Bible Commentaries

1. ἐν τῷ τὸν Ἀπολλὼ εἶναι ἐν Κορίνθῳ, while Apollos was in Corinth. The digression concerning Apollos being ended, the history now returns to St Paul. Apollos found, no doubt, that Corinth was the most effective centre for his work in Achaia, and apparently made that his head-quarters.

Παῦλον διελθόντα τὰ ἀνωτερικὰ μέρη, Paul having passed through the upper country. The districts alluded to are those mentioned in Acts 18:23, Galatia and Phrygia, to reach which he would also pass through Lycaonia. ἀνωτερικός signifies the upland away from the sea; here the more eastern parts of Asia Minor.

ἐλθεῖν εἰς Ἔφεσον, came to Ephesus. This he had promised to do if he could (Acts 18:21).

καὶ εὑρεῖν τινὰς μαθητάς, and found certain disciples. These men are called disciples because they were, like Apollos, to a certain extent instructed concerning Jesus, and what they already knew drew them to listen to St Paul who could teach them more.

Acts 19:1-7. PAUL RETURNING TO EPHESUS FINDS THERE SOME DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

2. εἰ πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐλαβετε πιστεύσαντες; did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed? On the use of εἰ as simply the mark of an interrogation cf. Acts 1:6.

The position of these disciples is difficult to understand. St Paul addresses them as believers. But this perhaps is only because they presented themselves among the real Christian disciples, and his recent arrival made it impossible for him to know the history of all who appeared among the members of the congregation. He presumes they are believers from the company in which he finds them.

ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εἰ πνεῦμα ἅγιόν ἐστιν ἠκούσαμεν, nay, we did not so muck as hear whether the Holy Ghost was given. This is the sense of the verse, and not that given by the A.V. Of the existence of the Holy Ghost no disciples of John could (as might be conceived from the A.V.) be ignorant. In his preaching John had proclaimed that the baptism of Him who was to come after him should be with the Holy Ghost and with fire. But in the Greek where, as in this verse, the expression ‘Spirit’ or ‘Holy Spirit’ is found without an article (although in English we are forced to put ‘the’ before it) it signifies not the personal Comforter, but an operation or gift of the Holy Spirit. Thus in John 7:39, the A.V. rightly renders οὔπω γὰρ ἦν πνεῦμα ἅγιον ‘for the Holy Ghost was not yet given,’ although there is no verb for ‘given,’ because the noun is without an article in the Greek, and so signifies ‘a spiritual outpouring.’ These disciples at Ephesus, then, imply by their answer not that the name ‘Holy Ghost’ was strange, but that they were unacquainted (as was the Baptist himself) with any special bestowal of the gifts of the Spirit.

3. εἰς τί οὖν ἐβαπτίσθητε; into what then were ye baptized? The phrase, derived from the language of Christ (Matthew 28:19), was βαπτίζειν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα. Hence the form of this question and of the answer, εἰς τὸ Ἰωάννου βάπτσμα, which means ‘We were baptized into that into which John baptized.’ These men may have been disciples of Apollos, and been baptized by him before his fuller instruction by Priscilla and Aquila.

4. εἶπεν δὲ Παῦλος, Ἰωάννης ἐβάπτισεν βάπτισμα μετανοίας, and Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance. Such was John’s description of his own baptism (Matthew 3:11), but after the day of Pentecost the language of the Christian preacher (Acts 2:38) is, ‘Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’ These Ephesian disciples knew nothing of baptism for the remission of sins, or of the other sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, nor of the gift of the Spirit to the Church, nor of the doctrines of faith in Christ and salvation by grace through faith.

βάπτισμα μετανοίας, found Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24, is explained by βαπτίζειν εἰς μετάνοιαν of Matthew 3:11. The baptized were pledged to amendment of life, and to a preparation for the coming Messiah.

εἰς τὸν ἐρχόμενον μετ' αὐτόν, κ.τ.λ., on Him which should come after him, that is, on Jesus. In his preaching John had constantly used the phrase ‘He that cometh after me.’ This was the stage of instruction at which these disciples had arrived. They knew that John spake of one who was to come. St Paul’s teaching made clear to them that this was Jesus. The closing words of the sentence (εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν) are a condensation of all the explanations by which the Apostle convinced them that Jesus, whom he preached, was the prophet whom John announced. St Luke does not anywhere give speeches or arguments in extenso, but only so much as is needed to explain the results which he describes.

5. ἀκούσαντες δέ, and when they heard. What they heard was not the mere statement that Jesus was the Messiah; but all the arguments with which St Paul demonstrated that this was so, and proved that in Him the Scriptures were fulfilled. The conviction need not have been sudden, though its description is brief.

εἰς τὸ ὄνομα, into the name. Cf. Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 note. These men followed the order appointed for admission to the privileges of the Christian covenant. No argument can be drawn from this verse for a repetition of baptism. These disciples had never received such a baptism as Christ ordained. John’s baptism was but a washing symbolical of the repentance which he preached; baptism into the name of Christ is the pledge of a covenant of salvation.

6. ἦλθεν τὸ πνεῦμα τ. ἅ. ἐπ' αὐτούς, the Holy Ghost came upon them. The gift of the Holy Ghost to these disciples appears to have been a special provision of the Spirit for the great work which was to change Ephesus, from the city wholly devoted to the goddess Diana, into the centre of Christian life throughout the west of Asia Minor for several centuries.

ἐλάλουν τε γλώσσαις, and they spake with tongues. A Pentecostal outpouring; for as in Jerusalem the gift wrought its effect among the Jews then gathered there from every quarter, so was the Spirit given in this great centre of Gentile activity that a like result might follow, and that the amazement and marvel at such a power might win attention to the message and gain converts to Christ.

καὶ ἐπροφήτευον, and prophesied. Probably in this case to be understood of the exposition of Old Testament prophecy, and of the power of preaching bestowed on them by the gift of the Holy Ghost. The foretelling of future events would be no such help to the cause of Christ as would the power of prophecy in this other sense.

7. ἦσαν δὲ οἱ πάντες ἄνδρες ὡσεὶ δώδεκα, and they were in all about twelve men. A new band or Apostles.

The verse has been the cause of much remark. Why the inspired historian should speak with an ‘about,’ has been asked by some. With that we are not concerned, only to observe that the Spirit has not prompted him to speak otherwise. Some have seen in the number and the circumstances a resemblance to the Apostles and their supernatural endowment; others have looked back as far as the Patriarchs and have made of these men the beginning of another Israel. May it not be that the ‘about’ was written to admonish us of the unprofitableness of such speculations? Cp. Joshua 7:5.

Here Chrysostom asks: πῶς οἱ λαβόντες τὸ πνεῦμα οὐκ ἐδίδασκον, ἀλλ' Ἀπολλὼς μήπω τὸ πνεῦμα λαβών; ὅτι οὐκ ἦσαν οὕτω ζέοντες οὐδὲ κατηχημένοι· ἐκεῖνος δὲ καὶ κατηχημένος ἦν καὶ σφόδρα ζέων. ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ ὅτι καὶ πολλὴ ἦν ἡ παρρησία τοῦ ἀνδρός. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἀκριβῶς ἐλάλει τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ; ὅμως ἐδεῖτο ἔτι ἀκριβεστέρας διδασκαλίας. οὕτω καίτοι οὐκ εἰδὼς πάντα ἀπὸ τῆς προθυμίας ἐπεσπάσατο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καθάπερ οἱ περὶ Κορνήλιον.

8. εἰσελθὼν δὲ εἰς τήν συναγωγήν, and having entered into the synagogue. As the incident of John’s disciples is mentioned before anything else, it seems likely that St Paul found them among the few Christian brethren in Ephesus, and began his teaching of them before he commenced his visits to the synagogue.

ἐπὶ μῆνας τρεῖς, for three months. Going there, that is, on all occasions of religious service, and so giving to his brethren of Israel a full opportunity of hearing all his reasoning, and of inquiring whether what he taught was in accordance with the Scriptures. The abiding a longer time with them, which they had asked for (Acts 18:20) on his previous visit, does not seem to have gained him more adherents among the Jews. Perhaps he had noticed when the request was made that it was not with great fervour. Otherwise, it is not like the Apostle to pass by an opened door.

διαλεγόμενος, reasoning. The word is the same as in Acts 17:2. There ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν is added. The same sense is no doubt intended here. It must be from their Scriptures that the congregation of the synagogue would be convinced.

8–20. PAUL PREACHES TO THE JEWS FIRST AND AFTERWARDS TO THE GENTILES. THE WORD OF GOD PREVAILS MIGHTILY

9. ὡς δέ τινες ἐσκληρύνοντο καὶ ἠπείθουν, but when divers were hardened, and believed not, that is, refused the persuasion spoken of in the previous verse. The same two verbs are found together in Sirach 30:11 of the training of a son, θλάσον τὰς πλευρὰς αὐτοῦ ὡς ἔστι νήπιος μήποτε σκληρυνθεὶς ἀπειθήσῃ σοι.

κακολογοῦντες τὴν ὁδὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ πλήθυς, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude. The evil speaking is the final manifestation of the hardening. The Apostle continued his exhortations to stonyhearted hearers for three months, but when their obstinacy changed into malignity he left them, ἡ ὁδός was soon given as a distinctive name to ‘the Christian religion.’ See note on Acts 9:2 and cf. below Acts 19:23.

It was not mere opposition to the arguments of the Apostle which these Jews employed, they took occasion to excite the crowds of the city against him. And it would seem from Acts 19:33, where the Jews attempt to put forward a spokesman in the tumult, that they wished the heathen populace to believe that Paul was not approved of by his own nationality.

ἀποστὰς ἀπ' αὐτῶν, departing from them, i.e. ceasing to take part any longer in the services at the synagogue, through which the evil speaking had been aroused.

ἀφώρισεν τοὺς μαθητάς, he separated the disciples. The Christian part of the congregation, with any of the Jews who were attracted more than the rest by his teaching.

διαλεγόμενος, reasoning (as in Acts 19:8). Among these more sympathizing hearers, he would only have to set forward the arguments for the faith which he preached unto them. His teaching now could go on constantly (καθ' ἡμέραν), and was not confined to the synagogue times of service.

ἐν τῇ σχολῇ Τυράννου, in the school of Tyrannus. This teacher, whether a heathen or a Jew, was a man well known. Otherwise we can conceive no reason for the mention of a proper name. As the name is Greek, some have thought that the place meant was the lecture-room of a philosophic teacher; others, thinking that St Paul would hardly have chosen such a place for his preaching, have preferred to consider it a Jewish school or Beth-Hammidrash, in which his Jewish hearers would be more willing to assemble. Since the listeners are described, in the next verse, as being partly Jews, and partly Greeks, it is impossible to arrive at a conclusion. No doubt the Jews in Ephesus were numerous enough to render such ‘schools’ necessary for their education, and in their intercourse with Gentiles they not unfrequently adopted a Gentile name in addition to their Jewish one. So Tyrannus may have been a Jew.

10. ἐπὶ ἔτη δύο, by the space of two years. Speaking to the Ephesian elders at Miletus the Apostle says he ceased not to admonish the Church there for ‘three years.’ The two statements need not be conflicting. To the two years mentioned here when the three months of Acts 19:8 are added, and the time which may have preceded his teaching in the synagogue (see on Acts 19:8), the duration of the Apostle’s stay in Ephesus would be described in Jewish reckoning as ‘three years,’ which in their mode of speech need only consist of one whole year, and parts of that which preceded, and that which followed it. cf. the reckoning of three days between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

ὥστε πάντας … ἀκοῦσαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου, so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord. By Asia is meant ‘proconsular Asia’ (see note on Acts 2:10). The seed of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse was sown in these two years. It is evident from the tumult described in this chapter that the Christian teaching was making as much way among the Gentiles as among the Jews. The language of St Luke here implies that the audience of St Paul was made up not of the settled inhabitants of Ephesus only, but of those who visited the city for business or pleasure, and carried news of the preacher and his message to all corners of the district. Philemon from Colossæ may have been one of St Paul’s converts during this time.

11. δυνάμεις τε οὐ τὰς τυχούσας ὁ θεὸς ἐποίει διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου, and God wrought special (or no common) powers by the hands of Paul. The language of the historian is noteworthy. God works, Paul is the instrument. (Cp. the mighty hand of Moses, Deuteronomy 34:12.) The imperfect tense of the verb in the Greek implies that these manifestations of God’s power were continued during the Apostle’s stay. This was no mere spasmodic excitement over some powerful discourse. ‘By the hands’ is probably only the Jewish mode of expressing ‘by.’ See note on Acts 5:12.

On οὐ τὰς τυχούσας = ‘not such as are usual’ cf. below chap. Acts 28:2, and 2 Maccabees 3:7, καὶ οὐ τῷ τυχόντι περιῆψαν ψόγῳ, ‘And they attached to them no ordinary blame.’

12. ὥστε καὶ … ἀποφέρεσθαι ἀπὸ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ, so that from his body there were carried away unto the sick. St Luke is careful to intimate that the Apostle did not of himself adopt or recommend these methods, but the faith of the converts was such that it manifested itself in this way, and God was pleased to bestow blessings because of their faith. In the city of Ephesus where, as we find from this chapter, exorcism and ‘curious arts’ of witchcraft and incantation were familiarly exercised, God appears to have made the cures that were wrought to be specially evidences of the power of faith. Paul does not go to the sick, and even the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13) recognise that it is not to Paul, but to Jesus whom he preacheth, that the ‘powers’ are to be ascribed. Thus was God’s minister made to differ from the pretenders to miraculous power with which the Ephesian people were familiar. A specimen of these may be seen in the life of Apollonius of Tyana, IV. 3 (Kayser, p. 66).

σουδάρια ἢ σιμικίνθια, handkerchiefs or aprons. Some take the latter word to signify the cincture, by which the loose robes of the Orientals were gathered together round the waist. This would be expressed by ‘belts’ or ‘girdles’. Others think they were the aprons used by the Apostle while working at his trade. The derivation of the word favours the latter sense. They seem to have been employed to cover the front half of the dress during work.

The words are both Latin, sudarium and semicinctium, and the latter is sometimes written σημικίνθιον.

καὶ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι ἀπ' αὐτῶν … ἐκπορεύεσθαι, and the diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went away. These converts acted on the popular belief, that virtue proceeded from the bodies of our Lord and His Apostles. St Luke notices this belief in his Gospel (Luke 8:44), and St Mark says of Jesus (Mark 5:30) ‘perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth.’ The words of Scripture can hardly be made to countenance, though they recognise, the popular belief. Yet, even though these men employed means which were unnecessary and superstitious to display their faith, because of the reality of this faith God did not suffer it to lose its reward.

13. ἐπεχείρησαν δέ τινες καὶ τῶν περιερχομένων Ἰουδαίων ἐξορκιστῶν, and certain also of the Jews that went about as exorcists took upon them. In addition to the real, though ignorant, faith of the converts alluded to in Acts 19:12, some impostors, who had no faith, tried to win more credit for their jugglery by employing the names of Paul and Jesus. These were certain Jews who went about from place to place, professing by charms and spells to cure diseases. The A.V. ‘vagabond’ conveys in modern language a moral censure, which probably these men well deserved, but which is not in the Greek. The Rev. Ver. has adopted strolling:, which gives more nearly the sense of the original but is not a very dignified word. We read in Josephus (Ant. VIII. 2. 5) that ‘God gave Solomon skill against demons for the help and cure of men. And he arranged certain incantations whereby diseases are assuaged, and left behind him forms of exorcism, wherewith they so put to flight the overpowered evil spirits that they never return. And this method of curing is very prevalent among us up to the present time.’ The Jews at Ephesus were professors of this pretended art of healing.

ὀνομάζειν … τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, to name over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus. From an early date the traditional literature of the Jews ascribed great effects to the utterance of the incommunicable divine name. By means of this (they say) it was that Moses slew the Egyptian, and Elisha brought destruction on the mocking children ‘by the name of Jehovah.’ We can understand therefore, if the fame of St Paul were become known, and the name of Jesus connected with his preaching, and with the powers vouchsafed, how these men (living among superstitious Jews) would make a pretence to the possession of the same secrets by which, as they would declare, the cures were wrought.

On these men Chrysostom remarks: τὸν Ἰησοῦν δὲ λέγουσι ἐκεῖνοι ἁπλῶς, δέον εἰπεῖν τὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης σωτῆρα, τὸν ἀναστάντα. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἤθελον ὁμολογῆσαι τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ. διὸ καὶ ἐλέγχει αὐτοὺς ὁ δαίμων ἐπιπηδήσας αὐτοῖς, καὶ εἰπὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν γινώσκω καὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἐπίσταμαι. ὥσει ἔλεγεν· ὑμεῖς οὐ πιστεύετε.

λέγοντες, Ὁρκίζω, saying, I adjure. The singular is the form which each particular pretender would use, when he was performing his exorcism.

14. ἦσαν δέ τινες … ἀρχιερέως ἑπτὰ υἱοί, and there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest. We cannot tell why the title ‘chief priest’ is given to Sceva, but it is not improbable that the name was applied to the heads of the twenty-four courses of the Levitical priesthood, who are called in the Old Testament ‘heads of fathers’ houses.’

τοῦτο ποιοῦντες, who did this, i.e. which agreed to adopt this form of words in their exorcisms. There is no need to suppose that the whole seven were present in the case about to be named, but only that they were all exorcists, and in their wish to seem the best of their class they determined to use words which should connect them with the Christian preacher through whom many miracles were known to have been wrought.

Chrysostom’s comment here is: σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει τοῦ συγγραφέως ἐνταῦθα τὸ ἀνεπαχθές, καὶ πῶς ἱστορίαν μόνον γράφει, καὶ οὐ διαβάλλει. τοῦτο τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐποίει θαυμαστούς. ἀλλὰ τίνος ἦσαν νἱοὶ τὸ ὄνομα λέγει καὶ τὸν ἀριθμόν, διδοὺς τοῖς τότε τεκμήριον ἀξιόπιστον ὧν ἔγραφε. τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν καὶ περιήρχοντο, ἐμπορίας χάριν. οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸν λόγον καταγγέλλοντες. πῶς γάρ; καλῶς δὲ ἔτρεχον λοιπόν, κηρύττοντες δι' ὧν ἔπασχον.

15. ἀποκριθὲν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, and the evil spirit answered and said to them. They had taken upon them to use the name of Jesus, but the result was far contrary to their wishes and intentions. ‘Evil spirit’ is used for the man in whom the spirit was. Cf. Mark 3:11.

τὸν Ἰησοῦν γινώσκω καὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἐπίσταμαι, Jesus I know and Paul I know. It is hardly possible in a translation to mark the difference of the two verbs. In γινώσκω there seems to be intended a recognition and admission of power, in ἐπίσταμαι a recognition of an appointed ministry thereof. The spirit speaking through the man would intimate: I recognise that Jesus has power over evil spirits, and I know that Paul is a true servant of Jesus, through whom Jesus manifests His power. The LXX. has the two verbs in the same sentence (Isaiah 48:8) οὔτε ἔγνως, οὔτε ἠπίστω.

ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνες ἐστέ; but who are ye? Ye are not like Paul, devoted servants of Jesus. Ye are mere pretenders coming in His name.

16. ἐφαλόμενος, leaping upon, with the power, more than natural, so often displayed by madmen.

κατακυριεύσας ἀμφοτέρων, having gained the mastery over both of them. Here the reading ἀμφοτέρων preserves for us the information that on the occasion here spoken of only two of the family were present. This reading would never have been substituted for the simpler αὐτῶν. But how prone scribes would be to put the simple for the less obvious is easy to see. It is no objection to the recall of this old well-supported reading, that other words in the verse, referring to these brethren are plural and not dual. Plural verbs and adjectives are not unfrequently used with dual subjects. Cf. Matthew 4:18, εἶδεν δύο ἀδελφοὺς βάλλοντας ἀμφίβληστρον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν· ἦσαν γὰρ ἁλιεῖς. There is no instance of a dual noun in the N.T.

ἴσχυσεν κατ' αὐτῶν, he prevailed against them. He put them to flight, tearing their clothes to shreds, and leaving marks of his violence upon their bodies, ἰσχύω is used of a victory won by Alexander in 1 Maccabees 10:49.

17. τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο γνωστόν, and this became known. The sentence refers to a gradual spreading of the story. We may be sure that ‘the sons of Sceva’ said as little about it as they could help.

πᾶσιν Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν τὴν Ἔφεσον, to all both Jews and Greeks that dwelt at Ephesus. Exorcists were plentiful in Ephesus, and what had happened would be taken for a warning.

ἐπέπεσεν φόβος, fear fell on. This was the first and most prevalent. result. It touched every body that heard the history.

ἐμεγαλύνετο τὸ ὄνομα τ. κ. Ἰ., and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. This was the later and no doubt less widespread effect. It was produced among those by whom Jesus was becoming known and worshipped.

18. πολλοί τε τῶν πεπιστευκότων, and many of those who had believed, i.e. who had made a profession of their faith. Clearly it was as yet only an imperfect belief. But the N.T. charity often names those ‘saints’ who are only on the way to become so.

ἤρχοντο ἐξομολογούμενοι, came and confessed, i.e. came before the Apostle and the Christian brethren, and acknowledged that their profession had not as yet been completely followed by their practice.

καὶ ἀναγγέλλοντες τὰς πράξεις αὐτῶν, and published their deeds. ἀναγγέλλω implies the ‘making of a public announcement.’ The πράξεις were the practices connected with witchcraft, sorcery and exorcism, that were inconsistent with the Christian life. πρᾶξις is thus used, without any defining word, of an evil course of action in Luke 23:51.

19. ἱκανοὶ δὲ τῶν τὰ περίεργα πραξάντων, and not a few (so R.V. to make a distinction from the πολλοί of Acts 19:18) of them which used curious arts. The τὰ περίεργα were magic, jugglery and all such practices as make pretence to supernatural agency. The word is used of magic arts both in classical and patristic Greek, and the kindred verb is used of Socrates (Plato, Apol. 8) because of his statement concerning his inward spiritual monitor or dæmon. Cf. also Sirach 3:23, ἐν τοῖς περισσοῖς τῶν ἔργων σου μὴ περιεργάζου, where the whole warning is against prying into things too hard for a man.

συνενέγκαντες τὰς βίβλους, having brought their books together. We have seen above that the Jews had receipts for incantations and exorcisms professedly dating back to the days of Solomon, and among the heathen population of Ephesus such writings were vastly abundant. Indeed Ἐφέσια γράμματα ‘Ephesian letters’ was a common expression, signifying charms composed of magic words and worn as amulets, and supposed to be efficacious against all harm. We are told of a wrestler who could not be thrown while he wore such a charm, but who was easily overcome when it was taken away. Some of these amulets were said to be composed of the letters which were upon the crown and girdle and feet of the statue of Artemis in the temple at Ephesus. See Farrar’s St Paul, II. 26, and the authorities there quoted.

κατέκαιον ἐνώπιον πάντων, burned them in the sight of all men, i.e. where all might see who were there. We must remember that what they burnt were rolls of written material, not books after the modern fashion, which are extremely difficult to burn. Such a burning pile must have attracted much notice, and was a proof that the descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 19:6) had wrought in Ephesus in the same way as aforetime in Jerusalem.

καὶ συνεψήφισαν τὰς τιμὰς αὐτῶν, and they counted the price of them. And in the sacrifice we must think not only of the cost of the books, but of the hopes of gain which were thrown also into the fire by those to whom ‘curious arts’ had been a revenue.

καὶ εὗρον ἀργυρίου μυριάδας πέντε, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. As the scene of this abjuration was among a Greek population, it is almost certain that the Attic drachma is the coin in which the reckoning is made. As 24 of these were a little more in value than our English pound, we may consider that more than two thousand pounds worth of rolls and slips of magic treatises was consumed.

As an example of the omission of the coin in which a sum is reckoned, cf. the English ‘ten thousand a year.’

20. οὕτως κατὰ κράτος, so mightily. The phrase is common in classical Greek in the sense of ‘with all one’s power and might.’

21. ὡς δὲ ἐπληρώθη ταῦτα, and after these things were ended. The foundations of the Ephesian Church seemed fully laid, when sacrifices of such a kind had been made by the converts, and so St Paul feels that he may leave the seed sown in good hope that it will grow.

ἔθετο ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πνεύματι, Paul purposed in the spirit, i.e. he had settled it in his own mind.

διελθὼν τὴν ΄ακεδονίαν καὶ Ἀχαΐαν, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. Intending, no doubt, as was his wont, to visit the Churches which had been founded on his previous mission (chapp. 16–18) from Philippi to Corinth.

πορεύεσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, to go to Jerusalem. With contributions, as we know, collected throughout the other Churches for the needs of the central organization of the Christian movement. See 1 Corinthians 16:1-3. There this intended journey through Macedonia and to Corinth is alluded to, and the reason assigned for the Apostle’s lingering in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-9) ‘I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost, for a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.’ The opening of the door was manifest in the burning piles of magic books. Of the many adversaries we read in this chapter in a description which might justify the Apostle in using the language of the Psalmist, ‘Great bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.’ And perhaps such a thought was in his mind when he wrote of ‘fighting with beasts at Ephesus’ (1 Corinthians 15:32).

εἰπὼν ὅτι ΄ετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι … ἰδεῖν, saying, After I have been there I must also see Rome. Of the long-cherished desire which he had to visit the Imperial City, the Apostle speaks Romans 1:13, in which passage he intimates that the purpose had been often entertained, but hitherto disappointed.

21, 22. ST PAUL’S PLANS FOR HIS JOURNEY FROM EPHESUS

22. ἀποστείλας δὲ εἰς τὴν ΄ακεδονίαν, so having sent unto Macedonia. No doubt to make arrangements that the contributions of the Churches might be in readiness, and that there should be no gatherings when Paul himself came, as he says to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:2).

διακονούντων, of them that ministered unto him. The chief duty of such διάκονοι was in collecting and dispensing the alms of the brethren. On the former of these duties Timothy and Erastus were most likely now engaged.

Τιμόθεον καὶ Ἔραστον, Timothy and Erastus. The former had laboured in Macedonia and in Greece when St Paul was there before; the latter is mentioned (2 Timothy 4:20) as having stayed at Corinth, in that later period when the second Epistle to Timothy was written. He can hardly be the same person as Erastus the chamberlain of the city of Corinth spoken of in Romans 16:23.

αὐτὸς ἐπέσχεν χρόνον εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν, he himself stayed in Asia for a season. For the phrase, in which ἑαυτόν must be supplied after the verb, cf. LXX. Genesis 8:10, καὶ ἐπισχὼν ἔτι ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ ἑτέρας. We may perhaps infer from the mention of Asia rather than Ephesus that St Paul did not remain constantly at Ephesus, at all events when the congregation there became firmly established, but making that city his head-quarters, went out into other districts of the province of proconsular Asia.

23. κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον, about that time. This is better than A.V. ‘the same time,’ and there is some gain in accuracy of rendering of these connecting phrases. The literal rendering allows of the lapse of some period between the action of the converts in burning their magic books, and the uproar of the silversmiths. No doubt one movement was in part, but need not have been entirely, a consequence of the other, and the A.V. connects them more closely than is done by the original.

περὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, about the Way. See above on Acts 19:9.

23–41. HEATHEN OUTBREAK AGAINST ST PAUL AND HIS TEACHING

24. ἀργυροκόπος is found in LXX. Judges 17:4; Jeremiah 6:29.

ναοὺς ἀργυροῦς Ἀρτέμιδος, silver shrines of Diana. These appear to have been little models either of the temple or of the shrine in which the image was preserved. We may be quite sure that the ingenuity of Greek artists devised forms enough and sizes enough to suit all needs. Smaller specimens might be carried about and worn as ornaments and amulets at the same time; the larger could be kept in the houses of their possessors, and would be a sign of wealth as well as of devotion.

The goddess worshipped at Ephesus was called Artemis, but this Ephesian Artemis was totally distinct from Artemis the Greek goddess, the sister of Apollo. It is believed that the Ephesian worship was originally Asiatic, and that when the Greeks sent colonies to Asia Minor they found it already established there, and from some resemblance which they discovered in the worship they gave the Asian divinity the name of Artemis. The Ephesian Artemis was the personification of the fruitful and nurturing powers of nature, and so the image in the temple represented her with many breasts. Her whole figure is said to have been like a mummy, standing upright and tapering downwards to a point. Her crown and girdle and the pedestal on which the figure stood had upon it engraved signs or letters, and the body was covered with figures of mystical animals. All these things would furnish abundant variety for the craft of the silversmiths.

οὐκ ὀλίγην ἐργασίαν, no small gain. The R.V. renders ‘no little business.’ The word no doubt means primarily ‘employment’ by which a living is made, but we have it used twice in chap. Acts 16:16; Acts 16:19 of the ‘gain’ made by the Philippian masters from the ravings of the girl who was possessed, and here too ‘gain’ seems the better sense. It was because their gains were going that the uproar was made, and probably Demetrius himself, the most fierce of all the rioters, did none of the work, but through employing many workmen had a large share of the gains. He calls the gain a business or craft (the same word) in Acts 19:25, that being, as has been said, the first sense of the word, but there is no need to cast aside the other sense which it equally bears.

25. οὓς συναθροίσας καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἑργάτας, whom having gathered together along with the workmen of like occupation. His own special branch of the craft was the carving and engraving of these shrines, as we learn from the word ἀργυροκόπος. But before the work reached the higher stage, the materials had to pass through many hands in preparation, and from the smelter of the metal up to him who added the final touches of adornment and polishing all were concerned in the threatened loss of trade.

ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ἐργασίας ἡ εὐπορία ἡμῖν ἐστιν, from this craft we have our wealth. Such an appeal would go home at once. Their income and prosperity were assailed by the new teaching.

26. καὶ θεωρεῖτε καὶ ἀκούετε, and ye see and hear. Of what had happened in Ephesus they were eyewitnesses, while the falling-off in the demand for their wares would be brought to their knowledge from all sides. The Christian preaching and preachers did not confine themselves to Ephesus.

οὐ μόνον Ἐφέσου ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν πάσης τῆς Ἀσίας, not alone at Ephesus, out almost throughout all Asia. Beside Ephesus itself we have only notices through St Paul’s writings of Churches founded at Colossæ, Laodicæa, and Hierapolis. But in the Apocalypse we find beside these, Pergamus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia, places whose position shews us that through about two-thirds of the coastline of Asia important centres of Christian life were formed before that book was written, and we cannot doubt that by St Paul and his fellow-workers the Gospel was preached in all that district. Hence the alarm of Demetrius.

ὁ Παῦλος οὗτος, this Paul. If we think of the bodily presence of St Paul which he himself always describes as insignificant, and which would be familiar to the hearers of Demetrius, we can fancy the scorn which would be thrown into the words as they fell from the angry lips of the probably stalwart craftsman.

πείσας μετέστησεν, hath persuaded and turned away, i.e. from their devotion to Artemis, and so from their purchase of shrines.

27. οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο κινδυνεύει ἡμῖν τὸ μέρος εἰς ἀπελεγμὸν ἐλθεῖν, and not only is this our craft in danger to be set at nought, τὸ μέρος = the portion or share which we make by our trade. ἀπελεμός seems to be found only here. The simpler form ἐλεγμός, in the sense of rebuke, is not uncommon in the LXX.

On this Chrysostom comments thus: ὅρα παρ' ἐχθρῶν τὰς μαρτυρίας τοῖς ἀποστόλοις γινομένας. ἐκεῖ μὲν ἔλεγον, ἰδοὺ πεπληρώκατε τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ τῆς διδαχῆς ὑμῶν. ἐνταῦθα ὅτι μέλλει καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἡ μεγαλειότης. τότε οἱ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀναστατώσαντες ἤκουον, ὅτο οὗτοι καὶ ἐνθάδε πάρεισι, νῖν ὅτι κινδυνεύει ἡμῖν τοῦτο τὸ μέρος εἰς ἀπελεγμὸν ἐλθεῖν. οὕτω καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔλεγον. ὅρατε ὅτι ὁ κόσμος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπάγει.

τὸ τῆς μεγάλης θεᾶς ἱερὸν Ἀρτέμιδος, the temple of the great goddess Diana (Artemis). This was one of the wonders of the ancient world, and the glory and pride of all the Ephesians, and the recent explorations of Mr Wood (see Wood’s Ephesus) have made us aware of the grandeur of the edifice and the consequent reason for this pride. Even the fragments of the architecture in the British Museum make it plain that the whole temple must have been a work of unsurpassed magnificence. No expense had been spared on its building, and the munificence of worshippers maintained it in full splendour. It was also used as a divinely-secured treasure-house, and those who made use of it in this way no doubt paid liberally for the protection. Tradition said, as it said of many another heathen idol, that the image in the shrine fell down from heaven. The description of this image (see Acts 19:24) is taken from coins which were current at the date when the Acts of the Apostles was written.

εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι, should be made of no account, as would be the case if men began to think that they were no gods which were made with hands. In his eagerness to save the trade, Demetrius forgets to put forward what the townclerk mentions afterwards (Acts 19:35), that the image was held to have come down from heaven. He is only interested in the support of what supplied his wealth.

καὶ καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς μεγαλειότητος αὐτῆς, should even be deposed from her magnificence. μεγαλειότης is sometimes used for the ‘mighty power’ of God, cf. Luke 9:43, and the ‘majesty’ of Christ, cf. 2 Peter 1:16.

The collocation in the same clause of τε καί here and in Acts 21:28 in the sense of and even is very unusual, and not found in classical Greek, where these particles unite different clauses as both … and. See Winer-Moulton, p. 548.

ἣν ὅλη ἡ Ἀσία καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη σέβεται, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth; for wealth from the East as well as from Greece and Rome was bestowed at this gorgeous shrine.

28. ἀκούσαντες δὲ κ.τ.λ., and when they heard this they became filled with wrath, &c. Demetrius had appealed to them in such wise as to excite them more by each fresh argument. Their self-interest first, and their pride and superstition afterwards.

29. καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ πόλις τῆς συγχύσεως, and the city was filled with the confusion. The city was not so directly interested in the gains of the silversmiths, but equally with them was proud of the glory and magnificence which Ephesus had, as the seat of the worship of Artemis. So that the noise that began in the meeting which Demetrius had gathered was taken up by the Ephesian population, and they needed a wider space for the crowds now pouring together from every side. σύγχυσις intimates that the throng gathered in great excitement.

εἰς τὸ θέατρον, into the theatre. The theatre was the scene of all the great games and exhibitions of the city. Its ruins still remain and give evidence that when this crowd assembled there it was a building that could hold 25,000 or 30,000 people (see Wood’s Ephesus, p. 68; Fellowes, Asia Minor, p. 274). As Gaius and Aristarchus were not Jews, but the former perhaps of Roman extraction, if we may judge by his name, and the latter a Greek, with rights which even the Ephesian mob would not venture to outrage, we do not read of anything more done to them, than their being dragged along with the crowd towards the place of meeting. It might be thought that they could tell how St Paul was to be found, and when they could not, they were let go.

συναρπάσαντες, having carried off with them. The verb implies that a search had been made wherever the preachers were likely to be found. Gaius and Aristarchus must have been seized by the crowd because they were not able to find Paul. We may see therefore that between the meeting of the craftsmen and the greater assembly in the theatre, there had been search made by the mob that they might lay hands on the Apostle. It is interesting to note that the companionship of these Macedonian converts gives evidence of the permanent effect of the labours of St Paul in that country on his previous journey. The brevity of the record in the Acts makes it important to observe such indications wherever they are given undesignedly. This Gaius is not identical with any other of the same name met with in Acts 20:4, and Romans 16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:15. Of Aristarchus we hear again in Acts 20:4 and Acts 27:2, for he accompanied St Paul in his voyage to Rome, and is mentioned in the Epistles written at that time (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24). As natives of Colossæ, and most probably Philemon himself, came to Ephesus and heard the preaching of St Paul there, Aristarchus may have been personally known to those to whom the Apostle sends his greeting in the above-named letters.

30. Παύλου δὲ βουλομένου εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν δῆμον, and when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people. Through a strength not his own, the Apostle, feeble in frame though he seems to have been, waxed bold in danger where an opportunity appeared to be offered of testifying unto Christ.

οὐκ εἴων αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταί, the disciples suffered him not. These were the brethren forming the Christian congregation, to some of whom the storm that was rising would be known much sooner than to the Apostle. They had evidently conveyed him from his usual abode, and were taking care of him until the excitement was allayed. They would tell him, of course, all that they heard of what was doing, and it was on hearing this, that he wanted to go and appear before the crowd in the theatre.

31. τινὲς δὲ καὶ τῶν Ἀσιαρχῶν, ὄντες αὐτῷ φίλοι, and certain also of the chief officers of Asia, being his friends. The Ἀσιαρχαί were officers in the various cities of proconsular Asia, appointed to preside over the games and religious festivals. In Ephesus these men would be of much importance, for in addition to the other games over which they would preside, the whole month of May was sacred to Artemis, being called Artemision, and was given up to festivals in honour of the city’s idol. We read of an Asiarch at Smyrna in the narrative of the martyrdom of Polycarp (Euseb. H. E. iv. 15).

It would seem, from the fact that some of these prominent officials were friends to St Paul, that though presiding over the games and festivals for the satisfaction of the populace, they had no great care for Artemis or her worship.

πέμψαντες πρὸς αὐτὸν παρεκάλουν, sent unto him and besought him. παρακαλέω generally = beseech. The use of such a word indicates the personal interest these officers felt in the Apostle’s safety. We also gather from the narrative that they knew where Paul was, though the mob had failed to find him.

32. ἄλλοι μὲν οὖν ἄλλο τι ἔκραζον, some therefore cried one thing and some another. As the craftsmen had not secured Paul, against whom Demetrius had directed their rage, there was no central object to arrest the general attention. Hence no settled cry was raised.

ἦν γὰρ ἡ ἐκκλησία συγκεχυμένη, for the assembly was confused. The σύγχυσις in the city (see Acts 19:29) had become intensified by the rush into the theatre.

καὶ οἱ πλείους οὐκ ᾔδεισαν κ.τ.λ., and the greater part did not know, &c. All that would be heard by many would be the shouts of the mob, from which nothing could be gathered about St Paul as the offender. Amid cries of ‘Artemis for ever’ or ‘Hurrah for Demetrius,’ little would be learnt of how the tumult had begun.

33. ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ὄχλου συνεβίβασαν Ἀλέξανδρον, and some of the multitude instructed Alexander. What he seems to have been intended to do, was to explain on behalf of the Jews, that he and his fellow Jews had no more sympathy with St Paul than the heathen multitude had. It is just possible that this Alexander may be the same with him who is mentioned 2 Timothy 4:14.

συμβιβάζω in this sense of ‘to instruct’ is common in the LXX., cf. Exodus 4:12; Exodus 4:15; Deuteronomy 4:9, &c. But προεβίβασαν of the Text. recept. gives a very good sense, ‘and out of the crowd they brought forward Alexander.’

προβαλόντων αὐτὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων, the Jews putting him forward. Thus it becomes clear that Alexander was no Christian, for the Jews could have had no interest in bringing forward anybody who would speak in defence of St Paul. But they were clearly concerned in hindering, if they could, this uproar, raised against one who to the heathen would be counted as a Jew, from developing into a general attack on their race. We see that this might be no unlikely result, for the crowd, recognising the Jewish face of the intending speaker, would not hear a word that he had to say.

κατασείσας τὴν χεῖρα, having waved the hand, i.e. so as to ensure silence. The more usual form in N.T. is κ. τῇ χειρί. Cf. Acts 12:17; Acts 13:16; Acts 21:40.

ἤθελεν ἀπολογεῖσθαι τῷ δήμῳ, would have made a defence. There was nothing laid against him. But the Jews felt that they were all likely to be included in the vengeance to be taken on these Jews whom Demetrius had attacked. So they put forward their spokesman to disclaim all connexion with St Paul and his companions.

34. ἐπιγνόντες δέ, but when they perceived. The Jews would everywhere be readily known, both by their features and by their garb. We can see from the way in which the mob took fire at the sight of a Jewish speaker, that the apprehension of an attack on the Jews generally was not without grounds.

φωνή ἐγένετο μία ἐκ πάντων, all with one voice. The grammar here is disjointed. After ἐπιγνόντες we should have a verb in the plural (e.g. ἐφώνησαν). Instead of this the participle is left in suspense, and a new nominative introduced. For a participle similarly left cf. Mark 9:20.

ὡς ἐπὶ ὥρας δύο, for the space of two hours. They had found a common object to cry out against. Thus they became all of one voice. They took up the cry, first started by the craftsmen, and persisted in it with all the energy which characterizes a fanatical mob.

Chrysostom’s reflection is: παιδικὴ ὄντως ἡ διάνοια. καθάπερ φοβούμενοι μὴ σβεσθῇ τὸ σέβας αὐτῶν συνεχῶς ἐβόων.

35. καταστείλας, having quieted, i.e. reduced them to such a degree of order that he could make himself heard. The ‘appease’ of A.V. is too strong. They were hardly appeased even when his speech was done. Cf. 3 Maccabees 6:1, Ἐλεάζαρος … τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν καταστείλας πρεσβυτέρους. In the verse preceding we are told ἀνεβόησαν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ σφόδρα.

ὁ γραμματεύς, the townclerk. It is not easy to find an English word which comes at all near the significance of this title. ‘Recorder’ has been proposed, because he had charge of the city archives, and Luther calls him ‘chancellor.’ He was a most important personage, and his title is found at times on the coinage. He also gave name in some places to the year, like the Archon at Athens. Through him all public communications were made to the city, and in his name replies were given. It is this part of his duty which has led to the rendering ‘townclerk.’

φησίν, he says. The speech is full of ability, and shews that the man was fitted for his eminent position. It seems to shew also that the higher classes (as has been noticed in the case of the Asiarchs) were not so devoted to the service of the goddess as were the common people.

νεωκόρον, worshipper. Rev. Vers. ‘temple-keeper.’ Lit. ‘temple sweeper.’ The name no doubt was first used to imply that any office in the service of so magnificent a goddess was a grand distinction; and not in Ephesus only did the worshippers of a special divinity apply this title to themselves. Thus Josephus B. J. v. 9 4 applies it to the Jews as worshippers of Jehovah. The word also occurs in Plato’s Laws 6:759.

τῆς μεγάλης Ἀρτέμιδος, of the great Artemis (Diana). It seems more natural in the mouth of the γραμματεύς that θεᾶς should be omitted.

τοῦ Διοπετοῦς, of the image which fell down from Jupiter. The adj. Διοπετές agrees with ἄγαλμα or some such word, which would be as naturally omitted in common speech as θεᾶς in the previous clause. The first part of the speech of the γραμματεύς is directed to point out how uncalled for their uproar is. There is no need for them to shout about the greatness of the Ephesian goddess. Everybody in the world is aware how devoted the city is to her worship and how glorious is her temple.

36. ἀναντιρρήτων οὖν ὄντων τούτων, seeing then that these things cannot be gainsaid. Even those who spoke against the worship as St Paul had done, could not dispute the facts just stated by the γραμματεύς about the devotion of the Ephesians to their goddess.

δέον ἐστὶν ὑμᾶς κατεσταλμένους ὑπάρχειν, ye ought to be quiet, i.e. not raising an uproar like this. See on the verb, Acts 19:35, above.

καὶ μηδὲν προπετὲς πράσσειν, and to do nothing rash. προπετές describes the headstrong outrageous uproar for which there was no reason, and from which no good could come, and also their conduct in seizing two persons who were not the offenders and against whom, as it appears, they could take no proceedings.

In the LXX. the word is always used of rash talk. Cf. Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 13:3; Sirach 9:18.

37. τοὺς ἄνδρας τούτους, these men, Gaius and Aristarchus.

ἱεροσύλους, robbers of temples. As the temple at Ephesus had a great treasure-chamber, the offence might not be unknown among them. All that was placed under the guardianship of the goddess would be for the time the property of the temple, to steal which would be sacrilege.

ἱερόσυλος is applied to Lysimachus (2 Maccabees 4:42) for his plundering of the temple at Jerusalem. αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν ἱερόσυλον παρὰ τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον ἐχειρώσαντο.

οὔτε βλασφημοῦντας τὴν θεὸν ἡμῶν, nor blasphemers of our goddess. In a popular address it is natural that such a speaker would identify himself with his fellow-citizens. We may gather from this verse that the language of St Paul and his companions had been measured when they had spoken about the special worship of Ephesus. They had inculcated the great principle that those were no gods which were made with hands and had allowed that to do its work. We find the same restraint put on himself by St Paul at Athens, though he was greatly moved to see the city wholly given to idolatry. Different conduct in either of these cities would most likely have deprived him of all chance of a hearing.

38. ἔχουσιν πρός τινα λόγον, have a matter against any man, i.e. have any charge which they wish to bring. For the concerns in which the shrine-makers are interested must be such as the legal tribunals can take cognizance of.

ἀγοραῖοι ἄγονται, the law is open. This is the general sense. With ἀγοραῖοι we must supply ἡμέραι. The sense will then be ‘court days are appointed’ i.e. there are proper times fixed when such causes can be heard; or perhaps better, because of the verb which seems to imply that the opportunity of legal action is even now open, ‘court-meetings are now going on.’ In this latter sense σύνοδοι or some similar noun must be supplied with ἀγοραῖοι.

καὶ ἀνθύπατοί εἰσιν, and there are proconsuls. For the word ἀνθύπατος, cf. Acts 13:7-8; Acts 13:12. Asia, in which Ephesus was situated, was a proconsular province (see Conybeare and Howson, II. 78). The difficulty in the present verse has arisen from the use of the plural number, for there was only one proconsul over a province at the same time, and there could only be one in Ephesus when the townclerk was speaking. But if we consider that he is speaking merely of the provision made by the institutions of the empire for obtaining justice in a case of wrong, we can see that his words need not occasion much trouble. ‘Proconsuls are (he says) an imperial institution. In every province like ours there exists such a supreme magistrate, and so there is no fear about obtaining redress for real injuries.’ Another explanation (due to Basnage, and alluded to in the notes of Conybeare and Howson, u. s.) is that after the poisoning of the proconsul Silanus (as related Tac. An. XIII. 1), Celer and Ælius, who governed the province of Asia as procurators, might be intended by this plural title. Others have thought that there might be present in Ephesus some other proconsul from a neighbouring province, as Cilicia, Cyprus, Bithynia or elsewhere; but the first seems the easier explanation.

ἐγκαλείτωσαν ἀλλήλοις, let them accuse one another. Of course the accusation would be one side, the defence the other. What the γραμματεύς means is ‘let them take steps to obtain a legal decision.’

39. εἰ δέ τι περὶ ἑτέρων ἐπιζητεῖτε, but if ye seek anything about other matters. The ‘seeking’ alluded to is by a legal process. If the matter were of such a character as to come before the proconsul, there he was, ready to hear the cause. It was, as we might say, ‘assize time.’ But if the question was of another kind, one for the jurisdiction of the ordinary city courts, then they could apply at the proper time and place.

ἐννόμῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ, in the regular assembly. There were no doubt legally fixed days and times for the city courts. To these it is that the allusion is made.

Chrysostom explains: ἔννομον ἐκκλησίαν φησί, διότι τρεῖς ἐκκλησίαι ἐγίνοντο κατὰ νόμον καθ' ἕκαστον μῆνα.

40. καὶ γὰρ κινδυνεύομεν ἐγκαλεῖσθαι στάσεως περὶ τῆς σήμερον, for indeed we are in danger to be accused of a riot concerning this day. ἐγκαλεῖν in the previous verse = to accuse, and this meaning should be preserved here. στάσις is the name which the γραμματεύς hints, by this sentence, that other people will give to the gathering in the theatre. He calls it by a gentler term, συστροφή.

μηδένος αἰτίου ὑπάρχοντος, there being no cause, i.e. why any concourse should have been gathered.

περὶ οὖ οὐ δυνησόμεθα ἀποδοῦναι λόγον τῆς συστροφῆς ταύτης, and as touching it we shall not be able to give account of this concourse. It seems clear that περὶ οὖ could not mean (as A.V.) whereby. The insertion of a second οὔ, = not, is warranted by much MS. testimony, but it is not easy to render, and Westcott and Hort think that there must still be some error in the text. The relative οὖ does not grammatically accord with any part of the sentence to which it ought to be referred. But the rendering given is perhaps the best which can be made of the word, and οὔ as a neuter must be taken to refer to the matter as a whole.

41. ἀπέλυσεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, he dismissed the assembly. This he could do in his official capacity. Probably the last argument which he used would have most weight with his audience. If such riotous conduct were reported at Rome it might lead to a curtailment of the privileges of their city.

Chrysostom remarks: οὕτως ἔσβεσε τὸν θυμόν. ὥσπερ γὰρ ῥᾳδίως ἐξάπτεται, οὕτω καὶ ῥᾳδίως σβέννυται.