I ADD A TABLE OF THE THREE PASSAGES-FROM A LITERAL TRANSLATION:
But Saul, still breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, came to the high priest and asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, so that if he found any who were of the way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. But, as he was jour- neying, it came to pass that he drew near to Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven, and falling on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? And he said: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. [T.R. adds, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And trembling and astonished he said: Lord, what wilt thou that I do? And the Lord said] to [him'], But rise up and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. But the men who were tra- velling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but beholding no one. And Saul rose up from the earth and his eyes being opened he saw no one. But leading him by the hand they brought him into Damascus. And he was there three days without seeing, and neither ate nor drank. And there was a cer- tain disciple in Damascus by name Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision: Ana-
HIS CONVERSION-HIS TESTIMONY BEFORE THE ROMAN FESTUS AND AGRIPPA.
My manner of life from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews, who knew me before from the outset [of my life] if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our [T.R. omits our'] fa-
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gama- liel, educated according to [the] exactness of the law of [our] fathers, being zealous for God, as you are all this day, who have per- secuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prison both men and women; as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the presbytery, from whom, having re- ceived letters to the brethren, I went to Da-thers, to which our whole twelve tribes
mascus to bring those also who were there, serving incessantly day and night hope to bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished. And arrive; about which hope, King Agrippa, it came to pass, as I was journeying and I am accused of the Jews. Why should it drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid- be judged a thing incredible in your sight day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a if God raises the dead. I indeed myself great light round about me. And I fell to thought that I ought to do much, against the the ground and heard a voice saying to me: name of Jesus the Nazarean. Which also I did Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prison. 1 answered: Who art thou, Lord? And He many of the saints, having received the au- said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thority from the chief priests; and when they thou persecutest. But they that were with were put to death I gave my vote. And me beheld the light, and were filled with fear often punishing them in all the synagogues but heard not the voice of him that was I compelled them to blaspheme. And, be- speaking to me. And I said: What shall I ing furious against them, I persecuted, them do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Rise even to cities out [of our own land]. And up and go to Damascus, and there it shall as I also was engaged in this, I was journey- be told thee of all things which it is appointeding to Damascus, with authority and power thee to do. And as I could not see, through from the chief priests, at midday, on the the glory of that light, being led by the way, I saw, O king, a light above the bright-
nias. And he said: Behold [here am] 1, Lord. And the Lord [said] to him: Rise up and go into the street which is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas one by name. Saul, [he is] of Tarsus; for he is praying, and has seen in a vision a man by name Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he should see. And Ananias answered: Lord, I have heard from many of this man how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call
Go, for this [man] is an elect vessel to me to bear my name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show to him how much he must suffer for my name. And Ananias went and entered into the house: and laying his hands upon him, he said: Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus that appeared to thee in the way in which thou camest, that thou mightest see, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he immediately saw, and rising up was bap- tised; and, having received food, got strength.. And he [T.R. reads 'Saul'] was with the dis- ciples who [were] in Damascus certain days. And straightway in the synagogues he preached Jesus [T.R. reads 'Christ'] that He is the Son of God.
hand by those who were with me, I came to Damascus, and a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt there, coming to me and standing by me, said: Brother Saul, receive thy sight, and I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him. And he said: The God of our fathers hath chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the Just One, and to hear a voice out of His mouth, that thou mayest be witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard? And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away calling on His name. [T.R. reads on the name of the Lord.'] And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstacy, and saw Him saying to me: Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concern- ing me. And I said: Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue them that believed on thee; and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting [T.R. adds to his being killed,'] and kept the clothes of them who killed him. And he said to me: Go; for I will send thee to the Gentiles afar off.
mess of the sun shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying with me. And, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against goads. And I said: Who art thou, Lord? And He said: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; but rise up and stand on thy feet, for for this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in, having taken thee out from among the peo- ple, and the nations, to whom now I send thee, to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remis- sion of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me. Whereupon, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but have, first in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judæa, and to the Gentiles, announced [to men] to repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
[This paper may be followed up hereafter by others on the same subject.]
I ADD A TABLE OF THE THREE PASSAGES-FROM A LITERAL TRANSLATION:
c. ix. 1 (et seqq.) THE HISTORIC ACCOUNT OF SAUL'S
But Saul, still breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, came to the high priest and asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, so that if he found any who were of the way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. But, as he was jour- neying, it came to pass that he drew near to Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven, and falling on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? And he said: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said: Iam Jesus, whom thou persecutest. [T.R. adds, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And trembling and astonished he said: Lord, what wilt thou that I do? And the Lord [said] to [him'], But rise up and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. But the men who were tra- velling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but beholding no one. And Saul rose up from the earth and his eyes being opened he saw no one. But leading him by the hand they brought him into Damascus. And he was there three days without seeing, and neither ate nor drank. And there was a cer- tain disciple in Damascus by name Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision: Ana-
c. xxii. 3 (et seqq.)
PAUL'S TESTIMONY TO ISRAEL HIS
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but liel, educated according to [the] exactness of brought up in this city at the feet of Gama- the law of [our] fathers, being zealous for God, as you are all this day, who have per- secuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prison both men and women; all the presbytery, from whom, having re- as also the high priest bears me witness, and ceived letters to the brethren, I went to Da- mascus to bring those also who were there, it came to pass, as I was journeying and bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished. And drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid- day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And He said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecutest. But they that were with me beheld the light, and were filled with fear but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me. And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Rise up and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed the glory of that light, being led by the thee to do. And as I could not see, through
HIS CONVERSION-HIS TESTIMONY BEFORE THE ROMAN FESTUS AND AGRIPPA.
My manner of life from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews, who knew me before from the outset [of my life] if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our [T.R. omits our] fa- thers, to which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead. I indeed myself thought that I ought to do much, against the name of Jesus the Nazarean. Which also I did in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prison many of the saints, having received the au- thority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote. And often punishing them in all the synagogues I compelled them to blaspheme. And, be- ing furious against them, I persecuted them even to cities out [of our own land]. And as I also was engaged in this, I was journey- ing to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests, at midday, on the way, I saw, O king, a light above the bright-
hand by those who were with me, I came to Damascus, and a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt there, coming to me and standing by me, said: Brother Saul, receive thy sight, and I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him. And he said: The God of our fathers hath chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the Just One, and to hear a voice out of His mouth, that thou mayest be witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard? And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away calling on His name. [T.R. reads on the name of the Lord.' And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstacy, and saw Him saying to me:
nias. And he said: Behold [here am] 1, Lord. And the Lord [said] to him: Rise up and go into the street which is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas one by name Saul, [he is] of Tarsus; for he is praying, and has seen in a vision a man by name Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he should see. And Ananias answered: Lord, I have heard from many of this man how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name. And the Lord said to him: Go, for this [man] is an elect vessel to me to bear my name before nations and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show to him how much he must suffer for my name. And Ananias went and entered into the house: and laying his hands upon him, he said: Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for that appeared to thee in the way in which they will not receive thy testimony concernthou camest, that thou mightest see, and being me. And I said: Lord, they themselves filled with the Holy Spirit. And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he immediately saw, and rising up was baptised; and, having received food, got strength.. And he [T.R. reads 'Saul'] was with the disciples who [were] in Damascus certain days. And straightway in the synagogues he preached Jesus [T.R. reads 'Christ'] that He is the Son of God.
ness of the sun shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying with me. And, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against goads. And I said: Who art thou, Lord? And He said: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; but rise up and stand on thy feet, for for this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in, having taken thee out from among the peo- ple, and the nations, to whom now I send thee, to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remis- sion of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me. Whereupon, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but have, first in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judæa, and to the Gentiles, announced [to men] to repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
[This paper may be followed up hereafter by others on the same subject.]
"God, who is rich in mercy."-Eph. ii. 4.
"BUT God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Such are the words of the Spirit of God by the pen of Paul the apostle.
The contrasts which led him to use the little word
"but " are remarkable. I will notice them shortly. At present, let me call attention to the words themselves. But God being rich in mercy is a more literal rendering; and it is, I think, a happier one too, as tending to throw the mind upon the character of God-of whom mercy is so distinctly a mark,-rather than upon His resources, the resources by which mercy told out its own tale; it acted toward us in a truly astonishing way, according to an almighty love which found us even when we were dead in sins. We were parts of the first creation, as descended from Adam, the man who was made a living soul but who fell away from God his Maker; we were, as to nature in our original state, without life as to any understanding of, or power to understand, the things which pertain to Him who is the One that creates anew; and as to our own actual state when He found us, sins and not obedience characterised it. But God made us parts of that new creation which is yet to be fully displayed in the future new heavens and new earth wherein is to dwell righteousness. The Father works hitherto and the Son works, in redemption for the bringing out from amid the rubbish of the fall, whatsoever divine wisdom sees it good to bring and to make fit to be displayed in redemption-glory. And not only so; for the place in which the mercy here spoken of sets us, is a most peculiar one. It is peculiar in being in the heavens
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