ACTS CHAPTER 1 ACTS 21:1 Christ, after his resurrection, having given instructions to his apostles, and commanded them to wait in Jerusalem the coming of the Holy Ghost, ascendeth into heaven in their sight. ACTS 21:10,11 Two angels warn them to depart, and to look for his second coming. ACTS... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DAY IN WHICH HE WAS TAKEN UP; that is, the day of his ascension. This is a translation from the former book (his Gospel) unto this, showing how far he had proceeded in setting down the doctrine of our salvation. AFTER THAT HE THROUGH THE HOLY GHOST HAD GIVEN COMMANDMENTS UNTO THE APOSTLES WHOM H... [ Continue Reading ]
TO WHOM, i.e. the apostles, HE SHOWED HIMSELF ALIVE AFTER HIS PASSION BY MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS; eating, drinking, speaking, walking with them; nay, showing them his very wounds, and permitting them to be touched; God suffering Thomas's infidelity to contribute to the strengthening of our faith. BEI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEING ASSEMBLED TOGETHER WITH THEM; by his order, or conversing frequently with them, as those that table together. COMMANDED THEM THAT THEY SHOULD NOT DEPART FROM JERUSALEM: otherwise the apostles would have abhorred Jerusalem, as reeking afresh in the blood of our Lord. And there Christ chose... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR JOHN TRULY BAPTIZED WITH WATER, MATTHEW 3:11; water being of a purifying nature, plentiful, and easy to come by. BUT YE SHALL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST; his gifts and graces, which were (as water on baptized persons) largely bestowed upon them on the day of Pentecost: 1. That the apostles... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY THEREFORE WERE COME TOGETHER; either the one hundred and twenty, mentioned ACTS 1:15, or the five hundred, mentioned 1 CORINTHIANS 15:6. That they might more readily obtain an answer, they join in the question, LORD, WILT THOU AT THIS TIME RESTORE AGAIN THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL? Which was tak... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour blames their curiosity about such things as are not necessary to be known; and yet though our Saviour does not in his answer tell them what they desired to know, he tells them what is more expedient for them to know. The petition of wicked men, nay, of devils, (as when they crave to go i... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU; not till then, not of their own strength, but of God's grace, as appeared by Peter's denying and the others leaving of our Saviour. AND YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME, that I am indeed the promised Messiah; and of my doctrine, li... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 9 MR 16:19 LUKE 24:51. As he did not actually give up his life till all was fulfilled, so he did not leave the world till all was revealed by him that was necessary for us. WHILE THEY BEHELD; that they might be eye witnesses, and most unexceptionable. HE WAS TAKEN UP; not by an external help of... [ Continue Reading ]
Christ's ascent was the more leisurely, that he might delight their eyes and mind; but especially confirm their faith the more. BEHOLD, TWO MEN STOOD BY THEM, angels in the shape of men, in white apparel; which angels ordinarily appeared in, to show they retained their native purity, as also to repr... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH ALSO SAID; the two angels (in the form of men) before mentioned. YE MEN OF GALILEE; that is, the apostles, who were of that country. WHY STAND YE GAZING UP INTO HEAVEN? They are roused out of the ecstasy they were in at that glorious sight, to learn what was so much to their and our advantage.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE MOUNT CALLED OLIVET, which Bethany was a part of, as situate towards the bottom of it, remoter from Jerusalem. Hence LUKE 24:50, differs not from this place. From hence the rather our Lord ascended, that he might receive his glory nigh the place where he began his suffering, (in the garden... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE COME IN, to the city, and to the house, THEY WENT UP INTO AN UPPER ROOM; the same probably where they had kept the passover, and partook of the Lord's supper; howsoever, for its largeness capable to receive so many. PETER, as elder, and first called to the apostleship, is generall... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ALL CONTINUED WITH ONE ACCORD, with great resolution, notwithstanding all opposition and contradiction they met with, IN PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, for mercies they wanted, or preventing of the evils they feared. THE WOMEN; their wives, or such women especially as we read of MATTHEW 27:55,56. HI... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THOSE DAYS, between our Saviour's ascension and Pentecost. PETER, as generally, spake for and amongst the apostles; but now especially, to express his zeal and faithfulness to our Saviour, whom he had so lately denied, he being also designed the minister of the circumcision, which place he began... [ Continue Reading ]
MEN AND BRETHREN, an ordinary compellation; speaker and auditors were Hebrews of the Hebrews. THIS SCRIPTURE, viz. PSALMS 41:9, _must need, have been fulfilled; _ yet God's foreknowledge and prediction excused not Judas's sin. WHICH WAS GUIDE TO THEM THAT TOOK JESUS; not only leading them in the way... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; NUMBERED WITH US; being one of the twelve apostles. HAD OBTAINED, elace; not as if Judas was made an apostle by lot, as Matthias afterwards; but by the providence of God, by which every lot and casual matter is governed: and to show that the dignity did not befall him, or any of the other a... [ Continue Reading ]
PURCHASED A FIELD; which Judas might have agreed for at that price, and yet the chief priests bought, _\as MATTHEW 27:7\_ by a strange providence, leading of them to that purchase; howsoever, eventually he bought it, as throwing back to them their money which paid for it, MATTHEW 27:5. FALLING HEADL... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR PROPER TONGUE; the Syriac language then in use after the Babylonish captivity. THE FIELD OF BLOOD; as bought with the price of Christ's blood, and sprinkled with his own blood.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS; viz. PSALMS 69:25. What there is in general spoken by David concerning his enemies, is here applied particularly to Judas, who betrayed our Saviour; whose type David was, as Doeg was of Judas. HIS BISHOPRIC; his charge or office, or prefecture, as of a shephe... [ Continue Reading ]
There were to be twelve apostles in the Christian church, to answer unto the twelve patriarchs and twelve tribes in the Jewish church. COMPANIED WITH US, in ordinary conversation, WENT IN AND OUT AMONG US; in discharge of his ministry, and gathering of disciples among us.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEGINNING FROM THE BAPTISM OF JOHN; when Christ was baptized by him, and by that consecration began the ministry, and publishing of the gospel (which the history of his immaculate conception did preface to). A WITNESS WITH US OF HIS RESURRECTION; all other things being consummated in that, it being... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSEPH, or Joses, the same name called BARSABAS in their common tongue, and JUSTUS (probably for his integrity) amongst the Romans, who then ruled over them. MATTHIAS; some think the same with Nathanael.... [ Continue Reading ]
The other apostles being chosen by God immediately, it was necessary that he who was to act in the same office, should be chosen after the same manner. KNOWEST THE HEART, which is God's prerogative only; all others may be, and often are, mistaken by outward appearances.... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; MINISTRY AND APOSTLESHIP, klhron, or every one's station in the world, is ordered by the providence of God, and their part or portion is assigned to them; and so the apostleship was unto the apostles. HIS OWN PLACE; hell, or destruction, not intended by Judas, but righteously by God appoint... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY GAVE FORTH THEIR LOTS; the manner is not so certain, nor necessary to be known; but the whole disposing of the lot being from the Lord, as PROVERBS 16:33, they were thus as it were immediately chosen by God, and were consecrated by Christ himself; no apostle ordaining another, but all of them b... [ Continue Reading ]