The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 282

voice of their God to them. It WBB the ground of their hope that Messiah the Deliverer and Prince, would come. It may also be noticed that they much more' readily found Messianio references in prophecy and promise than we can do; and we find it difficult to see the points which even the New Testament writers make, probably because our characteristic logical and critical qualities of mind differ so materially from the /irYura- tive and imaginative characteristics of the Eastern mind. How St. Paul used apr,eals to Scripture, and especially Scripture prophecy, may be illustrated from his speech at Antioch in Pisidia (eh. xiii. 16-41), and from his Epistles. Further illustration of the method, as peculiar to the apostles and Christian teachers, may be found in St. Peter's speech at Pentecost, and the Epistle to the Hebrews. In onr text Moses is mentioned with the prophets, because there were some who placed the Pentateuch in a higher rank than the rest of the Old Testament Scriptures. St. Paul givM the leading points of his preaching, and affirms, what he would be prepared quite fully to illustrate and to prove, that these points are not really new, but have been all foresbarlowed and declared by Jehovah'a prophets. He takes three topics. 1. Messiah was to suffer. 2. Messiah was to rise from the dead. 3. Messiah was to be the Light of life to both Jew and Gentile. I. MESSIAH WAB TO SUFFER, or should be capable of suffering. "The grea;; body ot the Jews had fixed their thoughts only on the prophetic visions of the glories of the Messiah's kingdom. Even the disciples of Jesus were slow to receive any other thought than that of conquest and triumph. It was not until they were led, after the Cruci- fixion and the Resurrection, into our Lord's own school of prophetic interpretation, and taught to recognize the under-current of types and prophecies that pointed to a righteous Suilerer as well as to a righteous King, that they were able to receive the truth." Show (1) the prophetic figure of a suffering Messiah from Ps. xxii. and Isa. liii., with references to passages in Jeremiah and Lamentations; and (2) point out how precisely the historical facts of our Lord's sufferings fit into the preparatory prophecy. II. MESSIAH WAS TO RISE FROM THE DEAD. Illustrate the prophecies on this point from Ps. xvi. 10; xxx. 3; xli. 10; cxviii. 7 ; Hosea vi. 2, etc. Show how the fact of his resurrection answers to the prophecy. Aid may be found in St. Peter's speeches recorded in eh, ii. and iii. III. MESSI>.a WAS TO BE THE LIGHT OF LIFE TO BOTH J:i;;w AND GENTILE. This had been one of St. Paul's strongest points, and he bad abundant Old Testament references to show that Messiah's mission was not limited to Jews. Refer in illustration to Ps. xiv.; lea. xi. 10; xiii. 1, etc. Show that the apostle could direct attention to the fact that God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles by the vision given to St. Peter e.t Joppa, and the admission of Cornelius to the Church. He could also plead that in the Gentile cities God had attended the preaching of his gospel with the power of the Holy Ghost, and Churches among the Gentiles had been founded on the faith of Obrist. So prophecy had been fulfilled; it was satisfied in Jesus of Nazareth, who suffered for our sins, rose age.in for our justification, and is preached in all the world as the all-sufficient Saviour.-R. T. Ver. 29.-" Both almost, and altogether,n By comparing the translation of ver. 28 in the Revised Version, it will be seen that the traditional associations of the words cannot be maintained, and that Agrippa had other thoughts than those which are usually supposed. But it is certain that St. Paul me.de use of Agrippa's words to point a persuasion, and recognized the possibility of the state which may be described as "almost a Christian." And so we are still justified in basing a homily on the condi- tion of the" almost persuaded" upon this passage. The subject may be pleasantly introduced by a description of the pompous scene. Agrippa prided himself upon his semi-royalty, and so Festus arraPged for as much of state grandeur as possible, St. Paul was brought chained to his soldier-guard, and spoke with but one hand free. His fervour and eloquence moved Agrippa more than he cared to admit even to himself. He dreaded any further pressure, and therefore tried to turn aside the apostle's pleadings with the lightness of a le.ugh. St. Paul was too much in earnest to take the king other than seriously, e.nd so he responds with the passion and persuasion of our text. He turns the king's words into II plea against continuing any longer in an unsaving relation to Ohristianity. And still we fin,d, in regard to vital personal religion, that very ~OTljl-ll. 11 2ao THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLE& [cu. :u.vn, 1-44-,