Acts 2

Apostles spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, that Jesus was risen from the dead, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these ascended into heaven, had poured down the same Holy Ghost, and was the Messias, as a man known to them to be by the eye of God? Be his own signs, wonders which speak h Galileans 2 before, that they were amazed, and said one to another, “What meaneth this?” But at the same time that the more religious Jews were thus struck with admiration, others, doubtless “of the baser sort,” exclaimed, “These men are full of new (or sweet) wine;” that is, they are intoxicated. Thus it is that strangers to vital religion, burlesque it under the name of fanaticism and enthusiasm:—“They speak evil of things which they know not,”

(Jude 10,) nor can they understand till enlightened from the same divine source. Various opinions have been advanced respecting this miracle of Pentecost. The most rational, and the most general is, that the gift of tongues lasted during the ministry of the apostles, and was gradually withdrawn towards the close of the first century; but on this subject we take leave to transcribe the following passage from Mr. Prebendary Townsend’s New Testament arranged: “The extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit being vouchsafed for one especial purpose only, the benefit of the Christian church, as soon as the church was established, and the canon of Scripture completed, they were gradually withdrawn; while the ordinary operations, without which no child of Adam can ‘be renewed unto holiness,’ are to be continued for ever, ‘even unto the end of the world.’ This was the consoling and gracious promise our Lord gave to his disciples before he was visibly parted from them…..

‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ This most merciful promise was at first given to the apostles, and through their ministry to the Universal Church; Christ himself having appointed outward means of grace, by which he has engaged to maintain a constant communion with his church, through the operations of the Holy Ghost….. “Every amiable feeling and affection, every virtue, and every grace, are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. He alone, by a secret and internal operation, changes and transforms the ‘spirit of our mind, and enlarges and improves every faculty of our soul…… ‘He,’ to use the words of the eloquent Barrow, with devotion towards God; he qualifieth us, and encourageth us to approach the throne of grace, breeding in us faith and humble confidence, prompting in us fit matter of request, becoming our advocate and intercessor for the good success of our prayers.’ ” Ver.

14—36. The Apostle Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost.—Without repeating any part of this extraordinary discourse, we shall offer two or three general remarks. 1. The texts on which St. Peter discourses have been already noticed in our exposition on the second chapter of Joel, and of the 16th and 110th Psalms. It may be seen in our notes, that the Jews themselves applied the former to the days of the Messiah, which, as we have repeatedly remarked, they called the latter or last days; and one in particular asserts—“In the days of the Messiah all the house of Israel shall prophesy, as it is said in (Joel 2:28).” But it is on the inspired authority of our apostle only that we refer the latter to him, for it does not appear that the Jews so understood it: we are not, however, to go to the avowed enemies of our Lord to learn the interpretations of the prophecies respecting him and his kingdom, though, at the same time, we may justifiably quote them when consistent with the New Testament, as concessions in his favour.

2. This extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, accompanied with the miraculous gift of tongues, is here stated as the fulfilment, not only of Old Testament prophecies, but of our Lord’s promise of sending them another Comforter.—“Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear.” (Verse 33.) And in this promise both the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit must be included; since we find that, while the apostles were by the latter enabled to address the people in their various languages, the great truths which they delivered were applied with a saving efficacy to their minds, so that no less than 3000 persons were converted under this sermon.

3. We see how well adapted are the means used by Divine raise up Christ) to sit on his throne.—The words here placed between brackets are wanting in the Alexandrian and Ephrem MSS., and in the Cambridge by correction; also in the Vulgate, Syriac, and other ancient versions. Boothroyd reads, therefore, after Griesbach, “That of the fruit of his loins their repentance by a public profession, of which baptism was the appointed.” Ver. 39. As [many] as the Lord our God shall call—That is, all of every age and country, to whom the gospel shall be sent. What follows also evidently refers to successive days—“they continued steadfast in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship;” which seems to imply, that they met with some temptations to the contrary, probably from unbelieving Jews.

Commentators are not exactly agreed, whether by breaking of bread is here to be understood the observance of the Lord’s Supper, or their eating together in any way at their devotional assemblies, to which the words following strongly incline us; “they did eat their meat with gladness,” &c. Their meals seem to have been provided at the common charge. As to the community of goods, we apprehend it originated in the poverty of some, and the benevolence of others. Many poor Jews and proselytes who came from far, and were detained by the extraordinary things they saw, and desirous to see and hear more, probably found their money exhausted, and knew not what to do, as there was no hope of their receiving from the priests, who had the command of the public treasury, any of that friendly assistance or accommodation which had at other times been granted: the more wealthy converts therefore generously came forward, and shared their property with them; and those who had not money sold their goods, and in some cases, as we shall presently see, their possessions or estates, to enable them to supply the necessities of their poorer brethren.

Thus did they eat together as they needed, “with gladness and singleness [of] (simplicity) of heart; praising God, and having favour with all the people; and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be,” or rather, “such as were saved,” by the grace of God, “from the wrath to come.”

Notes on the verses

2. Working many miracles. 3. And there appeared unto them cloven 3. We are to notice the means taken to fill up the vacancy which the apostacy and death of Judas made among the apostles. When it is said, “Let another take his bishoprick,” the margin reads, consistent with the Psalm from which the words are quoted, “office” instead of bishoprick, (compare with (Psalms 109:8),) for Judas was not a bishop, but an apostle; and the former term can only be applied to him in its general signification, as an ‘overseer.’ But by what means was this choice to be determined? It should seem that the eleven, or perhaps the body of believers present, pointed out two persons who had accompanied our Lord and his apostles during the whole of his ministry, and who had doubtless also seen him since his resurrection, as proper persons to fill the vacancy; and then after solemn prayer to God for his interference, they appealed to the lot, as an ancient and solemn mode of deciding in such cases.

By lot, the expiatory goat was chosen, and the other dismissed. ((Leviticus 16:8, 10).) By lot, the land of Canaan was divided, and the Levites had their cities assigned, and their turns of service regulated, &c. The lot was considered by the Jews as an appeal to God, equally solemn with an oath; and was regarded as no less sacred by the Greeks, as appears by various parts of Homer. The primitive church, therefore, forbade games of chance or hazard, as calculated to lessen our reverence for divine Providence; God himself claiming it as his prerogative to decide the lot: “‘The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.” ((Proverbs 16:33).) But it is not on this account only that we think idle games of all sorts ought to be discountenanced among Christians; it is a waste of time, when we know not that we have an inch of time left; for who can say that he has yet an hour to live?

And as to relaxation from business or study, reading and the liberal arts afford far better relaxation, without either debasing the mind or wasting time—for they improve both. Chap. II. Ver. 1-13. The gift of tongues on the day of Pentecost.—“The next thing to be observed,” (says Pres. Edwards,) is the enduing the apostles and others with the extraordinary and miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost; such as the gift of tongues, the gift of healing, of prophecy, &c. The Spirit of God was poured out in great abundance in this respect: so that not only ministers [of the Gospel] but a great number of [private] Christians through the world, were endued with them, both old and young; not only officers and more ho- Ver.

24. Thou, Lord.—Burgh (a learned layman) gives several reasons for believing that this prayer was addressed personally to the Lord Jesus; but that the case should be doubtful, from the same language being indiscriminately addressed to both the Father and the Son, is with us a most decisive argument for the divinity of the latter. “That Lord here means the Lord Jesus, seems evident from verses 21, 22. It is the usual appellation, moreover, which the book of Acts gives to the Saviour.” —Stuart’s Letters. Ver. 25. That he might go to his own place.—“If we are right,” says Preb. Townsend, “in interpreting the language of the New Testament in the same sense as it was understood by those to whom it was addressed, and no canon of criticism seems more certain, we must adopt the common rendering of this passage.

It was a common sentiment among the Jews, that ‘he that betrayeth an Israelite hath no part in the world to come.’ And Lightfoot quotes a similar expression from Baal Turim, in (Numbers 24:25): ‘Balaam went to his own place, i.e. into hell.” After various other quotations, Mr. T. adds, ‘After such evidence, we may agree with Doddridge, that the interpretation of Hammond, Le Clerc, and (Reumenius, is very unnatural, when they explain it of a successor going into the place of Judas.” New Testament Ar- Ver. 26. The lot fell—According to Grotius, the method was, to put their lots into two urns, one of which contained the names of Joseph and Matthias, and the other a blank, and the word “apostle.”

In drawing these out of the urns, the blank came up with the name of Joseph, and that on which was written “apostle,” with Matthias —Orient. Cust. No. 485. On the lawfulness of Lots, see Pike’s Cases of Conscience, No. 3. Chap. II. Ver. 1. Pentecost—Or feast of weeks, was observed the 50th day after the 2d of the feast of unleavened bread, which, being a week of weeks, or 49 days, occasioned its being called feast of weeks, one of the three great Jewish festivals, in which all the males were required to appear before God, at the tabernacle or temple. It was a festival of thanks for the harvest, which | proselytes.” —Doddridge. “Cretans and Arabians, we do hear them honourable persons, but the meaner sort of persons, servants and handmaids, agreeable to Joel’s prophecy, of which the Apostle Peter takes notice, that it is accomplished in this dispensation,….

This was a great means of the success of the Gospel in that age, and of establishing the Christian church in all parts of the world; and [that] not only in that age, but in all ages to the end of the world: for Christianity being by this means established through so great a part of the known world by miracles, it was after that more easily continued by tradition: and then by means of these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, the apostles, and others, were enabled to write the New Testament, to be an infallible rule of faith and manners to the church to the end of the world. Furthermore, these miracles stand recorded in those writings, as a standing proof and evidence of the truth of the Christian Religion to all ages.”

(Hist. of Redemp.) The manner in which this miracle was effected next demands our notice. When the day of Pentecost was fully come, that is, fifty days after the Passover, and being the first day of the week, the apostles, with doubtless all the disciples which could possibly attend, “were all with one accord in one place,” which was probably the upper room before mentioned, ((Acts 1:13),) when suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty rushing wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, resembling a divided flame, and it (i.e. one of these flames) “abode upon each of them.” The tongues being emblematic of the gift of languages with which they were now endowed—the wind being our Lord’s established emblem of the Holy Spirit, ((John 3)

8,) and the fire expressive of the extraordinary zeal and energy with which they were henceforward animated. An event like this was not to be long kept secret. The “mighty rushing wind” probably first excited attention to the place, when the tongues of fire (or divided flame) would naturally increase the surprise of the spectators; and when the pious Jews were collected together, who came to the feast from “every nation under heaven” —(for so widely were the Jews scattered)—and heard the apostles speak, each “in his own language,” they were “all amazed, and marvelled, saying, Behold! are not all these which speak Galileans? and how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were” commenced immediately after the passover.—Fully come.—The day began on the evening preceding; but on the morning following it was fully come.—In “one place.”—This place has been much disputed, many supposing that they obtained an apartment of the temple; but we conceive that they neither dared to ask such a favour, nor would they by any means be so indulged, as they lay at this time under the charge of having stolen the body of their Master.

See (Matthew 28:11-15). Ver. 3. Cloven tongues—i.e. (says Doddridge) “bright flames in a pyramidal form, which were so parted as to terminate in several points, and thereby to afford a proper emblem of the marvellous effect—a miraculous diversity of languages.” Ver. 4. With other tongues—i.e. with foreign tongues, to which they had not been accustomed. Ver. 5. Dwelling at Jerusalem—i.e. during the feast.—Of every nation under heaven.—This is evidently spoken hyperbolically, and is exactly parallel to Deut. ij. 25. The western hemisphere, it may be recollected, was not then discovered; but there were individuals present from all the countries therein named, and probably many more. Ver.

6. When this was noised abroad.—Greek, “When the voice was made;” i.e. when it was reported.—Every man heard them speak in his own language.—From this expression, some have supposed that the miracle consisted in these different persons hearing in their own language what was spoken only in the Syro-Chaldaic, or vulgar Hebrew of that age. But this, besides multiplying the miracle more than twenty-fold, would be the gift of ears, and not of tongues. Ver. 9. In Judea—Where the popular dialect is thought to have been very different from that of Galilee. That great numbers of Jews dwelt at Rome about this time, and made many Ver. 10. Of Rome, Jews and proselytes.—“It appears from Josephus, &c. Ver.

7. New wine.—Hammond and Doddridge, “sweet wine.” Plutarch gave, the ancients had methods of preserving their wines long sweet, and that they were very intoxicating. Doddridge, Calmet. ‘These men alluded probably to the wine provided for the feast. Ver. 15. The third hour—That is, about eight in the morning. See note on (Acts 3:1). Ver. 19. I will show wonders.—See Mat. xxiv. Ver. 20. Notable.—Doddridge, “illustrious.” Ver. 23. Foreknowledge.—“Grotius, as well as Beza, observes, that prognosis must here signify decree; and Elsner has shown that it has the same signification in approved Greek writers.” Doddridge. Ver. 25. I foresaw.—(Psalms 16:8), “I set.” Doddridge, “I have regarded the Lord as always,”

&c.; a Ver. 26. My soul in hell.—The apostle Peter here, and Paul in (Acts 13:35-37), explain these words of David, found in the 16th Psalm, as applicable exclusively to our Saviour Christ. In the present translation there is some ambiguity. The word rendered Hell is in the Hebrew Sheol, and means both the grave and the invisible world. Our translators frequently render it by the former word, as (Genesis 37:38); xliv. 31. (1 Kings 2:9). (Job 17:13-14), and often hell, as here, (Job 26:6). (Psalms 9:17). But it is generally admitted to include (like Hades) the invisible world in general. Bishop Pearson says, ‘It appeareth that the first intention of putting these words into the Creed was only to express the burial of our Saviour, or the descent of his body into the grave.”

It is most certain, however, that the phrase was afterwards explained, even by the Christian fathers, of Christ’s descent into the place of punishment. See 1 Peter iii. 18. ‘But that it was actually so, or that the apostle intended so much,” the Bishop confesses is “not manifest.” See also Professor Witsius, who contends, “that Christ descended into hell, (the place of torment,) is nowhere expressly affirmed in Scripture, nor in the most ancient creeds. The creeds which mentioned the descent, were quite silent with respect to the burial; nor was it without some mistake that both were afterwards joined together.” Dr. J. P. Smith renders the first clause of (Psalms 16:10). “Thou wilt not leave my life in the grave;” which nearly corresponds with Dr.

Kennicott’s version, ‘Thou wilt not abandon my life to the grave.” —[The word hell, from the Saxon hillan or helan, to hide, or from holl, a cavern, though now used only for the place of torment, anciently denoted the concealed or unseen place of the dead in general.]—Bagster. Ver. 30. That of the fruit of his loins, and the flesh, he would should ONE sit on his throne.” Ver. 33. By.—Hammond and Doddridge, “To the right hand.” —See and near—That is, witness the effects of. Ver. 34. David is not ascended—i.e. in his body, which is still entombed. Jerome mentions the remains of David’s sepulchre, and a place is shown as such, even to this day. The Lord said, &c.—Ps. ex. 1. Ver. 35. Thy foes thy footstool.—It was customary for conquerors formerly to put their feet on the necks of the vanquished, (Joshua 10)

24. In the close of the negotiations, after a late expedition to Algiers, the Dey refused to give up two prisoners, until at length he was obliged, and then he said, “His foot is on my neck, and what can I do.” Orient. Lit. No. 1336. Ver. 37. They were pricked in their heart.—Doddridge, “pierced to the heart.” If Christ and his Apostles believed and taught the salvation of all men, how account for the fact, that their preaching so much alarmed the fears and awakened the enmity of wicked men? “The fact is unquestionable. Christ rarely preached a sermon, which did not excite uneasiness in the minds of sinners, and send them away dissatisfied and murmuring against the preacher. The same is true of the Apostles.

Under their preaching sinners were “pricked in their hearts.” Ver. 38. Repent, and be baptized.—They could only prove the sincerity of as Ver. 40. Save yourselves—Or, “Be ye saved.” Drs. J. Edwards and Dodd: Ver. 41. Three thousand souls—i.e. persons; so ver. 43. Ver. 44. Were together.—Doddridge, ‘In the same;” certainly not in the same room, nor the same house, but in a quarter of the town probably where their friends chiefly resided. Ver. 45. And sold their possessions.—“That this unbounded liberality was not commanded by St. Peter, is evident from his address to Ananias, (Acts 5:4). And that it was not intended as a precedent, is equally clear from all the Epistles, in which frequent mention is made of the distinction between rich and poor,”

&c.—Townsend’s New Test. Arr. Ver. 46. They, continuing daily—That is, they daily visited the temple. —Breaking bread from house to house.—Lightfoot, Pearson, and others, understand this phrase, “breaking bread,” as signifying the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper; but the words following, “did eat their meat,” &c. strongly inclines us to refer the expression to their social meals, as in (Luke 24:35). So Doddridge. The learned Joseph Mede translates the Greek phrase (Kat? ovkon,) “on the house,” meaning, in the upper room; and supposes that, after the death of Christ, the apostles held their religious meetings in the room where Jesus had kept the Passover &c.—that there our Lord repeatedly met with them, and that there they assembled on the day of Pentecost, and afterwards.

See Townsend’s New ‘Test. Arr. 5 Ver. 47. Such as should be saved.—Doddridge, “Those who were saved.” Dr. J. Edwards, “The saved.” Chap. III. Ver. 1. Together.—[Rather, “at the same time,” or “at that time,” referring to the time when the transactions took place, which are mentioned at the close of the preceding chapter.] —Bagster.— The ninth hour—i.e. (with us) about four in the afternoon. “The Jews divided the time, from the rising to the setting of the sun, into twelve hours, which were consequently, at different times of the year, of unequal length. The third hour was (therefore) the middle space between sun-rise and noon;” (Doddridge;) the ninth was consequently the medium point between noon and sunset, which, at this time of the year (the latter end of May, when the sun does not set till near eight) must have been about four, P.

M. “The passover full moon fell this year April 3, according to Sir I. Newton, and the Pentecost, seven weeks after. Ver. 2. The gate…. called Beautiful.—This gate, which was added by Herod to the Court of the Gentiles, was 30 cubits high, and 15 broad, and made of Corinthian brass.; a Ver. 14. A murderer.—Gr. “a man, a murderer.” So (Luke 19:7), “a man, a sinner;” xxiv. 19. (Gr.) “a man, a prophet.” Ver. 18. The Prince of life.—The original term is variously used; for Prince, (Acts 5:31); Captain, (Hebrews 2:10); Author, (Hebrews 12:2). Ver. 16. And his name, through faith, &c.—That is, by virtue of his name, and through faith therein; meaning, the faith not only of the apostles, but also of the man on whom the miracle was wrought, who himself doubtless became a believer in the Lord Jesus.

showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his prince, for, “had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:” but it was a most culpable ignorance; for they shut their eyes against evidence, arising both from Scripture and from fact. They were grossly ignorant of the writings of their own prophets, and they were wilfully blind with respect to the miracles wrought before their own eyes. The Saviour, however, had prayed for his murderers, who knew not what they did: there was, therefore, “‘hope in Israel concerning this matter.”

“You have the Scriptures of the prophets still before you, which you have fulfilled in his cruel sufferings and death; and you have the evidence of miracles renewed, which, being wrought in his name, give no less evidence to the divinity of his character than if you saw them wrought by himself.” Upon these grounds, therefore, does the apostle urge his hearers to repentance, that their sins might be blotted out, and that “times of refreshment” and seasons of consolation might be experienced by them, through the effusion of the Holy Spirit, as refreshing to the soul as cooling breezes to the body, which are peculiarly desirable in warm climates. Nor are such seasons to be confined to the apostolic age, since ecclesiastical history records many similar periods of divine influence, (as, for instance, the Reformation,) and we look forward to many more prior to his second coming, to regulate all the affairs of his kingdom upon earth, and to judge the world in This coming of Jesus Christ, first to save and then to judge the world, God had predicted by the mouth of all his holy prophets, from Samuel to John the Baptist; and, as he has accomplished the former, so certainly will he do the latter.

In the mean time, the great object of this glorious dispensation, Ver. 17. Involv—i.e. “[know].” That through ignorance—Namely, of the true character of Jesus. See (1 Corinthians 2:8). Ver. 19. When.—Doddridge and others, “that; as the same word is rendered in (Luke 2:35). (Acts 15:17), &c.—The times of refreshing shall come.—Perhaps we might be justified in supplying the adverb farther—“that [farther] times of refreshing may come;” referring back to the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, (which was introduced by a “mighty rushing (Acts 10)”) and forward, to other similar dispensations of divine grace, as in Ver. 20. And he shall send.—Hammond and Doddridge, “and that he may send;” that is, again send.—Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you—That is, in the types and prophecies.

But Hammond, Doddridge, Wesley, and many others, read, “That he may send unto you Jesus Christ, who was before appointed,” or “designated,”—namely, to be our Saviour. So read the Alexandrian and many other valuable MSS. and ancient versions; some Christian Fathers, Beza, Vitringa, &c. Ver. 21. The times of restitution of all things.—That the word means to restore, or regulate, is indisputable, and in this sense we have properly applied it to Elias, (Matthew 3:3); xvii. 11. But in all languages there are many words which, in different connexions, require to be differently rendered; and, on mature consideration, in this place we prefer the rendering of Hammond and Campbell. “The completion,”

or rather, “the consummation,” (i.e. the fulfilment,) of all things which God hath spoken, &c. “The restitution here spoken of,” says Dr. Hawes, “does not mean the restoration of all men to holiness and happiness, but simply the completion, accomplishment, fulfilment, (so the word is rendered by the best Greek scholars) of all that God has predicted by his word respecting the Kingdom and glory of Messiah. The blessed, testified that he heard their prayer: confirming the church with the gift of the Holy Ghost, and with mutual love charity. Joel 2.13. And as they spake unto the people, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? Mat. 22.23 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, he is made whole; the Messiah, is to free them from their iniquities, first, by the atonement offered in his death; and, secondly, by the gift of his Holy Spirit, to renew their hearts and minds.

Upon this discourse of Peter we offer only one farther observation, namely, that it affords a fine model of the most direct and pointed application to the consciences of his hearers, blended with the most affectionate solicitude for their salvation. Here many fail. Some thunder the denunciations of God’s wrath against sinners, but they merely terrify them; others, on the contrary, are so fearful of offending, that they deal only in gentle admonitions and consolations. The former probe the wound, but apply no balm: the latter apply the balm before the wound is probed. The latter fault may proceed from want of courage, but both discover want of skill.