ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA 1-11. In that country the summers are very hot [and this was June], superinducing very quick and rapid putrefaction, necessitating a speedy interment of the dead, especially in a vast multitude. They had no grave to dig, as they did not use them. The sepulchers were always read... [ Continue Reading ]
APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION SPIRITUAL AND NOT OFFICIAL 13. _“And no one of the rest dared to identify himself with them, but the people magnified them.”_ The popular mind has found a contradiction between this and the following verse, which states that _“believers continued to be the more added unto the... [ Continue Reading ]
DIVINE HEALING 15, 16. While the revival tide is inundating Jerusalem and rolling into the surrounding country like an ever-widening sea, we see as in all ages a corresponding prominence given to divine healing _“and a multitude of the cities around Jerusalem came together, bringing their sick and... [ Continue Reading ]
HIGH PRIEST AND OFFICIAL BOARD 17, 18. _“And the high priest and all those with him, being of the sect of the Sadducees, were filled with envy, jealousy and prejudice, and laid hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.”_ Tell me not that the high priest did not, in all good conscience... [ Continue Reading ]
CONFLICT OF DIVINE AND HUMAN RULE 29. _“Peter and John, responding, said, It behooveth us to obey God rather than man.”_ This is the salient point. When there is a conflict between the authorities, human and divine, we must _“obey God rather than man.”_ If we do not, hell is our doom. God help us. T... [ Continue Reading ]
REPENTANCE AND REMISSION 31. _“Him hath God exalted a Prince and a Savior at his right hand to give repentance and remission of sins to Israel.”_ Prince refers to the regal office of our Lord, and Savior to His atonement. He expiated our guilt on the cross, thus triumphing over sin, death and hell... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST 32. Here we find that the Holy Ghost is given to them that obey God. The Greek for obedience and faith is the same word, which is also true of unbelief and disobedience, illustrating the fact that they are one and inseparable. A true faith always obeys, while disobedience... [ Continue Reading ]
DIVINE INTERVENTION 33-42. Now they reach a grand culmination. The Preachers in charge and the official board are signally defeated, _“cut through,”_ so they are counseling to kill the apostles. They have condemned and imprisoned them a second time, ordering them positively to preach no more in thei... [ Continue Reading ]
APOSTOLICAL SUCCESSION 41, 42. This chapter winds up Luke's diurnal history of the Pentecostal revival, graphically describing the wonderful events of the first three days and two nights. Here you see clearly and unequivocally a solution of that vexed question among the warring sects, called Aposto... [ Continue Reading ]