reference is
to the Mosaic regulations which were to a certain extent to be observed
by all Christians, out of consideration for those Christians who were
also Jews: _be sure that thou eat not the blood, for the blood is the
life_ was a precept which would create a difficulty in a Jewish
Christian's mind if a Gentile Christian disregarded it. Similarly as
to meats offered to idols (cf. 1 Cor. viii. 10-13).

There was then in the Synagogues of the first century a "First Lesson"
from the Law.

{52} Acts xiii. 27. "The voices of the prophets which are read every
Sabbath Day." There was then in the Synagogues a "Second Lesson" from
the Prophets.

Acts xiii. 15. "After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the
rulers of the Synagogue sent unto (Paul and his companions), saying, Ye
men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people,
say on."

The passage selected from the Law was associated with a passage
selected from the Prophets--there was a Lectionary for Sabbath
Services. The present Jewish Lectionary associates Isaiah i. 1-28 with
Deut. i. 1-iii. 22 as the Lessons for the Sabbath of Temple
Desolation[2].

In S. Paul's Exhortation which followed (_vv._ 16-41) there are, in
_vv._ 17-19, three words rarely found in the Bible, but of their rare
use one ("exalted") is found in Is. i. 2, and the others in Deut. i.
31, 38 ("suffered their manners" and "gave for an inheritance").

The reference, in _v._ 20, to "judges" is also to be noted in
connection with Is. i. 26. Bengel reasons that we may safely conclude
that the two Lections on that day were those which we have just
mentioned as associated together in the present Jewish Lectionary[3].

S. Luke iv. 15-20. Jesus . . . taught in their Synagogues--came to
Nazareth--"entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the
sabbath day, and stood {53} up for to read. And there was delivered
unto him the book of the prophet Esaias." It appears from what follows
(_vv._ 17-20) that the Lord read Isaiah lxi. 1, 2, either instead of
the appointed passage from Isaiah, or after He had read the appointed
passage. For Isaiah lxi. does not now appear in the Jewish Lectionary,
and we know no reason for its omission now, if it was included before.
In any case what He said about it, He said as the Exhorter[4]. They
divided the Law into 53 or 54 portions, and read the whole of them
between one Feast of Tabernacles and the next, whether the Sabbaths
were