[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team:
REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]
Acts IX : 23-30
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| + A.FR(atr)IBVS DIMISSVS.E(st)IN.SPORTA "By the brethren (he was) let down in a basket." 1170-1180. V & A Museum. |
[24] But their laying in wait was made known to Saul. And they watched the gates also day and night, that they might kill him.
[25] But the disciples taking him in the night, conveyed him away by the wall, letting him down in a basket.
[26] And when he was come into Jerusalem, he essayed to join himself to the disciples; and they all were afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
[27] But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and told them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him; and how in Damascus he had dealt confidently in the name of Jesus.
[28] And he was with them coming in and going out in Jerusalem, and dealing confidently in the name of the Lord.
[29] He spoke also to the Gentiles, and disputed with the Greeks; but they sought to kill him.
[23] Cum autem implerentur dies multi, consilium fecerunt in unum Judaei, ut eum interficerent. [24] Notae autem factae sunt Saulo insidiae eorum. Custodiebant autem et portas die ac nocte, ut eum interficerent. [25] Accipientes autem eum discipuli nocte, per murum dimiserunt eum, submittentes in sporta. [26] Cum autem venisset in Jerusalem, tentabat se jungere discipulis, et omnes timebant eum, non credentes quod esset discipulus. [27] Barnabas autem apprehensum illum duxit ad Apostolos : et narravit illis quomodo in via vidisset Dominum, et quia locutus est ei, et quomodo in Damasco fiducialiter egerit in nomine Jesu. [28] Et erat cum illis intrans et exiens in Jerusalem, et fiducialiter agens in nomine Domini. [29] Loquebatur quoque gentibus, et disputabat cum Graecis : illi autem quaerebant occidere eum. [30] Quod cum cognovissent fratres, deduxerunt eum Caesaream, et dimiserunt Tarsum.
Notes
23. when many days, — i.e. days spent in Damascus, the latter part of the three years mentioned in Gal. i. 18. St Luke frequently employs this Greek adjective (ἱκανος) “sufficient,” instead of “many.”
The phrase may be applied to several years. Cf. Semei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. And it came to pass after three years, that the servants of Semei ran away to Achis (3 Kings ii. 38-39).
the Jews consulted, etc. “ History ever repeats itself.” As the Hellenists were unable to resist the wisdom and spirit that spoke in St Stephen, and determined to rid themselves of their adversary by brute force, so now, as the Jews could not refute the arguments of St Paul, they determined to kill him.
St Paul’s great natural talents and his deep studies served to further the cause of the Gospel, and he utilized them for the glory of God. Also, after his period of retirement, when fresh revelations were undoubtedly granted him, be would be even more powerful in argument than when he preached in the synagogues at his first visit. As he now remained sometime in the city, his words were heard more frequently, and he effected many conversions.
24. was made known. Probably by some of the Jews, who were well disposed towards St Paul, although not yet converted to Christianity. The adversaries of the apostles certainly took care not to reveal their plans to the Christians of Damascus.
they watched the gates etc. In order to do this, the Jews had obtained the support of the governor. Cf. At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damnscenes, to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands (2 Cor. xi. 32-33).
Damascus was under the Romans circa 30-34 A.D. (judging from certain ancient coins), but in 32 A.D. Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, quarrelled with his father-in-law, Aretas, king of Arabia Petræa. Herod had repudiated his wife, the king’s daughter, and Aretas, in return, had encroached on the boundaries of Herod’s dominions. Tiberius assisted Herod Antipas, and war was declared against Aretas in the spring of A.D. 37. Shortly after, Caligula became emperor, and it is supposed that, at the request of the citizens, he allowed the city of Damascus to be made over to Aretas. This hypothesis has been suggested by the fact that the coins of Damascus, issued during the reigns of the emperors between Tiberius and Nero, do not bear the head of a Roman emperor. Consequently, during this period, Damascus must have been detached from Rome and annexed to some independent sovereign. That Aretas was the ruler of Damascus when the Jews plotted to kill St Paul is clear from St Paul’s words quoted above. On his coins, Aretas is described as “ lover of the Greeks ” (φιλελλην), and he also did his utmost to conciliate the Jews. They were allowed to govern themselves according to their own laws, and their ethnarch or chief held his court and had power to inflict certain punishments. This explains how it was that the enemies of Saul in Damascus were able to guard the gates of the city.
25. the disciples. Some MSS. read “his disciples,” but “the” has better MS. authority (e.g. א, A, B, C).
by the wall. Saul was let down through a window of a house built on the city wall. It was thus that Rahab saved the spies who visited Jericho. Cf. Then she let them down with a cord out of a window; for her house joined close to the wall (Jos. ii. 15).
in a basket (ςπυριδι ). This was a large basket made of rope, used for carrying goods on long journeys.
These baskets are mentioned in connection with the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand, when seven baskets (ςπυριδας ) full of fragments were collected. (See St Matt. XV. 37.)
26. when he was come. It is not certain whether St Paul journeyed direct to Jerusalem. We know that he evangelized in Judea, since in his address to Agrippa he refers to his ministry there. Cf. Unto all the country of Judea and to the gentiles did I preach (infra, xxvi. 20). Hence we may infer that he preached the Gospel in the different synagogues on his road to the holy city.
What a contrast this journey offers compared with the one he made from Jerusalem to Damascus as the persecutor of the Church ; he now returns to the holy city to preach that faith which ho had striven so hard to uproot but three years previously.
not believing that he was a disciple. Three reasons may be given for their fears : —
(a) They knew by experience the persecutor Saul, but only a rumour perhaps of his conversion had reached them, as in those troubled times communication with Damascus was doubtless interrupted or very difficult.
(b) They may have imagined that he was feigning conversion, that he might more effectually accomplish his evil designs.
(c) St Paul’s retirement in Arabia after his conversion (see Gal. i. 17) did not conduce to confirm the rumour of his conversion.
27. Barnabas. He first comes under our notice in ch. iv. 36. Here, true to his name, Barnabas, “son of consolation,” he consoles and assists St Paul in this difficulty. He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith (infra, xi. 24), and he became St Paul’s firm friend and his companion on his first missionary journey.
took him and brought him to the apostles. He only saw two of the apostles ; for we read in his epistle to the Galatians that he there met Peter and tarried with him fifteen days, and he adds : But other of the apostles I saw none, saving James, the brother of the Lord (Gal. i. 19).
In consequence of the numerous conversions at Pentecost, when so many pilgrims were in Jerusalem, and of the dispersion of the Christians during the persecution instigated by Saul, various local churches now existed in Palestine ; and although the apostles had not yet dispersed to preach the Gospel throughout the world, yet they must have found it necessary to visit these communities of Christians, in order to organize them and to give the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Order. This would account for the absence of ten apostles when St Paul paid his first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion.
told them how he had seen the Lord, etc. We do not know how Barnabas had heard of Saul’s conversion. He may have simply been convinced of the truth by hearing the recital from Saul’s own lips.
Some commentators have suggested that Saul and Barnabas the Cyprian had studied together in the famous school of Tarsus, and this is not improbable, as both were educated men of good position, or they may have been fellow-students under Gamaliel in Jerusalem.
28. coming in and going out. A Hebraism expressing familiarity of intercourse. The disciples no longer feared Saul, but were glad to have him as a brother. How they rejoiced over his reception into the Church ! Such a signal conversion strengthened their faith in God, who can turn men’s hearts as He wills, and change violent persecutors into fervent apostles (see also Annot. on i. 21),
29. to the gentiles. These words are not considered genuine, as they are missing in the Greek Codices and the best MSS. of the Vulgate.
the Greeks, — i.e. the Hellenists or Jews who spoke Greek. As they had compassed the death of St Stephen, in which Saul himself had taken part, it was natural that he should try and convert them, and also that he should, as far as possible, repair the evil he had done.
they sought to kill him. Once more St Paul’s life is threatened by his former friends and allies.
30. when the brethren had known, etc. St Paul’s enemies were furthering unconsciously the designs of God, who willed that the Apostle of the Gentiles should now begin his mission, for, when praying in the Temple, in a trance, St Paul saw once more our Risen Lord, who said to him : Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem ; because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me ... . Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off will I send thee (infra, xxii. 18, 21).
Cesarea. To Cesarea Stratonis on the sea-shore. There is a town called Cesarea Philippi, north of the Lake of Genesareth, but St Luke always refers to the seaport town as Cesarea, as the reference to this city in xxvii. 1 shews. See Annot. on viii. 40.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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