CHAPTER VIII. _A general persecution is raised against the Church_, 1. _Stephen's burial_, 2. _Saul greatly oppresses the followers of Christ_, 3, 4. _Philip the deacon goes to Samaria, preaches, works many_ _miracles, converts many persons, and baptizes Simon the_ _sorcerer_, 5-13. _Peter an... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:2. _DEVOUT MEN CARRIED STEPHEN_ TO HIS BURIAL] The Greek word, συνεκομισαν, signifies not only to _carry_, or rather to _gather up_, but also to do every thing necessary for the _interment_ of the dead. Among the Jews, and indeed among most nations of the earth, it was esteemed a work... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:3. _SAUL MADE HAVOC OF THE CHURCH_] The word ελυμαινετο, from λυμαινω, to _destroy, devastate, ravage_, signifies the act of _ferocious animals_, such as _bears, wolves_, and the like, in seeking and devouring their prey. This shows with what persevering rancour this man pursued the har... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:4. _THEY THAT WERE SCATTERED - WENT EVERY WHERE PREACHING_] Thus the very means devised by Satan to destroy the Church became the very instruments of its diffusion and establishment. What are counsel, or might, or cunning, or rage, or malice, against the Lord, whether they are excited b... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:5. _THEN PHILIP_] One of the seven deacons, Acts 6:5, called afterwards, _Philip the Evangelist_, Acts 21:8. _THE CITY OF SAMARIA_] At this time there was no city of Samaria existing: according to Josephus, _Ant_. lib. xiii. cap. 10, sect. 3, Hyrcanus had so utterly demolished it as t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:6. _THE PEOPLE WITH ONE ACCORD GAVE HEED_] He had fixed their attention, not only with the gravity and importance of the matter of his preaching, but also by _the miracles which he did_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:7. _FOR UNCLEAN SPIRITS, CRYING WITH LOUD VOICE, CAME OUT_ _OF MANY THAT WERE POSSESSED_] Hence it is evident that these _unclean spirits_ were not a species of diseases; as they are here distinguished from the _paralytic_ and the _lame_. There is nothing more certain than that the New... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:8. _THERE WAS GREAT JOY IN THAT CITY._] No wonder, when they heard such glorious truths, and were the subjects of such beneficent miracles.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:9. _A CERTAIN MAN CALLED SIMON_] In ancient ecclesiastical writers, we have the strangest account of this man; they say that he pretended to be the _Father_, who gave the law to Moses; that he came in the reign of Tiberius in the person of the _Son_; that he descended on the apostles on... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:10. _THIS MAN IS THE GREAT POWER OF GOD._] That is, he is invested with it, and can command and use it. They certainly did not believe him to be _God_; but they thought him to be endued with a great supernatural power. There is a remarkable reading here in several MSS. which should not... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:12. _BUT WHEN THEY BELIEVED PHILIP_] So it is evident that Philip's word came with greater power then that of Simon; and that his _miracles_ stood the test in such a way as the _feats_ of Simon could not.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:13. _SIMON HIMSELF BELIEVED ALSO_] He was struck with _the_ _doctrine and miracles of Philip_-he saw that these were _real_; he knew his own to be _fictitious_. He believed therefore that Jesus was the Messiah, and was in consequence _baptized_. _CONTINUED WITH PHILIP, AND WONDERED_]... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:14. _THE WORD OF GOD_] The doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ. _THEY SENT UNTO THEM PETER AND JOHN_] There was no individual _ruler_ among the apostles-there was not even a _president_ of the council; and Peter, far from being _chief_ of the apostles, is one of those sent, with the same... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:15. _WHEN THEY WERE COME DOWN_] The very same mode of speaking, in reference to _Jerusalem_ formerly, obtains now in reference to _London_. The metropolis in both cases is considered as the _centre_; and all parts, in every direction, no matter how distant, or how _situated_, are repres... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:17. _THEN LAID THEY_ THEIR _HANDS ON THEM_] Probably only on some select persons, who were thought proper for public use in the Church. They did not lay hands on _all_; for certainly no hands in this way were laid on Simon.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:18. _WHEN SIMON SAW_, c.] By hearing these speak with different tongues and work miracles. _HE OFFERED THEM MONEY_] Supposing that the dispensing this Spirit belonged to them-that they could give it to whomsoever they pleased and imagining that, as he saw them to be _poor_ men, they wo... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:20. _THY MONEY PERISH WITH THEE_] This is an awful declaration; and imports thus much, that _if he did not repent_, he and his ill-gotten goods would perish together; his _money_ should be _dissipated_, and his _soul_ go into _perdition_. _THAT THE GIFT OF GOD MAY BE PURCHASED_] Peter... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:21. _THOU HAST NEITHER PART NOR LOT IN THIS MATTER_] Thou hast no part among the _faithful_, and no _lot in this ministry_. That the word κληρος, which we translate _lot_, is to be understood as implying a _spiritual portion, office_, c., see proved in the note on Numbers 26:55. _THY H... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:22. _REPENT THEREFORE OF THIS THY WICKEDNESS_] St. Peter did not suppose his case to be utterly _hopeless_; though his sin, considered in its _motives_ and _objects_, was of the most heinous kind. _IF PERHAPS THE THOUGHT OF THINE HEART MAY BE FORGIVEN THEE._] His sin, as yet, only exis... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:23. _THE GALL OF BITTERNESS_] A Hebraism for _excessive_ _bitterness_: gall, wormwood, and such like, were used to express the dreadful effects of _sin_ in the soul; the bitter _repentance_, bitter _regret_, bitter _sufferings_, bitter _death_, c., c., which it produces. In Deuteronomy... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:24. _PRAY YE TO THE LORD FOR ME_] The words of Peter certainly made a deep impression on Simon's mind; and he must have had a high opinion of the apostle's sanctity and influence with God, when he thus commended himself to their prayers. And we may hope well of his repentance and salva... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:25. _AND THEY, WHEN THEY HAD - PREACHED - RETURNED TO_ _JERUSALEM_] That is, Peter and John returned, after they had borne testimony to and confirmed the work which Philip had wrought.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:26. _ARISE, AND GO TOWARD THE SOUTH_] How circumstantially particular are these directions! Every thing is so precisely marked that there is no danger of the apostle missing his way. He is to perform some great _duty_; but _what_, he is not informed. The _road_ which he is to take is m... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:27. _A MAN OF ETHIOPIA_] ανηραιθιοψ should be translated _an_ _Ethiopian_, for the reasons given on Acts 7:2. _AN EUNUCH_] See this word interpreted, on Matthew 19:12. The term eunuch was given to persons in authority at court, to whom its _literal_ meaning did not apply. Potiphar was... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:28. _SITTING IN HIS CHARIOT, READ ESAIAS THE PROPHET._] He had gone to Jerusalem to worship: he had profited by his religious exercises: and even in travelling, he is improving his time. God sees his simplicity and earnestness, and provides him an instructer, who should lead him into th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _THEN THE SPIRIT SAID UNTO PHILIP_] This holy man having obeyed the first direction he received from God, and gone southward without knowing the reason why, it was requisite that he should now be informed of the object of his mission: the _Spirit_ _said unto_ him, _go near, and join thysel... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _HEARD HIM READ THE PROPHET ESAIAS_] The eunuch, it seems, was reading aloud, and apparently in _Greek_, for that was the common language in Egypt; and, indeed, almost in every place it was understood. And it appears that it was the _Greek version_ of the _Septuagint_ that he was reading,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _HOW CAN I, EXCEPT SOME MAN SHOULD GUIDE ME?_] This is _no proof_ that "the Scriptures cannot be understood without an authorized interpreter," as some of the papistical writers assert. How could the eunuch know any thing of the Gospel dispensation, to which this scripture referred? That... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _THE PLACE OF THE SCRIPTURE_] περιοχη της γραφης, The _section_, or _paragraph_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _IN HIS HUMILIATION, HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY_] He who was the _fountain of judgment_ and _justice_ had no justice shown him (_mercy_ he needed not) in _his humiliation_; viz. that time in which he _emptied himself_, and appeared in the form of a servant. _WHO SHALL DECLARE HIS GENERA... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _OF WHOM SPEAKETH THE PROPHET THIS_] This was a very natural inquiry: for in the text itself, and in its circumstances, there was nothing that could determine the meaning, so as to ascertain whether the prophet meant himself or some other person; and the very inquiry shows that the eunuch... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _BEGAN AT THE SAME SCRIPTURE_] He did not confine himself to this one scripture, but made this his text, and showed, from the general tenor of the sacred writings, that _Jesus_ was the _Christ_, or _Messiah_; and that in _his_ person, birth, life, doctrine, miracles, passion, death, and re... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _SEE_, HERE IS _WATER_] He was not willing to omit the first opportunity that presented itself of his taking upon _himself_ the _profession of the Gospel_. By this we may see that Philip had explained the whole of the Christian faith to him, and the _way_ by which believers were brought in... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 37. _I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD._] He believed that Jesus, whom Philip preached to him, was THE CHRIST or _Messiah_, and consequently the _Son of God_. This whole verse is omitted by ABCG, several others of the first authority, Erpen's edit. of the _Arabic_, the _Syriac_, t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _AND THEY WENT DOWN_] They _alighted from the chariot_ _into the water_. While Philip was instructing him, and he professed his faith in Christ, he probably plunged himself under the water, as this was the plan which appears to have been generally followed among the Jews in their baptisms;... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:39. _THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAUGHT AWAY PHILIP_] Perhaps this means no more than that the Holy Spirit suggested to the mind of Philip that he should _withdraw abruptly_ from the eunuch, and thus leave him to pursue his journey, reflecting on the important incidents which had taken place... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 8:40. _PHILIP WAS FOUND AT AZOTUS_] Prom the time he left the eunuch, he was not heard of till he got to Azotus, which, according to Dr. Lightfoot, was about 34 miles from Gaza, and probably it was near Gaze that Philip met the eunuch. The Azotus of the New Testament is the Ashdod of the... [ Continue Reading ]