The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 265

Cn.nncm, the Innd flowing with milk n.nd Resurrection rind the ARcension, Acts i. 3) is honey, wns common enough to enter into of comparatively small importance. What is, the cliet of tho poor (compn.re, o.mong mo.ny however, of real moment is the weight Jesus passages, Exod. iii. 8.17; Deut. xxvi. 9, 15; showed that he attached to Old Teato.men t Jor. xi. 5; Isa.. vii. 15, 22; Mo.tt. iii. 4). words and types and prophecies by this Vere. 44-49.-A summary of some of the repeated mention. The remarks of Meyer and Van Oosterzee on tbis subject a.re well Lord's last woi·ds. The next six verses do worthy of being quoted : "If the exegete not record sC1yings uttered the so.me first should read the Old Testament Scriptures Easter evening. They are, in fact, e. very without knowing to whom and to what brief summary of instructions given by the they everywhere point, the New Testament llfostor on different occasions during the clearly directs his understanding, and place8 him under an obligation, if he would be a. forty days which eln.psed between the Resur- sound Christian teacher, to acknowledge its rection e.nd the Ascension. authority and interpret accordingly. Doubt In considering the reasons of the omission a.a to the validity of our Lord and of his of any speoio.l reference to the Go.lilmo.n apostles' method of expounding, involveR e.ppeo.ro.nces or the risen Lord, two points necessarily o. renunciation of Christianity" (Meyer). "They who consult the teaching must be borne in mind. of Jesus ar,d his apostles with respect to (I) Neither Luke nor Po.nl he.d any the prophecies concerning the Messiah, need persona.I reminiscences, like Matthew, or not grope in uncertainty, but should, never- Mark (who wrote down, we believe, St. theless, remember that the Lord probably Pater's memories), or St. John. Luke was directed the attention of the disciples, on this occasion (he is referring to the walk to dependent on other sources altogether. Emma.us), less to isolated Scriptures than (2) Luke, when he wrote the Gospel to the whole tenor of the Old Testament in bee.ring his no.me, probably proposed to its typical and symbolico.l cho.racter" (Van complete his recital of the olose or the Oosterzee). earthly ministry or the Lord in his second Ver. 45.-Then opened he their under- standing, the.t they might undenta.nd the work, the Acts of the Apostles. His know- Scriptures. Assuming (68 is most probably ledge of what took place e.fter the Resurrec- the case) that vers. 44 and 45 refer to tion was evidently derived from e. source words spoken by Jesus on the first Easter unfamiliar with the Galila,an manifestations evening to the eleven and to Cleopo.s and of the risen Lord. his friend, then thB way in which he opened their understanding is described by St. St. Luke's knowledge of the Ascension John (xx. 22) thus:" He breathed on them, seems to he.ve been most precise. He and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy evidently le.ye great stress upon the im- Ghost." Among the new powers bestowed portn.nce of this le.et scene, both as o. piece on them by this Divine gift, St. Luke of evidence e.nd ns e. theme of teaching; for especially dwells on the spiritual insight he not only concludes his Gospel with it, henceforth possessed by these men in to tb e Scriptures of the Old Testament, hitherto but commences his book of the Acts with only partly understood. This power WBS the ea.me reoitnl, o.ocompo.nied with further doubtless one of the great instruments of details. their sucoess as preachers. Ver. 44.-And he said unto them, These In the next four verses (46-49) St. Luke are the words which I spo.ke unto you, evidently briefly summarizes the Ma.ster's while I was yet with you, that all things great sayings, some probably spoken in the must be fulfilled, which were written in the OOIIJ'se of the walk to Emmaus, some on that Le.w of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Pee.I.ms, oonoerning me. The words, first Eo.ster evening, some on other occasions "while I wBB yet with you," plainly show during the forty days which elapsed between that, in the Maete1·'s mind, the period of his the Resurreotion and the Ascension. The sojourn with mon was, in the human seuse introductory words, " and so.id unto them" ol' the expression, past. Hie abode now was (ver. 46), seem the commencement of this elsewhere. ThiH and the nex.t verse (45) probably refer to what the Master so.id that summary. tlrstEe.etereveningto the assembled disciples, Ver. 46.-Thus it is written, and thm it but the exact fixing the time iu the forty behoved Ch.ris1; to su1f'er, and to rise from days (the time specially mentioned by St. the dead the third day. The majority of the Luke in the Aote as elapsing between the older o.uthoritied omit the words, "11nd th119  278 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [ou, xxrv. 1-53.