Chap. xviii. 27.) Paul was return- 4. D. 57.
ed from Jerufalem, and coming
by Phrygia and Galatia (the up-
per Coafts of Afia the lefs) was
got to Ephefus, as he had pro-
mifed Aquila and Prifcilla he

while Apollos was at
Corinth, Paul having
paffed through the
upper coafts, came to
Ephefus, and finding
certain difciples,
would do. (Chap. xviii. 21.)

2. He faid unto them, Have ye received the holy Ghoft fince ye believed? and they faid unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghoft.

2. There he found twelve Perfons that had been Difciples of John the Baptift, and who believed Jefus to be the true Meffiah, but had very probably left feru falem before the Day of Pentecoft, and living in fome remote Parts where the Gofpel had not yet been preached, had never yet heard of the miraculous Effufion of the Holy Ghoft upon the Chriftian Church; as they told Paul, when he demanded whether any of them had received that Bleffing or no.

3. And he said un- 3. At which Anfwer, he asked to them, Unto what them what Baptifm they had, then were ye baptiz- and what the Subftance of their ed? and they faid, Profeffion was? They reply'd, Unto Johns baptifm. That John's Baptism and Doctrine was all they had yet attained to. 4. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptifm of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which fhould come after him, that is, on Chrift Jefus.

4. Whereupon Paul gave them fully to understand, That the Profeffion of John Baptift was only Preparatory to the Chriftian Religion, engaging Men to Faith in a Meffiah, that was fhortly to appear, and to such a Reformation of Life as would qualify them for the Bleffings he was to bring K 2 with

* Ver. 2. We have not so much as heard, &c. Strange! That Difciples of John Baptift, and Believers in Chrift, fhould never have heard of the Holy Spirit! But the Words have a plain Reference to the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost. And the Meaning is not, Whether there be any Holy Ghoft, at all; but whether there be as yet given any spiritual Gifts to Believers in Chrift. Compare John vii 39.

A. D. 57. with him. But whereas they believed that CHRIST was now actually come, it was needful they should be baptized into his Name, and fo receive a Title to the peculiar Privileges of his Religion! One of which was, an extraordinary Endowment of the Holy Ghost, on feveral Persons in every Church, now in the first Propagation of the Gospel.

de

5, 6 & 7. The Men thus fully inftructed, were accordingly baptized into the Chriftian Religion; after which, Paul by folemn Impofition of Hands, conferred upon the whole Twelve the miracu

lous Powers of fpeaking diverse Languages, and of understanding the Scripture Prophecies, to qualify them to propagate and preach the Gospel.

* Ver. 5. When they heard this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Note, This Verfe is understood, by Drufius, Beza, and others, to be, not the Words of Luke the Hiftorian, but a Continuation of the Speech of St. Paul thus When they (the People in Ver. 4) heard this (i. e. this Saying of John Baptift, ibid.) they (by being baptized by John's Baptifm) were really baptized in the Name, and into the Religion of the Lord Jesus · And fo were these twelve here, and had no Occafion to be re baptized.

1

departed from them, and feparated the difciples, difputing daily in the fchool of one Tyrannus.

10. And this continued by the space of two years; fo that all they which dwelt in Afia, heard the word of the Lord Jefus, both Jews and Greeks.

the Chriftian Faith.

11.And God wrought fpecial miracles by the

hands of Paul:

12. So that from his body were brought unto the fick, handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases de

it; he left their Synagogue, and A. D. 57-
drew the Chriftian Converts from
affembling any longer there, and
for the future preached in the
School of one Tyrannus.

10. And continued fo to do
for two Years together, with fo
good Succefs, that the Jews and
Profelytes of almoft all the Coun-
tries of the leffer or Proconfular
Afia, that reforted to Ephefus, had
the Opportunity of being taught

among

11 & 12. And to give all that were any Thing well difpofed to believe the Truth, the utmost Arguments of Conviction, it pleased God to beftow on Paul a Power of working very strange and uncommon Miracles them; for he not only cured the difeafed and poffeffed People, by fpeaking to them, and being prefent with them, but even by fending to them any Linen Cloth, or Garment touched with his Body, he at a Distance reftored the Sick, and caft out evil Spirits from their Bodies.

parted from them, and the evil fpirits went

out of them.

13. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcifts, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jefus, faying, We adjure you by Jefus whom Paul preacheth.

13. This wonderful Power of A. D. 58. Paul being taken Notice of, and admired by all Sorts of People, fome Jews that used to make a Trade of ftrowling about, with Pretences to cure poffeffed People by magical Arts and Conjurations, hoped that if they made use of the Name of JESUS, as Paul did, they might work the fame Effect; and fo tried it upon feveral, commanding the Devils in the Name of * JESUS, whom Paul preached, to be gone.

K 3

14. Par

Ver. 13. Name of JESUS. See Note on Chap. ii. 21.

A. D. 58.

14. Particularly seven of these Strollers, that were all the Sons of one of the chief Priests, attempted it upon a poffeffed Perfon, all at the fame Time, in Hopes, that if they could accomplish their Design, they might leffen Paul's Credit among the People.

15. But to fhew the Vanity of their Attempt, the evil Spirit that poffeffed the poor Man, was contrained by the divine Power to cry out, and acknowledge the fuperior and uncontrollable Authority of JESUS, and of Paul, as acting by his Power: But as for them, he told them they had no Power over him.

fifty thousand pieces of filver.

20. So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed.

21. After thefe things were ended, Paul purposed in the fpirit, when he had passed through Macedonia, and Achaia, to

go to Jerufalem, faying, After I have been there, I muft al

fo fee Rome.

22. So he fent into Macedonia two of them that miniftred unto him, Timotheus, and Eraftus; but he himself ftayed in

Afia for a feason.

ing Words, Spells, and Charms,
and burned them publickly;
which, if fold at the ordinary
Price, would have given Fifty
Thousand Pieces of Silver *.

21. After this Paul, by Direc- A. D. 60.
tion of the Holy Spirit, intend-
ed to go to Jerufalem, and after-
ward to Rome, but defigned first
to make a Vifit to the feveral

Churches he had before planted
in Macedonia and Achaia, or
Greece (Chap. xvii and xviii.)

22. And accordingly fent Timothy and Eraftus (two of his conftant Attendants) into Macedonia before-hand, to give them Notice of his intended Vifit, but ftaid himfelf at Ephefus a while longer (probably to fix and fettle

feveral Matters relating to the Government of that Church.)

23. And the fame time there arose no

fmall ftir about that

way.

24. For a certain man named Demetrius, a filver-fmith, which made filver fhrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen.

23. During which Stay of his, there happened a violent Tumult at Ephefus against him and his Doctrine.

24 & 25. This Riot was occafioned by one Demetrius, whofe Trade was to make little Silver Chapels, reprefenting the Form of a Temple, with Diana's Image in it; by the Sale of which, he 25. Whom got great Riches, and maintained K 4

abun

Ver. 19. Fifty thousand Pieces of Silver. Note, If these Silver-Pieces were Shekels, of the Hebrew Valuation, i. e. of each Shekel being equal to about three Shillings English Money; the whole Sum will amount to about feven thousand five hundred Pound.