BIBLES NET. COM
Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
on the Whole Bible
Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page
|
[Previous] [Next] |
Matthew Henry |
A C T S.
CHAP. III.
In this chapter we have a miracle and a sermon: the miracle wrought to
make way for the sermon, to confirm the doctrine that was to be
preached, and to make way for it into the minds of the people; and then
the sermon to explain the miracle, and to sow the ground which by it
was broken up.
I. The miracle was the healing of a man that was lame from his birth,
with a word speaking
(ver. 1-8),
and the impression which this made upon the people,
II. The scope of the sermon which was preached here upon was to bring
people to Christ, to repent of their sin in crucifying him
(ver. 12-19),
to believe in him now that he was glorified, and to comply with the
Father’s design in glorifying him,
The former part of the discourse opens the wound, the latter applies
the remedy.
| The Healing of a Cripple. |
|
|
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the
hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried,
whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called
Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked
an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look
on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of
them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I
have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up
and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and
immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them
into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the
Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder
and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John,
all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called
Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
We were told in general
that many signs and wonders were done by the apostles, which are
not written in this book; but here we have one given us for an
instance. As they wrought miracles, not upon every body as every body
had occasion for them, but as the Holy Spirit gave direction, so as to
answer the end of their commission; so all the miracles they did work
are not written in this book, but such only are recorded as the Holy
Ghost thought fit, to answer the end of this sacred history.
I. The persons by whose ministry this miracle was wrought were Peter
and John, two principal men among the apostles; they were so in
Christ’s time, one speaker of the house for the most part, the other
favourite of the Master; and they continue so. When, upon the
conversion of thousands, the church was divided into several societies,
perhaps Peter and John presided in that which Luke associated with, and
therefore he is more particular in recording what they said and did, as
afterwards what Paul said and did when he attended him, both the one
and the other being designed for specimens of what the other apostles
did.
Peter and John had each of them a brother among the twelve, with whom
they were coupled when they were sent out; yet now they seem to be knit
together more closely than either of them to his brother, for the bond
of friendship is sometimes stronger than that of relation: there is
a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Peter and John seem to
have had a peculiar intimacy after Christ’s resurrection more than
before,
The reason of which (if I may have liberty to conjecture) might be
this, that John, a disciple made up of love, was more compassionate to
Peter upon his fall and repentance, and more tender of him in his
bitter weeping for his sin, than any other of the apostles were,
and more solicitous to restore him in the spirit of meekness,
which made him very dear to Peter ever after; and it was good evidence
of Peter’s acceptance with God, upon his repentance, that Christ’s
favourite was made his bosom friend. David prayed, after his fall,
Let those that fear thee turn unto me,
Ps. cxix. 79.
II. The time and place are here set down.
1. It was in the temple, whither Peter and John went up
together, because it was the place of concourse; there were the
shoals of fish among which the net of the gospel was to be cast,
especially during the days of pentecost, within the compass of which we
may suppose this to have happened. Note, It is good to go up to the
temple, to attend on public ordinances; and it is comfortable to go up
together to the temple: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us
go. The best society is society in worshipping God.
2. It was at the hour of prayer, one of the hours of public
worship commonly appointed and observed among the Jews. Time and place
are two necessary circumstances of every action, which must be
determined by consent, as is most convenient for edification. With
reference to public worship, there must be a house of prayer and an
hour of prayer: the ninth hour, that is, three o’clock in the
afternoon, was one of the hours of prayer among the Jews; nine in the
morning and twelve at noon were the other two. See
It is of use for private Christians so far to have their hours of
prayer as may serve, though not to bind, yet to remind conscience:
every thing is beautiful in its season.
III. The patient on whom this miraculous cure was wrought is here
described,
v. 2.
He was a poor lame beggar at the temple gate.
1. He was a cripple, not by accident, but born so; he was lame from
his mother’s womb, as it should seem, by a paralytic distemper,
which weakened his limbs; for it is said in the description of his cure
(v. 7),
His feet and ankle bones received strength. Some such piteous
cases now and then there are, which we ought to be affected with and
look upon with compassion, and which are designed to show us what we
all are by nature spiritually: without strength, lame from our
birth, unable to work or walk in God’s service.
2. He was a beggar. Being unable to work for his living, he must live
upon alms; such are God’s poor. He was laid daily by his friends
at one of the gates of the temple, a miserable spectacle, unable
to do any thing for himself but to ask alms of those that entered
into the temple or came out. There was a concourse,–a concourse of
devout good people, from whom charity might be expected, and a
concourse of such people when it might be hoped they were in the best
frame; and there he was laid. Those that need, and cannot work, must
not be ashamed to beg. He would not have been laid there, and laid
there daily, if he had not been used to meet with supplies, daily
supplies there. Note, Our prayers and our alms should go together;
Cornelius’s did,
Objects of charity should be in a particular manner welcome to us when
we go up to the temple to pray; it is a pity that common beggars at
church doors should any of them be of such a character as to discourage
charity; but they ought not always to be overlooked: some there are
surely that merit regard, and better feed ten drones, yea, and some
wasps, than let one bee starve. The gate of the temple at which he was
laid is here named: it was called Beautiful, for the
extraordinary splendour and magnificence of it. Dr. Lightfoot observes
that this was the gate that led out of the court of the Gentiles into
that of the Jews, and he supposes that the cripple would beg only of
the Jews, as disdaining to ask any thing of the Gentiles. But Dr.
Whitby takes it to be at the first entrance into the temple, and
beautified sumptuously, as became the frontispiece of that place where
the divine Majesty vouchsafed to dwell; and it was no diminution to the
beauty of this gate that a poor man lay there begging.
3. He begged of Peter and John
(v. 3),
begged an alms; this was the utmost he expected from them, who had the
reputation of being charitable men, and who, though they had not much,
yet did good with what they had. It was not many weeks ago that the
blind and the lame came to Christ in the temple, and were healed there,
And why might not he have asked more than an alms, if he knew that
Peter and John were Christ’s messengers, and preached and wrought
miracles in his name? But he had that done for him which he looked not
for; he asked an alms, and had a cure.
IV. We have here the method of the cure.
1. His expectations were raised. Peter, instead of turning his eyes
form him, as many do from objects of charity, turned his eyes to him,
nay, he fastened his eyes upon him, that his eye might affect
his heart with compassion towards him,
v. 4.
John did so too, for they were both guided by one and the same Spirit,
and concurred in this miracle; they said, Look on us. Our eye
must be ever towards the Lord (the eye of our mind), and, in token of
this, the eye of the body may properly be fixed on those whom he
employs as the ministers of his grace. This man needed not to be bidden
twice to look on the apostles; for he justly thought this gave him
cause to expect that he should receive something form them, and
therefore he gave heed to them,
v. 5.
Note, We must come to God both to attend on his word and to apply
ourselves to him in prayer, with hearts fixed and expectations raised.
We must look up to heaven and expect to receive benefit by that which
God speaks thence, and an answer of peace to the prayers sent up
thither. I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look
up.
2. His expectation of an alms was disappointed. Peter said, “Silver
and gold have I none, and therefore none to give thee;” yet he
intimated that if he had had any he would have given him an alms, not
brass, but silver or gold. Note,
(1.) It is not often that Christ’s friends and favourites have
abundance of the wealth of this world. The apostles were very poor, had
but just enough for themselves, and no overplus. Peter and John had
abundance of money laid at their feet, but this was appropriated to the
maintenance of the poor of the church, and they would not convert any
of it to their own use, nor dispose of it otherwise than according tot
he intention of the donors. Public trusts ought to be strictly and
faithfully observed.
(2.) Many who are well inclined to works of charity are yet not in a
capacity of doing any thing considerable, while others, who have
wherewithal to do much, have not a heart to do any thing.
3. His expectations, notwithstanding, were quite outdone. Peter had not
money to give him; but,
(1.) He had that which was better, such an interest in heaven, such a
power from heaven, as to be able to cure his disease. Note, Those who
are poor in the world may yet be rich, very rich, in spiritual gifts,
graces, and comforts; certainly there is that which we are capable of
possessing which is infinitely better than silver and gold; the
merchandise and gain of it are better,
Job xxviii. 12, &c. Prov. iii. 14,
&c.
(2.) He gave him that which was better–the cure of his disease, which
he would gladly have given a great deal of silver and gold for, if he
had had it, and the cure could have been so obtained. This would enable
him to work for his living, so that he would not need to beg any more;
nay, he would have to give to those that needed, and it is
more blessed to give than to receive. A miraculous cure would be a
greater instance of God’s favour, and would put a greater honour upon
him, than thousands of gold and silver could. Observe, When Peter had
no silver and gold to give, yet (says he) such as I have I give
thee. Note, Those may be, and ought to be, otherwise charitable and
helpful to the poor, who have not wherewithal to give in charity; those
who have not silver and gold have their limbs and senses, and with
these may be serviceable to the blind, and lame, and sick, and if they
be not, as there is occasion, neither would they give to them if they
had silver and gold. As every one hath received the gift, so let him
minister it. Let us now see how the cure was wrought.
[1.] Christ sent his word, and healed him
(Ps. cvii. 20);
for healing grace is given by the word of Christ; this is the vehicle
of the healing virtue derived from Christ. Christ spoke cures by
himself; the apostles spoke them in his name. Peter bids a lame man
rise up and walk, which would have been a banter upon him if he
had not premised in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth: “I say
it by warrant from him, and it shall be done by power from him, and all
the glory and praise of it shall be ascribed to him.” He calls Christ
Jesus of Nazareth, which was a name of reproach, to intimate
that the indignities done him on earth served but as a foil to his
glories now that he was in heaven. “Give him what name you will, call
him if you will in scorn Jesus of Nazareth, in that name you shall see
wonders done; for, because he humbled himself, thus highly was he
exalted.” He bids the cripple rise up and walk, which does not
prove that he had power in himself to do it, but that if he attempt to
rise and walk, and, in a sense of his own impotency, depend upon a
divine power to enable him to do it, he shall be enabled; and by rising
and walking he must evidence what that power has wrought upon him; and
then let him take the comfort, and let God have the praise. Thus it is
in the healing of our souls, which are spiritually impotent.
[2.] Peter lent his hand, and helped him
(v. 7):
He took him by the right hand, in the same name in which he had
spoken to him to arise and walk, and lifted him up. Not that
this could contribute any thing to his cure; but it was a sign, plainly
intimating the help he should receive from God, if he exerted himself
as he was bidden. When God by his word commands us to rise, and walk in
the way of his commandments, if we mix faith with that word, and lay
our souls under the power of it, he will give his Spirit to take us by
the hand, and lift us up. If we set ourselves to do what we can, God
has promised his grace to enable us to do what we cannot; and by that
promise we partake of a new nature, and that grace shall not be in
vain; it was not here: His feet and ankle-bones received
strength, which they had not done if he had not attempted to rise,
and been helped up; he does his part, and Peter does his, and yet it is
Christ that does all: it is he that puts strength into him. As the
bread was multiplied in the breaking, and the water turned into wine in
the pouring out, so strength was given to the cripple’s feet in his
stirring them and using them.
V. Here is the impression which this cure made upon the patient
himself, which we may best conceive of if we put our soul into his
soul’s stead.
1. He leaped up, in obedience to the command, Arise. He found in
himself such a degree of strength in his feet and ankle-bones that he
did not steal up gently, with fear and trembling, as weak people do
when they begin to recover strength; but he started up, as one
refreshed with sleep, boldly, and with great agility, and as one that
questioned not his own strength. The incomes of strength were sudden,
and he was no less sudden in showing them. He leaped, as one glad to
quit the bed or pad of straw on which he had lain so long lame.
2. He stood, and walked. He stood without either leaning or trembling,
stood straight up, and walked without a staff. He trod strongly, and
moved steadily; and this was to manifest the cure, and that it was a
thorough cure. Note, Those who have had experience of the working of
divine grace upon them should evidence what they have experienced. Has
God put strength into us? Let us stand before him in the exercises of
devotion; let us walk before him in all the instances of a religious
conversation. Let us stand up resolutely for him, and walk cheerfully
with him, and both in strength derived and received form him.
3. He held Peter and John,
v. 11.
We need not ask why he held them. I believe he scarcely knew himself:
but it was in a transport of joy that he embraced them as the best
benefactors he had ever met with, and hung upon them to a degree of
rudeness; he would not let them go forward, but would have them stay
with him, while he published to all about him what God had done for him
by them. Thus he testified his affection to them; he held them, and
would not let them go. Some suggest that he clung to them for fear
lest, if they should leave him, his lameness should return. Those whom
God hath healed love those whom he made instruments of their healing,
and see the need of their further help.
4. He entered with them into the temple. His strong affection to
them held them; but it could not hold them so fast as to keep them out
of the temple, whither they were going to preach Christ. We should
never suffer ourselves to be diverted by the utmost affectionate
kindnesses of our friends from going in the way of our duty. But, if
they will not stay with him, he is resolved to go with them, and the
rather because they are going into the temple, whence he had been so
long kept by his weakness and his begging: like the impotent man whom
Christ cured, he was presently found in the temple,
He went into the temple, not only to offer up his praises and
thanksgivings to God, but to hear more from the apostles of that Jesus
in whose name he had been healed. Those that have experienced the power
of Christ should earnestly desire to grow in their acquaintance with
Christ.
5. He was there walking, and leaping, and praising God. Note,
The strength God has given us, both in mind and body, should be made us
of to his praise, and we should study how to honour him with it. Those
that are healed in his name must walk up and down in his name and in
his strength,
This man, as soon as he could leap, leaped for joy in God, and praised
him. Here was that scripture fulfilled
(Isa. xxxv. 6):
Then shall the lame man leap as a hart. Now that this man was
newly cured he was in this excess of joy and thankfulness. All true
converts walk and praise God; but perhaps young converts leap more in
his praises.
VI. How the people that were eye-witnesses of this miracle were
influenced by it we are next told.
1. They were entirely satisfied in the truth of the miracle, and had
nothing to object against it. They knew it was he that sat begging
at the beautiful gate of the temple,
v. 10.
He had sat there so long that they all knew him; and for this reason he
was chosen to be the vessel of this mercy. Now they were not so
perverse as to make any doubt whether he was the same man, as the
Pharisees had questioned concerning the blind man that Christ cured,
They now saw him walking, and praising God
(v. 9),
and perhaps took notice of a change in his mind; for he was now as loud
in praising God as he had before been in begging relief. The best
evidence that it was a complete cure was that he now praised God for
it. Mercies are then perfected, when they are sanctified.
2. They were astonished at it: They were filled with wonder and
amazement
(v. 10);
greatly wondering,
v. 11.
They were in an ecstasy. There seems to have been this effect of
the pouring out of the Spirit, that the people, at least those in
Jerusalem, were much more affected with the miracles the apostles
wrought than they had been with those of the same kind that had been
wrought by Christ himself; and this was in order to the miracles
answering their end.
3. They gathered about Peter and John: All the people ran together
unto them in Solomon’s porch: some only to gratify their curiosity
with the sight of men that had such power; others with a desire to hear
them preach, concluding that their doctrine must needs be of divine
origin, which thus had a divine ratification. They flocked to them in
Solomon’s porch, a part of the court of the Gentiles, where Solomon had
built the outer porch of the temple; or, some cloisters or piazzas
which Herod had erected upon the same foundation upon which Solomon had
built the stately porch that bore his name, Herod being ambitious
herein to be a second Solomon. Here the people met, to see this great
sight.
| Peter’s Address after Healing the Cripple. |
|
|
12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men
of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on
us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man
to walk?
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of
our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up,
and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined
to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a
murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the
dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man
strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath
given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it,
as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth
of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so
fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached
unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution
of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy
prophets since the world began.
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the
Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me;
him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not
hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow
after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these
days.
25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant
which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy
seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him
to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his
iniquities.
We have here the sermon which Peter preached after he had cured the
lame man. When Peter saw it.
1. When he saw the people got together in a crowd, he took that
opportunity to preach Christ to them, especially the temple being the
place of their concourse, and Solomon’s porch there: let them come and
hear a more excellent wisdom than Solomon’s, for, behold, a greater
than Solomon is here preached.
2. When he saw the people affected with the miracle, and filed with
admiration, then he sowed the gospel seed in the ground which was thus
broken up, and prepared to receive it.
3. When he saw the people ready to adore him and John, he stepped in
immediately, and diverted their respect from them, that it might be
directed to Christ only; to this he answered presently, as Paul
and Barnabas at Lystra. See
In the sermon,
I. He humbly disclaims the honour of the miracle as not due to them,
who were only the ministers of Christ, or instruments in his hand for
the doing of it. The doctrines they preached were not of their own
invention, nor were the seals of it their own, but his whose the
doctrines were. He addresses himself to them as men of Israel,
men to whom pertained, not only the law and the promises, but the
gospel and the performances, and who were nearly interested in the
present dispensation. Two things he asks them:–
1. Why they were so surprised at the miracle itself: Why marvel you
at this? It was indeed marvellous, and they justly wondered at it,
but it was not more than what Christ had done many a time, and they had
not duly regarded it, nor been affected with it. It was but a little
before that Christ had raised Lazarus from the dead; and why
should this then seem so strange? Note, Stupid people think that
strange now which might have been familiar to them if it had not been
their own fault. Christ had lately risen from the dead himself; why did
they not marvel at this? why were they not convinced by this?
2. Why they gave so much of the praise of it to them, who were only the
instruments of it: Why look you so earnestly on us?
(1.) It was certain that they had made this man to walk, by
which it appeared that the apostles not only were sent of God, but were
sent to be blessings to the world, benefactors to mankind, and were
sent to heal sick and distempered souls, that were spiritually lame and
impotent, to set broken bones, and make them rejoice.
(2.) Yet they did not do it by any power or holiness of their
own. It was not done by any might of their own, any skill they had
in physic or surgery, nor any virtue in their word: the power they did
it by was wholly derived from Christ. Nor was it done by any merit of
their own; the power which Christ gave them to do it they had not
deserved: it was not by their own holiness; for, as they were weak
things, so they were foolish things, that Christ chose to employ; Peter
was a sinful man. What holiness had Judas? Yet he wrought miracles in
Christ’s name. What holiness any of them had it was wrought in them,
and they could not pretend to merit by it.
(3.) It was the people’s fault that they attributed it to their power
and holiness, and accordingly looked at them. Note, The instruments of
God’s favour to us, though they must be respected, must not be
idolized; we must take heed of reckoning that to be done by the
instrument which God is the author of.
(4.) It was the praise of Peter and John that they would not take the
honour of this miracle to themselves, but carefully transmitted it to
Christ. Useful men must see to it that they be very humble. Not unto
us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory. Every crown
must be cast at the feet of Christ; not I, but the grace of God with
me.
II. He preaches Christ to them; this was his business, that he might
lead them into obedience to Christ.
1. He preaches Christ, as the true Messiah promised to the fathers
(v. 13);
for,
(1.) He is Jesus the Son of God; though they had lately condemned
Christ as a blasphemer for saying that he was the Son of God, yet Peter
avows it: he is his Son Jesus; to him dear as a Son; to us,
Jesus, a Saviour.
(2.) God hath glorified him, in raising him up to be king, priest, and
prophet, of his church; he glorified him in his life and in his death,
as well as in his resurrection and ascension.
(3.) He hath glorified him as the God of our fathers, whom he
names with respect (for they were great names with the men of Israel,
and justly), the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. God
sent him into the world, pursuant to the promises made to those
patriarchs, that in their seed the families of the earth should be
blessed, and the covenant made with them, that God would be a
God to them, and their seed. The apostles call the patriarchs their
fathers, and God the God of those patriarchs from whom the Jews were
descended, to intimate to them that they had no evil design upon the
Jewish nation (that they should look upon them with a jealous eye), but
had a value and concern for it, and were hereby well-wishers to it; and
the gospel they preached was the revelation of the mind and will of the
God of Abraham. See
Luke i. 72, 73.
2. He charges them flatly and plainly with the murder of this Jesus, as
he had done before.
(1.) “You delivered him up to your chief priests and elders, the
representative body of the nation; and you of the common people were
influenced by them to clamour against him, as if he had been a public
grievance.”
(2.) “You denied him, and you disowned him, would not have him
then to be your king, could not look upon him as the Messiah, because
he came not in external pomp and power; you denied him in the
presence of Pilate, renounced all the expectations of your church,
in the presence of the Roman governor, who justly laughed at you for
it; you denied him against the face of Pilate” (so Dr. Hammond),
“in defiance of his reasonings with you” (Pilate had determined to
let him go, but the people opposed it, and overruled him). “You
were worse than Pilate, for he would have released him, if you had let
him follow his own judgment. You denied the Holy One and the
Just, who had approved himself so, and all the malice of his
persecutors could not disprove it.” The holiness and justice of the
Lord Jesus, which are something more than his innocency, were a great
aggravation of the sin of those that put him to death.
(3.) “You desired a murderer to be released, and Christ
crucified; as if Barabbas had deserved better at your hands than the
Lord Jesus, than which a greater affront could not be put upon him.”
(4.) You killed the prince of life. Observe the antithesis: “You
preserved a murderer, a destroyer of life; and destroyed the
Saviour, the author of life. You killed him who was sent to be
to you the prince of life, and so not only forsook, but rebelled
against your own mercies. You did an ungrateful thing, in taking away
his life who would have been your life. You did a foolish thing to
think you could conquer the prince of life, who has life in
himself, and would soon resume the life he resigned.”
3. He attests his resurrection as before,
“You thought the prince of life might be deprived of his life,
as any other prince might be deprived of his dignity and dominion, but
you found yourselves mistaken, for God raised him from the dead;
so that in putting him to death you fought against God, and were
baffled. God raised him from the dead, and thereby ratified his
demands, and confirmed his doctrine, and rolled away all the reproach
of his sufferings, and for the truth of his resurrection we are all
witnesses.“
4. He ascribes the cure of this impotent man to the power of Christ,
(v. 16):
His name, through faith in his name, in that discovery which he
hath made of himself, has made this man strong. He repeats it
again, The faith which is by him hath given him this soundness.
Here,
(1.) He appeals to themselves concerning the truth of the miracle; the
man on whom it was wrought is one whom you see, and know, and have
known; he was not acquainted with Peter and John before, so that
there was no room to suspect a compact between them: “You know him to
have been a cripple from a child. The miracle was wrought publicly,
in the presence of you all; not in a corner, but in the gate of
the temple; you saw in what manner it was done, so that there could be
no juggle in it; you had liberty to examine it immediately, and may
yet. The cure is complete; it is a perfect soundness; you see
the man walks and leaps, as one that has no remainder either of
weakness or pain.”
(2.) He acquaints them with the power by which it was wrought.
[1.] It is done by the name of Christ, not merely by naming it as a
spell or charm, but it is done by us as professors and teachers of his
name, by virtue of a commission and instructions we have received from
him, and a power which he has invested us with, that name which Christ
has above every name; his authority, his command has done it; as writs
run in the king’s name, though it is an inferior officer that executes
them.
[2.] The power of Christ is fetched in through faith in his
name, a confidence in him, a dependence on him, a believing
application to him, and expectation from him, even that faith which
is, di autou—by him, which is of his working;
it is not of ourselves, it is the gift of Christ; and it is for
his sake, that he may have the glory of it; for he is both the
author and finisher of our faith. Dr. Lightfoot suggests that
faith is twice named in
because of the apostles’ faith in doing this miracle and the cripple’s
faith in receiving it; but I suppose it relates chiefly, if not only,
to the former. Those that wrought this miracle by faith derived power
from Christ to work it, and therefore returned all the glory to him. By
this true and just account of the miracle, Peter both confirmed the
great gospel truth they were to preach to the world–that Jesus Christ
is the fountain of all power and grace, and the great healer and
Saviour–and recommended the great gospel duty of faith in him as the
only way of receiving benefit by him. It explains likewise the great
gospel mystery of our salvation by Christ; it is his name that
justifies us, that glorious name of his, The Lord our
righteousness; but we, in particular, are justified by that name,
through faith in it, applying it to ourselves. Thus does Peter preach
unto them Jesus, and him crucified, as a faithful friend of the
bridegroom, to whose service and honour he devoted all his
interest.
III. He encourages them to hope that, though they had been guilty of
putting Christ to death, yet they might find mercy; he does all he can
to convince them, yet is careful not to drive them to despair. The
guilt was very great, but,
1. He mollifies their crime by a candid imputation of it to their
ignorance. Perhaps he perceived by the countenance of his hearers that
they were struck with great horror when he told them that they had
killed the prince of life, and were ready either to sink down or
to fly off, and therefore he saw it needful to mitigate the rigour of
the charge by calling them brethren; and well might he call them
so, for he had been himself a brother with them in this iniquity: he
had denied the holy One and the Just, and sworn that he did not
know him; he did it by surprise; “and, for your parts, I know that
through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers,”
This was the language of Peter’s charity, and teaches us to make the
best of those whom we desire to make better. Peter had searched the
wound to the bottom, and now he begins to think of healing it up, in
order to which it is necessary to beget in them a good opinion of their
physician; and could any thing be more winning than this? That which
bears him out in it is that he has the example of his Master’s praying
for his crucifiers, and pleading in their behalf that they knew not
what they did. And it is said of the rulers that if they had known
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. See
Perhaps some of the rulers, and of the people, did therein rebel
against the light and the convictions of their own consciences, and did
it through malice; but the generality went down the stream, and did it
through ignorance; as Paul persecuted the church, ignorantly, and in
unbelief,
1 Tim. i. 13.
2. He mollifies the effects of their crime–the death of the prince
of life; this sounds very dreadful, but it was according to the
scriptures
(v. 18),
the predictions of which, though they did not necessitate their sin,
yet did necessitate his sufferings; so he himself saith: Thus it is
written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer. You did it through
ignorance may be taken in this sense: “You fulfilled the scripture,
and did not know it; God, by your hands, hath fulfilled what
he showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should
suffer; this was his design in delivering him up to you, but you
had views of your own, and were altogether ignorant of this design;
you meant not so, neither did your heart think so. God was
fulfilling the scripture when you were gratifying your own passions.”
Observe, It was not only determined in the secret counsel of God, but
declared to the world many ages before, by the mouth and pen
of the prophets, that Christ should suffer, in order to the
accomplishment of his undertaking; and it was God himself that
showed it by them, who will see that his words be made good;
what he showed he fulfilled, he so fulfilled as he had shown,
punctually and exactly, without any variation. Now, though this is no
extenuation at all of their sin in hating and persecuting Christ to
the death (this still appears exceedingly sinful), yet it was an
encouragement to them to repent, and hope for mercy upon their
repentance; not only because in general God’s gracious designs were
carried on by it (ant thus it agrees with the encouragement Joseph gave
to his brethren, when they thought their offence against him almost
unpardonable: Fear not, saith he, you thought evil against
me, but God meant it unto good,
Gen. l. 15, 20),
but because in particular the death and sufferings of Christ were for
the remission of sins, and the ground of that display of mercy
for which he now encouraged them to hope.
IV. He exhorts them all to turn Christians, and assures them it would
be unspeakably for their advantage to do so; it would be the making of
them for ever. This is the application of his sermon.
1. He tells them what they must believe.
(1.) They must believe that Jesus Christ is the promised see, that seed
in which God had told Abraham all the kindreds of the earth should
be blessed,
v. 25.
This refers to that promise made to Abraham
(Gen. xii. 3),
which promise was long ere it was fulfilled, but now at length had its
accomplishment in this Jesus, who was of the seed of Abraham,
according to the flesh, and in him all the families of the earth
are blessed, and not the families of Israel only; all have some
benefits by him, and some have all benefits.
(2.) They must believe that Jesus Christ is a prophet, that prophet
like unto Moses whom God had promised to raise up to them from
among their brethren,
v. 22.
This refers to that promise,
Christ is a prophet, for by him God speaks unto us; in him all divine
revelation centres, and by him it is handed to us; he is a prophet
like unto Moses, a favourite of Heaven; more intimately acquainted
with the divine counsel, and more familiarly conversed with, than any
other prophet. He was a deliverer of his people out of bondage, and
their guide through the wilderness, like Moses; a prince and a
lawgiver, like Moses; the builder of the true tabernacle, as Moses was
of the typical one. Moses was faithful as a servant, Christ
as a Son. Moses was murmured against by Israel, defied by
Pharaoh, yet God owned him, and ratified his commission. Moses was a
pattern of meekness and patience, so is Christ. Moses died by the
word of the Lord, so did Christ. There was no prophet like unto
Moses
(Num. xii. 6, 7; Deut. xxxiv. 10),
but a greater than Moses is here where Christ is. He is a prophet of
God’s raising up, for he took not this honour of himself, but was
called of God to it. He was raised up unto Israel in the first place.
He executed this office in his own person among them only. They had the
first offer of divine grace made to them; and therefore he was
raised up from among them–of them, as concerning the flesh, Christ
came, which, as it was a great honour done to them, so it was both
an obligation upon them and an encouragement to them to embrace him. If
he come to his own, one would think, they should receive him. The
Old-Testament church was blessed with many prophets, with schools of
prophets, for many ages with a constant succession of prophets (which
is here taken notice of, from Samuel, and those that follow
after,
v. 24,
for from Samuel the prophetic era commenced); but, these servants being
abused, last of all God sent them his Son, who had been in his bosom.
(3.) They must believe that times of refreshing will come from the
presence of the Lord
(v. 19),
and that they will be the times of the restitution of all
things,
v. 21.
There is a future state, another life after this; those times will come
from the presence of the Lord, from his glorious appearance at that
day, his coming at the end of time. The absence of the Lord occasions
many of the securities of sinners and the distrusts of saints; but his
presence is hastening on, which will for ever silence both. Behold,
the Judge standeth before the door. The presence of the Lord will
introduce,
[1.] The restitution of all things
(v. 21);
the new heavens, and the new earth, which will be the product of
the dissolution of all things
(Rev. xxi. 1),
the renovation of the whole creation, which is that which it grieves
after, as its present burden under the sin of man is that which it
groans under. Some understand this of a state on this side the end of
time; but it is rather to be understood of that end of all things
which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets since
the world began; for this is that which Enoch, the seventh from
Adam, prophesied of
(Jude 14),
and the temporal judgments which the other prophets foretold were
typical of that which the apostle calls the eternal judgment.
This is more clearly and plainly revealed in the New Testament than it
had been before, and all that receive the gospel have an expectation of
it.
[2.] With this will come the times of refreshing
(v. 19),
of consolation to the Lord’s people, like a cool shade to those that
have borne the burden and heat of the day. All Christians look for
a rest that remains for the people of God, after the travails
and toils of their present state, and, with the prospect of this, they
are borne up under their present sufferings and carried on in their
present services. The refreshing that then comes from the presence
of the Lord will continue eternally in the presence of the
Lord.
2. He tells them what they must do.
(1.) They must repent, must bethink themselves of what they have
done amiss, must return to their right mind, admit a second thought,
and submit to the convictions of it; they must begin anew. Peter, who
had himself denied Christ, repented, and he would have them to do so
too.
(2.) They must be converted, must face about, and direct both
their faces and steps the contrary way to what they had been; they must
return to the Lord their God, from whom they had revolted. It
is not enough to repent of sin, but we must be converted from it, and
not return to it again. They must not only exchange the profession of
Judaism for that of Christianity, but the power and dominion of a
carnal, worldly, sensual mind, for that of holy, heavenly, and divine
principles and affections.
(3.) They must hear Christ, the great prophet: “Him shall you hear
in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. Attend his
dictates, receive his doctrine, submit to his government. Hear him with
a divine faith, as prophets should be heard, that come with a divine
commission. Him shall you hear, and to him shall you subscribe
with an implicit faith and obedience. Hear him in all things;
let his laws govern all your actions, and his counsels determine all
your submissions. Whenever he has a mouth to speak, you must have an
ear to hear. Whatever he saith to you, though ever so displeasing to
flesh and blood, bid it welcome.” Speak, Lord, for thy servant
hears. A good reason is here given why we should be observant of,
and obedient to, the word of Christ; for it is at our peril if we turn
a deaf ear to his call and a stiff neck to his yoke
(v. 23):
Every soul that will not hear that prophet, and be directed by
what he saith, shall be destroyed from among the people. The
destruction of the city and nation, by war and famine, was threatened
for slighting the prophets of the Old Testament; but the destruction of
the soul, a spiritual and eternal destruction, is threatened for
slighting Christ, this great prophet. Those that will not be
advised by the Saviour can expect no other than to fall into the hands
of the destroyer.
3. He tells them what they might expect.
(1.) That they should have the pardon of their sins; this is always
spoken of as the great privilege of all those that embrace the gospel
(v. 19):
Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.
This implies,
[1.] That the remission of sin is the blotting of it out, as a cloud is
blotted out by the beams of the sun
as a debt is crossed and blotted out when it is remitted. It intimates
that when God forgives sin he remembers it no more against the sinner;
it is forgotten, as that which is blotted out; all the bitter things
written against the sinner
are wiped out as it were with a sponge; it is the cancelling of a bond,
the vacating of a judgment.
[2.] That we cannot expect our sins should be pardoned unless we repent
of them, and turn from them to God. Though Christ has died to purchase
the remission of sin, yet, that we may have the benefit of that
purchase in the forgiveness of our sins, we must repent, and be
converted: if no repentance, no remission.
[3.] Hopes of the pardon of sin upon repentance should be a powerful
inducement to us to repent. Repent, that your sins may be blotted
out: and that repentance is evangelical which flows from an
apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, and the hopes of pardon.
This was the first and great argument, Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
[4.] The most comfortable fruit of the forgiveness of our sins will be
when the times of refreshing shall come; if our sins be forgiven
us, we have now reason to be of good cheer; but the comfort will be
complete when the pardon shall be allowed in open court, and our
justification published before angels and men–when whom he
has justified, them he glorifies,
Rom. viii. 30.
As now we are the sons of God
so now we have our sins blotted out; but it doth not yet appear
what are the blessed fruits of it, till the times of refreshing
shall come. During these times of toil and conflict (doubts and
fears within, troubles and dangers without) we cannot have that full
satisfaction of our pardon, and in it, that we shall have when the
refreshing times come, which shall wipe away all tears.
(2.) That they should have the comfort of Christ’s coming
(v. 20, 21):
“He shall send Jesus Christ, the same Jesus, the very same
that before was preached unto you; for you must not expect
another dispensation, another gospel, but the continuance and
completion of this; you must not expect another prophet like unto
Jesus, as Moses bade you expect another like unto him; for, though
the heavens must receive him till the times of the restitution of
all things; yet, if you repent and be converted, you shall
find no want of him; some way or other he shall be seen of you.”
[1.] We must not expect Christ’s personal presence with us in this
world; for the heavens, which received him out of the sight of the
disciples, must retain him till the end of time. To that seat of the
blessed his bodily presence is confined, and will be to the end of
time, the accomplishment of all things (so it may be read); and
therefore those dishonour him, and deceive themselves, who dream of his
corporal presence in the eucharist. It is agreeable to a state of trial
and probation that the glorified Redeemer should be out of sight,
because we must live by that faith in him which is the evidence of
things not seen; because he must be believed on in the
world, he must be received up into glory. Dr. Hammond reads
it, Who must receive the heavens, that is, who must receive
the glory and power of the upper world; he must reign till all be made
subject to him,
1 Cor. xv. 25; Ps. lxxv. 2.
[2.] Yet it is promised that he shall be sent to all that repent and
are converted
(v. 20):
“He shall send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you by his
disciples, both before and since his resurrection, and is, and will be,
all in all to them.” First, “You shall have his spiritual
presence. He that is sent into the world shall be sent to you; you
shall have the comfort of his being sent; he shall be sent among you in
his gospel, which shall be his tabernacle, his chariot of war.”
Secondly, “He shall send Jesus Christ to destroy Jerusalem, and
the nation of unbelieving Jews, that are enemies to Christ and
Christianity, and to deliver his ministers and people from them, and
give them peace in the profession of the gospel, and that shall be a
time of refreshing, in which you shall share.” Then had the churches
rest; so Dr. Hammond. Thirdly, “The sending of Christ to
judge the world, at the end of time, will be a blessing to you; you
shall then lift up your heads with joy, knowing that your redemption
draws nigh.” It seems to refer to this, for till then the
heavens must receive him,
v. 21.
As God’s counsels from eternity, so his predictions from the beginning
of time, had a reference to the transactions of the last day, when
the mystery of God shall be finished, as he had declared to his
servants the prophets,
Rev. x. 7.
The institution of all things in the church had an eye to the
restitution of all things at the end of time.
4. He tells them what ground they had to expect these things, if they
were converted to Christ. Though they had denied him, and put him to
death, yet they might hope to find favour through him, upon the account
of their being Israelites. For,
(1.) As Israelites, they had the monopoly of the grace of the Old
Testament; they were, above any other, God’s favourite nation, and the
favours God bestowed upon them were such as had a reference to the
Messiah, and his kingdom: You are the children of the prophets, and
of the covenant. A double privilege.
[1.] They were the children, that is, the disciples, of the
prophets, as children at school; not sons of the prophets,
in the sense that we read of such in the Old Testament, from Samuel and
downward, who were, or are, trained up to be endued with the spirit
of prophecy; but you are of that people from among whom prophets
were raised up, and to whom prophets were sent. It is spoken of as a
great favour to Israel that God raised up of their sons for
prophets,
Amos ii. 11.
All the inspired writers, both of the Old and New Testament, were of
the seed of Abraham; and it was their honour and advantage
that unto them were committed the oracles of God,
Rom. iii. 2.
Their government was constituted by prophecy, that is, by divine
revelation; and by it their affairs were for many ages very much
managed. See
By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet
was he preserved. Those of the latter ages of the church, when
prophecy had ceased, might yet be fitly called the children of the
prophets, because they heard, though they did not know, the
voices of the prophets, which were read in their synagogues every
sabbath day,
ch. xiii. 27.
Now this should quicken them to embrace Christ, and they might hope to
be accepted of him; for their own prophets had foretold that this
grace should be brought unto them at the revelation of Jesus Christ
(1 Pet. i. 13),
and therefore ought not to be neglected by them, nor should be denied
to them. Those that are blessed with prophets and prophecy (as all are
that have the scriptures) are concerned not to receive the grace of God
therein in vain. We may apply it particularly to ministers’ children,
who, if they plead their parentage effectually with themselves, as an
inducement to be faithful and forward in religion, may comfortably
plead it with God, and hope that the children of God’s servants
shall continue.
[2.] They were the children, that is, the heirs, of the
covenant which God made with our Fathers, as children in the
family. God’s covenant was made with Abraham and his seed, and
they were that seed with whom the covenant was made, and
on whom the blessings of the covenant were entailed: “The
promise of the Messiah was made to you, and therefore if you forsake
not your own mercies, and do not by an obstinate infidelity put a bar
in your own door, you may hope it shall be made good to you.” That
promise here mentioned, as the principal article of the covenant, In
thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed, though
referring principally to Christ
(Gal. iii. 16),
yet may include the church also, which is his body, all believers, that
are the spiritual seed of Abraham. All the kindreds of the earth
were blessed in having a church for Christ among them; and those
that were the seed of Abraham according to the flesh stood
fairest for this privilege. If all the kindreds of the earth were to be
blessed in Christ, much more that kindred, his kinsmen according to
the flesh.
(2.) As Israelites, they had the first offer of the grace of the New
Testament. Because they were the children of the prophets and the
covenant, therefore to them the Redeemer was first sent, which was
an encouragement to them to hope that if they did repent, and were
converted, he should be yet further sent for their comfort
(v. 20):
He shall send Jesus Christ, for to you first he hath sent him,
Unto you first, you Jews, though not to you only, God, having
raised up his Son Jesus, appointed and authorized him to be a
prince and a Saviour, and, in confirmation of this, raised him
from the dead, sent him to bless you, to make a tender of his
blessing to you, especially that great blessing of turning every one
of you from his iniquities; and therefore it concerns you to
receive this blessing, and turn from your iniquities, and you may be
encouraged to hope that you shall.
[1.] We are here told whence Christ had his mission: God raised up
his Son Jesus, and sent him. God raised him up when he constituted
him a prophet, owned his by a voice from heaven, and filled him with
his Spirit without measure, and then sent him; for to this end he
raised him up, that he might be his commissioner to treat of peace. He
sent him to bear witness of the truth, sent him to seek and save lost
souls, sent him against his enemies, to conquer them. Some refer the
raising of him up to the resurrection, which was the first step
towards his exaltation; this was, as it were, the renewing of his
commission; and though, having raised him up, he seemed presently to
take him from us, yet he did really send him afresh to us in his gospel
and Spirit.
[2.] To whom he was sent: “Unto you first. You of the seed of
Abraham, you that are the children of the prophets, and of the
covenant, to you is the tender made of gospel grace.” The personal
ministry of Christ, as that of the prophets, was confined to the Jews;
he was not then sent but to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel, and he forbade the disciples he then sent forth to go any
further. After his resurrection, he was to be preached indeed to all
nations, but they must begin at Jerusalem,
Luke xxiv. 47.
And, when they went to other nations, they first preached to the Jews
they found therein. They were the first-born, and, as such, had the
privilege of the first offer. So far were they from being excluded for
their putting Christ to death, that, when he is risen, he is first sent
to them, and they are primarily intended to have benefit by his death.
[3.] On what errand he was sent: “He is sent to you first, to bless
you; this is his primary errand, not to condemn you, as you
deserve, but to justify you, if you will accept of the justification
offered you, in the way wherein it is offered; but he that sends him
first to bless you, if you refuse and reject that blessing, will send
him to curse you with a curse,”
Note, First, Christ’s errand into the world was to bless us, to
bring a blessing with him, for the Sun of righteousness rose with
healing under his wings; and, when he left the world, he left a
blessing behind him for he was parted from the disciples as he
blessed them,
Luke xxiv. 51.
He sent his Spirit to be the great blessing, the blessing of blessings,
It is by Christ that God sends blessings to us, and through him only we
can expect to receive them. Secondly, The great blessing
wherewith Christ came to bless us was the turning of us away from our
iniquities, the saving of us from our sins
(Matt. i. 21),
to turn us from sin, that we may be qualified to receive all other
blessings. Sin is that to which naturally we cleave; the design of
divine grace is to turn us from it, nay, to turn us against it, that we
may not only forsake it, but hate it. The gospel has a direct tendency
to do this, not only as it requires us, every one of us, to turn from
our iniquities, but as it promises us grace to enable us to do so.
“Therefore, do your part; repent, and be converted, because
Christ is ready to do his, in turning you from your iniquities,
and so blessing you.”
|
[Previous] [Next] |
Matthew Henry |
|
Back to Bibles Net . Com – Online Christian Library Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary – Free Download |
Copyright 2008. Bibles Net. Com. All Rights Reserved.