ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. -Usherian year of the world, 4033. -Alexandrian aera of the world, 5531. -Antiochian year of the world, 5521. -Constantinopolitan year of the world, 5537. -Year of the aera of the Seleucidae, 341. -Year of the Spanish aera, 67. -Year of the Christian aera, 29. -Year of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:2. _AFTER THAT HE, THROUGH THE HOLY GHOST_, c.] This clause has been variously translated: the simple meaning seems to be this-that Christ communicated the Holy Spirit to his disciples, after his resurrection, as he had not done before. In Luke 24:45, it is said that _he opened their u... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:3. _TO WHOM - HE SHOWED HIMSELF ALIVE - BY MANY INFALLIBLE_ _proofs_] πολλοιςτεκμηριοις; by many proofs of such a nature, and connected with such circumstances, as to render them _indubitable_; for this is the import of the Greek word τεκμηριον. The proofs were such as these: 1. Appear... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:4. _AND, BEING ASSEMBLED TOGETHER_] Instead of συναλιζομενος, _being assembled together_, several good MSS. and versions read συναυλιζομενος, _living_ or _eating together_, which refers the conversation reported here to some particular time, when he _sat at meat_, with his disciples. Se... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:5. _YE SHALL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST NOT MANY DAYS_ _HENCE._] This must refer to some conversation that is not distinctly related by the evangelists; as these identical words do not occur in any of the preceding histories. The _Codex Bezae_ reads this passage thus: _but ye shal... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:6. _WHEN THEY THEREFORE WERE COME TOGETHER_] It is very likely that this is to be understood of their assembling on one of the mountains of Galilee, and there meeting our Lord. _AT THIS TIME RESTORE AGAIN THE KINGDOM_] That the disciples, in common with the Jews, expected the Messiah'... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:7. _THE TIMES OR THE SEASONS_] χρονουςηκαιρους. Times here may signify any large portion of a _period, aera_, or _century_-such as an _Olympiad, lustrum_ or _year_; and _seasons_, the particular _part, season_, or _opportunity_ in that period, c., in which it might be proper to do any... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:8. _BUT YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER_] ληψεσθε δυναμιν. Translating different terms of the original by the _same_ English word is a source of misapprehension and error. We must not understand δυναμις which we translate _power_ in this verse, as we do εξουσια, translated by the same word in t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:9. _HE WAS TAKEN UP_] He was speaking face to face with them, and _while they beheld_ he was taken up; he began to ascend to heaven, and they continued to look after him till _a cloud received_ _him out of their sight_-till he had ascended above the region of the clouds, by the density... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:10. _LOOKED STEADFASTLY_] Keeping their eyes intensely fixed on their ascending Lord; continuing to look even after he had ascended above the region of the inferior clouds. _TWO MEN STOOD BY THEM_] Doubtless, _angels_ in human shape. _IN WHITE APPAREL_] As emblematical of their _purit... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:11. _GAZING UP INTO HEAVEN_] Not to the top of a mountain, to which an unbridled fancy, influenced by infidelity, would intimate he had ascended, and not to heaven. _THIS SAME JESUS_] Clothed in human nature. _shall so come in like_ _manner_-with the same body, _descending_ from heaven... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:12. _A SABBATH DAY'S JOURNEY._] See the difficulties in this verse explained in _Clarke's note on "_Luke 24:50_"_. A Sabbath day's journey was _seven furlongs and a half_. Olivet was but _five_ furlongs from Jerusalem; and Bethany was _fifteen_. The first region or tract of Mount Olivet... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:13. _THEY WENT UP INTO AN UPPER ROOM_] This was either a room in the _temple_, or in the house of one of the disciples, where this holy company was accustomed to meet. In Luke 24:53, it is said that, after their return from Mount Olivet, _they were continually_ _in the temple, praising... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:14. _THESE - CONTINUED - IN PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION_] Waiting for the promise of the Father, according to the direction of our Lord, Luke 24:49. The words και τη δεησει, _and in supplication_, are omitted by ABC*DE, both the _Syriac_, the _Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, Itala_,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:15. _IN THE MIDST OF THE DISCIPLES_] μαθητων; but instead of this, αδελφων, _brethren_, is the reading of ABC, a few others, with the _Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian_, and _Vulgate_. This seems the best reading, because of what immediately follows; for it was not among the _disciples_ mer... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:16. _THE HOLY GHOST BY THE MOUTH OF DAVID_] Thus is a strong attestation to the Divine inspiration of the book of Psalms. They were dictated by the Holy Spirit, and spoken by the mouth of David.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:17. _OBTAINED PART OF THIS MINISTRY._] ελαχε τον κληρον, _He_ _obtained the lot of this ministry_-not that _he_ or any of the twelve apostles, was chosen to this ministry by _lot_, but as _lot_ signifies the _portion_ a man has in life, what comes to him in the course of the _Divine pr... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:18. _PURCHASED A FIELD WITH THE REWARD OF INIQUITY_] Probably Judas did not purchase the field himself, but the money for which he sold his Lord was thus applied, see Matthew 27:6. It is possible, however, that he might have designed to purchase a field or piece of ground with this rew... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:19. _IT WAS KNOWN UNTO ALL THE DWELLERS AT JERUSALEM_] The repentance of Judas, his dying testimony in behalf of our Lord's innocence, and his tragical death, were publicly known, as was also the transaction about the purchase of the field, and hence arose the name by which at was publi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:20. _FOR IT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS_] The places usually referred to are Psalms 69:25: _Let their habitation be desolate_, and _let none dwell in their_ _tents_. And Psalms 109:8: _Let his days be few_, and _let another take his office_, פקדתו pekudato, his _overseership_, his... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:21. _WHICH HAVE COMPANIED WITH US_] They judged it necessary to fill up this blank in the apostolate by a person who had been an _eye witness_ of the acts of our Lord. _WENT IN AND OUT_] A phrase which includes all the actions of life.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:22. _BEGINNING FROM THE BAPTISM OF JOHN_] From the time that Christ was baptized by John in Jordan; for it was at that time that his public ministry properly began. _MUST ONE BE ORDAINED_] This translation misleads every reader who cannot examine the original text. There is no term fo... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:23. _THEY APPOINTED TWO_] These two were probably of the number of the seventy disciples; and, in this respect, well fitted to fill up the place. It is likely that the disciples themselves were divided in opinion which of these two was the most proper person, and therefore laid the matt... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:24. _THOU LORD, WHICH KNOWEST THE HEARTS_] Συ, κυριε, καρδιογνωστα. The word καρδιογνωστης, _the searcher of hearts_, seems to be used here as an _attribute_ of God; he _knows the hearts_, the most _secret purposes, intentions_, and _dispositions_ of all men; and because he is the _know... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:25. _THAT HE MAY TAKE PART OF THIS MINISTRY_, c.] Instead of τον κληρον, _the lot_, which we translate _part_, τον τοπον, _the place_, is the reading of ABC*, _Coptic, Vulgate_, and the _Itala_ in the _Codex Bezae_, and from them the verse may be read thus, _That he may take the place o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 1:26. _THEY GAVE FORTH THEIR LOTS_] In what manner this or any other question was decided by lot, we cannot precisely say. The most simple form was to put two _stones_, pieces of _board, metal_, or _slips_ of _parchment_, with the names of the persons inscribed on them, into an urn; and a... [ Continue Reading ]