The Acts of the apostles

Contents

Pag*

Introduction 5

Chapter I 13 II 28

III 69

IV 86

VII 125

VIII 140

XII 218

XIII 229

XIV 249

XVI 276

XVII 295

XVIII 310

XIX 323

XXI 356

XXII 372

XXIII 380

XXIV 389

" XXVI 402

" XXVII , 410

" XXVIII 420

Foreword

Judaism and Christianity; Legalism and Grace; the Kingdom and the Church; these are in contrast, at poles apart, and defy all attempts at reconciliation. Ishmael — "the wild-ass man" — untamed and untamable, the son of the bond woman, is unalterably opposed to Isaac — "laughter" — spontaneous and obedient, the son of the free woman.

These distinctions, known and observed, are of incalculable worth in Bible Study.

In The Book of the Acts there is revealed the passing of Judaism, and the incoming of Christianity: wherein we see how the old wine-skins of legalism are without strength to restrain the expansive spirit of the new wine of grace. This Book of the Acts, showing as it does the transition of Judaism to Christianity, is, therefore, of absorbing interest; and Mr. Gaebelein, whose oral teaching is so abundantly owned and blessed of God, has, in this volume of interpretative study, extended the sphere of his ministry to multitudes that may never come within range of the hearing of his voice.

The author's breadth of conception of God's plan of the Ages stamps the book with a peculiar value; while, at the same time, there is of the spiritual application of truth a thorough and clear perception that pervades and illumines the exposition of the text.

From the study of this book, so untrammeled by the yoke of traditional interpretation, so far removed from the feverish discontent with the supernatural, so different from the cold and critical analysis of the casuist, so reverent, and so unalterably loyal to the plenary inspiration of the Scripture, one rises in spirit refreshed, in faith strengthened, and to new endeavor encouraged. It is a pleasure and a privilege to commend this book.

FORD C. OTTMAN,

Stamford, Conn.

Introduction

The book known by the name " The Acts of the Apostles "* follows the four Gospel records. This is its proper place. The books of the New Testament have been correctly divided into five sections, corresponding to the first five books, with which the Bible begins, that is the Pentateuch. The four Gospels are the Genesis of the New Testament. Here we have the great beginning, the foundation upon which the subsequently revealed christian doctrines rest. The Book of Acts is the Exodus, God leads out from bondage a heavenly people and delivers them. It is the great historical book of the New Testament describing the beginning of the church on earth. The Pauline Epistles are the Leviticus portion. Holiness unto the Lord, the believers separation and standing in Christ, what believers have and are in Christ by whose blood they have redemption, is the core truth of these Epistles. The Epistles of Peter, James, John and Jude, known by the name of the Catholic Epistles, are for the wilderness journey of God's people, telling us of trials and suffering; these correspond to the Book of Numbers. The Book of Revelation in which God's ways are rehearsed and a review is given of the entire prophetic Word concerning the Jews, the Gentiles and the Church of God has the same character as Deuteronomy.

By whom was this Book written? There is no doubt that the writer of the third Gospel record is the one whom the

*The oldest Manuscript, the Sinaiticus dating from the 4th century gives the title simply as " The Acts," which is, no doubt, the better name for the book.

Holy Spirit selected to write this account of the establishment of the Church on earth and the events ccnnected with it. This becomes clear if we read the beginning of that Gospel and compare it with the beginning of Acts. The writer in the third Gospel says: " It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed" (Luke i:3-4). The Acts of the Apostles begin: "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach." The former treatise known to Theophilus is the third Gospel, called the Gospel of Luke. The writer of that Gospel is also the penman of the Book of Acts. Though we do not find Luke's name mentioned in the Gospel nor in the second Book he was entrusted to write, there is no doubt that he wrote them both. We find his name mentioned a number of times in the Epistles and these references give us the only reliable information we have. In Colossians iv:14 we read of him as " the beloved physician." In the Epistle of Philemon he is called a fellow laborer of the Apostle Paul, and from the last Epistle the great Apostle wrote, the Second Epistle of Timothy, we learn that Luke was in Rome with Paul and was faithful to him, while others had forsaken the prisoner of the Lord. From Colossians iv we also may gather that he was not a Jew, but a Gentile, for with the eleventh verse Paul had mentioned those of the circumcision. Epaphras was one of the Colossians, a Gentile, and then follow the names of Luke and Demas, both of them undoubtedly Gentiles. The reason that the Holy Spirit selected a Gentile to write the Gospel which pictures our Lord as the Man and the Savior and the Book of Acts, is as obvious as it is interesting. Israel had rejected God's gift and the glad news of salvation is now to go to the Gentiles. The Gospel of Luke addressed by a Gentile to a Gentile (Theophilus) is the Gospel for the Gentiles and Luke the Gentile was chosen to give the history of the Gospel going forth from Jerusalem to the Gentiles.

There are numerous internal evidences which show likewise that the writer of the third Gospel is the instrument through whom the Book of Acts was given. For instance, there are about fifty peculiar phrases and words in both books which are rarely found elsewhere; they prove the same author for those two books.

Then we learn from the Book of Acts that Luke, the beloved physician, was an eyewitness of some of the events recorded by him in this book. He joined the Apostle during his second missionary journey at Troas (chapt. xiv:10). This evidence is found in the little word " we." The writer was now in company of the Apostle, whose fellow laborer he was. He went with Paul to Macedonia and remained sometime in Philippi. He was Paul's fellow traveler to Asia and Jerusalem (ch. xxi:17). He likewise was with him in his imprisonment in Caesarea and then on to Rome. There is no doubt that Luke had completely written and sent forth the Book of the Acts of the Apostles at the end of the two years mentioned in Acts xxviii:30, though the critics claim a much later period.

The contents and scope of the Book. The first verse gives us an important hint. The former treatise, the Gospel of Luke, tells " that Jesus began to do and teach." The Book of Acts contains therefore the continuation of the Lord's actions no longer on earth but from the Glory. The actions of the risen and glorified Christ can easily be traced throughout the entire book. We give a few illustrations. In Chapter I He acts in the selection of the twelfth Apostle^ who was to take the place of Judas. In Chapter II He himself poured forth the Holy Spirit, for Peter made th$ declaration :" therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this which ye behold and hear." And in the close of the second chapter we behold another action of the risen Lord: "the Lord added to the assembly daily those that were to be saved." In the third chapter He manifested His power in the healing of the lame man. Throughout this book we behold Him acting from the Glory, guiding, directing, comforting and encouraging His servants. These beautiful and manifold evidences of Himself being with His own and manifesting His power in their behalf we hope to trace in our exposition of the different chapters.

Then on the very threshold of the book we have the historical account of the coming of that other Comforter, whom the Lord had promised, the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, came. His coming marks the birthday of the Church. After that event we see Him present with and in His people. In connection with the Lord's servants, in filling them, guiding them, fitting them, sustaining them in trials and persecutions as well as in the affairs of the church, we behold the actions of the Holy Spirit on earth. He is the great administrator in the church. Over fifty times we find Him mentioned, so that some have called this book " the Acts of the Holy Spirit." While we have no doctrines about the Holy Spirit and His work in the Acts of the Apostles, we find here the practical illustrations of the doctrine found elsewhere in the New Testament.

In the third place another supernatural Being is seen acting in this book. It is the enemy, Satan, the hinderer and the accuser of the brethren. We behold him coming upon the scene and acting through his different instruments either as the roaring lion or as the cunning deceiver with his wiles. Wherever he can, he attempts to hinder the progress of the Gospel. This is a most important aspect of this book and indeed very instructive. Aside from the human instruments prominent in this Book of Acts, we behold three supernatural Beings acting. The risen, glorified Christ, the Holy Spirit and Satan.

Another hint about the contents of this book and its scope we find at the close of the Gospel of Luke. There the risen Christ said: "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem." In the first chapter of Acts the Spirit of God reports the commission of the Lord, about to ascend, in full. " Ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." The Book of Acts shows us how this mission beginning in Jerusalem was carried out. The witness begins in the city where our Lord was crucified. Once more an offer was made to the nation Israel. Then we behold the Gospel going forth from Jerusalem and all Judea tc Samaria and after that to the Gentiles, and through the chosen Apostle of the Gentiles it is heralded in the different countries of the Roman empire. The parable of our Lord in Matthew xxii:l-10 gives us prophetically the history of these events. First the guests were called to the wedding and they would not come. This was the invitation given by the Lord to His earthly people when He moved among them. They received Him not. Then came a renewed offer with the assurance that all things are ready. This is exactly what we find in the beginning of the Book of Acts. Once more to Jerusalem and to the Jewish nation is offered the kingdom, and signs and miracles take place to show that Jesus is the Christ risen from the dead. In the above parable our Lord predicted what the people would do with the servants, who bring the second offer. They would ignore the message and treat the servants spitefully and kill them. This we find "ulfilled in the persecution which broke out in Jerusalem, when Apostles were imprisoned and others were killed. The Lord also predicted in His parable the fate of the wicked city. It was to be burned. Thus it happened with Jerusalem. And after the second offer had been rejected the servants were to go to the highways to invite the guests. And this stands for the invitation to go out to the Gentiles.

Jerusalem is in the foreground of this book, for the beginning was to be in Jerusalem " to the Jew first." The end of the book takes us to Rome and we see the great Apostle a prisoner there, a most significant, prophetic circumstance.

The division of the Book. The division of the Book of the Acts is very simple. We divide it into three parts.

I. Chapters I-VII. These chapters give us the historical account of the beginning in Jerusalem, the renewed testimony to the nation concerning Jesus as the Christ and the Kingdom. The seventh chapter, the storing of Stephen, closes that testimony.

II. Chapters VIII-XII. These chapters mark a transition period. The Gospel goes forth to Samaria. Saul of Tarsus sees the Lord and is converted. Peter goes and preaches the Gospel to the Gentiles. Peter is cast into prison and miraculously delivered.

In these two parts Peter is in the foreground. He does most of the preaching and acting. He used the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven in the second chapter by preaching to the Jews and in the tenth chapter by preaching to the Gentiles.

III. Chapters XIII-XVIII. These chapters contain the inspired accounts of the travels and labors of the Apostle Paul, the proclamation of the Gospel in the different lands and the events and circumstances connected with it. His journey to Rome and abode there closes the book. Another division as given by Bengel in his Gnomen is also good.

I. Pentecost, with preceding events. Ch. I, II.

II. Acts in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria among the circumcised. Ch. III-IX, XII.

III. Acts in Caesarea and admission of Gentiles. Ch. X, XI.

IV. First Journey among the Gentiles. Ch. XIII, XIV.

V. The deputation and council in Jerusalem. Ch. XV.

VI. Second Journey of Paul. XVI-XIX.

VII. ' Journey to Jerusalem and Rome. XIX:21-XXVIII.

In closing these brief introductory remarks to this great book we' wish to say that the careful study of its contents is very needful at the present time. It will take us back to the beginning and show us the path which the Lord has marked out for His' church on earth. In the light of this book we shall discover the dark picture of the present day confusion and departure from God and from His Word. There is much comfort and direction for the faithful remnant of God's people living in our days in this book. There is much earnest exhortation to greater faithfulness, to' more holy boldness in preaching the Gospel and standing up for the faith, which comes to us from this book. Most blessed it is to follow the Holy Spirit in His work in, upon and with the believer. With the gracious help of our Lord and the help of His Spirit we hope to touch upon all these blessed phases, and we are confident that He will make the closer study of the Acts of the Apostles a blessing to our readers as well as to the writer.

CHAPTER I.

The opening chapter of this book gives the events which preceded the great day of Pentecost. However, of the many things which must have transpired in Jerusalem during the fifty days between the resurrection day and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit not all are mentioned in this chapter. Here, as in the great historical books of the Old Testament and in the Gospels, only certain events are reported while others are passed over. Not man but God by His Spirit arranged the matter to give us more than a mere historical account of what took place. As the Book of Exodus in its history foreshadows spiritual and dispensational truths, so, as we shall find, does this New Testament Exodus book teach spiritual and dispensational lessons.

The events preceding Pentecost written in this first chapter are:

I. An account of events preceding the ascension of the Lord, the ascension itself and the message of His personal, visible and glorious return. Verses 1-11.

II. The waiting company in prayer. Matthias added to the Apostles in the place of Judas. Verses 12-26.

I. Verses 1-3. The first three verses of the chapter form the introduction.

The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things per« taming to the kingdom of God;

As shown in the introduction the first verse proves that Luke, the beloved physician, the writer of the Gospel of Luke, was the chosen instrument to write the Book of Acts. Theophilus (Friend of God) is as prominent in the beginning of the Acts as he is in the Gospel of Luke, where he is addressed as " most excellent." From a reliable source dating back to the second century we learn that he was an influential and wealthy man residing in the city of Antioch. He dedicated his magnificent palace, called a Basilica, to the preaching of the Gospel. Luke came most likely also from Antioch. He may have belonged to the household of Theophilus. It is not unlikely that Luke had received great kindness from Theophilus; some claim that he used to be a slave and became through Theophilus a free man. That both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are addressed to Theophilus does not mean that these discourses (the word used in the original) were meant for Theophilus alone. Luke addressed Theophilus as a prominent man, a responsible person, whose name bespeaks close walk with God, and through him to that assembly to which Theophilus belonged, and in a larger sense to all the Gentile-Christian churches.

According to the address to Theophilus we have in the Gospel of Luke the beginning of what Christ did and taught and therefore in Acts a continuation of these. He began on earth and now the scene is changed. He is the Man in Glory and from there He continues His work.

It is beautiful to see how the Lord Jesus is brought to our view in these few sentences with which this book opens. How this manifests the One who guided the pen of the beloved physician, that is the Holy Spirit. Seven things are mentioned concerning our Lord. 1. His earthly life of doing and teaching. 2. He charged His Apostles by the Holy Spirit. 3. He was taken up. 4. He had suffered. 5. Presented Himself living with many proofs. 6. He was seen by them for forty days. 7. He spoke of the things which concern the Kingdom of God. What an array of wonderful facts we find in these few sentences! The fact of His resurrection after His passion is the leading feature of the passage. It must be necessarily so for His resurrection is the great foundation upon which the Gospel and the Church rests. He presented Himself living with many proofs and was seen by them for forty days. It is only here in this passage that the period of time during which He manifested Himself is mentioned. And during that time the " many proofs " were given. He appeared in their midst; He walked with them, ate with them, they touched His body, His hands and feet, and they found He was not an apparition, but had a body of flesh and bones. Blessed fact, He presented Himself living, He is the living One! That He thus showed Himself with many proofs is beyond controversy. But these forty days are likewise shrouded in mystery. It is easy to make fanciful applications of these forty days and to teach unscriptural doctrines by such applications. For instance, a widespread evil system which denies some of the fundamentals of the faith, holds that the Lord is now present on the earth as He was present for forty days after His resurrection. According to this teaching (Russellism or Millennial Dawn) He came in a secret manner in 1874 and is to remain here for forty years, when He will reveal Himself. Such teaching, if it can be called that, lacks all scriptural support. During these forty days, a number which stands for testing, He not only showed Himself, but also spoke of the things which concern the Kingdom of God. The words He gave them at these occasions, the instructions they received from His lips are not reported to us.

The verses which follow describe the farewell meeting, His last words to His disciples, the ascension of the Lord, and the promise of His return to earth.

And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like . manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Verses 4-11.)

This occurred ten days before the day of Pentecost. Their place was to be in Jerusalem and to wait in that city for the promise of the Father, which they had heard from His lips. He had given them this promise, when He talked to them before His death, as written in the Gospel of John. The same command to remain in the city is found at the close of the Gospel of Luke as well as the fact that the promise of the Father was soon to be fulfilled. Then He refers to John and his baptism with water, that they were to be baptized with the Holy Spirit; the " fire " of which John spoke (Matthew iii:12) the Lord does not mention, because the baptizing with fire does not refer to the day of Pentecost, but to the time when: "He shall gather His wheat into the garner and burn the chaff with fire unquenchable; 99 that is, His second coming. He announced once more the " other Comforter " who was to come to be with them and in them. All this we shall follow in detail when we come to the great second chapter in our study of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Here we only wish to add that the waiting of the disciples for the promise of the Father remaining in Jerusalem for ten days cannot be repeated now. Often people, well meaning and spiritually-minded, have appointed meetings for days of waiting and prayer that " the promise of the Father " might be given to them. Such expectations are out of order. The Father has kept His promise, the Holy Spirit has come. To ask the Father now to keep His promise amounts to the same thing as to ask God to make peace by the death of Christ. Peace has been made; the Holy Spirit has been given.

And now we hear the assembled disciples addressing the Lord. What blessed intercourse they had with Him! He spoke to them in all His former tenderness and sympathy and they could ask Him their questions. And so He is still accessible for His own who draw dear to Him. "Lord, is it at this time that Thou restorest the kingdom to Israel?" This was their question, and a very natural question it was for them to ask. They were still Jews and knew only the earthly kingdom as their hope. He had risen from the dead and to their minds this must be the time in which the kingdom is restored to Israel.

Frequently the inquiry of these men who had believed in Jesus and followed Him is declared to have been prompted by ignorance and selfishness. They were, so it is said, still expecting an earthly kingdom, to be established in the land with Jerusalem as the center; they were not yet delivered from their Jewish ideas. Others tell us that at the time they asked this question, they were ignorant of the true meaning of the kingdom. According to these interpreters the kingdom is the New Testament Church; the Holy Spirit swept away these earthly kingdom expectations. Such and similar reasons have been given to explain the question of the disciples.

It has occurred to but a few that this question was perfectly in order for them as Jews, which they were still, and did not emanate from ignorance, but was asked by reason of their superior knowledge of God's purposes as revealed in the Old Testament, a knowledge which is so sadly lacking in the present-day professing church.

The Lord does not rebuke their supposed ignorance nor does He tell them that they were mistaken. " And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath placed in His own authority." This answer approves the subject of their question. The Kingdom is to be restored, the times and the seasons were not then to be revealed, for the Father hath put these in His own power.

And this answer is most instructive. In connection with the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, the establishment of the theocratic kingdom on earth, as promised by God's holy prophets, times and seasons are expressly stated, and the declaration was made that at the time of the end, preceding the coming of the kingdom, the wise should understand (Daniel xii:10). But the Lord does not here, as He did in His Olivet discourse, direct their attention to Daniel. " For you it is not to know the times or the seasons." A better hope, a heavenly hope was to be theirs, and in connection with that blessed hope of the Coming of the Lord for His Saints to bring them not to Palestine and given them an earthly kingdom, but into the Father's House in Glory, there are no " times or seasons " revealed. For His Saints He may come at any time. These disciples were soon to be formed into the one body, the church, by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Lord anticipating this gave them this answer. It pointed them away from the earthly Hope of the Kingdom. Others in the future, Jewish disciples once more, a faithful remnant of Israelites, called after the completed church has left this earthly scene, will surely know the times and the seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

Once more He announces their great mission, and that before they could be such witnesses they were to receive power by the Coming of the Holy Spirit upon them. Such was the case on the day of Pentecost as we shall find when we reach the events of that day.

One verse only gives us the account of the ascension of our Lord, His Return to the Father. He was taken up, they beholding, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. What a spectacle this must have been! He in whom they had believed, in whose company they had been, to whose loving, tender words they had listened, whom they had forsaken when the hour of His suffering had come; He who had died on a cross, reckoned among the evil-doers, who had rested in a tomb and was raised from the dead by the power of God; He who had been with them in a glorified human body and manifested Himself in His resurrection glory and power during the forty days was now taken up, " received into Glory." Gradually He must have been lifted out of their midst. Lovingly His eyes must have rested upon them while their eyes beheld only Him. Now He is lifted higher and still they behold Him in human form. And then a cloud received Him out of their sight. The Greek verb used is " to take in; " so that it reads literally, " And then a cloud took Him in out of their sight." This cloud surrounded Him, and the last they saw of Him was that He disappeared from their view in this human glorified body in a cloud.

And that cloud was not a cloud of vapor. It was the same cloud which had appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Shekinah. It was the same cloud of glory which had filled Solomon's temple, which so often in Israel's past history had appeared as the outward sign of Jehovah's presence with his people. The Glory-cloud came to take Him in, to bring Him back to the Father from whence He had come. What human tongue or pen can picture what took place after He had disappeared from human vision! The Shekinah cloud had come to meet Him and where that Glory began sight ceases and faith begins. What must it have been when He came into the presence of the Throne of His Father when He took His seat, greeted with the word of welcome: " Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec — sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." What a glorious scene it must have been participated in by the angels in heaven! And now He is back with the Father. In His Name we can approach God; He is our Advocate, our Priest in the presence of God, appearing for His own. The evidence that He is thus with the Father is soon given by the answered prayer of the first chapter, and the greater evidence, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Coming of the third person of the Trinity.