Commentary Upon Acts, Part 1 · Chapter 5
ACTS. CHAP. V.
Vers. 1. But a certaine man named Ananias.
AMong the offerings of others that sold their Lands, there creepeth in the hypocrisie of Ananias and Saphira, a couple that at once would have served God and Mammon; Vain-glory, or Policy, or both, did here strive with covetousnesse and distrust, or rather to speake truly indeed, did conspire. They had the formality to sell their Lands as others did, but they had not the sincerity to part with the money as others had. Their double dealing both in word and deed, is fearefully punished with suddaine death at this beginning of the Christian Church (as Nadab Abilou, and the Sabbath-breaker were at the beginning of the Jewish) that future times might learne from this to beware dissembling with God, and not to dishonour and shame the gifts of the holy Ghost.
Vers. 3. To lye to the holy Ghost, or rather, to belie the holy Ghost.
It was not the sinne onelyonly, barely, and simply considered, that provoked and procured so fearfull a Judgment upon him, but the sinne, as it was circumstantiated and aggravated by some respects. For it seemeth that Ananias was not a common or ordinary beleever, but one of the Ministeriall ranke, and one that had received the gift of the holy Ghost, as well as the rest of the 120. And considerable to this purpose are these two things.
First, that as soon as the Evangelist hath mentioned the pious and upright dealing of Barnabas (which was a Preacher) in the sale of his Lands, hee commeth to the story of Ananias, as a man of the same function, & relateth his wretchednes in the
Secondly, that though it bee said in vers. 4. foreign, that he lied to God, yet is hee said in this third verse foreign, To belie the holy Ghost. By which Phrase it seemeth that hee had received the holy Ghost among the rest that did receive it; and yet for all that excellent gift in himselfe, and the excellent gift that he knew in the Apostles; hee durst by this base dissembling belie and shame the gifts that were in himselfe, and tempt the power of the holy Ghost that was in Peter.
And thus was Ananias much like Iudas, exceedingly qualified and eminently gifted with the gifts of the Spirit, but like him undone with covetousnesse, and for it perished by an exemplary end. There was none among all the twelve so fit to give sentence upon this fact as Peter: as who might hereby shew his owne repentance for his lying and perjury in denying his Master, and that hee was intirely repaired and recovered from it, when hee durst passe so heavy a doome and judgement upon a lie.
Vers. 13. And of the rest none durst joyne himselfe unto them.
It is some difficultie to resolve, who these rest were that durst not knit themselves to the Apostles: the matter may bee construed so many wayes that it is hard to fix which is the right.
First, it is understood by Beza of such as were as yet out of the Church, and yet not strangers to the Kingdome of God, but such as for feare durst not shew themselves, either because of the Jewes, or because of the judgement afflicted on Ananias.
Secondly, it may be understood of those that were within the Church, yet durst not joyne themselves in consistory or Presbyteriall societie with the 120. Disciples, but kept their distance in regard of judging, though they knit with them in communion.
Or thirdly, it may be understood of the 108. Disciples, that were appointed by Christ to be Ministers, and kept in continuall society and consistoriall association with the Apostles, yet durst not joyne themselves to them in the forme or dignitie of Apostleship, nor durst offer to parallel themselves to that ranke, yet the people magnified them also: And this I take to bee the very meaning of the place, and that upon these grounds.
First, because the word foreign seemeth to import a residue or the rest of their owne company, and not the people that were out of the Church, for of them it had beene more proper to have said foreign then foreign, as the skilfull in the Greeke language will readily judge.
Secondly, the joyning here spoken of in regard of the object to whom, is to the Apostles, and not to the Church, as is apparent by the very Grammaticall construction.
Especially, thirdly, the word foreign in vers. 12. being understood not of the Congregation or whole company of beleevers, but of the Apostles, as the words immediatly before might argue, or rather of the whole number of the 120. as it is taken, Chap. 2.1. And so the sense of all redounds to this; that besides that terrible and dreadfull worke that was done by Peter upon Ananias and Sapphira, all the other eleven Apostles did great and wondrous miracles among the people, and the whole Colledge and Presbytery of the 120. were unanimously in Solomons Porch joyning together in association and advancing the Gospel, but the rest of the 120. durst not one of them joyne themselves to the twelve in the peculiar office and dignitie of Apostleship properly so called, having seene so lately the dreadfull judgement that one of the twelve had brought upon Ananias one of their owne number, and seeing the continuall wonders that they did in an extraordinary manner among the people, howbeit the people magnified them also, they also having the admirable and wondrous gifts of the Spirit upon them.
Vers. 15.
Sect. Peters shadow.
Many miracles were wrought by the Apostles hands, and many as it seemeth by Peters shadow: but▪ the Text hath left it so indifferent, that it is hard to determine whether it is to be taken in a good sense or a bad, and indeed some that have taken it the better way have made it the worst of all. Luke saith onelyonly thus, They brought forth the sicke into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. But it neither telleth who they were that laid them, nor a word at all that those were healed that were laid. And it may be thought they were unbeleeving Jewes that laid them as well as otherwise: for beleevers might have brought them to the Apostles, or brought the Apostles to them: And it may possibly bee thought that they laid them there either out of a superstitious blindnesse, thinking his shadow to be miraculous as well as his person, or out of a cheating perversnesse, thinking to gaine by his power though they would none of his doctrine: and that none of their sicke were healed because there is no mention of any such healing at all. If wee should thus understand the story, surely wee should doe lesse wrong to the Text, and to our owne understandings then some have done that have taken it in a better sense. For be it, that God intending to magnifie Peter the minister of the circumcision in the eyes of the circumcised, did give him a more extraordinary power of miracles, for their sakes that stood upon miracles so much, so that not onelyonly himselfe, but his shadow also could heale diseases, yet how ridiculous and senselesse is that which Baronius would infer hereupon, namely, That Peter therefore was Prince of all the Apostles: and that therefore the shadowes or images of holy men are of holy use and religious worship, and that the Pope who is Peters shadow and representation hath Peters power and qualification?
Vers. 20. All the words of this life.
It hath scrupled divers expositors why the word foreign should bee added here to foreign as seeming to bend the meaning and sense to this present and temporall life: and thereupon they have concluded that there is an bypallage or change of construction, and that foreign, the words of this life, is in stead of foreign, these words of life, and to this sense is it translated by the Syriack: But the construction is easie, and the composure of the words will appeare most proper, if the seventeenth Verse bee a little seriously considered, it is said there that it was the Sect of the Sadduces that imprisoned the Apostles, a generation that denied the resurrection, and the life to come; and to this it is that this divine revelation referreth, when it chargeth the Apostles, that they should goe againe into the Temple where they had beene apprehended the day before, and imprisoned for preaching the resurrection, and that they should not spare to speake and utter the doctrine of this life which the Sadduces so much denied.
Vers. 21. And they called the Councell together, and all the Senate of the children of Israel.
The Syriack reads, they called their companions and the Elders of Israel: taking foreign here to meane either their fellows and companions in the same Sadducean opinion and heresie, or their fellow Priests and Scribes which were not of the Sanhedrin: But since foreign will very harshly beare either of these senses, and constantly is used in another for the Sanhedrin or bench of Judges of the LXX. Elders: I should take it so also in this place; and by foreign all the Senate, understand the Judges or Elders of the two other Judicatories which were erected, one in the outer Court gate, or in Solomons Porch, and the other in the inner or the beautifull gate of the Temple, consisting of three and twenty men a peece. Maymonid. in Sanhed. Per. 1. And so did this busie High Priest call together all the three Courts or Benches of Judges in Ierusalem, an hundred and seventeene Elders in all if there were a full appearance, the Lord so disposing it, that all his Apostles and all his chief enemies might deale it together: And now as that was fulfilled which Christ had spoken of them; They shall bring you before Councels for my names sake, so was also that which hee had promised unto them, that it should bee given them what they should speake, that their enemies should not bee able to gainesay. But the Judges of the earth would not bee wise nor instructed to serve the Lord and to kisse the sonne, therefore his anger shortly kindled, and Ierusalem perished in her unbeleefe.
Vers. 24. Now when the High Priest.
So is it to bee understood though in the Greeke it bee onelyonly foreign the Priest: and the reason is because, first, Annas in this meeting was not the president of the Councell, for which hee is called the High Priest elsewhere, for this was not a Sanhedrin, or the usuall Court, but an extraordinary and unusuall Convocation: Secondly, mention is made of foreign immediatly after: and foreign & foreign would scarcely have sounded well so neare together.
Vers. 34. A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a Doctor of the Law, had in reputation among all the People.
This was Pauls Tutor, Acts 22.3. the sonne of Simeon, that tooke Christ into his armes, Luke 2. and the Grandchild of famous Hillel. Hee is called Gamaliel the Elder, for there were two others of the same name, one his Grandchild, the other his great Grandchild in the fifth descent; and hee is alwayes called Rabban Gamaliel, and so likewise were those two his Grandchildren intitled. These being three of the seven, that onelyonly carryed this title Rabban. A title which was of the highest eminency and note, of any title among their Doctors, and that very title sheweth the great reputation hee had among the people. In the Talmudick Writers there is very frequent mention of Rabban Gamaliel, but scarcely distinguishing which of the three they meane; yet so much to bee collected out of them, as to confute that forgery of Lucians Epistle (which yet Baronius hath graced with this testimoniall: Narrat Lucianus in eâ quam toius Christianus orbis recepit Epistolâ) that Gamaliel became a most zealous Christian, and professour of the Gospel; that hee received Nicodemus when the Jewes had cast him out; and that hee buryed the body of Stephen, and held a solemn mourning for him seventy dayes.
In Pirke Abheth. Pereh. 1. this saying is ascribed to this Gamaliel, among the severall Adagies of those Doctors foreign Procure thy selfe a tutor, and get thee out of doubting, and doe not multiply to pay thy tithes by conjecture.
Hee is held to have died 18. yeares before the destruction of the Citie, or about 22. yeares after this, and O…kelos the Targumist of the Law is reported to have burnt threescore and ten pound of Frankincense for him being dead: And by this it is more then a conjecture, that hee died not a Christian, but lived and died in his Pharisaicall opinions, and profession.
Vers. 36. For before these dayes rose up Theudas.
There is mention of one Theudas in the Talmud in Sanhedr. Perek Heleh: and hee is called a Physitian, Theudas the Physitian saith, that neither Cow nor Sow commeth from Alexandria: And there is mention of one Theudas a Sorcerer in Iosephus Ant. lib. 20 cap. 2. Wh…n F…dus was governour of Iudea, saith he, a wizard named Theudas perswad…d a great company to take their goods and to follow him to the river Iordan, for hee said hee was a Prophet, and that dividing the river by a command hee would procure them an easie passage: and thus saying hee deceived many. But Fadus suffered them not thus to enjoy their folly, but sent against them a troope of Horse, which falling upon them unexpectedly, slew many, tooke others alive, and catching Theudas himselfe, cut off his head and brought it to Ierusalem.
This were a very ready and easie interpretation of these words of Gamaliel, if this great scruple did not lie in the way: namely, that this Theudas mentioned by Iosephus, was about the fourth or fift yeare of Claudius: but this Theudas mentioned by Gamaliel was before Iudas the Galilean, which was in the dayes of Augustus: There is a great deale of adoe among expositours what to make of these two stories, so like in substance, but so different in time. Some conceive that Iosephus hath missed his chronology, and hath set Theudas his story many years later then it fell out: Others refuse Iosephus his story as not applicable to this Theudas of Gamaliel [though they hold that hee hath spoken true in it] because the time is so different, but they thinke Gamaliels Theudas was some of those villaines that so much infested Iudea in the times of Sabinus and Varus. Ioseph. Ant. lib. 17. cap. 12. though Iosephus hath not there mentioned him by name.
A third sort conceive that Gamaliels Theudas was not before Iudas the Galilean, who rose about the birth of Christ, but a long while after, namely a little before Gamaliel speaketh these words: And they render foreign in the strict propriety, namely that it was but a few dayes before: and foreign, not post eum, after him, but praeter eum, besides him.
In these varieties of opinions and difficulties, it is hard to resolve which way to take, and it is well that it is a matter of that nature that men may freely use their conjectures in it, and be excusable.
I cannot but observe and conceive these things upon the stories of Gamaliel and Iosephus laid and compared together.
First, that Gamaliel meeteth with the double misprision that the present Councell had concerning the Apostles, with a double story. First, they suspected and censured them for false and erroneous teachers; to this hee applies the story of Theudas. Secondly, they suspected them of innovation, and of what might tend to mutiny and insurrection, and to this he applyeth the story of Iudas.
Secondly, that the miscariages of these two men that hee instanceth in, proceeded from two different and dangerous principles; pretence of new lights and revelations; and pretence of liberty of conscience and of persons. Theudas was for the former, Iudas for the latter.
Thirdly, that Gamaliels counsell was not of any Christianitie that was in him, but of policy, not that hee favored the Apostles, but that hee feared if any thing were done to them by violence or injustice, it might incurre a Premunire or prejudice; and that is apparent, in that all the Councell consent and entertaine his counsell.
Fourthly, that Gamaliels Theudas and Iosephus his is not all one: their descriptions indeed are very agreeable, for as Gamaliel saith that Theudas tooke on him foreign to bee some body, of note and eminency, so doth the relation about the Theudas in Iosephus. Simon Magus boasted himselfe foreign to bee some speciall person, Act. 8.9. and how did hee carry on this arrogation? why, by magick and doing some strange things among the people: and just in the same kind hath Iosephus described his Theudas, but yet these two Theudases seeme not to bee the same.
Fiftly, for Iosephus setting the story of his Theudas so late as in the time of Claudius, a dozen yeares or thereabouts after this speech of Gamaliel, [although it might bee said it is no strange thing with Iosephus to misplace stories, and to faulter in point of exact Chronology, as Baronius supposeth hee hath done in this] yet seemeth it rather to bee upon the very native propriety of the time of the story: And the matter to bee conceived thus, that as Sects and heresies, though buried, yet doe oft revive, and though dispersed, yet doe recollect: and being once begun are not suddenly extinguished, but like quenched fire are ever breaking out in one place or other, that so it was with this businesse of Theudas. And so also it may bee instanced in the very sect and opinion of him that Gamaliel speaketh of immediatly after, namely Iudas of Galilee: Hee rose up in the dayes of the tax in the time of Augustus…, as Luke 2. Hee pleaded against the Jewes being subject to the Romans, and disswaded them from paying taxes and tribute to them: and maintained they ought to have no ruler over them but God: and so became the originall of a fourth sect among the Jewes, besides the Pharisees, Sadduces and Esseans, as Iosephus reports of him. Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 1. and de Bell. lib. 2. cap. 12. Now though Iudas himselfe perished in his errour, and as many as obeyed him were scattered abroad, as Gamaliel relateth, yet was not his error extinguished with him, but revived and grew againe: So that at the least 40. yeares after his first appearing, his two sonnes Iames and Simon are crucified for it by Tiberius Alexander, the successor of Fadus. Ios. Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 3. And many yeares after that, Eleazer a branch of the same Iudas appeareth in the same opinion with a desperate company with him, De bel. lib. 7. cap. 30.
Even so may it bee conceived of the Sect of Theudas: that it began before that of Iudas, and that the first author of it tooke upon him great things, as to bee a Prophet, and to worke miracles, and the like, but he was soone slaine and all that obeyed him were scattered abroad and came to nought. But his folly and fancy perished not with him, but [however at other times] in the time of Fadus one of the same foolery and name, and probably his sonne, would bee a Prophet againe and divide Iordan and doe I know not what, whom Fadus destroyed and brought his company to ruine. So that Gamaliels and Iosephus his Theudas, are very probably two men, but very likely father & sonne, or tutor and scholler, agreeing so jumpe in the same folly and madnesse that they agreed in the same name: and that name either given to the latter at such an accidency as Parents name their children, or assumed by him in imitation of the former Theudas, whom as hee delighted to imitate in his Enthusiastick folly, so delighted hee to follow him in denomination. And I am the rather confirmed in this opinion about these two men, because that as soone as ever Iosephus hath told the story of the destruction of Theudas by Fadus, hee telleth of the destruction of the sonnes of Iudas, by Tiberius Alexander, and I cannot but interpret both the stories in one sense, that as in the latter hee speaketh of the off-spring of Iudas, whose sect had begun many years before, so in the former hee speaketh of the off-spring of Theudas, whose sect had begun before that of Iudas.
Vers. 41. That they were counted worthy.
Or, That they had obtained: foreign seeming to interpret the word foreign, so common among the Rabbins which soundeth to that sense: and so is it not onelyonly most easily, but so it must be most commonly rendred in them: And of the very same sense is the Latine word Mereri [when it is applyed to man with reference to good] generally in the Fathers: As when it is said that the Virgin Mary, meruit esse mater redemptoris, she obtained to bee the mother of the redeemer, not she deserved: Mary Magdalen, Audire meruit, Fides tua te salvam fecit: she obtained to heare it said, Thy faith hath saved thee; and a thousand such examples might bee given, which too many thousands interpreting by the word merit, wrest an harmlesse word to their owne destruction.
R. Solomon speaketh of foreign, Meritum volucrium, the priviledge of birds: and some fathers speaking of our obtaining Gods favour and salvation and the like, expresse it, sine merito nostro meruimus, wee have obtained it without our merit.