The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 27

Ver. 3.-17,e world's suprcmP- question to the front. "Speaking of the things per- taining to the kinadom of God," We bold in our hands, in these words, the key, not of I\ brief section of this chapter and this book alone, but rather of a very long stretch of time, and an immensely important and absorbingly interesting stretch of the world's history. Matters of the deepest and most touching individual interest, like all the charming incident of the four Gospels, must yield, we are here tacitly reminded- yield both in time and in high equity also-to those of collective, of national, of universal interest. All the capacity of Old 'festament history, abounding in mono- graphs of thrilling human import, long led the way onward to this development. And now it might be said the crisis had arrived. All that even Jesus himself had done and taught before "his passion" is to be called only a beginn,:ng. He bad done, indeed, unnumbered benefits to unnumbered persons. He had tauf1ht unnumbered lessons of wisdom and goodness to unnumbered persons. And he had been a light, a wonder, a glory, to a nation. But now, after his passion and resurrection, on to his ascension, his work shows as though cast in larger mould. Its character speaks comprehension beyond what it formerly did. And this is its simple, grand motto-" the things per- taining to the kingdom of God." We have here- I. 'l.'HE :MANIFEST INSTALLATION, LONG AWAITED, OF THE ONE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF THE WORLD. Henceforth the question that shall be to the front for the whole world is "the kingdom of God." The kingdom of God and the Church of Christ are not, indeed, identities. But they stand in most real correlation. The just analogy of the relation that holds between them is that of the perfect type, the original model to the faithful copy-a copy ever realizing greater faitbrulness of resemblance. For this supreme installation, now come with so little of ceremony, at so unexpected a time, in so unexpected and modest a way, the world had waited thousands of years, while "kings and prophets" had been on the watch-tower. These had died with "hope deferred," but in many cases with faith never stronger than in that dying hour. But further, during the last thirty-three years, since in strangest consent a heavenly band of angels, and certain shepherds, and certain " wise men of the East," and a certain very nnwise king, Herod, struck to the heart cowardly, had seemed to set them going, wave ·1fter wave of excited expectation and of suspense had swayed to and fro the hearts of multitudes. 'l'he expectation and the suspense were just now put to re~t, and it should be a satisfied rest, for "this time," to be soon superseded by an nntold period of bard work and severe conflict. During the past thirty-three years, this kingdom had been foreshadowed, among a thousand things "done" and "taught" that seemed of nearer import, by: 1. The distinct preaching of John the Baptist (Matt. iii. 1) and of Jesus Christ himself (Matt. iv. 17). 2. 'l'he introduction of it into the model prayer taught by Jesus to his disciples, "Thy kingdom come. . . . Thine is the kingdom." 3. '!'he many parables of Jesus, of which" the kingdom of God" or" the kingdom of heaven" was the subject. 4. The missionary tours of the twelve disciples (Matt. x. 7, 8) and of the seventy (Luke x. 9). 5. The detached observations made by Jesus, having "the kingdom" as their subject (Luke xvii. 20; John xviii. 33-37). But n010, during so special a period as the forty days, this subject-" the things pertaining to th~ kingdom of God "-is spoken of as the characteristic and discriminating theme of Ch:ist's discourse and instruction to the apostles. The inference is plain. II. THE INDICATIONS OF THE AUGUST CRISIS, WHEN THE MOST ARDUOUS woru;:, MOS'l ENNOBLING PRIVILEGE, MOST TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY, WERE DEVOLVED ON IIUMAN AGENTS. And two things are specially to be noted at this amazing juncture. 1. The carrying on of the work of Christ on earth, in the establishing and propagating of the kingdom of God, is given into the hands of men. We know nothing like all which Jesus said to his apostles during these" forty days," Probably we do not know even all the occasions on which he appeared to them and instructed them. But there can be no doubt that there was one reason, and only one chief reason, why the theme of Christ's conversation or discourse was what we are hero told it was. '!'he reason this, that the apostles should now be prepared, both in heart and hand, t0 undertake the lead of the great work, as they had never before been prepared, probably not even to the conceiving of such a thing. 2. The carrying on of that work, now devolved or about immediately to be devolved on the servants by the Master, is-for so we are irresistibly led to conclude-not prescribed too closely, is not provided for in anything  22 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [cu. 1. 1-26,