some definite teaching had been given. The word didaskalos is used in I Tim. 2: 7 and

II Tim. 1: 11, passages already referred to in connection with kerux. Paul heralded the

kingdom of God, and taught those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ.

The nature of his witness in verse 23 necessitated a stress upon the name "Jesus", and,

equally, the nature of the witness of verse 31 necessitated a stress upon the full title, "The

Lord Jesus Christ".  The peculiar revelation of the epistles of the mystery demand

emphasis upon the ascension and the seating of Christ at the right hand of God, in the

heavenly places, and consequently the full title of the Saviour is given. Moreover it

should never be forgotten that if we know and teach the distinctive association which

Christ holds with any part of the purpose of the ages, we know and teach the most

important part. For example, it would be unintelligible had Paul stressed membership of

the BODY before stressing the HEADSIP of Christ; he must of necessity "teach" the

things that concern the Lord Jesus Christ first. How could any saved Gentile contemplate

a seat in the highest heavens, until and unless he had received instruction concerning the

ascension and seating of the Lord.

The word "concerning" should not be passed over without comment. Peri, the word

so translated, means, in composition, "round about", and it is a splendid conception of

teaching, preaching and witness, when Christ is seen to be at the centre, and that all

teaching and preaching revolves around Him. This at least was gloriously true of the

Apostle's teaching, for it is not possible to imagine a Pauline epistle without a central and

glorious Christ.

The closing words of the Acts are suggestive, "With all confidence, unforbidden".

Parrhesia is variously translated "openly", "freely", "plainly", as well as

"confidence", but there is never absent from the word the thought of freedom of speech;

rhesis means "a speaking". The words of the A.V., "No man forbidding him", represents

one word in the original--Akolutos. While this is the only occurrence of the word in the

N.T., the positive form of the verb, koluo, "to forbid" or "to hinder", occurs many times.

Paul had been "forbidden" of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia (Acts 16: 6);

and admitted to the Roman saints that he had been "let" in his endeavours to visit them

(Rom. 1: 13).  He had been "forbidden" by the Jews to speak to the Gentiles

(I Thess. 2: 16). Now, Satan hindered no longer (I Thess. 2: 18), for, although we can

well believe that the enemy of all truth had moved the opposition that had eventually led

to the curtailment of the bodily liberty of the Apostle, upon the revelation itself, he had

not, blessed be God, been able to put bonds. Prison did not hinder the Apostle in his

ministry. The Jews had "forbidden" him to speak to the Gentiles, but their enmity had

but placed him in a sphere where their hatred was inoperative. He could preach and teach

with gyves on his wrist but with liberty in his heart. Once he had been forbidden of the

Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, but the Holy Ghost forbade no longer, for he was

in the very centre of God's purpose: it was a Gentile dispensation and therefore neither

Antioch nor Jerusalem was so fitting a centre as Rome.