Luke 24:47

Beginning at Jerusalem.— It was both graciously and wisely appointed by our Lord, that the gospel, which was to be disseminated among all nations, should begin to be preached at Jerusalem: graciously, as it encouraged the repentance of the greatest sinners, when they saw that even the murderers of Christ were not exempted from the offer of gospel mercy: and wisely, as hereby Christianity was more abundantly attested, the facts being published first on the very spot where they happened, and as the vast concourse of people of various nations present there at the feast of Pentecost would contribute greatly to its speedier propagation. Our Lord commands that his gospel should be preached among all nations, to the whole Gentile world; an event inconceivable to the Jews, and to human reason almost impossible. Naturally every man is zealous for the religion of his fathers; and though it may have many absurdities in it, he does not easily perceive them, because he imbibed them in his earliest years. Idolatry had this further advantage, that all the pleasures of the flesh wereconsistentwiththisreligion.Itsworship required no attention of mind; every part of it was external and pompous, fit to captivate and entertain the senses: besides, all degrees of men were engaged to defend it:—thecivil powers, from maxims of policy, every great change in religion portending danger to the state, and every change in religion being prohibited by the laws, unless the consent of the sovereign power was obtained; the artists, because of gain; the priests, to preserve their authority and emoluments; the people, out of superstition and misguided devotion. This was the unpromising prospect, when Christ foretold and commanded the setting up of his religion in the room of idolatry; a religion which taught the denial of man's self, his irregular appetites and passions; which prescribed an invisible God for the object of adoration, and a spiritual worship and purity of heart suitable to the nature of that object; which promised nothing desirable in this world, neither riches, dignities, nor grandeur, but often the loss of all these, as their portion who should embrace it.—And what were the means which Christ proposed for so vast an undertaking? As disproportioned to the work, as the religions were opposite.—A few men, of mean extraction, of no education or experience, without the arts of rhetoric and persuasion, without armies, without force or policy; of a nation hated by the Gentiles, and hating them from a bigotry to their own customs. What an extravagancy was it to think of extirpating, by such means, a religion deeply rooted in human nature, supported by prejudices, vices, interest, and authority, wherein so many wise men and philosophers formerly miscarried; and to plant upon its ruins Christianity, which to the Greeks was foolishness.—How vain the attempt,—had not God declared the success beforehand! St. Luke tells us, that Christ had had discourses to this purpose with his disciples, and reminded them, after his resurrection, of what he had said upon that subject; Luke 24:44. These respective events are written in several prophets. See Psalms 2.Hosea 2:23.Joel 2:32.Malachi 1:11.Daniel 7:14. But this of preaching among all nations seems to be taken particularly from Isaiah 49:6 as well as from various other prophesies; whence St. Paul also tells the Jews that salvation ought to be offered to the Gentiles, and that they would hear it, Acts 28:28. St. Matthew, Matthew 12:17 applies another text of the same prophet, Isaiah 42:1 which is direct to his purpose. From these and the like passages in the New Testament there is good ground to affirm, that Christ and his apostles did declare the conversion of the Gentiles to Christianity, as impossible as it seemed to be, upon the authority of the scripture prophesies; and the present and past face of the world demonstrates, that they were not mistaken.