ACTS CHAP. XIII. from beginning to Vers. 14.
THE Divine Historian having hitherto followed the Story of the Church and Go∣spel as both of them were dilated among the Jews, and therein pitched more espe∣cially upon the Acts of Peter and John the singular Ministers of the Circumcision, more peculiarly Peters: he doth now turn his Pen, to follow the planting and progress of the Gospel among the Gentiles, and here he insisteth more especially upon the Story of Paul and Barnabas the singular Ministera of the uncircumcision, more peculiarly Pauls.
There were now in the Church of Antioch five men which were both Prophets and Teachers, or which did not only instruct the people and expound the Scriptures, but had also the Prophetick spirit and were partakers of Revelations: For though Prophets and Teachers were indeed of a distinct notion, 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephes. 4. 11. and their abilities to teach were according of a distinct original, namely the former by revelation, and the lat∣ter by study, yet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, [which phrase may not pass without observation] according to the state of the Church then being, they not only had prophetick Teachers, but there was a kind of necessity they should have such, till time and studdy had inabled others to be Teachers, which as yet they could not have attained unto, the Gospel having been so lately brought among them.
Among these five, the names of Barnabas and Saul are no strangers to the Reader, but the other three are more unknown.
- 1. Simeon who was called Niger: If the word Niger were Latin, it might then fairly be conjectured, that this was Simon of Cyrene, the Moorish complexion of his Country just∣ly giving him the title of Simeon the black; but since the Patrionymick, Cyrenean, is ap∣plied only in the singular number to the next man Lucius, and since the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was then used among the Jews in several significations, as may be seen in Aruch, we shall ra∣ther conceive this man a Cypriot from Chap. 11. 20. and as Barnabas also was, Chap. 4. 36. and his surname Niger whatsoever it signified, used to distinguish him from Simon Peter, and Simon the Cananite.
- 2. Lucius of Cyrene: Held by some and that not without some ground to be Luke the Evangelist: which it is like hath been the reason, why antiquity hath so generally held Luke to be an Antiochian: true, in regard of this his first appearing there under this name Lucius though originally a Cyrenian, and educated as it may be supposed in the Cyrenian Colledge or Synagogne in Jerusalem, Chap. 6. 9. and there first receiving the Gospel. In Rom. 16. 21. Paul salutes the Roman Church in the name of Lucius, whereas there was none then in Pauls retinue whose name sounded that way but only Luke: as we shall ob∣serve there.
- 3. Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch. Juchasin fol. 19. mentioneth one Menahem who was once Vicepresident of the Sanhedrin under Hillel, but departed to the service of Herod the great, with fourscore other eminent men with him: of whom we gave some touch before: It may be this was his son, and was called Manaen or Mena∣hem after the father, and as the father was a great favourite of Herod the great the father, so this brought up at Court with Herod the Tetrarch the son.
As these holy men were at the publick ministration with fasting and prayer, the Holy Ghost gives them advertisement of the separating of Paul and Barnabas, for the Ministry among the Gentiles. A mission that might not be granted, but by such a divine war∣rant; considering how the Gentiles had always lain behind a partition wall to the Jews: For although Peter in the case of Cornelius had opened the door of the Gospel to the Hea∣then, yet was this a far greater breaking down of the partition wall, when the Gospel was to be brought into their own Lands and to their own doors: When God saith, Sepa∣rate them to the work whereunto I have called them, it further confirmeth that it was and had been known before that they should be Ministers of the uncircumcision.
The Romish glossaries would fain strain the Mass out of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and the Rhemists think they have done us a courtesie, that they have not translated it to that sense: whereas, besides that the word naturally signifieth any publick ministration, the Holy Ghost by the use of it seemeth to have a special aim, naimely to intimate to us, that this was a publick fast, as well as another publick ministration. Publick fasts were not