_And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of
the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them._
THE CAPTAIN OF THE TEMPLE
was an officer of a sort which Luke mentions in the plural in his
Gospel (Luc 22:4), and is several times mentioned in the Old
Testament, as in Jérémie 20:1.... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_They taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection._
APOSTOLIC TEACHING
A tolerably full report of two or three of St. Peter’s sermons is
given us in the Acts, and we may assume that they are fair specimens
of his ordinary preaching. A striking likeness runs through them.
1. As t... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And they laid hands upon them … Howbeit many of them which heard
the Word believed._
THE IMPOTENCE AND BENEFIT OF PERSECUTION
1. Peter had boasted, “I am ready to go with Thee to prison.” He
was not ready then, and hence the folly of his boast. He was ready
now, and so did not boast, but doubtles... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers … were
gathered together._
THE SANHEDRIN IN THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES
1. Of all the ancient Jewish institutions there is none which is of
greater interest than that of the Sanhedrin. Though the name is not to
be found in the Authorised Version,... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?_
THE POWER IN APOSTOLIC MIRACLES
The fact of the healing was recognised; and the logical conclusion,
that it was a sign of the presence and working of some supernatural
power, was not shirked; but the inquiry remained, “What is your
power and aut... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Neither is there salvation in any other._
SALVATION IN NONE OTHER
This is--
1. The substance of every apostolic announcement.
2. The experience of every pardoned sinner.
3. The strength of every courageous confession.
4. The foundation of all missionary preaching of the Church. (_J. P.
Lange,... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John._
ST. PETER; OR, TRUE COURAGE
The grace of God, which St. Peter’s character and story specially
forces on our notice, is the true courage which comes by faith. There
is a courage which does not come by faith, but from hardness of heart,
obstinacy, a... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And beholding the man which was healed … they could say nothing
against it._
PRACTICAL TESTIMONY TO CHRISTIANITY
“Have you ever heard the gospel before?” asked an Englishman at
Ningpo of a respectable Chinaman, whom he had not seen in his
mission-room before. “No,” he replied, “but I have seen it... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_What shall we do to these men?_
for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done … we cannot deny_._
HEALED MEN
(1) The miracle
Few things are more striking than the continuance and growth of
Christianity; first, under the circumstances of difficulty and
persecution; and next, under the conditio... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor to
teach in the name of Jesus._
CHRISTIAN COURAGE
I. Its test. The apostles did not wish to separate themselves from the
Jewish Church, for it was while entering the temple that Peter and
John restored the lame man. See these men, th... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And being let go, they went to their own company._
BEING LET GO
We do not know what we or other people are until the restraint is
taken off. We call ourselves free, but there is not an absolutely free
man in the universe. We have the liberty of law. We have the freedom
of a theocracy. “The Lord r... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Why do the heathen rage._
OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL
I. Its characteristics.
1. Furiousness, “rage,” a word signifying the neighing or snorting
of highly excited horses--Like the prancing war-horse in the book of
Job. It is metaphorically used to represent the noise and fury of
insolent and overbe... [ Continuer la lecture ]
AND NOW, LORD, BEHOLD THEIR THREATENINGS_._
How a Christian ought to pray for his enemies
I. Without anxiety and fear: for he prays to the King of kings. “If
God be for us, who can be against us?”
II. Without hatred and malice; for he prays against wickedness, not
against the wicked.
III. Withou... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And when they had prayed the place was shaken … and they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost._
PRAYER EFFECTS MIRACLES
I. Internal.
1. Hearts are savingly affected.
2. Spirits are mightily strengthened.
II. External.
1. Houses are moved.
2. Churches awakened.
3. Enemies frightened.
4. Moun... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one
soul._
UNITY AMONG CHRISTIANS TO BE DESIRED
Melancthon mourned in his day the divisions among Protestants, and
sought to bring Protestants together by the parable of the war between
the wolves and the dogs. The wolves were somewh... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus._
THE POWER OF THE APOSTOLIC TESTIMONY TO THE RESURRECTION
In what did this great power consist?
I. In the great number of witnesses. Here were more than were
necessary for the fabrication of a cheat, and too many t... [ Continuer la lecture ]
_Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas._
BARNABAS
Surnames become necessary as soon as men form themselves into
societies. They are then no longer adequately distinguished by the
simple “James” or “John,” for others also bear the same name.
Some personal characteristic, therefore, has to... [ Continuer la lecture ]