The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 30

And so, in higher strain, chants the apostle: "Faithrul is ho who hath promised, wlw a?so ,~i(l do it." ~- '[he t!tle offers in I\ fresh form, to the sensitive, impressiblo d1spos1t10n of true d1sc1pleslup, a pathetic suggestion of the nearness and the continuing purpose and_ the watching grace of the Father. "l'is all covered by the word promise. For a pr~n,1se must be of something welcome and wished for. A promise has no part nor lot with a tl11'eat. The only question that lies at the door of promise is the anxious one, as to faithfulness ; that assured, the prospect must be a grateful one. So one chosen word, an opportune name, a kindly expression, becomes a suggestion, fruitful and full nC fruitfulness. "The promi-ae of the l'ather" must ever be the" Comforter" of the Church. 11. 'fHE COM!IA1'"D TO AWAIT TOGETHER AT JERUSALEM THAT DESCENT, OR" BAPTISM," OF TUE HOLY GHOST WlllCH WOULD CONSTITUTE THE FULFILMENT OF PROMISE, It is not necessary to linger over the fact that Jerusalem was to be the scene of the " baptism with the Holy Ghost," and the geographical point of departure for the new heralds of" the kingilom of Guel." It was the metropolis of the land; it was the shrine in a shrine. It had hecn the ecclesiastical gathering-place of the elect people for centuries upon centuries, and divinely appointed such. But now, if ever work was to <late from place, the work of Christ might well begin from the place where he suffered, :llld the glory of the dispensation of his Spirit be manifested.where had been first the manifestation of l,is soul's sore" trouble," and his humiliation unto death I This, the first crown aCter the cross! Ilut other suggestions, of more intrinsic importance, arise out of this command. L The command, by preventing the separation and dispersion of the apostles, prepared the way for a manifestation which, if viewed merely as a phenomenon, must have been unsurpassed in the experience of the people, whether those who saw it or those who felt it as well. No amount of depth of conviction, no amount of consequent real stir, could be wondered at after such a scene, or the credible report of it only. 'l'he impression and the effect must have been justly tremendous then and there. Could we give ourselves leave to imagine for one moment a reproduction of that scene in the modem world's metropolis, we know that, taking into consideration the scale of modem thought, the character and variety and tenacity of modem scepticism, and the wonderfully advanced means of modem communication, nothing short of the genuine turning upside down of" the world" might be expected to be the result, The atheist, the rationalist, the materialist, the mere scientist, would have a hard task before them, and would have hard work to escape the administration prompt of lynch law, as it were! There were, of course, the greatest ends to be secured by that extraordinary demonstration proportionate to the time of day,and guarded from effects that would be absolutely appalling through their forcibleness. (1) That demonstration of the Spirit would be for ever memorable in the thought and religious life of each individual who experienced it. (2) Also its value would be greatly enhanced in the mutual witness, which was so striking a feature of it. No hour, no moment, was wasted (as after the Resurrection) by any attempt called for on the part of one disciple to persuade or to inform another. All saw, felt, believed, and were divinely elated. (3) It irresistibly secured a wide, varied, distant circulation, at a time when this was a thing difficult to attain. 2. The command prevented apostles and disciples separating and dispersing to attempt in an individual,fitful manner their great Master's work. 'l'hey are to await one united baptism-to have one distinct, impartial impression made upon them and co=ission entrusted to them. From the first a very needed idea was offered to them, that they were not to air their individualities, but to lose self in one glorious congrega. tion. 3. The command secured, on the very merits of the case, the proper preparation o the apostles for their work. Not only will they now not go forth in their own individua, strength and pride, but not in human strength and pride at all. 'l'hey are all to bo baptized, and with such a fora as the Holy Spirit I His life, his light, his love, his torigue, are to be theirs. .As with Jesus' spoken charge to "the twelve," and again to "the seventy," under each permanent or temporary item of direction lay this one OII, I, 1-20,] THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 26