At the pentecost of Sinai, in the Old Testament, and the pentecost of Jerusalem, in the New, where the two grand manifestations of God, the legal and the evangelical; the one from the mountain, and the other from heaven; the terrible, and the merciful one. They were all with one accord in one place... [ Continue Reading ]
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven — So will the Son of man come to judgment. And it filled all the house — That is, all that part of the temple where they were sitting.... [ Continue Reading ]
And there appeared distinct tongues, as of fire — That is, small flames of fire. This is all which the phrase, tongues of fire, means in the language of the seventy. Yet it might intimate God's touching their tongues as it were (together with their hearts) with Divine fire: his giving them such word... [ Continue Reading ]
And they began to speak with other tongues — The miracle was not in the ears of the hearers, (as some have unaccountably supposed,) but in the mouth of the speakers. And this family praising God together, with the tongues of all the world, was an earnest that the whole world should in due time prais... [ Continue Reading ]
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews — Gathered from all parts by the peculiar providence of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
The multitude came together, and were confounded — The motions of their minds were swift and various.... [ Continue Reading ]
Judea — The dialect of which greatly differed from that of Galilee. Asia — The country strictly so called.... [ Continue Reading ]
Roman sojourners — Born at Rome, but now living at Jerusalem. These seem to have come to Jerusalem after those who are above mentioned. All of them were partly Jews by birth, and partly proselytes.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cretans — One island seems to be mentioned for all. The wonderful works of God — Probably those which related to the miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the effusion of his Spirit, as a fulfilment of his promises, and the glorious dispensations of Gospel grace.... [ Continue Reading ]
They were all amazed — All the devout men.... [ Continue Reading ]
But others mocking — The world begins with mocking, thence proceeds to cavilling, Acts 4:7; to threats, Acts 4:17; to imprisoning, Acts 5:18; blows, Acts 5:40; to slaughter, Acts 7:58. These mockers appear to have been some of the natives of Judea, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, (who understood only... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Peter standing up — All the gestures, all the words of Peter, show the utmost sobriety; lifted up his voice — With cheerfulness and boldness; and said to them — This discourse has three parts; each of which, Acts 2:14, Acts 2:22, Acts 2:29, begins with the same appellation, men: only to the las... [ Continue Reading ]
It is but the third hour of the day — That is, nine in the morning. And on the solemn festivals the Jews rarely ate or drank any thing till noon.... [ Continue Reading ]
But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet — But there is another and better way of accounting for this. Joel 2:28... [ Continue Reading ]
The times of the Messiah are frequently called the last days, the Gospel being the last dispensation of Divine grace. I will pour out of my Spirit — Not on the day of pentecost only, upon all flesh — On persons of every age, sex, and rank. And your young men shall see visions — In young men the outw... [ Continue Reading ]
And upon my servants — On those who are literally in a state of servitude.... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will show prodigies in heaven above, and signs on earth beneath — Great revelations of grace are usually attended with great judgments on those who reject it. In heaven — Treated of, Acts 2:20. On earth — Described in this verse. Such signs were those mentioned, Acts 2:22, before the passion o... [ Continue Reading ]
The moon shall be turned into blood — A bloody colour: before the day of the Lord — Eminently the last day; though not excluding any other day or season, wherein the Lord shall manifest his glory, in taking vengeance of his adversaries.... [ Continue Reading ]
But — whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord — This expression implies the whole of religion, and particularly prayer uttered in faith; shall be saved — From all those plagues; from sin and hell.... [ Continue Reading ]
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God — The apostle here anticipates an objection, Why did God suffer such a person to be so treated? Did he not know what wicked men intended to do? And had he not power to prevent it? Yea. He knew all that those wicked men intended... [ Continue Reading ]
Having loosed the pains of death — The word properly means, the pains of a woman in travail. As it was not possible that he should be held under it — Because the Scripture must needs be fulfilled.... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 16:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou wilt not leave my soul in hades — The invisible world. But it does not appear, that ever our Lord went into hell. His soul, when it was separated from the body, did not go thither, but to paradise, Luke 23:43. The meaning is, Thou wilt not leave my soul in its separate state, nor suffer my body... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life — That is, Thou hast raised me from the dead. Thou wilt fill me with joy by thy countenance — When I ascend to thy right hand.... [ Continue Reading ]
The patriarch — A more honourable title than king.... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 89:4, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
He foreseeing this, spake of the resurrection Of Christ — St. Peter argues thus: It is plain, David did not speak this of himself. Therefore he spake of Christ's rising. But how does that promise of a kingdom imply his resurrection? Because he did not receive it before he died, and because his kingd... [ Continue Reading ]
Being exalted by the right hand of God — By the right hand; that is, the mighty power of God. Our Lord was exalted at his ascension to God's right hand in heaven.... [ Continue Reading ]
Sit thou on my right hand — In this and the following verse is an allusion to two ancient customs; one, to the highest honour that used to be paid to persons by placing them on the right hand, as Solomon did Bathsheba, when sitting on his throne, 1 Kings 2:19; and the other, to the custom of conquer... [ Continue Reading ]
Until I make thine enemies thy footstool — This text is here quoted with the greatest address, as suggesting in the words of David, their great prophetic monarch, how certain their own ruin must be, if they went on to oppose Christ. Psalms 110:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
Lord — Jesus, after his exaltation, is constantly meant by this word in the New Testament, unless sometimes where it occurs, in a text quoted from the Old Testament.... [ Continue Reading ]
They said to the apostles, Brethren — They did not style them so before.... [ Continue Reading ]
Repent — And hereby return to God: be baptized — Believing in the name of Jesus — And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost — See the three — one God clearly proved. See Acts 26:20. The gift of the Holy Ghost does not mean in this place the power of speaking with tongues. For the promise of th... [ Continue Reading ]
And with many other words did he testify and exhort — In such an accepted time we should add line upon line, and not leave off, till the thing is done. Save yourselves from this perverse generation — Many of whom were probably mocking still.... [ Continue Reading ]
And there were added — To the hundred and twenty.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they continued steadfast — So their daily Church communion consisted in these four particulars: Hearing the word; Having all things common; Receiving the Lord's Supper; Prayer. Ye diff'rent sects, who all declare, Lo here is Christ, and Christ is there; Your stronger proofs divinely give, And s... [ Continue Reading ]
And fear came upon every soul — Of those who did not join with them: whereby persecution was prevented, till it was needful for them.... [ Continue Reading ]
And sold their possessions — Their lands and houses; and goods — Their movables. And parted them to all as any one had need — To say the Christians did this only till the destruction of Jerusalem, is not true; for many did it long after. Not that there was any positive command for so doing: it neede... [ Continue Reading ]
Continuing daily — breaking the bread — in the Lord's Supper, as did many Churches for some ages. They partook of their food with gladness and singleness of heart — They carried the same happy and holy temper through all their common actions: eating and working with the same spirit wherewith they pr... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord added daily such as were saved — From their sins: from the guilt and power of them.... [ Continue Reading ]