And taking their journey through Amphipolis and Apollonia — St. Luke seems to have been left at Philippi; and to have continued in those parts, travelling from place to place among the Churches, till St. Paul returned thither. For here he leaves off speaking of himself as one of St. Paul's company;... [ Continue Reading ]
And Paul, according to his custom — Of doing all things, as far as might be, in a regular manner, went in to them three Sabbath days — Not excluding the days between.... [ Continue Reading ]
Of the principal women, not a few — Our free thinkers pique themselves upon observing, that women are more religious than men; and this, in compliment both to religion and good manners, they impute to the weakness of their understandings. And indeed as far as nature can go, in imitating religion by... [ Continue Reading ]
These were more ingenuous — Or generous. To be teachable in the things of God is true generosity of soul. The receiving the word with all readiness of mind, and the most accurate search into the truth, are well consistent.... [ Continue Reading ]
Many of the — Of the Jews. And of the Grecian women — Who were followed by their husbands.... [ Continue Reading ]
While Paul was waiting for the — Having no design, as it seems, to preach at Athens, but his zeal for God drew him into it unawares, without staying till his companions came.... [ Continue Reading ]
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosopher — The Epicureans entirely denied a providence, and held the world to be the effect of mere chance; asserting sensual pleasure to be man's chief good, and that the soul and body died together. The Stoics held, that matter was eternal; that all things were g... [ Continue Reading ]
The Areopagus, or hill of Mars, (dedicated to Mars, the heathen god of war,) was the place where the Athenians held their supreme court of judicature. But it does not appear he was carried thither as a criminal. The original number of its judges was twelve; but afterward it increased to three hundre... [ Continue Reading ]
And the strangers sojourning there — And catching the distemper of them. Some new thing — The Greek word signifies some newer thing. New things quickly grew cheap, and they wanted those that were newer still.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus — An ample theatre; said — Giving them a lecture of natural divinity, with admirable wisdom, acuteness, fulness, and courtesy. They inquire after new things: Paul in his divinely philosophical discourse, begins with the first, and goes on to the last... [ Continue Reading ]
I found an altar — Some suppose this was set up by Socrates, to express in a covert way his devotion to the only true God, while he derided the plurality of the heathen gods, for which he was condemned to death: and others, that whoever erected this altar, did it in honour to the God of Israel, of w... [ Continue Reading ]
God who made the world — Thus is demonstrated even to reason, the one true, good God; absolutely different from the creatures, from every part of the visible creation.... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither is he served as though he needed any thing — or person — The Greek word equally takes in both. To all — That live and breathe; — in him we live; and breathe — In him we move. By breathing life is continued. I breathe this moment: the next is not in my power: and all things — For in him we ar... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath made of one blood the whole nation of men — By this expression the apostle showed them in the most unaffected manner, that though he was a Jew, be was not enslaved to any narrow views, but looked on all mankind as his brethren: having determined the times — That it is God who gave men the ea... [ Continue Reading ]
If haply — The way is open; God is ready to be found. But he will lay no force upon man; they might feel after him — This is in the midst between seeking and finding. Feeling being the lowest and grossest of all our senses, is fitly applied to the low knowledge of God; though he be not far from ever... [ Continue Reading ]
In him — Not in ourselves, we live, and move, and have our being — This denotes his necessary, intimate, and most efficacious presence. No words can better express the continual and necessary dependence of all created beings, in their existence and all their operations, on the first and almighty cau... [ Continue Reading ]
We ought not to think — A tender expression especially in the first per son plural. As if he had said, Can God himself be a less noble being than we who are his offspring? Nor does he only here deny, that these are like God, but that they have any analogy to him at all, so as to be capable of repres... [ Continue Reading ]
The times of ignorance — What! does he object ignorance to the knowing Athenians? Yes, and they acknowledge it by this very altar. God overlooked — As one paraphrases, "The beams of his eye did in a manner shoot over it." He did not appear to take notice of them, by sending express messages to them... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world — How fitly does he speak this, in their supreme court of justice? By the man — So he speaks, suiting himself to the capacity of his hearers. Whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead — God raising Je... [ Continue Reading ]
Some mocked — Interrupting him thereby. They took offence at that which is the principal motive of faith, from the pride of reason. And having once stumbled at this, they rejected all the rest.... [ Continue Reading ]
So Paul departed — Leaving his hearers divided in their judgment.... [ Continue Reading ]
Among whom was even Dionysius the Areopagite — One of the judges of that court: on whom some spurious writings have been fathered in later ages, by those who are fond of high sounding nonsense.... [ Continue Reading ]