Cor. 9: 2-4. Abbott. And had given them. The Christians of Macedonia and all who would come to hear him. Much exhortation. Every church needs much exhortation, line upon line and precept upon precept; but especially would this be needed by a church just converted from heathenism, and surrounded with every evil and debasing influence. This exhortation would include (1) instruction in the truths of the Gospel, that they might be well grounded and established in the truth. (2) Impulse and persuasion to strengthen right feelings and awaken earnestness. (3) The Greek word is the root of the one translated Comforter in John, and the exhortation doubtless included comfort in their many trials and labors. (4) One of the things to which Paul exhorts them is the remembrance of the poor saints in Jerusalem as he had promised (Gal. 2:9). Here, as in Galatia, he causes a collection to be made for them (2 Cor. 9:1; Rom. 15:26). This tour of exhortation lasted about six months.-P. He came into Greece, i.e., Achaia. Meyer. And nearly co-extensive with the modern kingdom of Greece.. Abbott. Most of three months was certainly spent in Corinth, the principal city. — Meyer. Here was the scene of his former labors, and a great centre of Christianity. 3. And there abode three months. This was Paul's second long stay at Corinth. But it was now nearly four years since his first visit, and many things had happened in the meantime. They had received two long letters from him, and now he comes to confirm them in right doctrines and practice. It was just before his departure from Corinth that Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. — Hackett. To this period of his life belongs the peculiar experience of sorrow and spiritual conflict described in 2 Cor. 12: 7-10. - Abbott. And when the Jews laid wait for him. We are not informed as to the nature of this plot formed against St. Paul by his unhappy countrymen. Dr. Clarke supposes it was to obtain the money collected throughout the churches for the poor saints at Jerusalem. — Pierce. All through his busy, anxious life their terrible and sleepless hostility dogged his footsteps, for they looked upon him as the bitterest foe of the Jewish traditions. It was most likely that the Jews on this occasion, becoming aware of St. Paul's intention to sail from Cenchrea, one of the ports of Corinth (in fact a seaside suburb of populous Corinth), watched the harbor in order to surprise him and kill him. — Schaff's Popular Commentary. 4. And there accompanied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and 2 Gaius of Derbe, and 3Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and 5Trophimus. 5. These going before tarried for us at Troas. 3 Acts 16: 1. As he was about to sail into Syria. Rev. Ver., about to set sail for Syria. He had apparently gone so far as to arrange for his passage and go on board, and was nearly departed before he got the warning news. Cambridge Bible. To Syria, i.c., to Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:3). He purposed. Better, he determined, with Rev. Ver. As the scheme for killing him had been meant to be carried out at sea, the choice of an overland journey and a prompt departure made the forming of a new plan impossible to the conspirators. Cambridge Bible. To return through Macedonia, i.e., to go by land as far as Philippi instead of by sea as at first proposed. II. The Journey from Corinth to Troas. - Vers. 4-6. 4. And there accompanied him. They accompanied the apostle through Macedonia, but when the party arrived at Philippi these crossed to Troas in advance, and waited for him there. — Rev. J. H. Blunt in Annotated Bible. REASONS FOR THESE SEVEN ACCOMPANYING PAUL. (1) They were doubtless delegates from the leading churches (1 Cor. 16: 3) to aid Paul in carrying the large sums of money which had been collected to the church at Jerusalem, with the salutations of the Gentile churches. (2) In carrying so large a sum in trust these acted, as it were, as auditors of his accounts, and would be witnesses that all was right. Paul sought to avoid even the suspicion of the malversations which the tongue of slanderers were so ready to impute to him (2 Cor. 8: 20, 21). — Plumptre. (3) They would act as a body-guard through the more dangerous part of the journey, and the money distributed among so many carriers would be safer. Into Asia. Rev. Ver., as far as Asia. The small Roman province on the coast, in the west of Asia Minor. The whole party went as far as Asia, probably to Miletus, while Trophimus (Acts 21: 29) and Aristarchus (Acts 27: 2) probably went all the way to Jerusalem with him. - Hackett. Sopater of Berea. Of these companions three were natives of Macedonia and four of Asia Minor. Of Sopater nothing further is known. Aristarchus had been associated with Paul at Ephesus (chap. 19: 29). Secundus is not mentioned elsewhere. Gaius of Derbe. So styled to distinguish him from another who belonged to Macedonia (19: 29). Timothy. The well-known disciple of Paul, to whom the two Epistles bearing his name were addressed. Tychicus (Fortunate) was probably a native of Ephesus. He was the bearer of the Epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians from Paul, then a prisoner at Rome (Col. 4: 7, 8; Eph. 6: 21, 22). Trophimus accompanied the apostle on this journey all the way to Jerusalem. - Revision Com. 5. These going before. Rev. Ver., had gone before, that is, had gone when Luke and Paul sailed. When all had reached Philippi by land the seven embarked for Troas in advance of Paul, who remained a short time longer at Philippi. The reasons may have been (1) that Paul wished to attend once more the Passover with his beloved Philippian church, or (2) perhaps the delay may have been on account of Luke, who now joined the party, or (3) it may have been, as Lewin suggests, the better to escape a watchful foe who would be seeking to obtain the funds.-P. Tarried for us at Troas. Here the language of the narrative suddenly changes from the third person to the first. The writer Luke had now joined Paul. His name has to be added to the list of St. Paul's companions. We may, perhaps, assume that he went less as an official delegate from the church of Philippi than as a friend, and probably St. Paul's health needing his services as physician. - Plumptre. The close personal connection of Luke and Paul appears to have dated from the years 51, 52. They were together from the time of the arrival of Paul at Troas (chap. 16: 8); they crossed over together into Europe, but when Paul left Philippi (16: 40) Luke was left behind, and, it has been supposed, made Philippi the centre of his work for several years. Here again, after the lapse of five or six years, they met. The rest of the Acts is told by an eye-witness of the various events recorded. We may therefore conclude with certainty that from this time (A.D. 57) till Paul was entrusted to the charge of the soldier at Rome (A.D. 62) Luke was continually with his beloved master. Schaff. |