The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 257

any mention of snob things in the case of Would to God that spiritual powArs In the the subsequent 1houso.uds who were ba.ptized Church h1\ll. never been prostituted to bu.se at Jeruso.lem on the apostles' preaching. purposes of worldly gain, and thu.t all the 'Why, tllen, we.s it so in Se.maria? To servants of Christ he.d shown themselves as answer this question, we mnst obYerve the superior to "filthy lucre" as Peter and difference in the circumste.noee. The bap- Elisha were I But the particular olfenoe tisms at Jel'liMlem were performed by the called simony he.s but a Tery faint analogy apostles themselves. The Holy Ghost was to the act of Simon. ,::-iven upon their promise and assura.nce. Ver. 20.-Silt,er for money, A.V.; to obtain But in Samaria the preaching and the the gift of God for that the gift of God may baptizing were done by the scattered dis- be purcha8ed, A.V. (rightly, ,c,-iio-6111 is the ciples. There was a danger of mo.ny inde- middle voice). Silver. This is a oha.nge of pendent bodies springing np, owing no very doubtful necessity; a.p-yop,011, like the allegiance to the apostles, and cemented French argent, is frequently used for "money" by no bonds to the mother Church. But generally, without any reference to the Christ's Chnroh wo.s to be one-m,my particular metal of which it fa ma.de. Some- members, but one body. '.rhe e.postolate times, indeed, it is used in opposition to we.s to be the governing power of the whole " gold," a.a eh. iii. 6 and xx. 83, and then it Church, by the will and ordinance ofCllrist. is properly rendered "silver." Here the Hence there we.s a manifest reason why, Revisers' reason, doubtless, was to reserve when the gospel spread beyond Judmo., "money" as the rendering of xp-fiµ.a,-a(vers. these 'risible spirituo.l gifts should be given 19, 20). St. Peter's answer is remarkable, not only through the laying on of the apostles' only for the warmth with which he repudiates hands, and by the intervention of their the proffered bribe, but also for the jealous prayers. This had a mo.nifest and striking humility with which he affirms that the influenoe in marking and preserving the gifts of the Spirit were not his to give, but unity of the Church, and in marking e.nd were the gift of God (see eh. iii 12-16). muiutaining the sovereignty of the apostolic Ver. 21.-Before God for in the aight of rule. For precisely the same rea.eon he.s God, A. V. Thou hast neither part nor lot. the Catholic and Apostolic Church in all The " covetous shall not inherit the king- ages ( eh. xii. 5, 6; Heb. vi. 2) maintained dom of God" (1 Cor. vi. 10; comp. Ps. x. 8; the rite of confirmation., "after the example Luke xvi 14; 1 Tim. iii a). The phrase, ,,, of the holy apostles." Besides the other -rrji >,,,J-yq, -r~vrrp, rendered in this matter, gTcat benefits connected with it, its influence seems to be more fitly rendered in the margin, in binding up in the unity of the Church "in this Word," i.e. the Word of life, the the numerous parishes of the diocese, Word of salvation, which we preach (see instead of letting them become independent eh. v. 20; L 36; xiii. 26). congregations, is very great. Observe, too, Ver. 22.-The Lord for God, A.Y. and how prayer and tbe laying on of hands a.re T.R.; thy for thine, A.V.; shall for may, tied together. Neither is vu.lid without A.V. Repent. The terrible words, " Thy the other. In this ce.se, e.s a.t Pentecost, money perish with thee," had not expressed the extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost Pet.or's wish for his destruction. But they was conferred. In confirme.tion, now that were the wounds of a friend speaking sharp mirucles have ceased, it is the ordinary and things to pierce, if possible, a callous con- invisible gTa.OO of the Holy Spirit that is to science. In the hope that that conscience be looked for. had been pierced, he now urges repentance. Ver. 16.-Had been for u,ere, A. V.; into And yet still. dee.ling skilfully with so bad for in, A. V. Into the name. In seems pre- a case, he speaks of the forgiveness doubt- ferable (comp. Matt. x. 41, 42). The use fully, "if perhaps." The sin was a very of the prepositicns in the New Testament is grievous one; the wound must not be bee.led much influenced by the Hebrew, through too hastily. "There is a sin unto death." the language of the LXX. .As regards baptism Ver. 23.-See for perceive, A. V. In the in the Ni.me of the Lord Jesus, here and gall of bitterness, etc. The passage from ,er. 39, T.R.; eh. L 48; xix. 5, we a.re not which both this expression and the similar to suppose that any other formula. we.a one in Heh. xii. 15 a.re taken is manifestly used than that prescribed by our Lord Dent. xxix. 18, where the Greek of the LXX. (l'IIatt. x.xviiL 19). But e.s baptism was has, f,l(a. r,,,.., <1>vouua ,,, xo>,,fi ,ea.I 1r11tplq.- The preceded by a confession of faith similar to context there also shows conclusively that that in our own B,ptisma.1 Service, so it the "gall and bitterness" (" wormwood " was u true description to speak of baptism A. Y.) of which Moses speaks is the sphit W! being in the Name of Jesus Christ. of idolatry or defection from God springing Ver. 18.-Nc,u, for and, A. V.; the laying up in some professing member of the Church, for la.yir,g, A. V. and defiling and corrupting others, as it is Ver. 19.-MJI hand, for hand,, A.V. expounded in Heb. xii. 15, 16. TJiie, as St. t/H, VIIL 1-40.) TllE AO'l'S OF THE APOSTLES. 253