Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles

Preface

An eminent ecclesiastical authority* has said concerning Holiness as found in the Word of God, ' ' It breathes in the prophecy, thunders in the law, murmurs in the narrative, whispers in the promises, supplicates in the prayers, sparkles in the poetry, resounds in the songs, speaks in the types, glows in the imagery, voices in the language and burns in the spirit of the whole scheme, from its Alpha to Omega, from its beginning to its end. Holiness! Holiness needed! Holiness required! Holiness offered! Holiness attainable! Holiness a present duty, a present privilege, a present enjoyment, is the progress and completeness of its wondrous theme! It is the truth glowing all over, webbing all through revelation; the glorious truth which sparkles and whispers and sings and shouts in all its history and biography and poetry and prophecy and precept and promise and prayer; the great central truth of the system. The wonder is, that all do not see, that any rise up to question a truth so conspicuous, so glorious, so full of comfort. ' ' Another authority t has written a book to show that Holiness is **the central idea of Christianity." This fact, however, is not generally recognized or admitted among the commentators. Holiness seems to many to be a matter of incidental mention in the Scriptures, and many commentators succeed very well in concealing it, or in those marked passages that teach it, treat it so indefinitely as to make it intangible and misty. Hence this commentary, which attempts to reveal Holiness (either in theory or practice) in every verse, claims the right of existence. Most of the early commentaries were written from a Calvinistic standpoint, which denied the possibility of living free, either from original sin or actual transgression; asserting that Christ cannot or will

PREFACE not cleanse and keep from sin, but that this friendly work must be performed by our enemy, Death; or, if some have admitted that Christ can perform the work, they have denied that the Great Physician could or would cure until we were removed from the baneful atmosphere of this sinful world.

Arminian commentators have been affected, Vith but few exceptions, with this unscriptural, dogmatic taint. As we study both Calvanistic and Arminian authorities, we many times notice passages where, to be true to the Scripture, they unconsciously drop their theology, and clearly and explicitly declare the possibility of being cleansed from all sin. If any reader shall say, as we quote from these authorities, that we do not represent their thoughts as they themselves intended, we reply, that we represent at least Adam Clarke, John Wesley and some others correctly, and that other writers were obliged to state their opinions as they did or be unfaithful to Scripture, and we quote some of them to show the inconsistency of any system that represents Jesus Christ as a perfect Saviour, and at the same time theoretically denies his power to heal the malady of sin, at the very time of the sickness. In the treatment of the miracles of Christ, commentators have been obliged to consider the healing of the body as a type of the healing of the soul, or get no spiritual lessons from these events. But in so doing, complete, instantaneous faith-cures of the body have been represented as symbols of the same cures wrought upon the souls of men. It is impossible to find a commentator who seeks to convey spiritual teaching from the cure of lepers, who does not state the anti-type of soul-healing as clearly and unequivocally as we could wish. We call especial attention to the treatment of the healing of leprosy by nearly all the commentators, who state clearly and positively that Jesus can cleanse from the leprosy of sin. As leprosy is universally accepted as a type of sin, its cure must therefore be accepted a« a type of the cure of sin. A large part of the cures of Christ must have a spiritual interpretation, or none at all that shall be of any spiritual profit to us. Happily we are not left in doubt as to this question. Jesus interpreted to us many of his miracles, and thus gave us the principle of interpreting miracles spiritually. (See John 6:27-64; 9:39-41; Luke 5:1-10.) Our view of the great and underlying thought of the

PREFACE

Scriptures is further substantiated by all or nearly all those grand passages which tell us the end and aim of the Bible. (See Psalms 119:1-4, 9, 11; John 15:3; 17: 17; Eph. 5:26; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:4, and others.)

It may be objected that the author sees Holiness every where in the Scriptures because he is determined to see it there. In reply we would say that doubtless the objector may not see it there, because he does not wish to see it. The scribes and Pharisees, who were certainly as well acquainted with the text of the Old Testament as any of the modern divines or scholars, did not recognize the portraits of Jesus of Nazareth in those writings at all. "We would say still further that the great proof of the inspiration of the Scriptures is in the power and privilege of proving them true by experience, if we come candidly to Jesus seeking to know and do his will. The doctrines of the new birth and the witness of the Spirit, as taught in the Scriptures, have been proved true again and again in human lives. And the testimonies to this effect are accepted in the Church today. The doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, a work subsequent to conversion, whereby the heart is cleansed from all sin, is just as clearly testified to by the saints from all the denominations, men and women of sober judgment, scholarly wisdom and consistent lives.

Lastly. This commentary is not written polemically, or with any desire to reflect on anybody or anything but sin. It is written to assist that large and growing body of believers whose understanding, through experience of these truths, has been opened to see these things; who have found, since their baptism of love, that the Bible is a new book; who have the new Bevised Version by the latest and best of the revisers — the Holy Spirit.

CONCERNING THE BOOK OF ACTS.

The Acts of the Apostles is the sequel to the four gospels. Without it the story of salvation would not be complete. Jesus lived such a wonderful life, spoke such wonderful words, died such a tragic death, and arose so marvellously from the grave, that we naturally would like to know more, as to the results of his kingdom on earth. The foundations of his kingdom were laid

PREFACE under such unfavorable conditions; his death "by crucifixion naturally brought so much contumely and disgrace to his cause, that we naturally desire to know whether, and how, his kingdom would go on. Would its progress be arrested? Would men be willing to follow the standard of the shameful cross? We naturally would look to see the results of his life and atonement upon the world.

The four gospels show how his kingdom began. The Book of Acts shows how it was carried on. In the gospels he is acting in bodily manifestation. In the Book of Acts he is still acting, but through his church.

Luke in his gospel tells us of Jesus' promising the Holy Ghost to his disciples. (Luke 11:13.) In the Book of Acts, Luke (who is the author) tells how, when and where, the Holy Ghost was poured upon these disciples and the results. We might call Luke's gospel, the record of disciples in the experience of the first blessing — regeneration, Luke's second book, the Book of Acts, the record of the experience of the disciples enjoying "the second blessing. ' '

This narrative by Luke tells how entirely sanctified preachers spread the gospel so marvellously, during the next third of a century after the death of Jesus, until it went all over the known world. It is the model book for the study of an earnest ministry.

The greater part of the book is given to the labors and experience of St. Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles. It shows what God can do with a really consecrated man.

Chapter I. Bridging Over Two Dispensations

The Relation of the Dispensation of The Son to That of the Spirit of Holiness. Vs. 1-5. Carnal Notions Corrected. Vs. 6-11. Waiting for the Spirit of Holiness. Vs. 12-14. Filling Up the Number of Apostles. Vs. 15-26.

THE RELATION OF THE DISPENSATION OF THE SON TO THAT OF THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS. Vs. 1-5.

1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2 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 :

3 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 pertaining to the kingdom of God :

4 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.

5 For John truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

There are three great dispensations — the Dispensation of the Father, closing with the death of John the Baptist, the last prophet of that dispensation and the Dispensation of the Son — Jesus Christ, commencing at the death of John the Baptist (This was a short dispensation of about three years, but centuries were crowded into it), and the Dispensation of the Spirit of Holiness. The latter is also called the Gentile Dispensation because its truths are more specifically directed to the Gentiles, as God's chosen people, the Jews, had rejected him and he had rejected them. The work of the first and second dispensations was directed to the Hebrew nataon, with a few Gentile proselytes. The work of the Third Dispensation is directed to the Gentiles with but a few Hebrew proselytes so far.

We have purposely entitled this section "The relation of the Dispensation of the Son to that of The Spirit of Holmess, ' ' for two reasons. 1. This is one of the names given the Third Person of the Trinity. (See Eom. 1:4.) We get so accustomed to the term, Holy Spirit, that we fail to take in its significance. The Holy Spirit is so called not because the other persons of the Trinity are not holy, but because it is his work to make men holy. He is * * the executive of the God-head ' ' for the work of holiness. Hence Paul calls him *'The Spirit of holiness." 2. This commentary professes to be written to show that the Bible is full of holiness. Consequently, we use this term here.

We believe St. Luke was the author of the Book of Acts (See our introduction). The former treatise to which he refers is the Gospel according to St. Luke as that is also dedicated to the same person, Theophilus. (See our Commentary on St. Luke, Chap. 1:1-4.) The word, Theophilus means Lover of God. Hence, some have thought this was not a real person but the book was dedicated to all lovers of Gx>d in general. But it seems to us that Theophilus was a real person. In the Gospel of St. Luke he calls him ''most excellent. ' '

St. Luke was a layman -vvTiting to laymen — Theophilus — hence the Eoman Catholic assertion that the Bible was written only to be read by priests falls to the ground as a palpable error. St. Luke was an educated man. He writes, both his Gospel and the Book of Acts, in an elegant literary style.

In the former treatise (The Gospel of Acts) he gives the most systematic account of the life of Jesus that we have. He gave an account of ' ' all that Jesus hegam, to do and teach. ' ' In the Book of Acts he gives an account of what Jesus continued to do through his church. The Book of Acts may be called ''The Acts of Jesus- Through His Church. ' ' Jesus had said, ' ' Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:20.) Some have called it ' ' The Acts of the Holy Ghost. " So he gives the life of Jesus up to his ascension, as we may see by consulting Luke 24:50-51. In verses 2-9 he gives some additional facts not recorded in Luke 24:50-53. It will be well for students of this passage to compare these two passages. Luke here tells us that Jesus, on the day in which he was taken up, gave commandments to the disciples. He refers doubtless to the commandments given in his talks with the disciples recorded in Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-23, and John 21:15-17.

Jesus had shown himself alive to them nine different times after his resurrection (See John 20:11-18; I Cor. 15:5; Mark 16:12, 13; Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-23; John 20:24-29; John 21:1-24; Matt. 28:16-17; Matt. 28:18-19, and Acts 1:3-12). These occurrences fully established the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, and also the religion of Jesus. For the resurrection of Jesus is the great proof of the truth of Christianity.

These occurrences all took place within forty days. And this" being true, we know that the disciples tarried in prayer about ten days, for the promised gift of the Spirit of Holiness, because Pentecost was fifty days after the Passover, at which time Jesus was crucified. To be a little more exact, the time of waiting is less than ten days, for we must take account of the fact of the three days that Jesus laid in the tomb. Strictly speaking then, the disciples prayed about seven days before Pentecost in the upper room. During these forty days he was busy explaining to them more fully concerning the kingdom of God. He had taught them much elementary truth concerning the kingdom during his ministry by parables. He probably now taught higher branches of the kingdom. We now have the account of his last interview with them. This account also is given in Mark 16:19 and Luke 24:50-53.

Jesus told these disciples that they must not depart from Jerusalem until they had received ''The promise of the Father." What was the promise of the Father? Did he make only one promise? or was there a promise that overtopped the others to such an extent that it was called * ' the promise of the Father ' ' 1 There were two great promises under the Old Dispensation — the gift of the Son of God and the gift of the Holy Spirit. These were the two great promises of the Old Testament that included everything else of blessing. The first ' * promise of the Father ' ' — had already been given in the life, teachings, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. "The promise of the Father" which had not yet been fulfilled was the Holy Spirit as the birth right of all believers.

This promise is found in Isaiah 44:3j Ezekiel 36:27, and Joel 2:28-32, and also hj John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets. (Matt. 3:11.) Under the Old Testament Dispensation, the Holy Spirit had come upon a few who were filled with the Spirit for special duty as kings, priests and prophets. But now he was to come upon all believers who should seek him.

Jesus told them that they had heard of this promise from himself. He had been talking to them about the Spirit (See Luke 11:13; John 7:39; Chapters 14-16), all through his ministry, but the promise made by the Father had not yet been fulfilled.

They were to wait for its fulfillment. It was no use for them to start out to take the world and build the kingdom of God until they had received the fullness of the Spirit. And we can see no use for preachers today to try to build the spiritual kingdom — the real kingdom of God without the same equipment. Since this is what God provided for all (chapter 2:17) no man has a riglit to preach the Gospel without it. Education, culture and human wisdom (proper in their place) are no substitute for it. ''Wait!" We can almost hear impetuous Peter say, ' ' There is so much to do; so many dying in sin; had we not better get at the proclamation of the truth at once ? ' ' No, there is such a thing as too much haste and there is a waiting that is no delay. The workman needs his tools; the soldier needs his equipment, and any going forth until these are furnished is time thrown away. The way to gain time and make it count is to wait for the promise of the Father.

Then let us notice who these men were. They were the only followers he had to leave behind him. Strange infatuation of some who, to maintain a theory, assert that these were unregenerate men. Jesus had already said to his Father that he had kept them and none of them was lost, (John 17:12) and he had given them power to cast out devils, and devils were subject to them. It is a sin then to say that they were unsaved. If Jesus insisted that Nicodemus should be born again before Pentecost, he certainly could not be satisfied to have his chosen disciples unregenerate. If Nicodemus could be born again before Pentecost then those disciples surely could. To say that Jesus was with them three years and could not leave a single convert behind him is a ridiculous conclusion. We cannot believe that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit was upon unrenewed sinners, became the Bible noivhere asTcs unrenewed sinners to seeTc s^^ch an experience. These men liad already come into intimate experience and acquaintance with the Holy Spirit, such as sinners could not enter. (See John 14:17 and John 20:22.) But they had not yet received him in his fullness.

John the Baptist had preached the two baptisms — one by himself with water and one by Jesus with the Holy Spirit, and now Jesus himself preaches the two. So we have these two great preachers declaring the two experiences. Let us note what the baptism of John signified, prefacing our inquiry with this statement that whatever was received in the preaching of John (whether regeneration or not) these disciples had it, for they were converts and disciples of John when Jesus called them to be his disciples. Let us note then (1) Baptism means cleansing. That is the meaning of the word, and the use of water in baptism symbolizes cleansing. Baptism signifies the cleansing of the one baptized. We are prepared to show that it symbolized that the baptized person was cleansed from all his sins, so that he no longer committed sin. He led a clean life. (2) The baptism of John meant that whosoever was baptized by John had embraced the faith and doctrine that John preached. (3) The doctrines that John preached; (a) Repentance (Mark 1:4). (b) Confession of sin (Mark 1:5). (c) Faith in Jesus (John 3:36; Acts 19:4). (d) Eegeneration or eternal life (John 3:36). (e) The knowledge of salvation (Luke 1:77). These are the experiences that are comprised in the com.plex word. Conversion, and there is nothing more radical comprised in the preaching of conversion today. These disciples had been the disciples of John. This is where and when they were converted; and thus Jesus called not sinners, but converted men to be his first preachers, and Jesus now calls them to their second baptism — the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Sinners are nowhere in the Bible called to receive the Holy Ghost. For these various reasons these men were not sinners.

The Baptism and filling of the Spirit are not exactly the same, for baptism means cleansing, and filling is another entirely different thing. But it is impossible to fill a heart in which there is sin.

Hence, it must be cleansed or it cannot be filled. As these disciples are told that they should be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence, we must conclude that the filling that took place a few days later, and the baptism also took place at the same time.

The reader must not fail to note the first word of verse 5. It is *'For." It is used as causal, having almost the same meaning as because. Jesus states the reason why he speaks of the baptism with the Holy Ghost, because John baptized with water, which did not complete salvation, and because John began the work of salvation, it must be completed by adding the baptism with the Holy Ghost. It is an important truth that what God begins he will finish. He who begins a good work in us in regeneration will complete it if we will allow it. It is not compulsory — against our will. But he has made plans to entirely sanctify every regenerate soul. Note then the two baptizers — Jesus and John. Notice the two baptisms — one by water, denoting a clean external life, the other by the Holy Ghost, making a clean inward life.

CAENAL NOTIONS CORRECTED. Vs. 6-11.

6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7 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.

8 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 Judaia, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up ; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel ;

11 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.

How hard it has always been to get men to grasp spiritual truths. Jesus had been with them three years and had tried to have them see that he had come to set up a spiritual kingdom. They still thought he was to set up the same old Jewish temporal kingdom. And they did not see how, having been rejected and crucified by the Jews, he could set it up at this time. It looked incredible. There is a class of church members today who, on account of indwelling sin, are unable to grasp the spiritual nature of religion. To them it is outward performance and ceremony and not an inward spiritual life.

Jesus replies to their request, "It is not for you to know the times and seasons. ' ' Abbott says, ' * The times are the succession of ages, greater or less in length, over which the history of the church should extend, before the end comes; the seasons are the successive phases of development, through and by means of which it should grow to its development." This is a rebuke to those who set the time of Christ's second advent, for God the Father has put that in his own power alone.

He tells them that they should receive power when the Spirit of Holiness came upon them. There are many vague and misty notions as to what that power was. Some claim it was power to work miracles. But this cannot be true, for they had already been working miracles ; and as far as we know they worked more miracles in healing the sick, casting out devils, etc., before Pentecost than after.

Some have thought this power was a sort of spiritual electricity with which we are surcharged like a storage battery, or like water stored up in a reservoir.

But these are mistaken notions. The power they received at Pentecost was the power to be efficient witnesses, for the next clause adds ' ' and ye shall be witnesses unto me. ' ' By receiving the Spirit of Holiness, they were fully qualified to testify, and no witness is fully qualified to testify for Jesus until he receives the Holy Ghost. When the government administers the oath to witnesses it clothes them with authority. In like manner God clothes his witnesses with authority when they receive the baptism with the Spirit of Holiness, and such testimony makes impressions on men and forces them to some kind of a decision. This power received at Pentecost is two fold. 1. It is the power of a holy life. The great blessing and power of Pentecost was purification of heart. This may be seen by the study of Acts 15:9, which tells us that the disciples at this time were purified in heart, for Peter says so. The greatest power in the world is that of a holy life.

It was the pure life of the early church that gave them such power among men. They lived every day as if Christ was coming. ThiB is superior to all eloquence or talent. 2. The Holy Ghost accompanies the testimony of such people and works in men's hearts as they hear it. A holy life back of a witnessing tongue is the great power that accompanies the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Their testimony in a few generations shook and took the known world.

Notice the order of the progress of the Gospel in verse 8. "Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. ' ' This was exactly the ease. So much so that this has been called ''The Table of Contents of the Book of Acts. ' ' The Gospel was witnessed to by them first in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and the account of this is given in chapters 1 to 8. In chapter 8, we have the account of the testimony in Samaria. An.d the rest of Acts tells how it was testified to the uttermost part of the world of that day, and it is still going on in all the world.

Verse 8 contains the last recorded words of Jesus. Last words of departed friends are always precious. And if we love them we seek to carry out their last wishes. Before Jesus went to Gethsemane and the cross, he prayed that these men might be sanctified and now he speaks on the subject as he is about to step aboard the cloudy chariot. Certainly this fact ought to impress us Avith the importance of this great subject and if we love Jesus we will be intensely interested in it. How can any one think they love Jesus and fight this great blessing? We delight to think that his last best thought for us was holiness.

His earthly ministry was ended with the promise of the baptism with the Spirit of Holiness, and a chariot of cloud received him out of their sight. Some think it was a cloud of angels. Others think it was the Shechinah, which overshadowed the tabernacle and temple. He will come again some day in a cloud. (See Rev. 1:7, 14:14.) Mark says, ''He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. ' ' Abbott says of the ascension: "It is an almost necessary sequel of the resurrection, since after the resurrection Christ must have either have ascended into heaven or lived a hidden life, and subsequently died a natural death. ' ' He carried his glorified resurrected body to heaven and is there the representative of our humanity, to intercede as the Great High Priest for us.

They stood gazing up into vacancy, there stood two men in vrhite apparel — rather angels in the form of men. They had seen angels at the sepulchre on the morn of the resurrection. Angels announced the fact of the resurrection so there need be no mistake, and now they announce the fact that he had gone into heaven. There is a place called heaven somewhere, as we see by this announcement. And there the man Jesus is, waiting to appear to the world the second time. His second advent will not be like the first, lowly and obscure, but with power and glory.

There are those who attempt to make his second coming only a spiritual coming. But this announcement teaches that it will be in like maimer as his ascension — personal, literal and visible, accompanied by his holy angels. The angels asked them why they stood gazing up into heaven. Their business now was to be getting ready for the Comforter — the Spirit of Holiness. The angels, no doubt, asked them this question to recall them to their great business for the next ten days — waiting for the Holy Spirit. Our great business until he comes again is not star-gazing nor setting the time, but it is to be sure we get the baptism with the Spirit of Holiness and make a business of urging others to get it. This is the true way of looking for Jesus and heeding his last words. The true adventist is not the one simply championing the doctrine without the experience of holiness, but he who is possessed of that ''holiness without which no m.an shall see the Lord."