The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 62

HOMILETICS, Vers. 1-13.-The unity of the Spfrit. If, with the idea of unlly In our minds, we, read this description of the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, we cannot but be struck with the manner in which that great idea is exhibited and illustrated. I. There is first THE LOCAL U!IITY OF THE CnuRCH. They were all together in one place. :Many in number, but all of that many come together; drawn by ono common impulse to merge their separate existences, their various pursuits, their divergent vocations, their several movements, their independent actions, in one common action, and by that action to come together to one place. All tl:e different reasons and motives whicb would ha,·e kept them sepamte, and which would have attracted them to different places, were overcome by the common reason and motive which drew them to one place. Nor must we overlook some of the aspects of this local unity. It reveals to us that there was something in the heart of each one of the assembly which felt tbe need of contact with the others, because there was known to be in those others a like nature and a like spirit and a like yearning to their own. No one felt himself sufficient to himself; there was an outlook in each breast for that which should make up tho complement of its own wants, and that complement could only be found in tho love of the brethren. It reveals also that sense which each had of mutual support and encouragement. that expectation of strength 'l.nd count~nance to be derived from tho presence and the communion of the rest. 'l'he Christian instinct told each one, "It is not good to be alone;" faith, love, courage, holy enthusiasm, heavenly zeal, power to act for Christ and his kingdom, wisdom to know, and boldness to execute, counsel before the time of action comes, and decision when it is come,-all are increased and perfected "by that which every joint supplieth." And then, again, this local unity had its immense importance considered in regard to its outward aspect--the aspect which it presented to the world. 'l'he individual Simon, or John, or James, might be thrust aside with contempt as an ignorant enthusiast or an eccentric fanatic; but the compact body of the twelve, with the hundred and twenty firmly attached to them, already presented a front to the world imposing from its compactness and the close coherenco of all its parts. And, in like manner, a little thought will reveal other aspects of this local unity. The one temple at Jerusalem had contributed not a little to the unity of the twelve tribes, who looked upon it as their common centre, and who met together periodically at that one centre for the offices of their common faith. And so this local unity of the Churcl:, to whom the upper chamber-consecrated, perhaps, by the Lord's presence at the Paschal feast, and endeared by the hours of prayer and waiting passed in it betwee!I Easter and Pentecost--was the common place of meeting, was a material prop and buttress to that spiriti.al unity of which the Lord Jesus Christ was the true Centre. IL But mark next what we may call TBE ODJECTIVE UNITY OF TBE CHURCH as con- templated by the Holy Ghost. It is not only that the disciples felt their unity, and displayed it in the local unity of which we have spoken, but God the Holy Ghost looked upon them as one, and treated them as one. ,v e read in ver. 3 that "it sat upon each one of them;" not upon the apostles only, not upon certain favoured persons, but upon each one of the assembled saints. It was the one Spirit filling the one body (see Exposi- tion, ver. 3). It is added with emphasis," They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Here, then, we have clearly ancl most impressively set before us the unity of the Church in the sight of God; its uoity in respect of privilege and covenanted possession. It is an exposition In practice of St. Paul's saying, "If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of  on. n. 1-47.] TIIE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 57