A paraphrase and annotations upon all the books of the New Testament briefly explaining all the difficult places thereof / by H. Hammond.

CHAP. XXVI.

1. THen Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thy self. Then Paul [stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:]

[Paraphrase] 1. beckning to the by-stan∣ders to hold their peace, and give audience, made this Apologie for himself.

2. I think my self happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for my self this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jewes.

3. Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customes, and questions, which are among the Jewes: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

4. My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jewes,

5. Which knew me from the beginning (if they would testifie) that [after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.]

[Paraphrase] 5. I was of that sect which is the strictest of all the rest in the Jewish religion, viz. a I harisee.

6. And now I* 1.1 stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers.]

[Paraphrase] 6. And accordingly now I am accused for asserting the resurrection of the dead, which as it is a doctrine acknowledged by the Pharisees, so is it the fundamental promise made of old.

7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come: for which hopes sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jewes.]

[Paraphrase] 7. And generally depended on by the Jewes, and in in∣tuition thereof it is, that they spend their time in piety and obedience to God: And yet for the believing and expecting this I am accused by these Jewes.

8. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?]

[Paraphrase] 8. This being by me asser∣ted to be founded in the re∣surrection of Christ, that is the thing that is most disbelieved, God's having raised Christ from the dead. And why should that be judged so incredible?

9. I verily thought with my self that I ought to doe many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth:]

[Paraphrase] 9. I confesse I was once of opinion that I was obliged to persecute this profession, and doctrine of Christ:

10. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I [gave my voice against them.]

[Paraphrase] 10. was a principal actor, c. 7. 56. and approver of the sentence, c. 8. 1.

11. And I punished them oft† 1.2 in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme, and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.]

[Paraphrase] 11. And in other cities beside Jerusalem, I brought them into their courts, and used all rigid means to make them deny Christ, and was so fierce against them, that I forced them to flie to heathen cities, and then pursued them thither.

12. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the [chief priests,]

[Paraphrase] 12. Sanhedrim, ch. 9. 2.

13. At midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightnesse of the sun, shining round about me, and them which journeyed with me.

14. And when we were all fallen to the earth,* 1.3 I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against* 1.4 the pricks.]

15. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou per∣secutest.

16. But arise and stand upon thy feet, [for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to† 1.5 make thee a minister, and a witnesse, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee.]

[Paraphrase] 16. for thou art chosen by me to be a preacher of the Gospel, which thou hast per∣secuted, and to proclaim unto others what thou hast now and shalt hereafter see,

17. * 1.6 Delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee,]

[Paraphrase] 17. Making a speciall choice of thee out of all the Jews & Gentiles, and now giving thee commission to goe and preach the Gospel to them, see c. 9. 15.

18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darknesse to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgivenesse of sins, and inheri∣tance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.]

[Paraphrase] 18. To shew them their duty, to turn them from all their idolatrous sinfull, to all gracious godly courses, from being the slaves of the devil, to be the servants of God, thereby to have their sins forgiven, and by believing in me, to have an inheritance, a future eternall blissfull portion among the saints of God.

19. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:]

[Paraphrase] 19. Upon this vision so glorious, and these words of Christ from heaven, I could not but yield:

20. But shewed first unto them of Damascus and Hierusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and doe† 1.7 works meet for repentance.]

[Paraphrase] 20. But preached at Da∣mascus first, then at Jerusa∣lem, then through all Judaea, and even among the Gentiles, the doctrine of repentance, and amendment, and necessity of bringing forth all fruits of new life in an eminent manner, which indeed is the summe of the Gospel of Christ.

21. For these things the Jewes caught me in the Temple, and went about to kill me.]

[Paraphrase] 21. And for this it was, that I had like to have been killed by the Jewes as I was in the Temple.

22. * 1.8 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue untill this day, wit∣nessing both to small and great, saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come,]

[Paraphrase] 22. But God rescued me, and accordingly I goe on to doe this, preaching nothing in effect, but what is perfectly agreeable to the writings of Moses and the Prophets,

23. That Christ should suffer, and that* 1.9 he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles.]

[Paraphrase] 23. That Christ should be put to death, and that by his rising again from death, both the Jewes and Gentiles should be brought to believe on him.

24. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, [thou art beside thy self: much learning doth make thee mad.]

[Paraphrase] 24. thou talkest distract∣edly; sure thy learning, and high opinion of it, hath put thee out of thy wits.

25. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but [speak forth the words of truth and soberness.]

[Paraphrase] 25. what I say is perfectly true, and hath nothing of ex∣cesse or transportation in it.

26. For the King knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am perswaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.]

[Paraphrase] 26. Agrippa, I am confi∣dent, knowes it to be so, and therefore I feare not his cen∣sure, (see Joh. 7. a.) for these things, the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, were things of very publick cognizance, and cannot be unknown to him that was a Jew born.

27. King Agrippa, Believest thou the Prophets? I know that thou believest.]

[Paraphrase] 27. What sayest thou, A∣grippa? are not the Jewish Prophecies fulfilled in Christ? Thou canst not but discern and acknowledge it.

28. Then Agrippa said unto Paul [* 1.10 Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian.]

[Paraphrase] 28. Thou dost in some degree perswade me that the Christian faith is the true.

29. And Paul said, [I would to God that not onely thou, but also all that heare me this day, were both† 1.11 almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.]

[Paraphrase] 29. I heartily wish and pray for thine own sake, that not only in a low, but in an eminent degree, both thou and all that are here present were as farre Christians as I am; onely I would not wish them impri∣soned as I am.

30. And when he had thus spoken, [the King rose up, and the Governour and Bernice,] and they that sate with them.

[Paraphrase] 30. King Agrippa and Festus and Bernice rose up from the place of judicature, c. 25. 29.

31. And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, [This man hath done [note a] nothing worthy of death or of bonds.]

[Paraphrase] 31. The accusations brought against this man are not such as by the Roman Law are punishable capitally, or by imprisonment, (the Emperors having not yet, in the beginning of Nero, made any edict against Christianity.)

32. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

Annotations on Chap. XXVI.

[ a] * 1.12 V. 31. Nothing worthy of death or—] The truth of this speech of King Agrippa and his company, that Paul had done nothing worthy of death or bands, depends on the consideration of the time wherein it was spoken. For the Roman Magistrates judging by the Roman Lawes, that which was not against any Law of the Emperors, was not cognoscible, or punish∣able (especially by death or imprisonment, deprivation of life or liberty) by them. Thus when Paul is accu∣sed by the Jewes, and brought before the Proconsul of Achaia, Gallio, c. 18. he tels them plainly, that he will not be a Judge of such matters, which the Roman Law, then in Claudius's reigne, had said nothing of. For though c. 18. 2. an Edict had been by Claudius, toward the end of his reigne, set out against the Jewes, to banish them out of Italy, &c. and by that, the Christian Jewes, as Jewes, not as Christians, fell under that inderdict, and so did Priscilla and Aquila there, (and John the Apostle, banished into Patmus, in Clau∣diu's reigne, saith Epiphanius, haer. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.) yet as to the difference betwixt Jewes and Christians, there referr'd to by Gallio, (in proportion to the accusation brought against him by the Jewes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of a word, as whether Jesus were the Messias, or no, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of names, as whether the name Christian, or disciple, &c. were unlawfull, as those discriminated them from incredulous Jewes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, concerning the law in force among the Jewes, about conversing with the uncircumcised, &c.) there was then no Law set out by the Emperors at Rome, and therefore no rule for the Proconsul to go by, in taking cognizance of them. And thus it continued till Nero's rage against the Christians began: for that he first dedicated perse∣cution, is Tertullian's expression, and Primum Ne∣ronem in hanc sectam gladio ferociisse, Nero was the first that made any capitall Law against them. Now this appearance of Paul before Agrippa was in the second of Nero's reigne, Anno Ch. 57. long before this rage of his brake out; and accordingly Paul had made his appeal to Caesars tribunal, knowing that this dif∣ference betwixt him and the Jewes was a thing of that nature, that no Law of the Romans could take hold of, all his danger being from the tumultuary procee∣dings of the Jewes, inraging and importuning the Magistrates against him, and the best way of securing himself, being a triall by the Roman Lawes, to which prudently he appeales, c. 25. 11. making it his plea, that he had done nothing against Caesar, v. 8. and as a Romane, claiming the privilege of being judged by the Imperiall Lawes, and not to be delivered up to the Jewes, v. 10. Which plea of his could have stood him in no stead, if Christianity had then been under any Imperiall Interdict, and by being accepted for him, demonstrates that at that time it was not.

Notes

• * 1.1

  stand que∣stion'd, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.2

  through all the Con∣sistories, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, see Mat. 6. note d.
• * 1.3

  ch. 9. 3, 4.
• * 1.4

  goads 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.5

  adain 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.6

  Choosing thee out of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.7

  meet works of repen∣tance 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.8

  Receiving therefore 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which was from G••d, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.9

  he first by resurrection from the dead should shew, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.10

  A little way 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• † 1.11

  A little and a great way, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.12

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉