Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/101

Rh and night, to kill him. 25. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall, in a basket. 26. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 27. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. 29. And he spake Boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. 30. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. 31. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

Luke here makes no mention of Paul's journey into Arabia, which he tells us himself was immediately after his conversion, Gal. 1. 16, 17. As soon as God had revealed his Son in him, that he might preach him, he went not up to Jerusalem, to receive instructions from the apostles, (as any other convert would have done, that was designed for the ministry,) but he went to Arabia, where there was new ground to break up, and where he would have opportunity of teaching, but not of learning; thence he returned to Damascus, and there, three years after his conversion, this happened, which is here recorded.

I. He met with difficulties at Damascus, and had a narrow escape of being killed there. Observe,

1. What his danger was; (v. 23.) The Jews took counsel to kill him, being more enraged at him than at any other of the preachers of the gospel; not only because he was more lively and zealous in his preaching than any of them, and more successful, but because he had been such a remarkable deserter, and his being a christian was a testimony against them. It is said, (v. 24.) The Jews watched the gates day and night to kill him; they incensed the governor against him, as a dangerous man, who therefore kept the city with a guard to apprehend him, at his going out or coming in, 2 Cor. 11. 32. Now Christ shewed Paul what great things he must suffer for his name, (v. 16.) when here is presently the government in arms against him, which was a great thing, and, as all his other sufferings afterward, helped to make him considerable. Saul was no sooner a christian than a preacher; no sooner a preacher than a sufferer; so quick did he rise to the top of his preferment! Note, Where God gives great grace, he commonly exercises it with great trials.

2. How he was delivered. (1.) The design against him was discovered; Their lying in wait was known of Saul, by some intelligence, whether from heaven or from men, we are not told. (2.) The disciples contrived to help him away, hid him, it is likely, by day, and in the night, the gates being watched, that he could not get away through them, they let him down by the wall, in a basket, as he himself relates it; (2 Cor. 11. 33.) so he escaped out of their hands. This story, as it shews us that when we enter into the way of God we must look for temptation, and prepare accordingly; so it shews us, that the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we may not be by it deterred or driven from the way of God.

II. He met with difficulties at Jerusalem the first time he went thither, v. 26. He came to Jerusalem. This is thought to be that journey to Jerusalem, which he himself speaks of; (Gal. 1. 18.) After three years I went up to Jerusalem, saith he, to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But I rather incline to think that this was a journey before that, because his coming in and going out, his preaching and disputing, (v. 28, 29.) seem to be more than would consist with his fifteen days' stay, (for that was no more,) and to require a longer time; and besides, now he came a stranger, but then he came, —to confer with Peter, as one he was intimate with; however, it might possibly be the same. Now observe,

1. How shy his friends were of him; (v. 26.) When he came to Jerusalem, he did not go to the chief priests and the Pharisees, (he had taken his leave of them long since,) but he assayed to join himself to the disciples; wherever he came, he owned himself one of that despised persecuted people, and associated with them; they were now in his eyes the excellent ones of the earth, in whom was all his delight; he desired to be acquainted with them, and to be admitted into communion with them; but they looked strange upon him, shut the door against him, and would not go about any of their religious exercises if he were by; for they were afraid of him. Now might Paul be tempted to think himself in an ill case, when the Jews had abandoned and persecuted him, and the christians would not receive and entertain him. Thus does he fall into divers temptations, and needs the armour of righteousness, as we all do, both on the right hand and on the left, that we may not be discouraged, either by the unjust treatment of our enemies, or the unkind treatment of our friends.

(1.) See what was the cause of their jealousy of him; They believed not that he was a disciple, but that he only pretended to be so, and came among them as a spy or an informer. They knew what a bitter persecutor he had been, with what fury he went to Damascus some time ago; they had heard nothing of him since, and therefore thought he was but a wolf in sheep's clothing. The disciples of Christ need to be cautious whom they admit into communion with them. Believe not every spirit. There is need of the wisdom of the serpent, to keep the mean between the extremes of suspicion on the one hand and credulity on the other; yet methinks it is safer to err on the charitable side, because it is an adjudged case, that it is better the tares should be found among the wheat than that the wheat should any of it be rooted up, and thrown out of the field.

(2.) See how it was removed; (v. 27.) Barnabas took him to the apostles themselves, who were not so scrupulous as the inferior disciples, to whom he first assayed to join himself, and he declared to them, [1.] What Christ had done for him—he had shewed himself to him in the way, and spoken to him; and what he said. [2.] What he had since done for Christ; he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. How Barnabas came to know this, more than the rest of them, we are not told; whether he had himself been at Damascus, or had had letters from thence, or discoursed with some of that city, by which he came to the knowledge of this; or whether he had formerly been acquainted with Paul