CHAPTER IV. _The priests And Sadducees are incensed at the apostles'_ _teaching, and put them in prison_, 1-3. _The number of those who believed_, 4. _The rulers, elders, and scribes call the apostles before them,_ _and question them concerning their authority to teach_, 5-7. _Peter, filled wi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:2. _BEING GRIEVED_] διαπονουμενοι, They were _thoroughly_ _fatigued_ with the continuance of this preaching; their minds suffered more _labour, through vexation_ at the success of the apostles, than the bodies of the apostles did in their fatiguing exercise of preaching during the whole... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:4. _THE NUMBER - WAS ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND._] That is, as I understand the passage, the one hundred and twenty which were converted before pentecost, the three thousand converted at pentecost, and one thousand eight hundred and eighty converted since the conversion of the three thousand;... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:5. _THEIR RULERS, AND ELDERS, AND SCRIBES_] Those with the high priest Annas formed the Sanhedrin, or grand council of the Jews.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:6. _ANNAS_] Though this man was not now actually in the office of high priest, yet he had possessed it for eleven years, bore the title all his life, and had the honour of seeing five of his sons fill that eminent place after him-an honour that never happened to any other person from th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:7. _BY WHAT POWER, OR BY WHAT NAME, HAVE YE DONE THIS?_] It seems that this council were convinced that the lame man was miraculously healed; but it is very likely that they believed the whole to be the effect of magic; and, as all intercourse with familiar spirits, and all spells, cha... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:8. _THEN PETER, FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST_] Which guided him into all truth, and raised him far above the fear of man; placing him in a widely different state of mind to that in which he was found when, in the hall of Caiaphas, he denied his Master, through fear of a servant girl. But... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:9. _THE GOOD DEED DONE_] επι ευεργεσια, The _benefit_ he has received in being restored to perfect soundness.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:10. _BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH_] This was a very bold declaration in the presence of such an assembly; but he felt he stood on good ground. The cure of the lame man the day before was notorious; his long infirmity was well known; his person could be easily identified; and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:11. _THIS IS THE STONE WHICH WAS SET AT NOUGHT OF YOU_ _BUILDERS_] By your rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, you have fulfilled one of your own prophecies, Psalms 118:22; and, as _one_ part of this prophecy is now so literally fulfilled, ye may rest assured, so shall the _other... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:12. _NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER_] No kind of _healing_, whether for _body_ or _soul_, can come through any but him who is called JESUS. The spirit of _health_ resides in him; and from him alone its influences must be received. _FOR THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME_] Not only no o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:13. _THE BOLDNESS OF PETER AND JOHN_] την παρρησιαν, The _freedom_ and _fluency_ with which they spoke; for they spoke now from the immediate influence of the Holy Ghost, and their word was with power. _THAT THEY WERE UNLEARNED AND IGNORANT MEN_] αγραμματοι, Persons without literature,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:14. _THEY COULD SAY NOTHING AGAINST IT._] They could not gainsay the apostolic doctrine, for that was supported by the miraculous fact before them. If the doctrine be false, the man cannot have been miraculously healed: if the man be miraculously healed, then the doctrine must be true t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:16. _A NOTABLE MIRACLE HATH BEEN DONE_] A miracle has been wrought, and this miracle is _known_, and acknowledged to be such; all Jerusalem knew that he was lame-lame from his birth, and that he had long begged at the Beautiful gate of the temple; and now all Jerusalem knew that he was... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:17. _BUT THAT IT SPREAD NO FARTHER_] Not the news of the miraculous healing of the lame man, but the doctrine and influence which these men preach and exert. More than a thousand people had already professed faith in Christ in consequence of this miracle, (see Acts 4:4,) and if this tea... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:18. _NOT TO SPEAK - NOR TEACH IN THE NAME OF JESUS._] Any other doctrine, and any other name, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites and infidels will bear, but the doctrine which is according to godliness, proclaiming salvation through the blood of Christ crucified, they will not bear. If t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:19. _WHETHER IT BE RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD_] As if they had said: Worldly prudence and a consideration of our secular interests would undoubtedly induce us to obey you; but acting as before God, and following the dictates of eternal truth and justice, we dare not be silent. Can it be... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:21. _WHEN THEY HAD FARTHER THREATENED THEM_] προσαπειλησαμενοι, When they had added to their former threatenings, repeating the former menaces, and adding new penalties. _FINDING NOTHING HOW THEY MIGHT PUNISH THEM_] Or, as the _Codex_ _Bezae_ reads, μηεὑρισκοντες αιτιαν, πως κολασωντα... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:22. _THE MAN WAS ABOVE FORTY YEARS OLD_] The disease was of long standing, and consequently the more inveterate; but all difficulties, small or great, yield equally to the sovereign power of God. It is as easy with God to convert a sinner of _forty_ or _four-score_, as one of _ten_ year... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:23. _THEY WENT TO THEIR OWN COMPANY_] This was properly the first persecution that had been raised up against the Church since the resurrection of Christ; and as the rest of the disciples must have known that Peter and John had been cast into prison, and that they were to be examined be... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:24. _LORD, THOU ART GOD_] Δεσποτα, συ ὁ Θεος, _Thou God_ art the _sovereign Lord_. Thy rule is universal, and thy power unlimited; for thou hast the heaven and its glories, the earth and the sea, and their endlessly varied and numerous inhabitants, under thy direction and control.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:25. _BY THE MOUTH OF THY SERVANT DAVID HAST SAID_] Several add, but impertinently, δια πνευματος αγιου, _by the Holy Spirit_; but it is sufficient that GOD has said it; and thugs we find that David spoke by the inspiration of God; and that the second Psalm relates to Jesus Christ, and p... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:26. _AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST._] κατα του χριστου αυτου should be translated, _against his ANOINTED_, because it particularly agrees with ονεχρισας, _whom thou hast ANOINTED_, in the succeeding verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:27. There is a parenthesis in this verse that is not sufficiently noticed: it should be read in connection with Acts 4:28, thus: _For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast_ _anointed, (for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel_ _determined before to be done,) both... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _AND NOW, LORD, BEHOLD THEIR THREATENINGS_] It is not against _us_, but against _thee_, that they conspire: it is not to prevent the success of _our preaching_, but to bring to nought _thy_ _counsel_: the whole of their enmity is against thee. Now, Lord, look upon it; consider this. _AND... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _BY STRETCHING FORTH THINE HAND TO HEAL_] Show that it is thy truth which we proclaim, and confirm it with miracles, and show how highly thou hast magnified thy Son Jesus, whom they have despised and crucified, by causing signs and wonders to be wrought in his name. _THY HOLY CHILD JESUS.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _THE PLACE WAS SHAKEN_] This earthquake was an evidence of the presence of God, and a most direct answer to their prayer, as far as that prayer concerned themselves. The earthquake proclaimed the _stretched-out arm of God_, and showed them that resistance against his counsels and determina... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _THE MULTITUDE OF THEM THAT BELIEVED_] The whole 5000, mentioned Acts 4:4, and probably many others, who had been converted by the ministry of the other apostles since that time. _WERE OF ONE HEART AND OF ONE SOUL_] Were in a state of the most perfect friendship and affection. In all the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _WITH GREAT POWER GAVE THE APOSTLES WITNESS_] This power they received from the Holy Spirit, who enabled them, μεγαλη δυναμει, _with striking miracles_, to give proof of _the resurrection_ _of the Lord Jesus_; for this is the point that was particularly to be proved: that he was slain and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _NEITHER WAS THERE ANY AMONG THEM THAT LACKED_] It was customary with the Jews to call the poor together, to eat of the sacrifices, but as the priests, c., were incensed against Christ and Christianity, consequently the Christian poor could have no advantage of this kind therefore, by maki... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:35. _LAID - DOWN AT THE APOSTLES' FEET_] To show how cordially and entirely they parted with them. And they entrusted the management of the whole to those men to whom they found God had entrusted the gifts of his Holy Spirit, and the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 4:36. _JOSES_] Or, _Joseph_, as many excellent MSS. read; but who he was, farther than what is here said, we know not. _SURNAMED BARNABAS_] Or, _Barsabbas_, according to the _Coptic_. _THE SON OF CONSOLATION_] υιοςπαρακλησεως; As παρακλησις signifies _exhortation_, as well as _consolat... [ Continue Reading ]