The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 212

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-" Good conscimce before God." Those first words of Paul's defence, which so ~eatly excited and angered the high priest, are capable of being taken in more senses than one. We may regard them in- I. THE BEl!>"BE IN wmoa THEY HUST BE FALSR. It. is certain that Paul did not intend to say that he had never been conscious of defect and guilt in his relation to God. The time had been when he might have said so. .As a scrupulous Pharisee, who was, "touching the righteousness which is in the Law, bla.meless," he would consider him- self without any reason for remorse. But "what things were gain to him," those he "counted loss for Christ" (Phil. iii. 7). He had come to the conclusion that the" way of peace " was not by faultlessness, but by forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ; he had sought and found "the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Phil. ill. 9). And there is no living man who can look back upon all that he has said and done, and look in on e.11 that he has been. and declare that he is conscious of no defect and no guilti- ness before God,-except, indeed, he is one whom sin ·has blinded, and who does not know how " poor, and blind, and naked " he is, in the sight of absolute purity. Com- paring our conduct aud examining our hearts in the light of God's" exceeding broad commandment," we a.re all included under sin. We have all to acknowledge much in the matter of positive transgresswn, and far more in that of unfulfilled obligatiM, II. THE BENSE IN WHICH THIS 11.AY BE TRUE OF us ALL. It was true of Paul in this respect, that from the beginning of his Jewish course up to the time when he became a Christian, he had acted in accordance with his convictions ; that. his change of view was purely conscientious; and that from the beginning of his Christian career till that day he had steadfastly pursued the path in which God had directed· him to walk. Every Christian man ought to be able to affirm this of himself, having regard to his entire Christian course. This conscious spiritual integrity: 1. Includes a sense of con- tinued reconciliation and fellowship with God. 2. Includes unbroken uprightness of conduct, freedom from presumptuous and scandalous sin, and general conformity to the will of God in all the -relations of life. 3. Admits of many failures and infirmities, which are acknowledged and remsted. 4. Results from that gracious influence from heaven which attends the waiting upon God (Ps. L 2, 3; Isa. xl. 31). IIL THE FtJLLEST BENSE m WHICH THEY OAN BE TRUE OF ANY ONE. Paul may have been able to use these W<ll'ds of every period of his life ; but they can only be ,applied to the earlier part with, a re,;ervation. He could only feel that he had been honestly and earnestly pursuing a mistaken course during those years. Happy a.re they who, when the end arrives, are able to look be.ck on a whole life devoted to truth, to heavenly wisdom, to holy usefulness; who, from childhood to old age, have spent their powers in the service of Christ. These have not to set off one part of their career ago.inst another part, but can rejoice to feel that, from the beginning "until this day," they have, in ithe fullest sense, "lived in all good conscience before God." Here is an argument (1) for beginning at the earliest point; (2) for continuing through the special tempt.ations of mid-life; (3) for persisting through the infirmities of later years, in the beauty of a holy ChrisLian life, in the excellency of earnest work.-C. Vera. 3-10.-Things dubious cuul things certain. There are few passages of l:!cripture in which there are so many doubtfnl points in a small space. I. TBREE DOUllTFUL POINTB. It is uncertain : 1. What Paul meant by his apolo- getic remark (ver. 6; see Exposition). 2. Whether he was justified in administering such a see.thing rebuke, " God shall smite thee," etc. It certainly looks much like the utterance of e. man who for the moment has lost his self-control, and there seems to be ground for oontrasting it with the calm dignity of the Master when he was smitten (John x:viiL 22, 23). The apostle laid no claim to perfection (Phil. iii, 13 ; ~•perfect," !.l.i. Phil. iii. 15, Bignifies fl/.ature, instructed, disciplined), and ho may well have been rm. um. 1-36.] THE AOTS OF THE APOSTLES. 219