The believers have] THE ACTS. 23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the Chief Priests and elders had said unto them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is : 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together; 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings and grant unto thy ser [all things in common. vants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he posessed was his own; but they had all things To this Peter and John nobly replied, as a model to all innocent and persecuted men, "Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have both seen and heard." This was an appeal to justice and to common sense that could not be denied, and it may afford a lesson to all the disciples of the same Master, that they ought by no means to conceal or disguise the truth EXPOSITION-Chap. IV. Continued. and persons "in private stations :" plain fishermen, the disciples of no Rabbi. But they recognised them as the disciples of Jesus Christ, who had been with him during the whole course of his ministry; and, as they doubtless stated, had seen him since he was risen from the dead. They beheld also the man which was healed standing before them, and they could say nothing against it. They were therefore puzzled and confounded; and, when they had sent them out of court, they considered among themselves what they should do; and resolved, as their only resource, to threaten and command them to speak no more in this name. "But tell to all the nations round, NOTES-Chap. IV. Con. Ver. 25. Who by the mouth of thy servant David. This Ver. 27. Thy holy child.-(Gr. pais.) term may probably be here used to intimate that the opposition commenced in our Saviour's infancy; and Herod the Great, as well as Herod the Tetrarch, may be here understood. Ver. 28. Determined.-Doddr. " predetermined." Compare chap. ii. 23, with Luke xxii. 22. Ver. 31. The place was shaken.-See chap. ii, 2. This appears to have been the prelude to a farther outpouring of the Spirit. Ver. 35. And laid them down at the apostles' feet -i. e. for their distribution. This shortly after 6c. casioned them so much secular employment, that they were overwhelmed with it. See chap. vi, 1, &c. CHAP. IV. The generosity] apostles' feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consola [of Barnabas. tion,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. (I) EXPOSITION. (1) Ver. 23-37. The Apostles being set Eat liberty, return to the brethren, who unite with them to bless God for their deliverance.-"Being let go, they returned to their own company. The liberated bird returns to the fields or to the woods, where he resumes his former melody. So these apostles no sooner return to the Church than they unite together in a hymn of praise, doubtless dictated to them by the Spirit of inspiration, and in which, therefore, they were unanimous-a hymn particularly worthy our attention, and on which we therefore proceed to remark 1. That the apostles, in all their devotional exercises, recur to the Old Testament as their only model, both of sentiment and expression; and we have no hesitation in saying, that the more our prayers are imbued with Scripture sentiment and language, the more sublime and beautiful will they be in themselves, and, if uttered from the heart, the more acceptable to God. 2. In the time of our Saviour's incarnation, there was a grand confederacy against him, both of Jews and Gentiles; Caiaphas and the Priests, with Herod and Pontius Pilate, all conspired against him. 3. That the very object of their combination, though they knew it not, was the matter of the divine decrees, namely, the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus; and all they did was but an undesigned fulfilment of the divine predictions. "Look round (says an eloquent and learned prelate), look round on the shifting scenes of glory which have been exhibited on the theatre of this world, and see the success of mighty conquerors, the policy of states, the destiny of empires, depend on the secret purpose of God in his Son Jesus; before whom all the achievements and imaginations of men must bow down; and to whose honour all the mysterious workings of his providence are now, have hitherto been, and will for ever be directed." (Bp. Hurd's Serm. before the Society for Propag. of the Gospel.) .... But to return to the contemplation of this primitive and parent Church at Jeru salem: its distinguishing internal characteristics were unanimity and charity. "This section (says Mr. Preb. Townsend) presents us with a picture of what every Christian Church ought to be,.. and probably will be, when the fulness of the Spirit shall be poured out in the last days. Here we meet with no factions or divisions on the part of the people: no jealousy-no party spirit-no desire of distinction disturbed the pure harmony of the primitive Church. The apostles, as the spiritual fathers of God's household, without opposition, superintended all things, and directed the disposal of the extensive and benevolent contributions of the faithful. The first law of their divine master was fulfilled-mutual and holy love was the sacred bond of their union, the ruling principle of their life and actions." (New Test. Arr. ii. 38.) As to the community of goods, mentioned in chap. ir. 44, &c., and again here, it by no means appears to have been intended for a standing practice in the Christian Church, for it is no where enjoined: nor is it desirable, for it would supersede the exercise of the most amiable grace of charity for if the members of the Church were all alike, rich or poor, they would have no opportunity to relieve each other; but our Lord told his apostles, "The poor ye have with you always, and, whensoever ye will, ye may do them good." (Mark xiv. 7.) On the present case, Mr. Scott observes that "Many of the converts were strangers [as we before hinted], who probably were detained at Jerusalem longer than they intended, in order to get a farther insight into the religion which they had embraced; and others were poor: the more affluent, therefore, of the company, were contented NOTES. Ver. 36. Joses (Heb. Joseph)..surnamed Barnabas....The son of consolation.-But the son of consolation" needs also interpretation; and we think the Hebr.idiom will justify us in explaining, "a kindhearted man," So, on the other hand, "a son of Belial" is a morose and wicked man, 1 Sam. xxy.17. The awful deaths of] BU CHAP. V. THE ACTS. UT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. [Ananias and Sapphira. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch, EXPOSITION-Chap. IV. Continued. to share their abundance in common with their poorer brethren. This was a remarkable evidence of their indifference about the world; of their joy and confidence in the Lord; in his providential care, as well as in his mercy and grace; of their love and gratitude to him, and of their cordial affection to one another, though just before they had been strangers. What a lovely exhibition [does this give us] of genuine Christianity, when applied and blessed by the Spirit of God! What excellent, and what happy characters does it form!" (Comm. in Acts ii. 44—47.) Among the most liberal on this occasion was a Levite, afterwards known as the friend and companion of St. Paul, and who was surnamed Barnabas, which is rendered "a son of consolation;" but which, according to the Hebrew idiom, we should be inclined to explain "a kind-hearted man." This he evinced in being one of the first and most liberal contributors to this charitable fund, and it often, doubtless, appeared in his subsequent conduct. The estate he sold, however, could not be his patrimony as a Levite, but probably some estate in Cyprus, which he now left to devote himself to the ministry of the Gospel. NOTES. CHAP. V. Ver. 3. To lie to the Holy Ghost.Marg. "to deceive."-Doddr. "To impose on the Holy Spirit." But this attempt to impose (or deceive) was by telling a falsehood: we therefore prefer the common rendering. Ver. 4. Unto men-i. e. " unto men only." Comp. Exod. xvi. 8; 1 Sam. viii. 7. Ver. 5. Gave up the ghost.-Doddr. "Expired." So verse 10. Voltaire, so celebrated for wit and vice, has dressed up this story to make it ridiculous, just as Nero did some of the Christians in pitch jackets, to burn them. If any persons wish to see his misrepresentations exposed, they may see this completely done in Dr. Findlay's Vindication of the Sacred Books, Part 11. chap. ii. ¿ 22. Ver. 11. And great fear.-There is some difficulty and obscurity in the arrangement of this and the following verses, to ver. 17. Doddridge, following our translators, places a part of verse 12(" And they were all," &c.), to the end of verse 14, in a paren thesis, connecting verse 12 with verse 15, thus: "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought; Insomuch that they brought," &c. Dr. A. Clarke, and Prebendary Townsend, arrange the verses thus:-11, 13, 14, 12, 15, &c. Bishop Sherlock thus:-Verse 11 to 14, 12 part 2, 15, 12 part 1, 15, &c. The great increase] CHAP. V. 13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. 14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) 15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid [of the Church. them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. (K) CHAP. V. EXPOSITION. (K) Ver. 1-16. The sin and punishment of Ananias and Sapphira, with the consequences thereof.-The opening of this chapter furnishes us, in the instance of Ananias and Sapphira, with a distressing contrast to the pious liberality of Barnabas, in the close of the preceding. From the distinct notice taken of his donation to the Church, it is naturally supposed that the estate which he sold was somewhat considerable, and excited much attention. There are many professors who love applause, and when they find it excited by acts of generosity, will endeavour to ape them by an appearance of charity, without the principle; by certain acts of liberality adapted rather to draw the admiration of their brethren, than to relieve the necessities of the poor. This is hypocrisy, but hypocrisy was not the only crime of this unhappy pair; they also "lied to the Holy Ghost: for knowing that the apostles were inspired, and acted under his influence, the deception which they attempted to practise upon them, was virtually an attempt to deceive Him, under whose influence, and by whose authority they acted. Therefore, said Peter, "Why hath Satan filled thine heart, to lie to the Holy Ghost?" That is, Why hast thou suffered Satan thus to fill thine heart? for he is an enemy to be resisted, and ought to be resisted.' The crime is then clearly stated. It was keeping back part of the purchase-money, and tendering the other part as the whole, in order to excite commendation. He was not obliged to sell: those who did, acted voluntarily, and from a principle of charity and kindness: when he had sold, he was not required to bring the money; or if he had brought part of it as a part, the rest would not have been required; it was bringing a part as the whole, and thereby attempting to deceive men who acted under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit, that constituted the essence of their crime. Ananias, who took the lead in this crime, was first punished, and in the most exemplary manner, for the deterring of others. He, in whose hands our life and breath is, has certainly the right to withdraw them when he pleases. O that we might think of this whenever Satan comes to tempt us! Sapphira coming in soon after her husband's death (of which she was plainly ignorant), had an opportunity to save herself, had she confessed the truth; but by confirming his falsehood, she participated in his crime. Whether vengeance followed them into another world, we are not told, and therefore must not assert; but we have every reason to fear it did; and this should certainly operate with us as a guard against every appearance of attempting to deceive our Maker. "Nothing but truth before his throne Watts. The consequences of these awful judgments from God were such as might naturally have been expected. "Great fear fell upon all the church," and not upon them only, but also " upon as many (others) as heard these things;" none of "the rest," therefore, who were not sincere converts, dare unite themselves with the believers. Another effect of this awful judgment was, that the people, fully satisfied of the miraculous powers of the apostles, brought their sick and demoniacs for cure, and, consequently, many signs and wonders were wrought among the people-all contributing to the enlargement and glory of the Christian Church, which by this time was increased to 5000, or more persons, as stated in the preceding chapter (verse 4), NOTES. Ver. 16. Them which were vexed with unclean spirits.-See Note on Luke iv. 33. 17 ¶ Then the High Priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the High Priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24 Now when the High Priest and the captain of the temple and the Chief Priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. 25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. [by an angel. on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. 33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took coun sel to slay them. 34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; 35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. 36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37 After this man rose up NOTES-Chap. V. Con. Ver. 17. The sect of the Sadducees.-See our Exposition of Matt. xvi. 1-12. Ver. 20. The words of this life-i. e. of the eternal life they were commissioned to preach. Ver. 23. We found no man within -This shows that the apostles were put into a part of the prison by themselves. Ver. 31. With his right hand.-Doddr. "At his right hard." See chap. vii. 55. Ver. 33. They were cut to the heart--i. e. with vexation; not pierced to the heart with conviction, as those in chap. ii. 37, but as it were sawn (to the heart) with vexation. (See Parkhurst in Diaprio.) Judas of Ver. 34. Gamaliel-The elder of that name, a man in so high honour among the Jews, that Onkelos (author of the Targum) is said to have burnt 70lbs. weight of perfumes at his funeral. Nay, it is said, the honour of the law failed in him. Doddr. Ver. 36. Thendus-Not the Thendas mentioned by Josephus (Antiq. Book xx. chap. v.), but one of prior date, who was slain, and his forces scattered. See Doddr. in loc., and Lardner's Cred, vol. ii, ch. 7. Ibid. As many as obeyed.-Marg," believed." So in the next verse. Ver. 37. Judas of Galilee.-See Josephus, Antiq. Book xviii. |
