[254:1] For a more particular account of the constitution of the meeting mentioned in the 15th chapter of the Acts, see Period I. sec. i. chap. v. p. 82.

[255:1] Acts xv. 6.

[255:2] Acts xv. 19.  “James, according to the somewhat pompous rendering in our English version, says—­’Wherefore my sentence is’—­in the original—­[Greek:  dio elo krina]—­a common formula by which the members of the Greek assemblies introduced the expression of their individual opinion, as appears from its repeated occurrence in Thucydides, with which may be compared the corresponding Latin phrase (sic censeo) of frequent use in Cicero’s orations.”—­Alexander on the Acts, ii. p. 83.

[256:1] Mark xvi. 15.

[257:1] See the spurious epistle of Clement to James, prefixed to the Clementine Homilies.  Cotelerius, “Pat.  Apost.” vol. i. p. 617.

[258:1] Acts xx. 17.

[258:2] Acts xx. 16.

[258:3] The view here taken is corroborated by the authority of Irenaeus, iii. c. 14, Sec. 2:—­“In Mileto enim convocatis episcopis et presbyteris, qui erant ab Epheso, et a reliquis proximis civitatibus,” &c.

[259:1] Acts xx. 18.

[259:2] Acts xix. 8, 10.

[259:3] Acts xx. 31.

[259:4] Acts xx. 25.  Demetrius says to the craftsmen—­“Ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people.”  Acts xix. 26.

[259:5] See Period I. sec. i. chap. viii. p. 123.

[259:6] 1 Cor. xvi. 19.

[259:7] Gal. i. 2.

[259:8] Gal. v. 13.

[259:9] Gal. vi. 2.

[259:10] 1 Pet. i. 1.

[260:1] 1 Pet. v. i, 2.

[260:2] In Acts xx. 28, these designations are identical.  The exhortation in 1 Pet. v. 5—­“Yea, all of you be subject one to another”—­is obviously addressed to ministers, and implies their mutual subordination.  This command can be acted upon only by ministers who are confederated and who hold the same ecclesiastical status.  Lachmann adopts a somewhat different reading of this verse without changing the sense, for he puts a semi-period after [Greek:  allelois].  According to his Larger Edition of the Greek Testament, the commencement of the verse should be rendered thus—­“Likewise ye younger (presbyters) submit yourselves unto the elder, AND ALL TO ONE ANOTHER.”  I here suppose presbyters to be understood, as the apostle is speaking to them in all the preceding part of the chapter.

[260:3] 2 Cor. viii. 5, 18, 22; Phil. ii. 25, 28; Col. iv. 7-9; 2 Tim. iv. 9-12.

[260:4] 2 Cor. iii. 1.

[261:1] 2 John 10.

[261:2] 1 John iv. 1.

[261:3] Phil. i. 15-18.

[263:1] Rev. i. 1.

[264:1] Rev. i. 11.

[264:2] Rev. i. 12-16.

[264:3] Rev. i. 20.

[264:4] This was the opinion of Gregory Nazianzen, as well as others.  There is an ingenious article on this subject in the “Bibliotheca Sacra” for April 1855.  Its author, the Rev. Isaac Jennings, advocates the view propounded in this chapter.