The life and work of St. Paul

208 THE LIFE AND WORK OF ST. PAUL.
French is the common language of tho Continent. It is quite certain that
all the Jews would have understood it; it is very doubtful whether more
than a few of them would have understood the Pisuliau dialect ; it is to the
last degree improbable that Paul knew anything of Pisidiau ; and that he
suddenly acquired it by the gift of tongues, can only be regarded
exploded fancy due to an erroneous interpretation.
as an
St. Paul's sermon is not only interesting as a sign of the more or less
extemporaneous tact with which he utilised the scriptural impressions which
were hist and freshest in the minds of his audience, but far more as a
specimen of the facts and arguments which he urged in his first addresses
to mixed congregations of Jews and Proselytes. The numerous and exclu-
sively Pauline expressions 1 in which it abounds, show that either notes of it
must have been preserved by some Antiochene Christian, or that he must
himself have furnished an outline of it to St. Luke. 2
It is further important
as an indication that even at this early period of his career Paul had been led
by the Spirit of God, if not to the full comprehension, at least to the germ,
of those truths which he afterwards developed with such magnificent force
and overwhelming earnestness. The doctrine of justification by faith, and of
the inutility of the works of the law to procure remission of skis, lie clearly
involved in this brief but striking sermon, which also gives us some insight
into Paul's method of applying Scripture ; into his adoption of the current
chronology of his nation 3
; and, lastly, into the effects which had been pro-
1 See (in tho Greek) Acts xiii. 25 compared with xx. 24, 2 Tim. iv. 7 ; 26 with xx. 82 ;
27 with xxiv. 21 ; 39 with Rom. vi. 7 ; 39 with Rom. v. 9, Gal. iii. 11, and others, in
Alford's references. Compare, too, the thoughts and expressions of 33, 34 with Rom. i. 4,
ri. 9 ; and 39 with Rom. viii. 3, Gal. iii. 11.
2 Perhaps a better hypothesis is that in general outline the three main sections of it
(Acts xiii. 1G 22, 2331, 3241) may have been often repeated. (Ewald, vi. 658.)
8 For instance, in verse 20 he makes the period of the Judges last 450 years. It is
true that here the best uncial MSS. transpose the Ireo-i TTpaKo