Mt. Zion, where the Holy Ghost fell on the disciples, is in the southwestern part of the city, which is, throughout, the most densely built I ever saw; the streets eight to sixteen feet wide, and frequently arched over, and a house directly over the middle of the streets; while in front of the Templ... [ Continue Reading ]
The Greek describes the man leaping out of his place like a frog, and continuing to run round and round, following Peter and John into the temple, attracting the attention of everybody, because in forty years he had become better known than the king.... [ Continue Reading ]
So the multitude all _“ran to him, filled with astonishment and delight.”_ The Greek word which is translated _“delight”_ is _ecstasy_, a very strong word. Oh, how his old acquaintances are astounded and thrilled! Why, only look yonder at Ben Israel! Did you ever see the like? How he leaps, skips a... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the apostles have entered Solomon's porch, running the entire width of the temple, fronting eastward. Meanwhile the ecstatic man so miraculously healed at the Beautiful Gate is holding them by the hand in adoring gratitude, leaping and skipping and shouting aloud, while the vast multitude runnin... [ Continue Reading ]
Meanwhile, Peter responded to the people: _“Israelitish men, why do ye gaze upon us as that by our power or holiness we have caused this man to run around?”_ Remember that the Greek word here translated _“holiness”_ is simply the noun form of the same word applied to the Jewish delegates who came fr... [ Continue Reading ]
Here Peter boldly certifies to the multitude that the same Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, had so miraculously restored the notable cripple at the Beautiful Gate.... [ Continue Reading ]
He reminds them of their uproarious demand for the release of Barabbas, the robber-chief, as a substitute for Jesus. Now, reader, if you are ever going to follow Jesus up to heaven, you must travel the very road He traveled. Just as they preferred Barabbas to Jesus, so will the people of this wicked... [ Continue Reading ]
_“And you slew the Prince of Life.”_ Here is a beautiful allusion to our Savior's royalty. He is not only our wonderful Savior and perfect Sanctifier, but our glorious coming King.... [ Continue Reading ]
FAITH 16. _“And upon the faith of his name, his name hath restored this one whom ye see and know, and faith through him hath given him this soundness in presence of you all.”_ From this verse it is very clear that the healed cripple was well acquainted with Jesus. He was a mature man in life's merid... [ Continue Reading ]
Though, as Peter says, _“The Jews blindly and ignorantly slew the Prince of Life,”_ yet they were awfully criminal in the sight of God because they had yielded to the lies of Satan and spontaneously turned away from the light.... [ Continue Reading ]
_“But those things which he proclaimed through the mouth of all his prophets that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.”_ We see from this verse how the Jews and the Romans in their condemnation and crucifixion of Christ were literally fulfilling prophecies so obviously that it is astonishing... [ Continue Reading ]
PLAN OF SALVATION 19. _“Repent, therefore, and turn unto the blotting out of your sins, in order that times of soul-renewing may come from the face of the Lord.”_ In repentance the sinner gives up all of his sins to the devil, where he got them, and leaves Satan's kingdom forever. We must become hon... [ Continue Reading ]
RETURN OF CHRIST 20. The E. V. erroneously has a semicolon between the 19th and 20th verses. The inspired original, spoken by Peter and written by Luke, has no stop whatever between these verses. Then what will our brethren do who are unwilling to preach the second coming of Christ, as there is not... [ Continue Reading ]
_“Whom it behooveth heaven indeed to receive until the times of the restitution of all things which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from the beginning.”_ This Scripture reveals the fact most unequivocally that Peter was enthused with the glowing anticipation of seeing his Lord retur... [ Continue Reading ]
_“Indeed Moses said that our Lord God will raise up unto you a prophet from your brethren like unto me; him you will hear as to all things so many as he may speak unto you.”_ This prophet is none other than Jesus. Moses is the brightest type of the Mediatorial Christ, himself the honored mediator of... [ Continue Reading ]
TRIBULATION 23. _“And it shall come to pass that whosoever may not hear that prophet will be cut off from the people.” “May hear”_ in this verse is in the subjunctive mood, revealing contingency, which is peculiar to man alone, as there are no contingencies with God. While we all fully recognize hum... [ Continue Reading ]
_“And all the prophets from Samuel and successively so many as spoke also proclaimed these days.”_ How significantly true! The second coming of Christ is a most prominent thing with all the prophets in all dispensations. Even Enoch, in antediluvian times, was a powerful preacher of the Lord's second... [ Continue Reading ]
_“Ye are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God established with our fathers, saying to Abraham: Truly in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”_ You all know _“seed”_ here means Christ (Galatians 3:16). Hence we see that God covenanted with Abraham that all the fa... [ Continue Reading ]
Peter's afternoon sermon in Solomon's porch, like his forenoon sermon on Mt. Zion, is climacteric in the enforcement of these two great cardinal gospel truths, _i. e_., entire sanctification and the coming King.... [ Continue Reading ]