It seems, however, more in accordance with Luke's ordinary expressions, to prefer the passive sense, as in Acts vii. 54, [Greek: tais kardiais] ("to their hearts") is added, there, of course, requiring the passive. For similar forms of expression, see Luke ii. 35: Acts ii. 37.—Consult Bretschneider in loc. In favor of the passive sense, see Bloomfield, Rosenmueller, Wolf, Hammond and Gataker. On the middle sense, Kuinoel, Beza and Wetstein.
Gamaliel.—I shall give a full account of this venerable sage, in the beginning of the life of Paul.
In the temple and in private houses.—Acts vi. 42. In the Greek, [Greek: kat oikon], (kat' oikon,) the same expression as in ii. 46, alluded to in my note on pages 139, 140. Here too occurs precisely the same connection with [Greek: en tô hierô], (en to hiero,) with the same sense of opposition in place, there alluded to. The indefinite sense, then, rather than the distributive, is proper here as there, showing that they preached and taught not only in their great place of assembly, under the eastern colonnade of the temple, (v. 12,) but also in private houses, that is, at their home, or those of their friends. The expression "from house to house," however, is much less objectionable here, because in this passage it can give only an indefinite idea of place, without any particular idea of rotation; but in the other passage, in connection with "the taking of food," it makes an erroneous impression of their mode of life, which the text is meant to describe.
THE APPOINTMENT OF DEACONS.
The successful progress of their labors had now gathered around them a great church, numbering among its members a vast throng both of Hebrew and of foreign Jews. The apostles being devoted wholly to their high duties of prayer and preaching, were unable to superintend particularly the daily distribution of the means of support to the needy, out of the charity-fund which had been gathered from the generous contributions of the wealthy members of the church. Among the foreign Jews who had joined the fraternity of the disciples, were many of those who, by education, language and manners, though not by race or religion, were Greeks. These, with the proselytes, being fewer than those who adhered to the genuine manners and language of Palestine, had comparatively little weight in the administration of the affairs of the church, and had no hand in the distribution to the church poor. Being a minority, and being moreover looked on with invidious eyes by the genuine Hebrews, as a sort of half renegades, they were overlooked and put back, in the daily ministration to the needy, and to such a degree, that even the helpless widows among them were absolutely suffering through this neglect. The natural consequence was, that murmurs and open complaints arose among them, at this shameful and unbrotherly partiality. As soon as the report of the difficulty reached the ears of the twelve, they immediately called a full church-meeting, and laid the matter before it in these words. "It is not proper that we should leave the preaching of the word of God, to wait on tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven reputable men, full of a holy spirit and of wisdom, whom we may intrust with this bu-
