The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 281

conquering King. Dealing with the scriptural promise of Messiah, the Prin01 and Saviour, we note-- I. THAT IT WAS EARLY GIVEN. In the world's very morning. In the first hours of the world's sin and woe. Almost before the shadow of man's sin could fall upon his life, God sent forth this great ray of hope . . II. THAT IT WAS OFTEN RENEWED. For every generation; for every new set of circumstances. In ever-varied forms. With a gracious advancing clearness and fulness. The actual instances provide the illustrations. For lists of them, see appendices to modern Bibles. III. THAT IT WAS STRANGELY J,[[S0ON0EIVED. Because men would not take the Messianic figure as a whole, but chose the parts of it which they preferred. And because men did not take the revelation in its simplicity, but read it in the light of their circumstances, and especially of their temporal necessities. So a nation whose liberty had been taken from them only saw in Messianic promise a liberator, a Judas Maccabeus, a triumphing prince, after the pattern indicated by Daniel. Messiah is for men, not for Jews only, for sinners, and not for an enslaved nation only.-R. T, Ver. 8.-The incredib),ity of the resurrecUon. This sudden appeal appears to be made for two reasons. 1. Because Agrippa professed to believe in the Scriptures, which certainly contained re.:ords of resurrections (see 1 Kings xvii. 17-23; 2 Kings iv. 18-37). 2. Because the Sadducee party was the one which was most active against the apostle, an<l they were chiefly offended by his preaching the doctrine of the resur- rection, based upon the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah. Possibly St. Paul may have known that the doctrine of resurrection was a stumbling--block and hindrance to Agrippa. Men in all ages have stumbled at the difficulty of resurrection. It appears to be so contrary to the order of nature ; and, so fa.r as human power and skill are concerned, death is so manifestly an irremediable woe. But is resurrection incredible ? Three answers may be given. I. THAT DEPENDS UPON THE EVIDENCES OF THE FA.er. It is credible enough if it can be adequately proved. And the test case must be the resurrection of our Lord. It is not enough to dismiBS this ca&J as miraculous; we must fairly consider the proofs of the fa.et. Review them as given by St. Pa.ul in 1 Cor. xv., and set them alongside the historical details given in the Gospels, showing the credibility of the witnesses, etc. The position taken by Hume is a very presumptuous one, that it is more likely the evidence is false than that the miraculous event is true. No fact of history can be received unless its testimony is accepted without prejudice. II. THE RESUJlRECTION IS NOT THE GREATEST OF MIBA0LES. H we can accept greater, it ca.nnot be unreasonable to accept it. St. Augustine well expresses this point. He says, " It is a greater miracle to make that which is not than to repair that which is. Why ca.nnot God raise us e.fter we a.re turned into dust, who, if we ever were reduced to nothing, could give us a being?" To create man is a greater miracle than to re-create him; and we a.re not unreasonable in asserting that he who can accomplish the one can certainly accomplish the other. ill THE WORLD IS FULL 011' Al!l'.ALOGIES WHICH HELP TO MAXE REASONABLE THE BELIEl" m BEstJRBECTION. These a.re fully given in works on the resurrection, and are familiarly Wied in sermons on this topic. Especially may analogies be found in spring- time resurrections and insect changes. Science, too, finds analogies, for it discovers that nothing really is destroyed, but all things reappear in other and varied forms. It is but a beginning of argument on behalf of the sure and sublime truth of the resurrection, but it is an important beginning to be able to say-It is not a thing incredible that God should ra.ise the dead.-R. T. Vera. 22, 28.-Bt. Paul', 'IMIIK11Je compared with propAecy. Reference to and sup- port from Holy Scripture wu a characteristic feature of the apostle's public teachings and preachinge. To understand the importance of this feature of his work we should take into consideration not only the general views entertained of Scripture as the revealed and authoritative Word of God, but also, and more particularly, the sentiment concerning Scripture cheru;hed by pious Jews. It is almost im1iossible to exaggerate ill spe&lting of their reverence for h. It was their final court of appeal. It was the oa, :u:vr. 1-32,] THE AC'fS OF THE APOSTLES.