THE PRIESTS - It is probable that these priests were a part of the Sanhedrin, or Great Council of the nation. It is evident that they claimed some authority for preventing the preaching of the apostles. THE CAPTAIN OF THE TEMPLE - See the Matthew 26:47; Luke 22:4 note. This was the commander of the... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING GRIEVED - The word thus translated occurs in only one other place in the New Testament Acts 16:18. It implies more than simple sorrow; it was a mingled emotion of indignation and anger. They did not grieve because they thought it a public calamity, but because it interfered with their authorit... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT THEM IN HOLD - That is, they took them into “custody,” or into safe keeping. Probably they committed them to the care of a guard. EVENTIDE - Evening. It was not convenient to assemble the council at night. This was, moreover, the time for the evening prayer or sacrifice, and it was not usual to... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT - But; notwithstanding. MANY OF THEM ... - This was one of the instances, which has since been so often repeated, in which persecution is seen to have a tendency to extend and establish the faith which it was designed to destroy. It finally came to be a proverb that “the blood of the martyr... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR RULERS - The rulers of the Jews; doubtless the members of the Sanhedrin, or Great Council of the nation. Compare Acts 4:15. See the notes on Matthew 2:4; Matthew 5:22. The expression their rulers looks as if this book was written for the Gentiles, or Luke would have said our rulers. ELDERS -... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE MIDST - In the presence of the Great Council. BY WHAT POWER ... - A similar question was put to Christ in the temple, Matthew 21:23. BY WHAT NAME - That is, by whose authority. It is very probable that they expected to intimidate the apostles by this question. They claimed the right of regul... [ Continue Reading ]
FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST - See the notes on Acts 2:4. YE RULERS ... - Peter addressed the Sanhedrin with perfect respect. He did not call in question their authority to propose this question. He seemed to regard this as a favorable opportunity to declare the truth and state the evidence of the Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
IF WE THIS DAY - If as is the fact; or since we are thus examined. EXAMINED - Questioned; if the purpose is to institute an inquiry into this case, or since it is the purpose to institute such an inquiry. THE GOOD DEED - The act of benevolence; the benefit conferred on an infirm man. He assumes th... [ Continue Reading ]
BE IT KNOWN ... - Peter might have evaded the question, or he might have resorted to many excuses and subterfuges (Calvin), if he had been desirous of avoiding this inquiry. But it was a noble opportunity for vindicating the honor of his Lord and Master. It was a noble opportunity also for repairing... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE STONE - This passage is found in Psalms 118:22. It is quoted, also, by our Saviour as applicable to himself. See the notes on Matthew 21:42. The ancient Jews applied this to David. In the Targum on Psalms 118:22, this passage is rendered, “The child who was among the sons of Jesse, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION - The word “salvation” properly denotes any “preservation,” or keeping anything in a “safe” state; a preserving from harm. It I signifies, also, deliverance from any evil of body or mind; from pain, sickness, danger, etc., Acts 7:25. But it is in the New Testament applied... [ Continue Reading ]
BOLDNESS - This word properly denotes “openness” or “confidence in speaking.” It stands opposed to “hesitancy,” and to “equivocation” in declaring our sentiments. Here it means that, in spite of danger and opposition, they avowed their doctrines without any attempt to conceal or disguise them. PETE... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY COULD SAY NOTHING ... - The presence of the man that was healed was an unanswerable fact in proof of the truth of what the apostles alleged. The miracle was so public, clear, and decisive; the man that was healed was so well known, that there was no evasion or subterfuge by which they could esc... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT SHALL WE DO TO THESE MEN? - The object which they had in view was evidently to prevent their preaching. The miracle was performed, and it was believed by the people to have been made. This they could not expect to be able successfully to deny. Their only object, therefore, was to prevent the ap... [ Continue Reading ]
WHETHER IT BE RIGHT ... - The apostles abated nothing of their boldness when threatened. They openly appealed to their judges whether their command could be right. And in doing this, they expressed their full conviction of the truth of what they had said, and their deliberate purpose not to regard t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ... - This is given as a reason why they should obey God rather than man. They had had so clear evidence that God had sent the Messiah, and they had received a direct and solemn command Mark 16:15 to preach the gospel, that they could not be restrained. There was a necessity laid on them to prea... [ Continue Reading ]
FINDING NOTHING ... - That is, not being able to devise any way of punishing them without exciting a tumult among the people, and endangering their own authority. The Sanhedrin was frequently influenced by this fear; and it shows that their own authority was much dependent on the caprice of the mult... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE MAN ... - The age of the man is mentioned to show the certainty and greatness of the miracle. If it had been a man who had been lame but a few years, or if it had been a child or a very young man, the case would not been so remarkable. But after a continuance of 40 years, all hope of healing... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR OWN COMPANY - They joined the other apostles and Christians, Acts 2:44. AND REPORTED ... - It doubtless became a subject of interesting inquiry what they should do in this case. They had been threatened by the highest authority of the nation, and commanded not to preach again in the name of J... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE - To lift up the voice, among the Hebrews, was a phrase denoting either an “address” to the people Judges 9:7, or a phrase expressive of “weeping” Genesis 29:11; Judges 2:4; Ruth 1:9; 1 Samuel 24:16, or of “prayer.” To lift up the voice to God means simply they prayed to H... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BY THE MOUTH ... - , Psalms 2:1. This is a strong, solemn testimony to the inspiration of David. It is a declaration of the apostles, made in solemn prayer, that God himself spake by the mouth of David. This is the second part of their prayer. In the first, they acknowledge the right of God to r... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KINGS OF THE EARTH - The Psalmist specifies more particularly that kings and rulers would be opposed to the Messiah. This had occurred already by the opposition made to the Messiah by the rulers of the Jewish people, and it would be still more evinced by the opposition of princes and kings as th... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR OF A TRUTH - Truly; in reality. THY HOLY CHILD JESUS - The word “child” is commonly applied to infants, or to sons and daughters in very early life. The word which is used here παῖς pais is different from what is commonly applied to the Lord Jesus υἱός huios. The latter expresses sonship with... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR TO DO ... - See the notes on Acts 2:23; Acts 3:18. The facts which are brought to view in these verses are among the most remarkable on record. They are briefly these: * That the Jewish rulers were opposed to the Messiah, and slew him. (2)That the very people to whom he came, and for whose be... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD THEIR THREATENINGS - So look upon them as to grant us deliverance. They did not purpose to abandon their undertaking; they resolved to persevere; and they expected that this purpose would involve them in danger. With this purpose they implored the protection of God; they asked that he would n... [ Continue Reading ]
BY STRETCHING FORTH THINE HAND ... - The apostles not only desired boldness to speak, but they asked that God would continue to work miracles, and thus furnish to them, and to the people, evidence of the truth of what they delivered. They did not even ask that he would preserve their lives, or keep... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD PRAYED - The event which followed was regarded by them as an evidence that God heard their prayer. THE PLACE WAS SHAKEN - The word which is translated “was shaken” commonly denotes “violent agitation,” as the raging of the sea, the convulsion of an earthquake, or trees shaken by t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MULTITUDE - The number of believers at this time had become large. In Acts 4:4, it is said that it was five thousand, and the number was constantly increasing. ONE HEART - This expression denotes “tender union.” They felt alike, or were attached to the same things, and this preserved them f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITH GREAT POWER - See Acts 1:8. The word “power” here denotes “efficacy,” and means that they had “ability” given them to bear witness of the resurrection of the Saviour. it refers, therefore, I rather to their preaching than to their miracles. GAVE THE APOSTLES WITNESS - The apostles bore tes... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT LACKED - That was in want, or whose needs were not supplied by the others. AS MANY AS ... - The word used here is employed in a large, indefinite sense; but it would be improper to press it so as to suppose that every individual that became a Christian sold at once all his property. The sense d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LAID THEM DOWN ... - That is, they committed the money received for their property to the disposal of the apostles, to distribute it as was necessary among the poor. This soon became a burdensome and inconvenient office, and they therefore appointed men who had special charge of it, Acts 6:1, et... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSES - Many manuscripts, instead of “Joses,” here read “Joseph.” The reasons why this individual is selected and specified particularly were, doubtless, because he was a foreigner; because it was a remarkable instance of liberality; and because he subsequently distinguished himself in the work... [ Continue Reading ]