Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/160

154 ''trouble them. The kingdom of God, which they are to be trained up in, is not meat and drink, either the opposition or the imposition of indifferent things, which will but trouble them; but it is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost'', which we are sure will trouble nobody.

(2.) That yet it would do well that in some things, which gave most offence to the Jews, the Gentiles should comply with them; because they must not humour them so far as to be circumcised, and keep the whole law, it does not therefore follow that they must act in a continual contradiction to them, and study how to provoke them. It will please the Jews (and if a little thing will oblige them, better do so than cross them) if the Gentile converts abstain,

[1.] From pollutions of idols and from fornication; which are two bad things, and always to be abstained from; but writing to them particularly and expressly to abstain from them, (because in these things the Jews were jealous of the Gentiie converts, lest they should transgress,) would very much gratify the Jews; not but that the apostles, both in preaching and writing to the Gentiles that embraced Christianity, were careful to warn against, First, Pollutions of idols, that they should have no manner of fellowship with idolaters in their idolatrous worships, and particularly not in the feasts they held upon their sacrifices. See 1 Cor. 10. 14, &c. 2 Cor. 6. 14, &c. Secondly, Fornication, and all manner of uncleanness. How large, how pressing, is St. Paul in his cautions against this sin! 1 Cor. 6. 9, 15. Eph. 5. 3, &c. But the Jews, who were willing to think the worst of those they did not like, suggested that these were things which the Gentiles, even after conversion, allowed themselves in, and the apostles of the Gentiles connived at it. Now, to obviate this suggestion, and to leave no room for this calumny, St. James advises, that, beside the private admonitions which were given them by their ministers, they should be publicly warned to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication; that herein they should be very circumspect, and should avoid all appearances of those two evils, which would be in so particular a manner offensive to the Jews.

[2.] From things strangled, and from blood; which, though not evil in themselves, as the other two, nor designed to be always abstained from, as those were, had been forbidden by the precepts of Noah, (Gen. 9. 4.) before the giving of the law of Moses; and the Jews had a great dislike to them, and to all those that took a liberty to use them; and therefore, to avoid giving offence, let the Gentile converts, abridge themselves of their liberty herein, 1 Cor. 8. 9, 13. Thus we must become all things to all men.

6. He gives a reason for his advice—That great respect ought to be shewed to the Jews, for they have been so long accustomed to the solemn injunctions of the ceremonial law, that they must be borne with, if they cannot presently come off from them; (v. 21.) For Moses hath of old them that preach him in every city, his writings (a considerable part Of which is the ceremonial law) being read in the synagogues every sabbath-day. "You cannot blame them, if they have a great veneration for the law of Moses; for besides that they are very sure God spake by Moses," (1.) "Moses is continually preached to them, and they are called upon to remember the law of Moses," Mal. 4. 4. Note, Even that word of God which is written to us, should also be preached; those that have the scriptures, have need of ministers to help them to understand and apply the scriptures. (2.) "His writings are read in a solemn religious manner, in their synagogues, and on the sabbath-day, in the place and at the time of their meetings for the worship of God; so that from their childhood they have been trained up in a regard to the law of Moses; the observance of it is a part of their religion." (3.) "This has been done of old time; they have received from their fathers an honour for Moses; they have antiquity for it." (4.) "This has been done in every city, wherever there are any Jews, so that none of them can be ignorant what stress that law laid upon these things; and therefore, though the gospel has set us free from these things, yet they cannot be blamed if they are loath to part with them, and cannot of a sudden be persuaded to look upon those things as needless and indifferent, which they, and their fathers before them, had been so long taught, and taught of God too, to place religion in; and therefore we must give them time, must meet them half-way, they must be borne with a while, and brought on gradually, and we must comply with them as far as we can without betraying our gospel-liberty." Thus does this apostle shew the spirit of a moderator, that is, a spirit of moderation, being careful to give no offence either to Jew or Gentile, and contriving, as much as may be, to please both sides, and provoke neither. Note, We are not to think it strange if people be wedded to customs which they have had transmitted to them from their fathers, and which they have been educated in an opinion of as sacred; and therefore allowances must be made in such cases, and not rigour used.

22. Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23. And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia: 24. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: 25. It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26. Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. 28. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burthen than these necessary things; 29. That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. 30. So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: 31. Which when they had read they rejoiced for the consolation. 32. And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren