The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 51

the Son of God ehould be permiUed to weaken our conviction that Christ is now with us. He bae come, he "makes his abode with us." And the present spiritual Christ ie a present eanctifying power. The coming of Christ again to his Church in some sensible form is intended to be a secondary thought; bearing relation to Christian culturo as holding out before us a. high and ennobling object of hope. But it is properly to bo regarded as "the sweet light away yonder" which cheers us while we set heartily to tho doing of Christ's work ;in the world, under the daily inspirations a.nd leadings of Christ's spiritual presence.-R. T. Vers. 12-14.-New as.iociations with the upper chamber. In the Revised Version "an upper room" is translated "the upper chamber," which permits us to identify the place of the" tarrying of the disciples" with the chamber in which Christ's last words were spoken, and the Lord's Supper was instituted. Show what indications there are that eome of the disciples had private dwellings in Jerusalem. John took the mother of our Lord to his own home; Mary, the mother of Mark, had a house to which Peter weut; Nicodemus, as a ruler, would have a large house; and if Joseph of Arimatha)a. had a private garden and tomb outside the city, we may be sure that he had a mansion inside. Recall the suggestions and associations of this "upper chamber." How full it would be of the presence of their Master! How solemn with the recollection of his words, and the sufferings through which he had passed! It was a" holy place." Set out the individuality of the company-tbe apostles, the women, the disciples. Need not think that all the disciples made by our Lord were assembled here. The hundred and twenty names only represented those in Jerusalem, and those from the countcy who were attending the feast. Fixing attention on the attitude and occupa- ~ions ol this company, we see illustrated- !. THE UNION oF BELIEVEns. "One accord." The basis of the accordance was their common faith in Christ. It is the only basis of unity for the Church still. One in Christ. Brothers because sons. II. THE WAITING OF OBEDmNT TRUST. They did not know what was corn.in". They could not have explained their Lord's promise. They did not understand ir know, but they could trust, and show the trust by simple obedience. III. Tm!: OCCUPATION OF WAITING BELIEVERS. They" continue in prayer." Pray~r which is "the Christian's vital breath," is the Church's "atmosphere." And they wh~ are sincerely waiting for God will be found constantly and earnestly waiting on him. For even the fulfilment of his promises God loves" to be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them."-R. T. Vers. 16-19.-Judas, an apostle. 'l'hat Judas should have been selected by Christ has occasioned much difficulty to Bible-readers. It is assumed that our Divine Lord, by his omniscient power, must have known what Judas really was, and what Judas would ultimately do. But it is so difficult for us to realize that, in gracious conde- scension, God put himself, in Christ, within the limitations and conditions of man- hood; and as our Lord would not use his miraculous powers to provide for his own necessities, so he would not uso his own miraculous knowledge to secure himself against the changes and possible crimes of his disciples. Keeping our thou~ht of our Lord's divinity back in our minds, we are to see that, in the selection of Judas, our Lord acted as a good and wise teacher might to-day. Ho estimated tho qualitie,; of Judas, and his fitness for the apostolic office, and on the ground of theso he called him, That Judas had eome special fitnesses, which others than Christ could recognize, is shown in the fact that all agreed to his having the trust of the money (John xiii. ~9). Possibly for his practical business abilities he was chosen. Our Lord was conde- scendingly pleased to order his human life on the earth by his ordinary intellectual abilities as a. man, and not by his Divine omniscience. And in this lies the great marvel of his humiliation and limitation. Nothing is said, on the occasion of the call of the apostles, to mark Judas off in any way. He is, indeed, named last, but this may have been due to the subsequent feeling of his brethren against him. That Jesus did absolutely know the character of the betrayer is indicated in John vi. 61, 70, 71 ; but his allusions to him were not at the time understood by the apostles. Tho evil side of his character comes to view in John xii. 6. His plot for the betrayal of Jesus may  THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [cH, I, 1-20,