The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 80

ll. SPIRITUAL WORK THE ROPE OF 'l'KE WORLD. " The Lord added to tho Churoh" (or "t-0 them," Revised Version). Divine in its origin, the grain of mustard seod has never ceased to grow-mUBt spread to the ends of the earth. The difference between Ohuroh life and eoolesiastio&l B88umptions. The true Church neither a mere assembly nor association, but a Divine fact-the body of Christ. The Name of Christ the rallying-r-oint., the presence and authority of Christ the power. There was confession- open, pu blio, decided ; there was /tillows'hip-true brotherly love; there was apostolio doctrine and order--not formalism, but living obedience to the laws of Obrist. Sentiment and ceremony not to be substitut.ed for practical religion. The community WBS not communistio. It was not a revolt against laws nor an experiment in politics; it was a simple method of expressing the sense of separation from the world. The bclievere must be provided for a.t any e&erifice, that they may continue faithful to Christ. It "'as Dot for the sa'ke of abolishing distinctions, but of substituting the spiritual distinction for the falsehood of the world. In Christ Jesus there is neither high nor low, rich nor poor; all a.re one in him. The true remedy against mammon- worship, with all its crowd of evils, is to set human life on the spiritual basis. "Seek first the kingdom of God," etc. The renovation of the world will be by the increase of the Church. IIL THE OPEN BEORET OF ClmrsTIANITY the mingling together of Divine power and human agency. Incarnation begins the Gospols, the day of Pentecost the Acts. The Lord mUBt. add to the Churoh. 'l'he Church must confess its own insufficiency, and seek the Lord. " Day by day " the addition was made, day by day the blessing falls. Ask for it, individually and in fellowship.-R. ,ers. 1-41.-The day of Pentecost, and its immediate gifts. "And when the day of Pentecost . . . .And the same day there were added about three thousand souls." 'rhe day of Pentecost is emphatically t,he complement of the great days of the New Testament. The visible glories of this day are the fitting sequel, the almost natural sequel, of the more veiled glories of certain days that had preceded it. The heavenly lustre and music of the day of incarnation, unique as they were, reached the eye and car of but few. The world was asleep I 'l'he dread, tremendous glory of the day of crucifixion, charged though it was with fullest significance, was not seen to be such at the time. The glories of the day of resurrection undeniably opened eyes and hearts to the keenest and most thankful appreciation of them, but their appeal was to a very limited number. When the ea.Im, sweet, strange glory of .Ascension Day revealed a vision of literally endless light, the scene undoubtedly began to widen, if only that it so heightened. And now but a short interval has passed, and there is a. certain m.anifestation given to thill day of Pentecost which reflects floods of glory upon the Giver, and pours light a.nd hope, new and amazing, upon a world well-nigh prostrate. It is the simply told history of this day that is written for us in this chapter. And it tells us of- L THE lUGNIFI~ INTERVENTION OF~ S~E:BNA'.1'lJBAL PRESENCE, (Vers. 2-4). Observe: 1. The signa of the presence. It is distingmsl.JC<i. by (1) the sound of wind, apparently without the usual other accompaniments of it to the feeling. (2) The sound of wind of irresistible and conquering energy. It is not as when" the Spirit of God moved on the face of the " archaic "w~ters" (Gen. f· ~), and it i~ not " as _summer evening's latest siuh, that 1,huts the rose.' No; nor lS it as the "stormy Wllld and tempest." Tue ele~ents are not in confusion, aDd the wind is not furious. But it sweepR along nevertheless, with a certain irresistible majesty ; rather, it distinctly thus sweeps dow~ "from heaven." It is wind that "bt,ars itself down," and is "full of might." (3) Its facile pervading and penetratiDg of II all the house where" the disciples "were sitting." t:,t. John, for certain, was there, and learned then the grand original of his later-ay, much later-Patmos experience, "I was in the Spirit." All in" that house" were enveloped, bathed, 11 baptized" in the Holy Spirit. (4) An added apptarar,ce; an appearance of fire, manifold fire, every _several portion of the bright Luruing shaped B.11 the tongue, ano one of these speeding to settle on each of the ste.rtlt:d assem hly of disciples. 2. Tli.e forat and direct results of the r,r_eaence. (1) 'l'hose to whom it was vouchsafed, and who " were sitting in the house, ' are "all filled with the Holy Spirit." '!'his is the testimo11y, the assertion, of the historian at a somewhat CH, lJ, 1-47.) THE AOTS OF THE APOSTLES 76