rank acted
gratuitously, but a large portion of the priests subsisted on the
emoluments of office.
[94:1] Acts xvi. 24.
[94:2] Acts xvi. 25.
[95:1] Acts xvi. 26.
[95:2] Acts xvi. 28. "By a singular historical coincidence, this very
city of Philippi, or its neighbourhood, had been signalised within a
hundred years, not only by the great defeat of Brutus and Cassius, but
by the suicide of both, and by a sort of wholesale self-destruction on
the part of their adherents."--Alexander on the Acts, ii. 122, 123.
[96:1] Acts xvi. 29, 30.
[97:1] Acts xvi. 31.
[98:1] Acts xvi. 33, 34.
[98:2] Acts xvi. 35.
[98:3] Paul says that he was "free born" (Acts xxii. 28). It was
unlawful to scourge a Roman citizen, or even, except in extraordinary
cases, to imprison him without trial. He had also the privilege of
appeal to the Emperor.
[98:4] Acts xvi. 37.
[99:1] Acts xvi. 39.
[99:2] Acts xvi. 40.
[99:3] Phil. iv. 14-16.
[100:1] Acts xvii. 4.
[100:2] Acts xvii. 7.
[100:3] Acts xvii. 8. [Greek: etaraxan--tous politarchas]. It has been
remarked that the name here given to the magistrates (politarchs), does
not occur in ancient literature; but it is a curious and important fact
that a Greek inscription, on an arch still to be seen at this place,
demonstrates the accuracy of the sacred historian. This arch supplies
evidence that it was erected about the time when the Republic was
passing into the Empire, and that it was in existence when Paul now
preached there. It appears from it that the magistrates of Thessalonica
were called politarchs, and that they were seven in number. What is
almost equally striking is that three of the names in the inscription
are Sopater, Gaius, and Secundus, the same as those of three of Paul's
friends in this district. Conybeare and Howson, i. 360.
[101:1] Acts xvii. 11.
[102:1] Acts xvii. 16.
[102:2] Acts xvii. 17.
[102:3] See Conybeare and Howson, i. 241.
[102:4] See Alford on Acts xiii. 9, and xxiii. 1.
[102:5] 2 Cor. x. 10.
[102:6] 2 Cor. x. 10.
[102:7] Acts xvii. 18.
[103:1] [Greek: Adikei Sokrates--etera de kaina daimonia
eispheron.]--_Xen. Mem._ i. 1.
[103:2] Acts xvii. 19, 20. It is very evident that he was not arraigned
before the court of Areopagus as our English translation seems to
indicate.
[104:1] Acts xvii. 22, 23. This translation obviously conveys the
meaning of the original more distinctly than our English version. See
Alford, i
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