<6 I am well aware of an exception of great weight that lies against this opinion, from its being faid, that Paul and Barnabas declared the converfion of the Gentiles, as they went through Phoenice and Samaria, on their journey from Antioch to Jerufalem, and that they declared to the church of Jerufalem "all (or the) things that God had done with "them." Yet both thefe expreffions are general, and may be referred to, or at leaft might be underflood of, the profelyted Gentiles only; there being nothing that should neceffarily oblige us to refer them to idolatrous Gentiles, or make the church of Jerufalem understand it of them. For that Gentiles in scripture fometimes fignifies profelytes of the gate, is plain from the Acts. And as the church of Jerufalem had had their thoughts much exercifed about these profelyted converts in the cafe of Cornelius; in the first converfion of them at Antioch, by the men of Cyprus and Cyrene; in fending Barnabas thither; and now in this question. being brought from them, by Paul and Barnabas and others; it is very likely, that whatever Paul and Barnabas declared about the Gentiles, if they did declare any thing that in fact, and in their own intention, related to the idolatrous Gentiles; yet, expreffing them b Acts xv. 3• Chap. x. 45. xi. 1. 18. and fome few other places. felves felves in general terms, the church of Jerufalem understood them as if they had spoken of profelyted Gentiles only, and of the great fuccefs which they had had among them, at Antioch, and in Syria, Cilicia, or in other places and I am the more inclined to think that Paul and Barnabas were then understood to speak of their fuccefs among the profelyted Gentiles only, because it immediately follows, that, on the church's receiving this account, " there rose up certain of the sect "of the Pharifees which believed, faying, "that it was needful to circumcife them, and "to command them to keep the law of Mo❝fes f;" which, as I have proved before, was natural enough for them to contend for in relation to the profelyted Gentiles converted to christianity; but not fo likely for them to contend for in relation to the idolatrous Gentiles, at least in the first instance. There is another exception to which this matter is liable. John furnamed Mark went with Saul and Barnabas, whose nephew he was, from Jerufalem; and he was minister to them, when they converted Sergius Paulus at Paphos in Cyprus; and there left them, and returned to Jerufalem. Now it will be thought difficult to fuppofe that he should not be acquainted with the commiffion a See the Preface. f Ver. 5 • Ver. 3-4. • See Efly III and the Preface. Paul Paul and Barnabas had received at Antioch in Syria. And it is certain he was with them at the converfion of Sergius Paulus: and it will be thought therefore highly probable, that he should know of this commiffion, and that he should impart the news of the commiffion, and the converfion of Sergius Paulus, to the church of Jerufalem, or to fome of them, at least to Peter (whofe minifter he was) on his return. To this I answer in the first place in the general, that all that at most can be argued from all this is, that because Mark knew this news, he might probably acquaint others at Jerufalem with it. But fure this probability cannot be of equal weight with the pofitive evidence that has been given that they were not acquainted with it. But to be a little more particular. 1. Though Mark knew of the commiffion, which the Holy Ghost notified to the church of Antioch by the prophets, that Chrift had given them, to go to the idolatrous Gentiles; yet the gospel he was to preach to them might not be made known to the church, either by thofe prophets, or by Saul, or any other way. Though Mark was prefent at the converfion of Sergius Paulus, yet Saul and Barnabas do not seem to go to Sergius Paulus in execution of the commiffion they had received at Antioch in Syria, but upon being fent for to 2. him. him. They do not feem to have opened their commiffion till they come to Antioch in Pifidia. It may be, they did not know themselves when they were to open that commiffion, and waited for further directions from Providence, or fresh revelation. The converfion of one fingle idolatrous Gentile, who fent for Barnabas and Saul, would not of itself notify the subsequent conversions of idolatrous Gentiles to Mark, any more than the converfion of the Syrophoenician woman gave the difciples occafion to think that the Gentiles fhould in great numbers be made the difciples of Chrift afterwards and it is probable that the deputy only was converted; we do not read that any of his family or friends were, as we are informed was the cafe of Cornelius. 3. Though Mark knew of this commiffion, and of the converfion of Sergius Paulus, and if he knew of the gofpel he was to preach in purfuance of it, yet he might conceal it from others, either by direction of the Spirit, or by directions from Saul and Barnabas, or from prudential confiderations of his own. I would not conceal any difficulty of confequence, that has occurred to my own thoughts; but, after propofing it, and what has taken off the weight of it with me, leave Acts xiii. 7. See fuch revelation Acts xvi. 7. 9. xxiii. 11. Gal. ii. 2. 66 it to the reader to judge of the evidence. And therefore I will mention an exception, that stopped me a little from fully entertaining this notion: which is, that Titus, who was a Greek ("Exλny wv), or a Gentile, went up with Paul and Barnabas to Jerufalem, as he informs us; and probably from Antioch (fince others went up with them from Antioch thither1); and that Paul fays, " he would not "fuffer him to be circumcised.” It may then be faid, If Paul carried him to Jerufalem, and especially if he carried him up thither from Antioch, and would not fuffer him to be circumcifed; did not Paul then acquaint the church of Jerufalem, or at least muft not the church of Jerufalem have neceffarily known, the converfion of the idolatrous Gentiles from the cafe of Titus? Yes. They must certainly have known it, if Titus's being a Greek was the fame thing with faying that he was an idolatrous Gentile. But he might be a Greek or a Gentile, though he was alfo a profelyte of the gate; in which fenfe Ἕλλην and Ἕλληνες fometimes occurrm. So that I am as much at liberty to suppose him a profelyted Gentile, as any body can be to fuppofe him an idolatrous one; unless something occurr elsewhere to hint his being an * Gal. ii. 2. 1 Acts xv. 2. m John xii. 20. Acts xi. 20. xiv. 1, 2. xviii. 4. See Mill. in loc. idolatrous |