_But a certain man named Ananias_ A professor of the gospel, but certainly not a true believer, for all _that_ truly _believed were of one heart and of one soul, Acts 4:32_. Probably he was not yet baptized, but intended now to offer himself for baptism; _with Sapphira his wife_ Who concurred with h... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Peter said_ Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, which immediately suggested to him the fraud; _Why has Satan_ Through thine own wickedness in yielding to his temptations; _filled thy heart_ With such a degree of covetousness, falsehood, folly, and presumption, as to induce thee _to lie to_,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Ananias, hearing these words_ While the sound of them was yet in his ears; _fell down and gave up the ghost_ Εξεψυξε, _expired._ It does not appear whether Peter designed or expected this event to follow upon what he said, though it seems probable, from the sentence he denounced on Sapphira, (A... [ Continue Reading ]
_About the space of three hours after_ How precious a space! _his wife_ Who was absent when this happened; _not knowing what was done, came in_ Into the place where the apostles were, expecting, doubtless, to share in the thanks of all present, for consenting to the sale of the land, and becoming, w... [ Continue Reading ]
_And great fear came upon all the church_ All that had joined themselves to it were struck with a holy awe of God and his judgments, and with a great veneration of this dispensation of the Spirit, which they were now under. It did not damp or check their holy joy, but it taught them to be serious in... [ Continue Reading ]
_And by the hands of the apostles were many signs, &c., wrought_ Many miracles of mercy for one of judgment. Now the gospel power returned to its proper channel, which is that of grace and goodness. These miracles, which were not a few, but _many_, not of one kind merely, but of divers kinds, eviden... [ Continue Reading ]
_And of the rest_ Who were not really converted to Christianity; _durst_ Or _presumed; no man_ to _join himself to them_ As, had it not been for the late signal judgment, some hypocrites might have attempted to do, in order to obtain a share in the distributions which were made among the Christians... [ Continue Reading ]
_Insomuch_, or so _that, they brought the sick into the streets,_ &c. The contents of this and the following verse are evidently connected with the former part of Acts 5:12; the intermediate paragraph being intended to be read in a parenthesis. They brought the sick into the streets, because, as is... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then the high-priest rose up_ Never did any good work go on with any hope of success, but it met with opposition; for they that are bent to do evil cannot be reconciled to them who make it their business to do good. Satan, the destroyer of mankind, ever was, and ever will be, an adversary to those... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors_ In spite of all the locks and bars that were upon them, and without giving any alarm to the keepers, or any of the other prisoners; _and brought them forth_ Hereby God evidently showed how impotent the rage of the priests and rulers was against tho... [ Continue Reading ]
_When the high-priest, &c., heard these things_ So perfectly unexpected; _they doubted of them_ They were extremely perplexed, and even at their wit's end, having never been so disappointed before of a thing they were so sure of. _They doubted_, τι αν γενοιτο τουτο, _what this thing might be_ That i... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then went the captain with the officers_ By the direction of the sanhedrim; _and brought them_ Ου μετα βιας, _not by violence; for they feared the people, lest_ If they had offered any violence in their presence; _they should have been stoned_ The people were so fully persuaded that a divine power... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Peter and the other apostles_ Or, Peter, in the name of the others, who, it seems, were all present; _said_ He does not give them the titles of honour which he did before; (Acts 4:8;) but enters directly upon the subject, and justifies what he and his brethren had done. This is, as it were, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_When they heard that_ When the high-priest and the Sadducees heard this courageous testimony, and faithful remonstrance; _they were cut to the heart_ Greek, διεπριοντο, _they were sawn asunder_, namely, with anger and indignation. When a sermon was preached to the _people_ to this purpose, they wer... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then stood up one in the council, a Pharisee_ And as such believing the immortality of the soul and the resurrection; _named Gamaliel_ He is said to have been the son of good old Simeon, mentioned Luke 2:25; and the person at whose feet St. Paul was brought up. He was a man in so great esteem among... [ Continue Reading ]
_And now I say unto you_ I, therefore, with regard to the present affair, give it as my most serious and deliberate advice; _Refrain from these men, and let them alone_ In a cause which is manifestly good, we should immediately join. In a cause, on the other hand, which is manifestly evil, we should... [ Continue Reading ]
_And to him they agreed_ Acknowledging his advice to be safe and wise. They, therefore, dropped the design of putting the apostles to death; yet they could not forbear giving vent to their rage, (so outrageous was it,) in a most unjust and cruel manner, and as evidently contrary to the conviction of... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they departed from the presence of the council_ As soon as they were dismissed, not in the least terrified by the cruel usage they had met with, nor by the threatenings of their adversaries. See the power of the grace of God! These are the men who forsook Christ when the soldiers came to appreh... [ Continue Reading ]
_And daily in the temple_, &c. The apostles were punished for preaching, and commanded strictly not to preach: yet they went on with their work with unabated zeal, and indefatigable diligence, omitting no opportunity of doing it. Observe, 1st, They preached _daily_, not only on sabbath days, or on L... [ Continue Reading ]