The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 64

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-9.-Afulfilled and an unfulfilled prophecy. These verses would supply us with other material for thought. They present to us: 1. Christian workers patiently ancl conscie □ tiously proceeding with their mission (vers. 1, 2). 2. Christian ad vocatcH employing the weapon which was prepared for th<;ir use (ver. 3). 3. Christian labourers reaping a blessed spiritual harvest (ver. 4). 4. Fa1t.hful followers of the Lord partakin~ of his sufferings (vers. 6-9). But we rather find here- I. A onEAT PROPUEOY FULFILLED. "Alleging that Christ must needs have suffered," etc. (vcr. 3); i.e. must needs have so done in order that the Scriptures (ver. 2) might be fullillcd (see Luke xxiv. 26, 46). 'fhe death of the Messiah was the realization of (1) the predictions contained i~ the Jewish sacrifices (the sin offerings and trespass offcrinus and notably the offering of the goat on the great Day of Atonement; the Passov~/ lamb, eto.); and of (2) such predictions in word as those contained in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. The Law must have remained fatally incomplete ancl prophecy unfulfilled if the Chris~ had not suffered as Jesus of ~azaret~ did suffer, if he had not died the death which he underwent. In the crucified Nazarene the greatest of all prophecies had been fulfilled. II. AN UNCONSCIOUS PROPHECY TO BE FULFILLED. The language of the complainants (ver. 6) was unintentionally prophetic. They indeed stated, hyperbolically, as some- thinu already accomplished, that which the ambassadors of Christ are engaged in doing. But they indicated, truly and graphically, what the gospel of his grace is doing-it is turning the world upside down. We may put the facts thus to our minds : 1. When Christ came evil was everywhere uppermost. The reigning forces of the world at the time of the Incarnation were "not of the Father, but of the world." Within the one favoured and enlightened nation were hypocrisy, superficiality, bigotry and unbrother- liness, spiritual delusion; without that circle were superstition, ignorance, atheism, vice, cruelty-all the abominations into which a corrupt heathenism had sunk. Language will not tell the enormity of the world's condition. Nothing would be of any avail but a radical revolution, the overturning of all existing thoughts, habits, methods, institu- tions-turning the world upside down, bringing to the dust of humiliation everything that was on the throne of honour. 2. The gospel of Jesus Christ is destined to overtura it. (1) It has adequate means for so doing-Divine truth, the aid of the Divine Spirit, a Divine institution (the Christian Church). (2) It has the true method, a spiritual one; its weapons of warfare are not carnal, but spiritual, and therefore mighty to pull down strongholds (2 Cor. x. 4). It wins by teaching, persuading, leavening, renewing; acting upon the life through the mind, the heart, the will-through the whole spiritual nature. This is the one conquering course, the one method which really and perma- nently subdues. (3) It has the assurance of success; both in the promise of a Divine Lord, and in the history of its own triumphs. It is turning the world upside down. In many districts " the idols a.re utterly abolished;" many "islands are waiting for his Law;" hoary systems of idolatry and iniquity are pierced through and through with the shafts of truth, and promise to fall prone as Dagon before the ark of God; the vices of civilized lands a.re being successfully assailed; the kingdom of error and of evil is disappearing, and the kingdom of Christ is coming. The triumphs of this last mis- sionary century are a. distinct assurance that iniquity shall be cast down and righteous~ ness be exalted,-0. Vers. 10-14.-Tlie duty of individual research. This interesting and cheering episode teaches us one lesson in particular ; but there are three suggestions we may gain preliminarily. 1. That the Christian pilgrim (and workman) may hope that shadow will soon be succeeded by sunshine; that the tumult of Thessalonica will soon be followed by the reverent inquiry of Berrea. 2. That he must expect sunshine to pass, before long, into shadow; the fruit-gathering of Berraa. to yield to the flight to Athens (vers. 12-14). 3. 'fhat true nobility ia in excellency of character: "These were. ~ore noble" (ver. 11). 'l'he word signifies (derivatively) those of noble birth, and it 1s here applied to those who had chosen the honourable c;ourse and were ,l,;iug AOTs-u. II' 66 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, [ CH, XVII, 1-34,