IV. (1) THE PRIESTS, AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE TEMPLE. — For the first time in this book, we come across the chief agents in the condemnation passed on our Lord by the Sanhedrin. A few weeks or months had gone by, and they were congratulating themselves on having followed the advice of Caiaphas (John 1... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING GRIEVED. — The verb is one which expresses something like an intensity of trouble and vexation. (Comp. Acts 16:18.) PREACHED THROUGH JESUS THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. — Literally, _preached in Jesus_ — _i.e.,_ in this as the crucial instance in which the resurrection of the dead had been... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS NOW EVENTIDE. — The narrative started, it will be remembered, from 3 P.M. (Acts 3:1). The “eventide” began at 6 P.M. PUT THEM IN HOLD. — Literally, _in custody._ In Acts 5:18, the word is translated “prison.” The old noun survives in our modern word “strong-_hold.” _... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NUMBER OF THE MEN WAS ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND. — Better, _became,_ or _was made up to, about five thousand._ It seems probable, though not certain, that St. Luke meant this as a statement of the aggregate number of disciples, not of those who were converted on that day. As in the narrative of the fe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE MORROW... — Better, _that there were gathered together the rulers, elders, and scribes in Jerusalem._ The two last words are misplaced in the English version by being transferred to the end of the next verse. The later MSS. give, however, _unto_ Jerusalem. The meeting was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ANNAS THE HIGH PRIEST... — These are mentioned by themselves as representing the section that had probably convened the meeting, and came in as if to dominate its proceedings. The order of the first two names is the same as in Luke 3:2, and as that implied in John 18:13; John 18:24. Annas, or An... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD SET THEM IN THE MIDST. — The Sanhedrin sat in a semi-circle, the president being in the middle of the arc, the accused standing in the centre. THEY ASKED. — Literally, _were asking._ They put the question repeatedly, in many varying forms. BY WHAT POWER, OR BY WHAT NAME, HAVE YE D... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PETER, FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. — The tense implies an immediate sudden inspiration, giving the wisdom and courage and words which were needed at the time. The promises of Matthew 10:19; Luke 21:14, were abundantly fulfilled. The coincidence of names in the juxtaposition of the representativ... [ Continue Reading ]
IF WE THIS DAY BE EXAMINED. — The word is employed in its technical sense of a judicial inter rogation, as in Luke 23:14. It is used by St. Luke and St. Paul (Acts 12:19; Acts 24:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 4:3), and by them only, in the New Testament. OF THE GOOD DEED. — Strictly, _the act... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, WHOM YE CRUCIFIED. — The boldness of the declaration was startling. He does not shrink now from confessing the Nazarene as the Messiah. He presses home the fact that, though Pilate had given the formal sentence, it was they who had crucified their King. He pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE STONE WHICH WAS SET AT NOUGHT OF YOU BUILDERS. — Better, _of you, the builders._ The members of the Council to whom Peter spoke had heard those words (Psalms 118:22) quoted and interpreted before. (See Notes on Matthew 21:42.) Then they had thought, in their blindness, that they could de... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER. — Here the pregnant force of “hath been made whole,” in Acts 4:9, comes out; and St. Peter rises to its highest meaning, and proclaims a salvation, not from disease and infirmity of body, but from the great disease of sin. The Greek has the article before “sa... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY SAW THE BOLDNESS OF PETER AND JOHN. — John, so far as we read, had not spoken, but look and bearing, and, perhaps, unrecorded words, showed that he too shared Peter’s courage. That “boldness of speech” had been characteristic of his Lord’s teaching (Mark 8:32; John 7:13). It was now to be... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY COULD SAY NOTHING AGAINST IT. — Literally, _they had nothing to say against it. _... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT SHALL WE DO TO THESE MEN? — The question now debated was clearly one that never ought to have been even asked. They were sitting as a Court of Justice, and should have given their verdict for or against the accused according to the evidence. They abandon that office, and begin discussing what p... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US STRAITLY THREATEN THEM. — The Greek gives literally, _let us threaten them with threats._ The phrase gives the Hebrew idiom for expressing intensity by reduplication, as in “blessing I will bless thee” (Genesis 22:17), “dying thou shalt die” (Genesis 2:17, _marg._)_,_ and, as far as it goes,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT TO SPEAK AT ALL. — The Greek is even more forcible: _absolutely not to utter_... The very name of Jesus was not to pass their lips.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHETHER IT BE RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD... — The words assert the right of conscience, recognising a divine authority, to resist a human authority which opposes it. In theory, as the appeal “judge ye” showed even then, the right so claimed is of the nature of an axiom. In practice, the difficulty ri... [ Continue Reading ]
WE CANNOT BUT SPEAK... — The pronoun is emphatic: “we, for our part”... The question at issue was one of bearing witness, and that witness they had received a special command to bear (Acts 1:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL MEN GLORIFIED GOD... — The tense implies continued action. It is specially characteristic of St. Luke thus to note the impression made upon the people by signs and wonders (Luke 2:20; Luke 4:15; and in seven other passages).... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MAN WAS ABOVE FORTY YEARS OLD. — This precision in noting the duration of disease or infirmity is again characteristic of the writer. Comp. the case of the woman with an issue of blood (Luke 8:43); of Æneas (Acts 9:33); of the cripple at Lystra (Acts 14:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WENT TO THEIR OWN COMPANY. — Literally, _their own people._ The statement implies a recognised place of meeting, where the members of the new society met at fixed times. ALL THAT THE CHIEF PRIESTS. — The word is probably used in its more extended meaning, as including, not only Annas and Caiap... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE TO GOD WITH ONE ACCORD. — The phrase seems to imply an intonation, or chant, different from that of common speech (Acts 14:11; Acts 22:22). The joint utterance described may be conceived as the result either (1) of a direct inspiration, suggesting the same words to all who... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BY THE MOUTH OF THY SERVANT DAVID.... — The older MSS. present many variations of the text. It probably stood originally somewhat in this form: “Who through the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of David our father, thy servant,” and was simplified by later copyists. In the citation from Psalms 2 we have... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST. — The question whether the word “Christ” should be used as a proper name, or translated, is commonly answered by accepting the former alternative. Here, perhaps, to maintain the connection with the Psalm and with the verb in the next verse, it would be better to say, “against... [ Continue Reading ]
OF A TRUTH.... — Many of the better MSS. add the words “in this city.” AGAINST THY HOLY CHILD JESUS. — Better, as before, _Servant._ (See Notes on Acts 3:13) The word is the same as that used of David in Acts 4:25. BOTH HEROD, AND PONTIUS PILATE. — The narrative of Herod’s share in the proceedings... [ Continue Reading ]
TO DO WHATSOEVER THY HAND.... — The great problem of the relation of the divine purpose to man’s free agency is stated (as before in Acts 1:16; Acts 2:23), without any attempt at a philosophical solution. No such solution is indeed possible. If we admit a Divine Will at all, manifesting itself in th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW, LORD, BEHOLD THEIR THREATENINGS. — The context shows that the prayer of the Church is addressed to the Father. The Apostles, who had shown “boldness of speech” (Acts 4:13), pray, as conscious of their natural weakness, for a yet further bestowal of that gift, as being now more than ever nee... [ Continue Reading ]
BY STRETCHING FORTH THINE HAND TO HEAL. — There seems something like an intentional assonance in the Greek words which St. Luke uses — _iâsis_ (healing) and _Jesus_ (pronounced _Iesus_) — as though he would indicate that the very name of Jesus witnessed to His being the great Healer. A like instance... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PLACE WAS SHAKEN.... — The impression on the senses was so far a renewal of the wonder of the Day of Pentecost, but in this instance without the sign of the tongues of fire, which were the symbols of a gift imparted once for all, and, perhaps also, without the special marvel of the utterance of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MULTITUDE OF THEM THAT BELIEVED. — Literally, _And the heart and the soul of the multitude of those that believed were one._ Of the two words used to describe the unity of the Church, “heart” represented, as in Hebrew usage, rather the intellectual side of character (Mark 2:6; Mark 2:8; Mark... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH GREAT POWER GAVE THE APOSTLES WITNESS. — The Greek verb implies the idea of paying or rendering what was due, as in Matthew 22:11. They were doing that which they were bound to do. GREAT GRACE WAS UPON THEM. — The words may stand parallel with Luke 2:40 as meaning that the _grace_ of God was b... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER WAS THERE ANY AMONG THEM THAT LACKED. — Better, perhaps, _any one in need._ SOLD THEM, AND BROUGHT THE PRICES. — Both words imply continuous and repeated action. It is possible that besides the strong impulse of love, they were impressed, by their Lord’s warnings of wars and coming troubles... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LAID THEM DOWN AT THE APOSTLES’ FEET, — The words are a vivid picture of one phase of Eastern life. When gifts or offerings are made to a king, or priest, or teacher, they are not placed in his hands, but at his feet. The Apostles sat, it would seem, in conclave, on their twelve seats, as in the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSES, WHO BY THE APOSTLES WAS SURNAMED BARNABAS. — The better MSS. give the name as Joseph. It is possible, as Rabbinic writers often give _Jose_ for Joseph, that both were but different forms, like Simon and Simeon, of the same name. The later friendship between the Levite of Cyprus and St. Pa... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING LAND, SOLD IT. — Better, perhaps, _having a farm._ (See Notes on Mark 5:14; Mark 6:36; Mark 6:56.) In the original polity of Israel the Levites had cities and land in common, but no private property (Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 10:8, _et al._)_,_ and depended for their support upon the tithes... [ Continue Reading ]