The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 95

and religious bigotry. 'J.'hore could be no dispute ae to his real death on the cross• Peter seems to remind the Jews that their council held the Roman centurion's certificat; of de&th, &nd that council had set "watchmen" to keep the grave. And still there a.re two foundation facts of the gospel system: 1. Jesus was crucified as an innocent man. 2. Jesus actually yielded up his life on the cross. Show the importance of these facts to the doctrine of redemption in Christ's blood. A "lamb without blemish" was the only fitting" burnt offering" for humanity; it was consumed upon the altar, and the sacrifice accepted of God. IV. Ous LORD'S BEBUBRECTION AS THE TESTIMONY 01!' DIVINE APPROVAL. Apostles constantly urge the fact that Jesus had risen from the grave. It is significant that the men of their day could not deny the fact. Give the lame and poor attempts to make out that the disciples had stolen the body. But apostles carefully say God raised him, and so publicly declared His acceptance of him and of his sacrifice. They do not say" he was raised," or "he raised himself." We know, therefore, that with him "God is well pleased." Peter seeks to carry home his teachings by appeal to Scripture. His plea is this-Jesus, crucified and risen,aska our faith, and to all who believe in him he gives "eternal life."-R. T. Vers. 29-36.-The first argumint for the Resurrection. The apostles distinctly witnessed to the facts of the Resurrection, as having come within their own personal knowledge. But they also argued from Scripture, that the Lord's resurrection was the natural and necessary completion of Messiah's earthly mission. In the above passage is given the first specimen of such argumentation ; and it should be carefully noted that it is fitted to Eastern rather than to Western modes of thought. The late Dr. Robert Vaughan says, "The Oriental intellect i~ not logicaL Its faculty is to a high degree intuitive ; it relLSOns, but it rarely does so formally. It passes to its con- clusions with a subtle celerity, resembling what we see in women, much more than by those scientific processes which are familiar to our Western habits of thought." The audience which Peter at this time addressed was composed of devout, God-fearing Jews, who were attending the feast, and it was therefore especially appropriate that his argument should be based upon the Scriptures, and take Scripture form. "The passage which he first quotes is taken from Ps. xvi. 13-11, and he argues that it could not be of himself that the psalmist there spake, for they had evidence that the words could not be truly said of him ; but that, having regard to God's promise, he spake of him who was to be born from his line, as identified with himself." The second quotation is from Ps. ex., and is taken to suggest that David went down to the grave, and "slept with his fathers;" and the allusion to ascension and place at Jehovah's right hand could not possibly apply to him, but must refer to his "greater Son," of whose resurrection and ascension the apostles gave their witness. The argument may be followed through its several stages. l. DAVID PLAINLY SPEAKS OF THE RESURRECTION A.ND ASCENSION 01!' SOlm ONE. He does not deal, in these psalms, in vague generalities and pious sentiment. He was a prophet, and under Divine inspiration, and speaks with distinctness and definiteness. \Ve must seek for the person to whom he refers. II. HE COULD NOT MEAN HIMSELF, This, indeed, would be the first thought of the reader of his words, but it will not bear examination. The expressions are too large to be satisfied in the experience of any mere man. And, if taken literally, as they should be, they cannot be applied to IJavid himself. They must refer to some great one who has no earthly sepulchre, because, though he died, he rose, and no tomb holds his 'body. But David's sepulchre was then recognized, and all regarded him as awaiting the general resurrection of the just. III. Hn: MUST BA VE REFERRED TO MEssuB. It must have been a prophetic utter- ance. .And the Messianic character of both these psalms has been generally admitted by tho Jews; so that Peter's proof-texts would not be disputed ?Y his audi~nce. as unsuitable. The only difficulty would be the identification of Messiah. To this pomt he leads the argument. IV. DAVID'S WORDS FIT THE FACTS WHICH THE APOSTLES WITNESSED CONCERNING JEsus OF NAZA.RETH. He only had been thus raised after death to the spiritual and inco;-ruptible life, He only had passed, after resurrection, into the eternal world without 90 THE ACTS or THt APOS1;LES. [en. n.1-47.