_THE APOSTLES, FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST, AND SPEAKING DIVERS LANGUAGES, ARE ADMIRED BY SOME; BUT ARE DERIDED BY OTHERS, WHOM PETER CONFUTES, SHEWING THAT THE APOSTLES SPAKE BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST, THAT JESUS WAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, HAD POURED DOWN THE SAME HOLY GHOST... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME,— It has often been observed, that as our Lord was crucified at one of the great Jewish feasts, it was fit that he should be glorified at another; and this of Pentecost was chosen, with peculiar propriety, as next succeeding that of the passover at which... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SUDDENLY THERE CAME A SOUND— It was about 1500 years before this, and, as many think, on this very day of the year, that the law was given of God from Mount Sinai, in the sight andhearing of all Israel; and attended not only with a visible glory, but with pomp also and terror; and now the new la... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE APPEARED UNTO THEM CLOVEN TONGUES— Besides the great and indispensable use of the gift of tongues to the first preachers of the gospel, the elegance and propriety in the choice of this miracle to attest the real descent of the Spirit who was to teach us all things, can never be enough admired;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST,— That is, "all the hundred and twenty." See on Acts 2:1. This effusion of the Spirit, particularlydemonstrated in the gift of tongues, was intended not only as a sign of the apostles' inspiration at this period, but likewise designed for the use of the a... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WERE DWELLING AT JERUSALEM JEWS, &C.— _There were sojourning,_ &c. κατοικουντες. _Devout_ or _pious men,_ is a title applied not only to those religious persons who observed the Jewish law, but likewise to those Heathens who had renounced idolatry, and lived a life of piety and holiness. _From... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY MAN HEARD THEM SPEAK, &C.— Some commentators of note, both antient and modern, have maintained that they spoke only one language, that is, Hebrew, or Syro-Chaldaic; but that the people heard them every one in their own language. This is really making the miracle consist in the _hearing,_ and n... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE NOT ALL THESE—GALILEANS? &C.— See on Matthew 26:73 and on John 1:46. The word διαλεκτος, Acts 2:8 signifies not only what we call a _dialect,_ or different way of speaking the same language, but alsoan entirely distinct language; and perhaps it may be used here to express the propriety and accur... [ Continue Reading ]
ELAMITES, AND THE DWELLERS IN MESOPOTAMIA,— Bishop Cumberland takes these to be the remainder of the Jews, who had been carried captive into Assyria, first by Tiglath-Pileser, and afterwards by Salmaneser, and placed in the cities of the Medes,—2 Kings 17:6. See also Genesis 10:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
STRANGERS OF ROME, JEWS AND PROSELYTES,— That is, _Jews_ and _proselytes_ who were by birth or habitation _Romans,_ but now sojourned at Jerusalem. That there were great multitudes of Jews who dwelt at Rome,is evident not only from Josephus, but from Dio, Suetonius, Tacitus, and, I think we may say,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WERE IN DOUBT,— "And they were all in a mixture of amazement and perplexity.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE MEN ARE FULL OF NEW WINE.— Though there was no _must_ or _new wine_ at Pentecost, yet if they preserved the wine cool, it kept sweet a long time, and tasted like _must._ So Plutarch; _"Must,_ if a vessel be kept in a cool place, will continue _sweet,_ γλευκυ, for a long time." Such wines were... [ Continue Reading ]
DWELL— _Sojourn._... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING IT IS BUT THE THIRD HOUR OF THE DAY.— Such of the Jews as shamefullyimitatedtheirHeathenneighbours,anddranktoolargelyatthefestival,did not use to take such criminal liberties till after the sacrifices were offered, and the oblations made; but the morning sacrifices had not been now offered, t... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THAT WHICH WAS SPOKEN, &C.— Respecting this remarkable prophesy, we refer to the notes on Joel 2:28; Joel 2:32 just observing, that if this miraculous effusion of the Holy Spirit had not been foretold, the argument for the truth of Christianity from it, would have been fully conclusive; but... [ Continue Reading ]
VAPOUR OF SMOKE:— _A cloud of smoke._ Doddridge; who paraphrases the passage thus: "Such destructive wars shall arise, as a punishment for the wickedness of those who reject the mercy I offer, that there shall be _blood_ shed in abundance, _and fire_ scattered abroad to consume your cities and villa... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD.— See Ezekiel 9:4. This context being quoted thus, was a strong intimation that nothing but their acceptance of the gospel could secure them from impending ruin. Brennius has proved, by an ample collection of texts, that _calling on the name of the Lord,_... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN APPROVED OF GOD AMONG YOU— _"Recommended to you,_ αποδεδειγμενον εις υμας, _pointed out to you,_ as the object of your highest admiration." Heylin reads it, _Whose divine authority was evidenced by God to you, in the powerful effects and wonders,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIM, BEING DELIVERED, &C.— The word εκδοτον, rendered _being delivered,_ signifies one _given_ or _surrendered up_ into the hands of an enemy; and St. Luke intimates by it the free and gracious _donation_ of God the Father, whereby he delivered up his only begotten Son for the redemption of mankind.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM GOD HATH RAISED UP, &C.— "But be it known unto you, that God hath abundantly vindicated the honour of this his dear Son, whom you have thus infamously abused, and hath borne a most glorious testimony to his innocence, truth, and dignity; for it is he whom "God hath raised up from the dead, by a... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR DAVID SPEAKETH CONCERNING HIM, &C.— It is plain that the phrase εις αυτον here signifies _of_ or _concerning him:_ the particle has the same import, Ephesians 5:32. Elsner upon this place, and Gataker upon the title of Marcus Antoninus's book, which is εις εαυτον, _concerning himself,_ have prod... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS SEPULCHRE IS WITH US UNTO THIS DAY, &C.— The sepulchres of the Jews, in general, were without the city; but the sepulchre of David and his sons was within the city. St. Jerome mentions the remains of David's sepulchre as extant in his time; and it is shewn to travellers even to this day. See Mau... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, &C.— This is expressed in the original in such a manner, as seems to refer these words not to the loins of David, but to Christ; and so may be an intimation that it was only in respect to his human nature, that the Messiah should descend from David; while there was still a hi... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH SHED FORTH THIS, WHICH YE NOW SEE AND HEAR.— It is said, John 7:39 that _the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified._ See the note on that verse. The Spirit, in his extraordinary and superabundant influences, was reserved as the great donative after Christ's triump... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR DAVID IS NOT ASCENDED— It was a truth well known and established among the Jews, that many of the Psalms and other prophetic writings were spoken in the person of the Messiah; and accordingly St. Peter authorises our applying to Christ what had been spoken by David, by shewing, that as it was no... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTIL I MAKE THY FOES THY FOOTSTOOL.— This text is quoted on the present occasion with the happiest address, as suggesting to the Jews, in the words of David, their great prophetic monarch, how certain their own ruin must be, if they went on to oppose Christ. Elsner on the place has a fine collectio... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WERE PRICKED IN THEIR HEART,— "Their hearts were pierced with compunction," Κατενυγησαν.... [ Continue Reading ]
REPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED— They are not only called on here to _repent,_ but a submission also to the ordinance of _baptism_ is required of them; for though on their repenting and believing, they were, according to the tenor of the gospel covenant, entitled to the remission of their sins; yet as Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE PROMISE IS UNTO YOU, &C.— Considering that the gift of the Holy Ghost had been mentioned just before, it seems most natural to interpret this as a reference to the passage in Joel above recited, where God promises the effusion of the Spirit on _their sons and their daughters:_ but if the _pr... [ Continue Reading ]
SAVE YOURSELVES, &C.— That is, "See that you lay these things to heart; receiving them with such regard, as the importance of the case requires. Renounce that obstinate unbelief, in which you join with those who crucified Christ, and _be ye saved_ (Σωθητε) from that ruin which will quickly come upon... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WERE ADDED UNTO THEM ABOUT THREE THOUSAND SOULS.— The phrase Προσετεθησαν, rendered _there were added,_ emphatically signifies, _"to pass over_ to a body of men;" and implies that these persons renounced their former religious profession, and embraced that of the apostles. Some render it, _The... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CONTINUED STEADFASTLY, &C.— This may intimate, on the one hand, that many efforts were made to shake their resolution; and, on the other, that, upon fuller inquiry, they found all things as the apostles had represented. _Breaking of bread,_ is a phrase which in the New Testament signifies,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FEAR CAME UPON EVERY SOUL:— A reverential _fear,_ mixed with admiration and respect. Dr. Heylin reads the verse, _And the minds of all men were struck with awe, at the many wonders and miracles which were wrought by the apostles._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAD ALL THINGS COMMON;— Peculiar reasons made this community of goods eligible at that time; especially as many sojourners, who had come from other parts, would justly be desirous to continue at Jerusalem much longer than they intended when they came up to the feast, in order that they might gai... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY, CONTINUING DAILY WITH ONE ACCORD— Hitherto none of the Christian converts neglected the Jewish worship, but frequented the courts of the temple daily, at the usual hours of prayer and devotion. But it is evident from the circumstances of the times, that these converts could not communicate or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAVING FAVOUR WITH ALL THE PEOPLE, &C.— Some would translate the original, _exercising_ or _shewing charity towards all the people;_ which the Greek will certainly bear, and which seems to be favoured by the 33rd and 34th verses of the fourth chapter, as well as by the reason of the thing; for a... [ Continue Reading ]