PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1
Arthur Charles Hervey [1808-1894] · 411,060 words · 462 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 61
Ver. 41.-T/iey tl1e11 for then they, A.V.: Ver. 46.-Day by day C<YT1tfoui'Tl(J 9t,.a,t. received for r,ladly received, A. V. and T.R.; fa,lly for they continui11g daily, A.V.; at there were added unto tl1em in tl,at day for liome for from house to house, A. V. ; they did !he Bame day there were arldcd unto them, ta1'e …
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HOMILETICS, Vers. 1-13.-The unity of the Spfrit. If, with the idea of unlly In our minds, we, read this description of the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, we cannot but be struck with the manner in which that great idea is exhibited and illustrated. I. There is first THE LOCAL U!IITY OF THE Cnu…
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his" (Rom. viii. 9), which is here laid before us. It is the baptism with the Holy Ghost r,romiscd by Christ to nil his disciples .. Here there is neither Jew nor Greek, neitbe~ mnlo nor female. Sons and daughters ahke, bon<l an<l free, apostles and children, are nil pnrtakcre of that ono Spirit, beca.use all have b…
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preaching or the Auguetinee, OhryR011toma, Basila of the Church; the prenching ortha great mcinh, St. Berm1.rd, St. Francia, Peter the Hermit, and the prcnching friars; tl\e preaching or the Heformera, Wyclilfe, Luther, Tyudale, Latimer; the prenching ol the Puritana, Knox, Calamr, Baxter; the preaching of the Metho…
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the courte~y, with which the whole discourse wa8 uttered, and the absence of the lesat appoafl\nce of egotism or vain-glory in the whole style of hie preach in,,., we ahall fefJ\ that we havo ln,leed a good model in this primary sermon for us to copy, and that in proportion as we frame our own sermons upon thi~ great e…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-18.-The comi'Tlg of God in power. The ascended Saviour was about to come in mighty power to the disciples. 'l'hey were in Jerusalem, "waiting for the promise of the Father;" doubtless they had no anticipation of the way in which that promise would be fulfilled, and must have bee…
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ncss of God," they are not of him; if they do, they are. Bo shall we " try the epirit1 whether they are of him." IV •. Oun H,UMAN RESPONSE. (Vere. 12, 13.) The manifestation of Divine power ~m this. occasion excited amazement and incredulity. Of these the former is wholly msuffici,ent and the latter altogether wrong. …
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fro~ ~he dead (ver. 32). 3. That prophecy pointed him out as One reigning in power, awa1tmg the final and complete overthrow of all his enemies (vers. 34, 35), Wherefore let every knee bow to him, every heBrt be subject to his sway ; for (1) all power as well as nil authority is his; (2) on his side, we are sure of vic…
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I. IT WAB DEOOTTEN 01!' DIVINE INFLUENCE, We must not dissever this passa"a from nil that precedes, but remember that this remarkable manifestation of sacr;d feeling _was the outcome of _Divin~ influence. It was the gift of the Holy Ghost, desccndm~ upon the Church m cop10us streams of sacred power, which brou"ht fo…
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Vers. 5-13.-The a.ma.zement of the multittuk. I. WONDER IS CAUSED BY ANY BREAK IN THE REGULAR ORDER AND CUSTOM OF THE WORLD. It is BO in the kingdom of nature, a.nd here in that of spirit, The country-folk of Galilee were least of all likely to acquire the power to speak the tongues of nations with which they were seld…
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worn customs. (4) H w!ll be an era _or deliverance, of salvation. Men_ will cry to Jehovah, of old the Dohverer, and will be heard and saved from their distresses. With these prophetic hints the apostle would explain the wondrous events of the day. Christin.nity begins with II new effusion or the Divine into the human,…
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which history brings to light. The greatest and moat elgnal fulfilment of the prophecy was in the resurrection of Christ. IV. THE FAOTB, TOGETHER WlTB TlllC PROPHECY, COMBINE IN ONB ARGUMENT FOB TBB RESURRECTION. The facts were, that the risen Jesus had been seen by many. That now, after an interval from his departure…
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of one who afterwards sided with the Jodaizere. The progress of Christianity has been marked by tho growing n.ppreciation of the part and place of the nations in the kingdom of God, 4, Exhortation, "Be saved from the generation of this crookedness" says the apostle, using an idiom of his native Hebrew. Salvation is eve…
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life. Distinction from Greece and Rome, and the great absolutisms of the East. Providential education oi the Jews to be the world's messengers in Christ's Name. Rebuke of hum1m pride. Not to the wise, not to the wealthy, not to the politically powerful, was the function assigned, but to the small and despised people…
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Father, a new creation. To this opened heaven all are alike invited. The conditions of such a baptism were proclaimed by Jesus himself on the mount, through all his ministry. "Come unto me ; " " Ask, and it shall be given unto you;" "Walk in the light, and be children of light. "-R. Vera. 6-13.-Spiritual facts in a wo…
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Ver. 33.-Royal bounty. "Being therefore," etc. I. RECEIVED OF THE FATHER. The throne of Christ is the right hand of the Father. "Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." '!'he obedience of Christ rewarded. The highest manifestation of the Divine in the Man Christ Jesus, The only true view of infinite power …
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God c11.n work with sm11.ll and insignificant instrument11.lity, he summons his people to make greBt efforts, V. 'l'he PLEDGE, PROMISE, AND PROPHEUY of the world's inaathering. Nations shall be born in a day. The wonders of Pentecost may and shall be re~ted, though we should not look for the repetition of the exact mo…
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Ver. 39.-God's promise of the Spirit. "For to you is the promiee," etc. I. Consitler it e.s the :KEED of man, and the fulfilment of the.t whole dispensation c,f mercy under which me.n was placed when he fell. 1. Trace it through the bestowments of the Old Te&tament, and show the.t while God was ever bestowing his Spir…
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we ree.ch with our word by not throwing round them quickly the net of our Christian community and institutions, 3. A great lesson on the importance of waiting /(YI' God', time, ond being ready to receive the Spirit, All mere got-up revival.a result in failure. God's Spirit will himself teach us how and when to expect t…
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ll. SPIRITUAL WORK THE ROPE OF 'l'KE WORLD. " The Lord added to tho Churoh" (or "t-0 them," Revised Version). Divine in its origin, the grain of mustard seod has never ceased to grow-mUBt spread to the ends of the earth. The difference between Ohuroh life and eoolesiastio&l B88umptions. The true Church neither a mere a…
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la.tor period. Whether those who experienced the wonderful Corce knew in that same hour what had thus taken possession of them may be a question. If they knew it not lu namo, they very certainly began to know it in its marvellous natur.,, We justly give our imo.giuation some leave of exercise here, and the more happily…
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all with one accord," i.e. together, "in one place." Juxtaposition and visible aeeooia- tion do not always iD:fei: the purest of harmony by any me1ms. Dut they did infer it now; and that the dtsmples were all with one accord in one place was the real frult oC their being all "of one accord." Since that blessed day, …
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the career of prophecy, may be testified by the thought: 1. Of the largeness of the contents of it. 'fhe volume is an ample one indeed. What treasures it unrolled, and _\II the while seemed to say spontaneously," This day is this Scripture fulfilled in you,r hearing" I It was an abounding harvest that was now gathered …
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judgment hall, and the look vouob11&fed from the very cross after the terrible thrice denial, a.nd of ell the rest, were now a.ll upon him. And be ba.s made, at all eftntB, tbi.1 impression on us-the impreseion !Ml of a man of: 1. Native impetuosity of temperament. 2. lmperioUB moral judgments. 3. Liability to fearf…
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lteelC ill touched, wakens responsive to ~ho touch, and takes upon it&elf to speak for its owner sounds that have the sounds of hfe. Men hear, and are " pricked in the heart." 2. The first immediate couree resorted to under the circumstances. Thoee whoee hearts are thus "pricked," whose conscience is thus touched, begi…
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V-ers. 38, 41.-Thefirst practice of baptism as a Ohi·istian rite. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized •. , the Holy Ghost." "Then they that ~ladly received his word were baptized . . . three thousand souls." The sun of the day of Pentecost did not set without marking the moment of the inauguration of…
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willingness and desire to be baptized. That was indeed a great and open chang~ o; mind, or repentance, which brought the people to this point. It seems impossible to imagine that baptism was now accepted as anything but the very first step towarrl holiness of heart and life. Those who were baptized did thus much-they "…
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The "fellowship" ~poken of in ver. 42 doos not ml\rk merely the fact of Msocla• tion with the apostles. Nor does it describe association with one ,mother from th11 attractions of friendship, of new-born natures, or of worship. It marks n newer thing, and, considering the numbers of those concerned, a very new thing, Je…
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operation, 11nd to e.ssign its term. It ie one among many of the rna.rke of Christianity that, once embodied, it begins its work there and then, and begins it never to p:i.use, never to cease, till it is all finished. The peculiar and, at the same time, riahtfol Influences of Christianity embodied in human society show…
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the _peculiarity of those early years in the humanity of the now risen, l\scended, glorified Master himself. There was a time when it was said that" Jesus increased, . , in favour with God and man." It is even so now with the family of his followers, i:r:he analogy is striking, And it is striking as one novel indica…
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growth to the vegetation already in existence, and at the same time the development of life in seeds and germs which had long lain Intent in the soil, incapable of veaetation 0 in the unkindly climate of their birth. Exactly in the same way, the flood of a Divine life, poured suddenly into the souls of men, enlarge…
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10uls ofa few ~iaciples fil'!'t, only that he might extend his sway, spreading from heart to heart, entenng, subdumg, teaching, and sanctifying, ever working for that glorious day when the "people shall be all holy." We fix attention on this one point: The diBciples gained, and kep~ from that day, a deep sense of th…
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II. SoME MOCKED, AND WOULD BUMEBT EVIL EXPLANATIONS. (Ver. 13.) Such dispositions even our Lord had to deal with, Some who saw his miracles declared that he wrought them " by the power of the devil;" showing in this their exceeding folly, for our Lord's works were all good and kind alll.l helpful, and not in any sense …
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Vers. 22-28.-The first facts of gospel preaching. From the very first the gospel preaching was made to rest on an historical basis. Apostles fearlessly appealed to certain known/acts, which could not be gainsaid. It has been left to these later times to find myth and legend, when the contemporaries of the apostles d…
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and religious bigotry. 'J.'hore could be no dispute ae to his real death on the cross• Peter seems to remind the Jews that their council held the Roman centurion's certificat; of de&th, &nd that council had set "watchmen" to keep the grave. And still there a.re two foundation facts of the gospel system: 1. Jesus was cr…
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another experience of death. He alone met the conditions of the psal1niet, and therefore he must be the promised Messiah. The other cases of resurrection narrated in Old and New Test.a.ment Scriptures should be examined, and tho points of contrast between them and our Lord's case should be carefully noted; especially t…
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II. TBE GOSPEL DEMANDS FAITH, Here the special object of the faith should be dwelt on. The repentance of these Jews involved their believing that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed thoir Messiah. But this was not saving faith. It only cru:,hed end humbled. The faith required is personal trust in the living, exalted Lord Jesu…
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EXPOSITION, i. 10, " the hour of incense," that is, the hour CHAPTER m of the evening sacrifice, when the people Ver. 1.-Were goi,ng up for tDent up to- stood out~ide in prayer, while the priest gether, A.V. and T.R. Peter and J"ohn. within offered the sacrifice and burnt the The close friendship of these two apos…
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gate, exactly opposite the gate of the temple the Christ (as expressed in the word tM itself (li11-r11<pu -rijr -rov 11aov ,ru,\ijr); in the Nazarene) as well as his power and glory. lntter be says very distinctly that women were Ver. 7.-Raised for lifted, A.V.; his allowed to enter through the great gate on anlde-bone…
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they rendered ubi-dv by t}11$ man, IMI if Peter do.ntly" (John x. 10); "I o.m that Bread had supplied the 'W1'nt of the verbe.l mention of life;" "I am the living Brend ... if by pointing to him. Fasten ye your eyea. any man eat of this bread, he sho.ll live (For the use of li-rrvl(rn•, ~ee note on ver. 4.) for ever; "…
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This perfeot soundneH; pointing to whnt Lorrl and Christ, bnt bis glorious presence they saw with their own eyes while the with his Church is deferred for a time, man Wl!.B leClping Clnd danoiug before them rlnring which he is in heaven (ver 21). The (611.o,cll.TJpla., perfect eoundneee, need only RV. is surely very in…
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.eterly deBtroyed for de~troyed, A.V. trtter}J repetition and ampliftontion of the covenant deltroyed. Tbe Greek ,£0}>..01/pnio, oocura and promise already recorded in Gon. xii, frequently in the LXX. for the Hebrew 1--3; xv.; xvii. 1-8, was made wpbs -roiis phre.se, " out off from his people" (Gen. xvii. wa-rlpa.s, w…
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And so it wne at the present time. Every day he was carried by some kind hands and lo.id nt the Beautiful gate of the temple, in the hope that those who passed to and fro ~ the house of God would look with pity upon his _misery and minister to his wants. '.l~ey must have b~en se.d and dreary hours passed ID expectan…
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are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful" at the Lord's table. Sermons, if eloquent, able, and stirring, are things of natural power in their estimation, but they do not take into account the effectual working of the Holy Ghost accompanying the Word preached, and making it the power of God unto salva…
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then we see, in strongest and AB<ldest contrast with it, stricken, helpless, deformed humnn nature-man brought down to the very ground, unable to sustain himself, the pitiful object of comp_ass!on: we_behold th? fair workmanship of God with all its exquisite beauty, and we see srnnmg, errrng, snffenng, fallen man by it…
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sacred ueefulneBB, in the communication of spiritua.l life! There should be, there must be, as in the ca.se of Peter and John, fitness for the work and obedience to the word and will of Christ; but after all it is not "our own power or holiness" that "makes any man to walk" in the ways of God. 3. GuiU, qualified by ign…
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IV. TnAT Bl!l BLEBBEB WJIOM HE BERVEB WITH THE SUPREME BLEBBmG. (Ver. 26.) What would we give to those whom we would fain serve? Health, fortune, power, fame, human love? Jesus Christ blesses by" turning a.way every one from his iniquities." What o. transcendent blessing is this I Consider: 1. How much it involves; viz…
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Thus only can the electric chain be complctc,l; the healer a.nd the he:1.lc,l bo brought into vital contact. Directions must be complied with a.s the first oondition or physical hMling and of spiritual salvation. The best gift we have for our fellow-men ie the gift of the head and hMrt. This is lasting ; others peri…
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appellations. With these is now connected that of Father of Jesus. Thus the reccn~ le united with the most ancient past. One unfailing bond of Divine constancy and love knits the ages into unity, and makes history the unfolding of an increasing pnr- pose. :::. His love is illustrated by the contrast with human hate. Th…
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our time? Every teacher who bids us strive and o.spire towards the ideal, tho king- dom of God in the spirit, is a prophet, ud is charged with a measure of oracular power for hie generation. VI. THE INHERITANC~ OF THE PRESElo."T, We too are" sons of the prophets." God has spoken to us. Bebmd us lies the pa.st, with it…
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euoh as the world knew not. They showed themselves the sympathizing brothers or all m1Lnkind, ready to give such as they had to give, without money and without price, a pattern of simplicity and spiritua.lity.-R. Ver. 0.-Spirieual riches. "Then Peter said," etc. Introduction. The whole !cene suggestive on the subject …
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"MW it," that is, the ~ig-ns of an awakcnc,i miud and softened heart, Ilc "answered," perhaps cries of e.stonishment and inquiry. TI. 'l'm: SUBJECT OF DISOOURSE. Not the miracle as a miracle, but the MessialtBl1ip <!f Jesm, as proved by it, and its practical bearing on those present. 1. 'l.'ho fact, of the gospel a…
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I. 'fHE NAME 011' CHnIRT TllE ROUP.CE OF THE POWER. 1. His personal merit as Redeemer. He himself worked miracles; not as a mere instrument in the hands of God, but as Divine. When he left the world, he appointed his apostles to be his represontatives, giving them all power in heaven and earth in his Name. He ascend…
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'l'he Spirit of God is already poured out. The beginning of the new lire is before our eyes. Ot-hers are changed, why not ye? Distinguish between the right and wrong use of such a fact. No necessity to we.it for great revivals. Danger of expecting excitement to do God's work for us. The actual existence of a living, wo…
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days of Jesus' flesh. And it must be accepted as a certain proof that hie repentance ho.d been <lcep and sincere, 'l'he name of his loving companion and <.lcl brother disciple John is now introduced. But nothing that he may have either said or done is noticed with any particularity as yet. That he did contribute someth…
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of the "Son Jesns" had not only not been publicly preached to the people, but had In a sense been suppressed. Far otherwise now. Jesus has suffered, risen, ascended. And his right and dignity in this most cardinal respect is to be proclaimed. (2) The names to which Jesus has ent)tled himself by character, by sufferi…
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Jesus, hi_s "just" co~cluc~, his betre,ya! and repudiation by" his own," his 8Ufferin~, resurrection, 11,nd glonficnt10n, 11,t least m so far as the Ascension was concerned. (2) The second appeal is to their own "oracles," and the prized stores of their own treasured prophecies, Peter well knew the just purchase he …
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erring (Mitt. xxii. 29 ; Mark xii. 24, 27). 2. The doctrine they had been preacl1ing t0as 11ot imprisoned. " Many " who had heard it " believed." Fresh wings were gi,·en to it to fly abroad. Either the additional, or more probably the total, number of believers was now "five thousand." And the imprisonment of Peter and…
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to construo the text ns the language or stern rebuke, yet it may imply some rebuke. And this deserves rebuko, when men are so willing to touch human life at all its points of contact with pleasure, solf-interest., honour, privilege, but are so very shy of it at its points of contact with duty, effort, sacrifice. With t…
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pn,.yer WIIB the third hour; aud Peter went up to the house-top to pray (oh. x, 9) about the sixth hoar, which W&B noon; and the evcnin;1: prayer W&B this to which Peter and ,Tohn were i!:Oing up." We fix attention on the fact that, though the apostlea bad the new per.;onnl "life in Christ," they found publio religi…
853 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.