網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

which the first Christians celebrated every Sunday, if not more frequently.

43. And fear came upon every one, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

The fear mentioned in the first clause of the verse, is to be regarded as the consequence of what is mentioned in the last. Many extraordinary miracles were performed by the apostles,, and therefore all men were impressed with awe of the divine power.

44. And all that believed were together, not in one place, but united in different societies, and had all things common ;

45. And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

This was a remarkable effect of their faith in Christ, and showed the little value which they placed upon temporal possessions, when compared with the eternal inheritance promised to them in the gospel. Their joy in the clear evidence of a future state of happiness for good men, given them by this new doctrine, was so great, that their worldly property seemed of no value, any further than as it afforded them an opportunity of dividing it with their brethren, and of administering to the wants of those who were in distress. This community of goods could not be the work of a day, but must have required some time to accomplish it.*

46. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, "at home," did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, "with purity of heart."

That is, with hearts free from all ambitious, impure, or selfish designs. The writer is describing their public and private conduct. In regard to the former, they frequented the temple, to praise God for his invaluable blessings, and at home, they ate their meat with joy, and spent an irreproachable life.

47. Praising God, and having favour with all the people; or, "praising God with thankfulness before all the people,"

This seems better adapted to the connexion than the common translation. This was their employment at home, in the presence of their acquaintance, as well as in the temple.

* Mosheim, in a dissertation on this subject, has endeavoured to show that the expressions used by the historian are not to be interpreted literally of a community of goods, but relate to the liberality of the first Christians to teach other, in giving a large share of their substance for the support of their necessitous brethren. See Simpson on Internal Evidence, p. 283.

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved, "such as were saved."

The language of the writer in the original, expresses what had already taken place. All men were saved who believed in the gospel of Christ; for they were thereby delivered from their former errors, which exposed them to the judgments of God and to many evils. And all that the writer means is, God daily added new converts to the number of the disciples. This is an instance, among many others which occur in the New Testament, of the term saved" being applied not to deliverance from future misery, about the probability of which it was impossible for any one to decide at present; but to deliverance from present and temporal evil. In this sense is the word continually used in Paul's epistles.

66

REFLECTIONS.

1. We may observe that the reception of the gospel by three thousand persons, in one day, is a glorious evidence of its truth and divine origin. For the apostle appeals to the character of Jesus, as a prophet working miracles to prove his divine mission, and to his resurrection from the dead, as facts well known among them; and the appeal is made very soon after his crucifixion and death, and in the very city where they were said to have taken place. When persons embrace Christianity upon being reminded of these things, it is a clear admission of the facts; it is an acknowledgment on their part that they believed them to be true; and when this is done by so many, and in so short a time, it shows that a proof was plain and clear, level to every understanding; whence this unavoidable inference follows, that what produced conviction in this manner, among persons who had the best opportunity for examining and every motive for inquiry, must be true. No instance can be produced from the beginning of the world of facts, received in these circumstances, proving false. Let every man carefully consider these points, and fairly resist the inference to which they lead, if he can.

2. The liberality of these early Christians is a just specimen of the temper which the gospel produces, and deserves our imitation. They distributed their substance to all that had need, and retained no more for themselves than was requisite for procuring the necessaries of life. This was the natural consequence of a high degree of joy in the prospect of a blessing far more valuable than any earthly comfort, and of gratitude to that Being who had promised to bestow it. Let us manifest the same temper; not, indeed, by establishing a community of goods, which the experience of mankind has shown to be an encouragement to the idle and dissolute, and to furnish opportunities to the fraudulent for carrying on their devices, and therefore calculated to increase, rather than diminish, the miseries of life; but by showing a be

coming indifference to temporal good things, by regarding them as of comparatively little value, and employing them freely in doing good, especially in promoting the great design of the gospel. Eternal life is of the same value to us as to the first Christians, and the goodness of God is equally great in bestowing it. Therefore, having the same motives for gratitude and joy, we ought to manifest the like exertions. This is the most substantial and acceptable way of showing our esteem for the gospel of Christ. We ought not, however, to omit,

3. To express our gratitude to God in words, by praising him continually for his goodness. Riches are bestowed only upon a few, and they only can express their gratitude by acts of charity and beneficence; but praise is an easy tribute, which may be offered by every one who has a heart to feel, and a tongue to speak. It belongs not exclusively to any class of men, but is incumbent upon all men of every condition; for they are all under equal obligations.

SECTION IV.

Cure of the lame man at the Beautiful gate of the temple.

ACTS iii. 1-26.

1. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple, at that hour of prayer which is the ninth hour.

There were three hours of prayer in a day, nine o'clock, twelve, and three in the afternoon, or the ninth hour. This was the last of them.

2. And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was carried, whom they placed daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3. Who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms.

4. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us.

He intended hereby to awaken his attention, and, by leading him to consider who they were, to prepare his mind for the exercise of that faith in the divine power which was necessary for receiving the favour of a miraculous cure.

5. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

He misunderstood their meaning, imagining that they intended to prepare him for receiving alms.

6. Then said Peter, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

As a disciple and follower of Jesus, who is the Christ, I say unto thee, Arise. It has already been shown that to pray in the name of Christ, is to pray as his disciples; and to perform a miracle in his name, signifies the same thing. In each case, the authority of Christ for what is done must be understood. The name of Christ

is mentioned on this occasion, not as a charm for effecting a cure, but to awaken the faith of the lame man, who had probably heard of the fame of Jesus, and to point out the design of the miracle, which was to confirm his divine mission.

7. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength.

8. And he, leaping up, stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping, and praising God.

It was perfectly natural for a man who had just recovered the use of his limbs, to try them in every way, in order to be assured that they were restored to perfect soundness; and it was no less natural for a devout mind to offer public thanks to God for so great à favour. We learn from this last action, by whose power, according to the man's idea, the miracle was performed.

9. And all the people saw him walking, and praising God;

10. And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

This miracle was well adapted to make a strong impression upon the minds of spectators; for the subject of it was so completely a cripple, as to be unable to move, and to make it necessary for him to be carried to his station; and on this account he was particularly calculated to excite the pity of beholders. He was well known to all those that frequented the temple, having been placed there daily, many years, being forty years old at this time. in an instant his limbs are restored to perfect soundness, without the application of any natural remedy. If such a miracle had not excited amazement, human nature could not have been then what it is now.

Yet

11. And as the lame man who was healed held Peter and John, all the pople ran together unto them,

in the porch, or, "portico," that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

Solomon's portico was a part of Solomon's temple, left standing when the rest of the temple was rebuilt by Herod. The man upon whom the miracle had been performed, was probably induced to lay hold on Peter and John, to prevent his benefactors from leaving him, when they showed an inclination to depart. This afforded the multitude an opportunity of gratifying their curiosity, by assembling round them. Peter takes occasion hence to explain the cause and design of the miracle.

12. And when Peter saw it, he answered, "he said," unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though, by our own power or holiness, we had made this man to walk?

By the eagerness with which the multitude gazed upon him and his companion, Peter concluded that they must suppose, that the man was healed, either by some extraordinary medical virtue, existing in themselves, or by the power of God, as a testimony to the excellence of their characters; he takes care, therefore, to undeceive them, by declaring that the miracle was intended principally to do honour to Christ, whom they had lately crucified, being performed by power which God had conferred upon him for that purpose.

13. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son, "his servant," Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him," rejected him," in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him

go.

The word which is here rendered "Son," in its primitive sense, signifies a boy, and as boys were generally employed as servants, it came in course of time, to signify a servant. In this sense it frequently occurs in the New Testament. Thus we read in Luke, "if that servant say, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men-servants :" in the original, the same word which is used here. But our translators, who believed Jesus to be God, equal with the Father, were shocked at the idea of calling Christ a servant of God, and therefore called him his Son; a name which he undoubtedly sometimes bears, but which Peter had no intention of giving him in this place. A similar observation may be made on the translation of the next verse.

14. But ye denied, "ye rejected," the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

The proper translation of the first clause of the verse is undoubtedly the holy man and the just man, in opposition to the murderer;

« 上一頁繼續 »