In a word, they are invited to return by repentance, and enjoy all the
promises made to Israel. The Messiah Himself should return from heaven to
establish their blessing. The whole nation is here addressed as natural
heirs of the promises made to Abraham. But, while they were speaking, the
priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to lay hands
on them, being grieved that they preached the resurrection, which their
unbelief and dogmatic system did not receive. They put them in prison, for
it was evening. The hope of Israel was set aside; the grace of God had
spoken in vain, great and patient as it was. Many, however, believed their
word: five thousand persons already confessed the Lord Jesus.
We have seen the address which God, in His grace, sent to Israel by the
mouth of Peter. We shall now see, not only the reception (already noticed)
which it met with from the rulers of the people, but the deliberate answer
of their inmost heart, as we may call it. On the morrow the rulers, the
elders, and the scribes assemble at Jerusalem, together with Annas and his
kindred; and, setting the apostles in their midst, they demand by what
power or in what name they have wrought this miracle on the impotent man.
Peter, full of the Holy Ghost, declares-announcing it to all Israel, and
with the utmost readiness and entire boldness-that it was by Jesus, whom
they had crucified, and whom God had raised from the dead. Thus the
question between God and the rulers of Israel was very formally stated, and
that by the Spirit of God. Jesus was the stone rejected by them, the
builders, which had become the head of the corner. Salvation could nowhere
else be found. No carefulness not to offend, with regard to the adversaries
and the rulers; with the people, as such, ignorant and misled, everything
to win them. The council recognised them as former companions of Christ:
the man who had been healed was there. What could they say or do in the
face of the multitude who had witnessed the miracle? They could only
exhibit a will in decided opposition to the Lord and His testimony, and
yield to the public opinion, which was necessary to their own importance,
by which too they were governed. With threats they commanded the apostles
to teach no more in the name of Jesus. We may remark here, that Satan had
Sadducean instruments arrayed against the doctrine of the resurrection, as
he had Pharisees as suited instruments against a living Christ. We must
expect the well-ordered opposition of Satan against the truth.
Now Peter and John allow of no ambiguity with respect to their course. God
had commanded them to preach Christ: the prohibition of man had no weight
with them. "We cannot," say they, "but speak the things which we have seen
and heard." What a position for the rulers of the people! Accordingly, a
testimony like this plainly demonstrates that the leaders of Israel were
fallen from the place of interpreters of the will of God. The apostles do
not drive them away-do not attack them: God would judge them; but they act
immediately on the part of God, and disregard their authority altogether
with respect to the work that God had committed to themselves. The
testimony of God was with the apostles, and not with the rulers of the
temple; and the presence of God was in the assembly, and not there.
Peter and John return to their own company, for a separate people who knew
each other was formed; and all, moved by the Holy Ghost (for it was there
that God dwelt by His Spirit, not now in the temple), lift up their voice
to God, the Governor of all things, to acknowledge that this opposition of
the rulers was but the accomplishment of the word and the counsels and the
purposes of God. These threatenings were but the occasion of asking God to
manifest His power in connection with the name of Jesus. In a word, the
world (including the Jews, who formed a part of it in their opposition) had
stood up against Jesus, the Servant of God, and opposed itself to the
testimony rendered to Him. The Holy Ghost is the strength of this
testimony, whether in the courage of those who bore witness (v. 8), or in
His presence in the assembly (v. 31), or in the energy of service (v. 33),
or in the fruits that are again produced among the saints with a power
which makes it manifest that the Holy Ghost has dominion in their hearts
over all the motives that influence man, making them walk by those of which
He is the source. It is the energy of the Spirit in the presence of
opposition, as before it was His natural fruit in those among whom He
dwelt. Fresh persons sell their goods, and lay their price at the apostles'
feet; among others, a man whom the Holy Ghost takes pleasure in
distinguishing-Barnabas, from the island of Cyprus.
To sum up this chapter demonstrates, on one side, the condition of the
Jews, their rejection of the testimony which was addressed to them in
grace; and on the other, the power of the Holy Ghost and God's presence and
guidance elsewhere, namely, in the midst of the disciples.
These three chapters (2-4) present the first forming of the assembly, and
its blessed character through the Holy Spirit dwelling in it. They present
to us its first beauty as formed of God, and His habitation.
