The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 163

fc~sing the friind bnd she been penite11t. the lntter, llloyer the former. The opinion The land (see note to .-er. I). that the whole body of Christiane is meaut Yer. 9.-But for tlien, A.V.; Oiey shall seems most probable, both from the use of carry for carry/, A.Y. To tempt the Spirit the words in eh. ii. 1 and from the phrnse etc.; i.e. thus daringly to put the Holy Ghost 6µo0uµa.6bv ( cspeoie.lly in connection with on irinl. whether or no he is able to discern /i,ravT«), which seems more o.pplico.ble to !he thoughts of your evil he11rts (conip. Luke a mixeJ multitude than to twelve colleagues 1v. 12). The feet of them, eto. The b11ri11l, like the apostles. You could he.rdly sny including the distance to and fro, had to.ken thnt o.11 the queen's mini&l:era met in e. three bou~, i_ind they were just returning Ca.binet Council with one aooord. Thero is to the Clmst1e.n assembly when Sapphira. no ncecl for tho pnrcnthesis o.s in the A.V. W8J3 confirmin~ her guilt e.s e.n 60Complice Ver. 13.-But for and, A.V.; howbeit for in her husband's lie. but, A.V. The rest seems most naturally Yer. IO.-And she Jell down immediately to mean thoso who wero not included in tile for then feU she down stmigktu,ay, A.V.; ll1ra.,rrer, viz. the J ewe ns distinguished from gat:e up for yiekled up, A.V.; they carried the disciples. 'l'he effect ·of the miro.clcs her out and bu,·ied her for carrying her forth was that the Jows looked with awo o.nd buried her. She fell down immediately. reverence upon the Apostolio Church, 11nd 'l'he Spirit who killcth nnrl mnkcth a.Jim none durst join them from mere curiosity t.hus ,·in<lic,itcd his discernment o.nd his or witli any idle purposo. llut, on the power, nnd testified to the truth of his contrary, the people magnified them, treo.ted prophet St. Peter. by whose mouth he had them with the utmost respect, and spoke just foretold tbo death of So.pphirlL. Gave of them with e.11 honour. .Join himself up the ghost (ver. 5, note). Bill'ied her by (,co/l.ll.ciu8a,). The word occurs in the New her hnsbe.nd. What o. stra.nise example of Testament ten times, of which seven e.re in conjugal unity I One iu their Jewish religion, St. Luke's Gospol or in the Acts. The other one in their conversion to the faith of Christ, three are in St. Paul's Epistles (see for the one in their hypocrisy, one in t!,eir terrible use of it in the seuee it h11e here, Luke xv. death, one in their common gro.ve I one in 15; eh. viii. 29: ix. 26: x. 28; xvii. 34). the undying record of their guilt in the Ver. 14.-Added to the Lord; o.e in eh. x:i. Dook which is rce.d by every nation under 24, not o.e in mazgin. Multitudes; wll.f,611, hce.venl found in the plural nowhere else in the Ver. 11.-Tke u,l,ole Church for all the New Testament. Church, .A..V.; all that heard for a, many Ver.15.-Even carried out for brought.forth, a~ heard, A.V. The awful death of the A.V. and T.R.; that, as Peter came by, at two liars to God not only sliuck a snlnta.ry the least his shadow for that at the least the fear into the minds of the whole Church, shadow of Peter passing by, A.V.; some one but filled with awe all outside the Church for some, A.V. lnsomnoh; not to be referred who hee.rd of it; and doubtless gave e. back to the first part of ver. 12, e.s inJice.ted temporary check to the persecutions, while by the parenthesis in the A. V., but to the it disposed many to hearken to the apostles' whole description of the Church's glorifica- preaching. tion in vers. 12-14. Ver. 12.-By the he.nde of the apostles, Ver. 16.-.&nd there also came together the etc. Two things are here remarkable. The multitude from for there came also a multi- one that Christianity at its beginnings was tude out of, A.V.; about Jerusalem for about mi.,lltily helped and advanced by mire.oles unto Jerusalem, A.V.; folk for follcs, A.V.; do:~e iu the Name of Jeans Christ. The that u,ere for u,hich u,ere, A. V. And there other that the authority of the apo!itles e.s also ea.me together, etc. One gree.t result the rulers of the Church we.s greatly of these numerous mi.re.cles would be to strengthened by these miracles beiDg manifest that the Lord Jesus wo.e still with wrought exclnsively by their hands. We hie Church 6B truly o.e when he was upon cannot understand either the external rela- the earth (Matt. :uviii. 20), e.nd this mani- tions of the Chnrch to the world, or the festation remains for the comfort of hie internal relations of the people to their people, even now that such miracles have spiritual rulers, unless we duly take count ceased. With regard to what is said in ver. of these two things. With one aooord (see 15 of the ehudow of Peter being thought to eh. iv. 24, note). In Solomon's porch (see have had a healing power, it may ho.ve been eh. iii. 11, note). It is quite true to nature true that it had, 68 Christ could hee.l by e. that Solomon's porch, having been the scene shadow e.s well e.s by a word or touch, but of the miracle, became the place of frequent we cannot say for certo.in the.t it was so; concourse. There is o. difference of opinion anyhow, it wue e. marvellous see.son of among commentators e.e to whether the aU refreshing to the Church, preparing her for refers lo the whole Chri.itio.n laity 68 in eh. the coming trial. ii. I, or to the apostles only. Alford thinks Ver. 17.-IJut for then, A.V,; tliev 10er, CIII, V, 1-42,J 'rIIE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 159