[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 XXI : 18-26
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| St Paul. J-J Tissot. |
[19] Whom when he had saluted, he related particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
[20] But they hearing it, glorified God, and said to him: Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews that have believed: and they are all zealous for the law.
[21] Now they have heard of thee that thou teachest those Jews, who are among the Gentiles, to depart from Moses: saying, that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor walk according to the custom.
[22] What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
[23] Do therefore this that we say to thee. We have four men, who have a vow on them.
[24] Take these, and sanctify thyself with them: and bestow on them, that they may shave their heads: and all will know that the things which they have heard of thee, are false; but that thou thyself also walkest keeping the law.
[25] But as touching the Gentiles that believe, we have written, decreeing that they should only refrain themselves from that which has been offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication.
[26] Then Paul took the men, and the next day being purified with them, entered into the temple, giving notice of the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an oblation should be offered for every one of them.
[18] Sequenti autem die introibat Paulus nobiscum ad Jacobum, omnesque collecti sunt seniores. [19] Quos cum salutasset, narrabat per singula quae Deus fecisset in gentibus per ministerium ipsius. [20] At illi cum audissent, magnificabant Deum, dixeruntque ei : Vides frater, quot millia sunt in Judaeis qui crediderunt, et omnes aemulatores sunt legis.
[21] Audierunt autem de te quia discessionem doceas a Moyse eorum, qui per gentes sunt, Judaeorum : dicens non debere eos circumcidere filios suos, neque secundum consuetudinem ingredi. [22] Quid ergo est? utique oportet convenire multitudinem : audient enim te supervenisse. [23] Hoc ergo fac quod tibi dicimus : Sunt nobis viri quatuor, votum habentes super se. [24] His assumptis, sanctifica te cum illis : et impende in illis ut radant capita : et scient omnes quia quae de te audierunt, falsa sunt, sed ambulas et ipse custodiens legem. [25] De his autem qui crediderunt ex gentibus, nos scripsimus judicantes ut abstineant se ab idolis immolato, et sanguine, et suffocato, et fornicatione.
[26] Tunc Paulus, assumptis viris, postera die purificatus cum illis intravit in templum, annuntians expletionem dierum purificationis, donec offerretur pro unoquoque eorum oblatio.
Notes
18. the day following. From St Paul’s determination to reach Jerusalem for the feast, we may infer that this reception by the Church took place either on the day before Pentecost or on the feast.
with us. With those who had accompanied him from Cesarea ; hence St Luke was present at this gathering, as well as the delegates with the contributions from the Gentile churches.
unto James. See Annot. on xii. 17. No other apostles appear to have been present. This incident happened about twenty-five years after the Ascension, and they were now scattered in different parts of the world, and some had already sealed their testimony with their blood.
all the ancients. The presence of St James the apostle, bishop of Jerusalem, and of all his priests, constituted a formal gathering of the pastors of the Church. The faithful were not present on this occasion.
19. when he had saluted. When he had given the customary kiss of peace. Cf. Salute one another with a holy kiss (1 Cor. xvi. 20). In the East, recceptions were longer and more formal than in the Western countries.
what things God had wrought. “ Paul relates to them the things relating to the Gentiles, not indulging in vainglory, 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” (St John Chrys., Hom., xlvi. 1).
St Paul’s narration covered a period of at least four years, during which he had visited the churches in Galatia and Phrygia, and confirmed those of Macedonia and Achaia; also he had confirmed the different churches in the places where they stayed on their journey to Jerusalem. The account of St Paul’s work in Ephesus must have been particularly interesting, on account of the success of the Gospel in that city, and the dangers incurred by St Paul and his companions. Some of the presbyters had pre- viously heard Barnabas and Paul telling what great signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them (supra, xv. 12).
among the Gentiles. The special sphere of labour assigned to St Paul.
20. glorified God. The heads of the church in Jerusalem received St Paul as a “ brother.” On this, as on a former occasion, there was neither jealousy nor disunion (see Gal. ii. 7-9). St Paul’s enemies were among the faithful, i.e. among those Jews who had accepted Christianity as a supplement to the Law of Moses, to which they still clung tenaciously.
Thou seest. St Paul, during his visits to Jerusalem, had often seen numerous assemblies of Jewish converts.
how many thousands. These words shew what great progress Christianity had made among the Jews.
zealots, — i.e. deeply attached to Jewish observances.
The term “Zealot ’’ was applied technically to a Jewish sect, the members of which pledged themselves to resist the power of Rome. The excesses of these Zealots hastened the fall of Jerusalem (a.d, 71-72).
21. they have heard. The original word (κατηχηθησαν) signifies to convey information orally (see Annot. on xviii. 25), and the tense used points to some definite occasion known to the speaker.
thou teachest .... to depart from, etc. Lit. “ thou teachest apostasy from Moses ” (ἀποστασιαν διδασκεις ἀπο Μωυσεως ). This word is used in the Old Testament with reference to those whom Antiochus tried to compel to sacrifice and to burn incense, and to depart from the law of God (1 Mach. ii. 15).
not to circumcise, etc. The Jews clung to circumcision as the sign of the covenant between them and God. The Jewish converts who were zealots for the law could not bring themselves to accept the truth that it was no longer necessary. This arose from their unwillingness to give up their privileges as the chosen people of God. (See Annot. on ch. XV. 1).
to the custom. This word “ custom ” is found frequently in St Luke’s writings (see xv. 1, xxvi. 3, xxviii. 17), and only twice elsewhere in the New Testament— -in St John xix. 40 and Heb. x. 25.
22. What is it therefore? — i.e. How shall we act? Compare this with our idiomatic “What then?” and the French idiom “que faire?”
the multitude must needs come together. They would assemble, knowing that St Paul was in Jerusalem, probably to accuse him publicly. St James and the ancients wished to avert anything detrimental to peace and concord.
they will hear, etc. Hence these brethren were not present when St James spoke.
23. Do therefore this, etc. St James and the ancients suggest a course of action, they do not impose it.
We have four men, etc. Four poor Jewish converts to the faith of the Gospel, who had taken the Nazarite vow of thirty days, and St Paul was asked to join them and to pay the cost of the sacrifices which had to be offered at the expiration of their vow, when they could cut their hair.
It was deemed an act of piety “ to shave a Nazarite,” i.e. to discharge him from his vow by paying the price of the offerings. This incident proves that Jewish converts still clung to the Nazarite vow. St James himself was a Nazarite for life according to Hegesippus (quoted by Eusebius, Eccles. Hist., ii. 28), and St Paul, some four years previously, had taken a “vow of days."
24. Take these and sanctify, etc, A Jew who had not the time to take the Nazarite vow upon himself for the full period of thirty days, might join in for a period of seven days with other Nazarifes, provided he observed the same rites and paid the costs of the offerings. The words sanctify thyself with them shew that St Paul did not merely defray their costs, but he actually joined in their vow. This view is held by most of the Fathers, e.g. Origen, St Jerome, St Isidore, and St Augustine, and among modern commentators we may name Beelen, Knabenbauer, Baumgarten, and Alford. Some think that St Paul was already under a Nazarite vow when he came to Jerusalem.
bestow on them. Better, “be at the charges for them.” At the expiration of the vow, the Nazarite having shaved his head, burnt the hair at the door of the Temple, and offered two lambs and a ram, a loaf and cakes, with meal and drink offerings, consequently St Paul had to pay a fairly large sum to defray the expenses of four Nazarites as well as his own.
all will know. Such a deed was a forcible refutation of the calumny circulated by St Paul’s enemies. St Paul did not teach the Jews to despise the ceremonial law, but he refused to subject the Gentile converts to its observances.
are false. Lit. “are nothing” (οὐδεν ἐστιν) hence, by a derived meaning, “ are without any foundation of truth.”
25. But as touching, etc St James anticipates St Paul’s possible objection, and confirms the charter of Gentile liberty given seven or eight years previously at the first general Assembly of the Church in Jerusalem (see supra, xv. 19, 20, 28).
decreeing. Lit. “giving judgment” (κριναντες ). St James had used this word at the assembly, “ I decree” (κρινω). The A.V., following the Bezan text, adds here, “ that they observe no such thing.” refrain themselves from, etc. See Annot. on xv. 20.
26. Paul took the men. St Paul consented as a matter of expediency in order to pacify the apprehensions of the Jews.
giving notice . ... of the — i.e. giving notice to the priests when the days of the vow would be accomplished.
The four Nazarites could not do this, as they wore unable to pay the cost of the victims. Each Jew was free to make his vow when he pleased, but it was necessary to give notice of the day when he would require the priest to offer the customary sacrifices, as the victims had to be procured. On this occasion fifteen animals were required.
until an oblation., etc. The Bezan text reads, “in order that the offering might, be (sc. made).”
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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