_THE RULERS OF THE JEWS OFFENDED WITH PETER'S SERMON,_ (_THOUGH THOUSANDS OF THE PEOPLE WERE CONVERTED THAT HEARD THE WORD,) IMPRISON HIM AND JOHN. AFTER, UPON EXAMINATION, PETER, BOLDLY AVOUCHING THE LAME MAN TO BE HEALED BY THE NAME OF JESUS, AND THAT BY THE SAME JESUS, ONLY WE MUST BE ETERNALLY S... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRIESTS, AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE TEMPLE, AND THE SADDUCEES, &C.— These three kinds of men,on different accounts, were prejudiced against the apostles. The _priests_ were offended, because the apostles, whom they looked upon only as private men, undertook to teach publicly; the _Sadducees_ were d... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT WAS NOW EVEN-TIDE.— Or, _evening._ As Peter and John went up to the temple at three in the afternoon, this expression makes it probable that some hours might be spent in preaching to the people; and consequently, that what we have in the former chapter, is only an abstract, or brief heads of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NUMBER OF THE MEN WAS ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND.— Dr. Benson concludes, that five thousand men were converted on this occasion, besides the three thousand mentioned before, chap. Acts 2:41. If it had been said, as there, that so many _were added to the church,_ it would have determined the sense as he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ANNAS THE HIGH-PRIEST, AND CAIAPHAS,— See the note on Luke 3:2. _John_ and _Alexander_ were evidently persons of great note among the Jews at this time; and it is not improbable, as Dr. Lightfoot and others suppose, that the former might be the celebrated Rabbin Jochanan Ben Zaccai, mentioned in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD SET THEM IN THE MIDST,— It was the custom for the Sanhedrim to sit almost in a circle, or oval, and to set the prisoners in the midst of them: St. Peter and St. John being so placed, the court demanded of them, "By what power, human or diabolical, angelic or divine, have you cured... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE WHOLE;— Σεσωσται, _he is cured,_ or _saved._ See the note on Acts 4:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE NAME OF JESUS, &C.— The time of Christ's resurrection was that of the celebrating the passover, the most solemn festival of the Jews; the scene was in Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judea, and at that time crowded with Jews, who came thither from all parts of the earth, to keep the passover. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE STONE, &C.— St. Peter's mentioning Christ as the _head of the corner,_ naturally led to the thought of a spiritual and eternal salvation, which it was Christ's principal design to bring in; and with relation to which alone this, and its kindred phrase, the _chief corner-stone,_ are alway... [ Continue Reading ]
UNLEARNED AND IGNORANT MEN,— _Illiterate men, and in private stations of life;_ αγραμματοι και ιδιωται, men of no education, nor in any public rank of life, as the priests and magistrates were: _And they took knowledge of them,_ επεγινωσκον, would read more properly, _and they knew them._ Grotius ob... [ Continue Reading ]
A NOTABLE MIRACLE— Γνωστον, a _signal_ and _well-known_ miracle; one which could neither be doubted nor disproved.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT, &C.— _"Nevertheless:"_ The word 'Αλλα is frequently used in this sense both by sacred and prophane writers.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT TO SPEAK AT ALL, &C.— That is, privately; nor to _teach,_ that is, publicly. This is the very thing which men, conscious of the truth of the apostles testimony, and self-condemned, would do,—stop their mouths by violence, as they knew they could not answer them any other way.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHETHER IT BE RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD— As they professed to believe the being, and infinite perfections of God, they must, on their own principles, easily see the absurdity of expecting obedience to their commands from good men, who believed themselves divinely commissioned. There is a passage whi... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY LET THEM GO, &C.— This dismission was not intended as an acquittal; for it was customary among the Jews to try any accused person after his discharge, when new proofs started up against him. The _threatening_ mentioned in the foregoing sentence, might possibly have included some declaration of... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, THOU ART GOD, &C.— The sense is, "Lord, thou hast all power, and thy word is fulfilled. Men do rage against thee, but their rage is in vain.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR OF A TRUTH AGAINST THY HOLY CHILD JESUS, &C.— We must here observe, that _the hand of God_ most frequently in the Old Testament relates not so much to his power, as to his wisdom, and providential dispensations. So Job 27:11. _I will teach you by the hand of God,_ that is, by his wisdom, in his... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WITH ALL BOLDNESS, &C.— Compare Proverbs 16:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD PRAYED, &C.— God of old testified his acceptance of the sacrifices or prayers of the pious by sending down fire from heaven, or by appearing after some peculiar manner in the cloud of glory: but now the token of acceptance was, that the house where they were assembled was again sha... [ Continue Reading ]
OF ONE HEART AND OF ONE SOUL:— This is a proverbial expression for the most intimate and endearing friendship.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITH GREAT POWER GAVE THE APOSTLES, &C.— The word απεδιδουν, rendered _gave,_ signifies the restoring of something which is given as a charge, or intrusted to another. If it be taken in that sense here, it may serve to illustrate what is said, Acts 4:20. Several commentators understand the last... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LAID THEM DOWN, &C.— Orobio the Jew, in his conference with Limborch, has meanly insinuated, that it was no small advantage to poor fishermen to be treasurers of so considerable a bank; and some of our late infidels have hence in a more indecent manner taken occasion to asperse the apostles of o... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSES,—SURNAMED BARNABAS,— Considering how common the names of _Joses_ and _Joseph_ were, there seems no just reason to conclude, as some have done, that this was the _Joseph_ mentioned ch. Acts 1:23 nor does there seem any reason to conclude that this Joses was called a _son of consolation,_ to exp... [ Continue Reading ]