_AN ANGEL DECLARETH THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST TO THREE WOMEN. CHRIST HIMSELF APPEARETH TO MARY MAGDALENE: TO TWO GOING INTO THE COUNTRY: THEN TO THE APOSTLES, WHOM HE SENDETH FORTH TO PREACH THE GOSPEL: AND LASTLY, HE ASCENDETH INTO HEAVEN._ _Anno Domini 33._... [ Continue Reading ]
HAD BOUGHT SWEET SPICES— Mr. West observes, that St. Mark, having written his gospel for the use of the Gentiles, who were strangers to the Jewish customs and religion, (as may be inferred from several little explanatory notes dropped up and down in his gospel,) in order to give these strangers a pe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY LOOKED, &C.— 'Αναβλεψασαι, _lifting up their eyes._ The reader will observe, that the parenthesis at the end of this verse, is an instance of the same mode of expression as that remarked in the latter part of the note on Ch. Mark 11:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ENTERING INTO THE SEPULCHRE, THEY SAW, &C.— The circumstance of the angel's being within the sepulchre, expressly mentioned by this apostle, is so far from being contradicted by St. Matthew 28:2 as some infidels have imagined, that it is plainly implied by the words _He is not here; come,_—(δευτ... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT AFFRIGHTED— The speech of the angel to the women, in this and the next verse,informs them, in a concise and emphatical manner, of every particular that might satisfy their affectionate curiosity, and dissipate their fears; for they were afraid to ask him any questions. Mr. West has observed,... [ Continue Reading ]
TELL HIS DISCIPLES, AND PETER, &C.— St. Peter is particularly mentioned, because hehad most need of comfort, under the anguish of his mind on account of his late denial.—As this gospel is supposed to have been dictated, or at least revised by him, the addition of this circumstance implies the deep s... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SAID THEY ANY THING TO ANY MAN;— If these words, agreeably to what we have observed on Mark 16:5 be construed to signify, that they did not tell, while their terror and amazement continued, what they had seen and heard to some whom they saw as they were flying from the sepulchre, it seems ra... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN JESUS WAS RISEN— _Now Jesus being risen early on,_ &c. See Maii Observ. 100: 2: p. 72. The _earliness_ of his rising was before expressed, Mark 16:2. λιαν πρωι, very early. This appearance after it, was πρωι, _early._ See Bengelius and Grotius.... [ Continue Reading ]
GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD, &C.— "And having, after this, during his abode on earth, frequently shewn himself to his apostles, for the greater confirmation of their faith, and further instruction about the glorious things of his kingdom, (see Acts 1:3.) he, a little before his ascension, gave them the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT BELIEVETH, &C.— That is, _"He who believeth_ the gospel, and entereth into a solemn obligation to obey it, and verifies that obligation by a suitable practice in the following part of his life,—_shall be saved;"_ for so the apostle expressly explains it, that _the baptism which saves us, is... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW, &C.— It is very evident, that the word _believe,_ in this place, must signify something different from that _faith_ which in the preceding verse is required as indispensably necessary to salvation, namely, that _faith of miracles_ whereof we spoke on Matthew 17:20. Besides... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS;— The power here referred to, included, as in the case of St. Paul, Acts 28:3 an ability to heal the most dangerous wounds given by the bite of the most noxious animals. We must understand the next clause with some restrictions; as much as to say, "If by some secret or op... [ Continue Reading ]
PREACHED EVERY WHERE,— Through the whole Roman empire, or the then known world: and in spreading the knowledge of the Christian religion in far distant countries, they met with great success both among Jews and Gentiles, who were not ableto resist the evidence of the miracles whereby theyconfirmed t... [ Continue Reading ]