pel as he goes on, in order to make things clear to his Gontile readers.
Let it be noted, that as our Lord calls His own body a "tem- ple," so also the bodies of His believing people are called " the temple of the Holy Ghost." (1 Cor. vi. 19.) If it was wrong to defile and profane the temple made of stone and wood, how much more is it wrong to defile by sin the temple of our bodies ! St. Paul and St. Peter both call our bodies our "tabernacle." (2Cor. V. 1; 2 Pet. i. 13.)
22. — l^When.... risen.... dead....disciples remembered.'] This sentence is an interesting proof of two things. For one thing, it shows how much hght was brought to the minds of the disciples by our Lord's resurrection, and how many hard sayings of His were at once unravelled and made plnin. — For another thing, it shows how long truth may lie dormant in men's minds without being understood, or doing them any service. It is one of the special offices of the Holy Ghost to bring things to remembrance. (John xiv. 26.) We must not suppose religious teaching does no good because it is not understood immediately. It may do good long after the teacher is dead.
[They believed the Scripture.] What Scripture does this mean ? It cannot, of course, be our Lord's saying. What our Lord said is specially added, as something beside the Scripture, which the disciples " beheved." — Nor yet does it seem likely that it means anv particular text in the Old Testament about the resurrection. I incline to the opinion, that it means generally the whole testi- mony of Scripture to our Lord's claim to be received as the Messiah. When Jesus rose from the dead, the disciples were fully convinced that the Scripture about the Messiah was fulfilled in their Master.
The expression "believed" cannot mean that the disciples then believed for the first time. As in other places, it signifies that they believed fully, and without any more doubt and hesi- tation. The same may be said of John xiv. 1.
23. — [Many believed.] These persons do not appear to have really believed with the heart, but to have been only convinced in their understandings. The distinction between intellectual belief and saving belief, and between one degree of saving behef and ano- ther, ought to be carefully noticed in Scripture. There is a faith wtich devils have, and a faith which is the gift of God. The persons mentioned in this verse had the former, but not the latter. So also we are told that Simon Matifus " believed." (Acts viii. 13.) Again, there is a real heart-belief which a man may have that admits of great increase. This is the belief spoken of in the preceding verse.