The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 47

Ver. 3.-Benslble proofs of Ohr;st's re3U,rrection. The resurrection of our Lordi~ declared to have been a literal and histori<,o,lfact, of which satisfactory proofs could bf given-such proofs os men are accustomed to accept. Here it is stated that our Lord "showed himself alive;" that he "appeared unto the disciples" (see Revised Version). that the proofs he offered of his restored life were "infallible," as well as "numerous•,; i.e. they were not merely "probable," or "circumstantial," they were such as naturai'ly and properly carried conviction. The disciples were not deluded or deceived; thcv acted ns reasonable men, and accepted the fact of the Resurrection because conviuced by adequate proofs. But when the historical fact is thus fully assured, we must be prepared to receive the further fact which our Lord's ascension declares, viz. that his resurrection was essentially a spiritual resurrection. We have in it the assurance that h~ himself, the spiritual person, Jesus, lived; we have but the formal part of the truth before U8 when we say that his body was restored to life. The bodily manifestations during the forty days were necessary, in order to give the disciples and us such proofs as they and we can apprehend, of the real continuance of the life of Jesus himself; through these sensible protfs our minds grasp the fact that "he ever Ii vet h." The "spiritual" cannot be apprehended by us save by the help of figure, body, and form; and our Lord's whole life on the earth is a gracious bringing home to our carnal minds of spiritual truths and realities by sensible appearances and deeds nnd words. Luke briefly declares the sufficiency of the proofs of the Resurrection. Each point may be illustrated and enforced by the facts detailed in the Gospels, and by the summary given in 1 Cor. xv. I. THE TIME COVERED BY THE PROOFS WAB PROLONGED. It was forty days. Any sudden and passing manifestation of Christ might be explained as a mental delusion or a ghostly vision. 'l'he time, in this case, gave sufficient opportunity for testing the veritablencss of Christ's restored life. Spirit-manifestations never rem:1in for forty days. II. TIIE OCCASIONS ON WHICH THE PROOFS WERE GIVEN WERE MANY. For them see Paul's summary (1 Cor. xv.). Some were given at Jerusalem; others in Galilee; others, again, at Olivet. Some on the shore; others on the mountain; others, again, in the house. Some with the sound of voice which all recognized; others with the showing of the crucifixion marks; others with the sharing of bodily food; and yet others with the signs of the old miraculous 1)0wer. Impress the force tha.t lies in cumulative evidence. 111. THE WITNESSES WHO TESTIFY TO THE PROOFS WERE VARIOUS. Individual men rnny be selected, such as the sceptical Thomas, or the questioning Philip, and the value of their testimony may be shown. But equally important is the witness of Peter's intensity and John's insight. Add the evidence of the women, and that of "five hundred" disciples, to the majority of whom personal appeal could be made when Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Show what a stream of witnesses. They "crowd the court.." Was ever any fact more adequately assured by sober testimony and sensible proofs, such as ought to carry conviction? IV. TIIE SUBJECT OF CHRIST'S TEACHING IN THE FORTY DAYS WAS THE S.J.ME. The importance of this continuity needs to be carefully shown. Jesus resumed his work, carried it on from the point where he left off, completing his personal instructions to his disciples, with precise adaptation to his new relations as the risen and ascending Lord, and to their new duty as the preachers of his gospel to the world. Really in this lies the best proof of the Hesurrection. Impress tho security of the foundation fact on which the gospel rests. Christ "is risen," and our preaching is "not vain."-R. T. Vers. 4, 6.-" The promise of the Father." It was a characteristic feature of our Lord's teaching, and more especially of the closing portions of it, that he sought to set his Father, not himself, prominently before the minds of his disciples: e.g." The Father that is in me, he doeth the works;" "I do the will of him who sent me," etc. So, when speaking of the gift of the Spirit to the Church, our Lord impresses on the disciples that they must think of that Spirit as his Father's gift, made to them/or his 5ake. We are to regard the bestowment of tho Spirit in different ways. 1. lie is the very Spirit given as Divine endowment for the fulfilling of the old prophets' missions•  THE ACTS OF THE Al'OST LES. [ OH. I, 1-28,