Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Acts 第1章

Acts 1:1. The former treatise— This former treatise, undoubtedly, means the gospel, which was written by St. Luke, and dedicated by him to Theophilus. See the note on Luk 1:3.All in this verse, cannot mean every one of the miracles and sermons which Jesus wrought and preached. See John 20:30-31; John 21:25. By all, therefore, we must understand only all that was necessary to be recorded, to establish the divine mission of Christ, and to convince mankind. All that Jesus began to do and teach, is a Hebraism, frequently used by the sacred writers, and particularly St. Luke; and signifies only "all that he did and taught." The phrase, however, may refer here to the account which he had given of Christ's ministry, from the beginningand first rise of it, (as he speaks, ch. Acts 1:2-3.) to the ascension (with which he concludes his gospe

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Acts 1:2. Through the Holy Ghost had given, &c.— By the influence and assistance of the Holy Spirit, with which he himself was anointed, "the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily." It is no wonder, considering how short a history we have between Christ's resurrection and ascension, that this should be the only place which speaks of his acting by the Spirit after he arose from the dead. His breathing on the apostles, and saying, Receive ye the Holy Spirit, Joh 20:22 confirms the interpretation that we have given. In the third verse St. Luke expresses, in general terms, what Christ said to his apostles during the forty days of his continuance with them upon earth. But in the 2nd, 4th, and following verses, he declares what Christ said on the day of his ascension. He had brought his former account down to that day; and from that day began the Acts of the Apostles.

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Acts 1:3. Shewed himself alive by many infallible proofs,— By infallible proofs are meant such proofs as amount to a demonstration, and cannot admit of the least doubt. Thus the actions of speaking, walking, eating, and drinking, are the undoubted proofs of life; and it should be observed, that the disciples had the same infallible proofs of Christ's being alive after his passion, as they ever had of his being alive before it. They saw him, saw the particular marks of identity in his person and countenance, in his hands, feet, and side, which had been pierced at his crucifixion. They saw him also eat what they themselves gave him; a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb. They heard him speak, and were by him commanded to handle him, and see that he had flesh and bones,—a command, which doubtless they obeyed, for the words, as ye see me have, strongly imply, that theyhad received the satisfaction offered them, by feeling his hands and feet. Certainly these were infallible proofs, as the sacred writer asserts: but what increases their certainty, is, that they were frequently repeated; not for one or two days, but for the space of forty days together. Whoever takes a view of the method and order in which the several proofs of the resurrection were laid before the apostles, must confess, that, as Christ required of them a reasonable and well-grounded faith, so did he pursue the most proper and effectual means for attainingthat end. For this purpose, instead of bearing down their reason, and dazzling their understanding bya full manifestation of himself all at once, we see him letting in the light upon them by little and little, and preparing their minds, by the gradual dawning of truth, to bear the full lustre of the Sun of righteousness rising from the grave; to consider and examine, and know that it was he himself; and to assure the world that it was impossible they could be deceived. And most certainly, never was evidence more fairly offered to consideration; never was the inquiry put into a more rational method, as, indeed, there never were any facts which could better bear the test. Speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, implies the giving them full instructions concerning the nature of his spiritual kingdom; which, before his resurrection, they did not rightly understand. Dr. Heylin observes on this passage, that "the Greeks weave long periods, by connecting many clauses with relative pronouns, participles, and prepositions, in one sentence; which, according to the genius of our language, should be divided into several sentences; whose brevity facilitates the attention of the reader, by holding it less in suspence." I therefore scruple not, says he, "frequently to change the grammatical construction of the original, and sometimes insert a word or two, that I may render the sense more intelligible, which is the principal purpose of my interpretation." Conformably to this remark, he reads the present passage thus: Acts 1:3. He had soon after his passion, shewed them himself alive with indubitable evidences, appearing to them forty days and discoursing with them concerning the kingdom of God. Acts 1:4. [One day in particular] being present with them, when they were assembled, he ordered them not to depart, &c. The reader will find in the note, on ch. Act 10:41 an answer to the objection raised from Christ's confining his appearance, after his resurrection, to his disciples and friends.

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Acts 1:4. That they should not depart, &c.— This seems a plain intimation that, after our Lord had met his disciples in Galilee, he appointed the apostles to meet him in Jerusalem, or perhaps accompanied them thither, and as man spent his last days on earth there; doing his last honour to the place where the Godhead had in a peculiar sense chosen to dwell, and where the most solemn ordinances of his worship had been administered. There is nothing for the words saith he, in the original, but they are plainly implied, and we have many examples in the best Greek writers of such a change in the persons speaking. Many others occur in the sacred writers. Compare Luke 5:14.Acts 17:3; Acts 17:3; Acts 23:22.Genesis 26:7; Genesis 26:7. Deuteronomy 2:13. This is the rather to be observed, as it may account for many prophesies of Christ in the Old Testament, where he is introduced as speaking on a sudden in an abrupt manner; which is not so usual in modern and western writers.

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Acts 1:5. Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost— Baptism was a rite of initiation, by which disciples were admitted not only among the Jews, but also among other nations. John the Baptist adopted this rite after the Jewish manner, making use of water for this purpose: but Christ's disciplesbeing designed for an office of a superior nature, to disseminate the gospel all over the world, and to govern the church of Christ after his departure, were instated and initiated into their office in a superior manner, God himself sending down theHoly Ghost in a visible form for this purpose. But something more than the mere consecration of the apostles was intended by this miraculous appearance; for bythese means, he gave testimony to the truth of all that Christ had said to the apostles: he declared, that whatsoever they should teach was the effect of immediate and infallible inspiration; and he gave them both knowledge of the divine will, and courage to preachit, in opposition to every obstacle which power, or wealth, or learning, or danger, or death, could throw in their way.

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Acts 1:9. A cloud received him, &c.— That is, some bright appearance like a cloud, accompanied by angels. It was for majesty, and not for necessity, that our Lord used the ministration of angels on this occasion. See 2 Kings 2:11. Our Lord ascended into heaven from the mount of Olives, at or near the place where he had been apprehended and bound, and whence he had been led away like a felon to be tried for his life, insulted, scourged, and condemned to crucifixion. He now goes off in triumph from the same mountain into a place and state worthy of his innocence and infinite dignity. See the note on Luk 24:50 and the Reflections on that ch

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Acts 1:12. A sabbath day's journey.— That is, about a mile. See the note on Luke 24:50.

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Acts 1:15. The number of the names, &c.— Of the persons. See Rev. ch. Act 3:4 and Virg. AEn. 6: ver. 763. An hundred and twenty was the number of a Jewish council. It is very likely that most of the disciples who met our Lord in Galilee after his resurrection, did either live in Galilee, in the remotest parts of Judea, or in Samaria, and were not now in Jerusalem.

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Acts 1:16. Men and brethren,— Literally, men brethren. So chap. Acts 2:29. See chap. Acts 7:2. Some have taken this for a Hebraism; and it is true, that it was usual with the Hebrews; but it was used also by the politest Greeks,—Xenophon, Homer, Herodotus, &c. Instead of must needs have been fulfilled, Dr. Heylin reads must be fulfilled. His place must be supplied by a new election, as in the sequel. See Acts 1:20.

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Acts 1:18. Now this man purchased a field, &c.— It means, Occasioned the purchasing a field. It is worth observing, that an action is sometimes said in scripture to be done by a person who was the occasion of doing it. See Genesis 42:38. Exodus 23:8. Romans 14:15. 1Co 7:16 and 1 Timothy 4:16. To what has been said in the note on Mat 27:5 on the death of Judas, we subjoin the following observationsof different writers. Casaubon observes, that Judas hanged himself; but the rope breaking, he fell down, and, by the fall, broke his belly. He supposes therefore, that St. Matthew relates only the beginning of the history, and St. Luke the conclusion. Stephanus, in his Lexicon, says, that when Judas had put the rope about his neck, throwing himself forward from the place where he stood, he burst his belly by the shock which he received; and with this opinion Dr. Whitby seems to agree. Hensius interprets the word απηγξατο in Matthew, he was suffocated by the anguish of his mind; to which he applies what is said by the LXX. 2Sa 17:23 and Job 7:15 and adds, "such a suffocation is wont to occasion a rupture;" which he thinks is applicable to St. Luke's account. Gronovius understands the word to signify he hung himself, but then he interprets the expression πρηνης εγεντο, falling headlong, in a passive sense, as if Judas's body, when dead, was cut down by some other person, and so burst by the fall. Lastly, Perizonius, agreeing with Hensius, understands St. Matthew as speaking only of a suffocation arising from a melancholy disorder; which sense of the word he proves from a variety of examples, But then he supposes, that thisdid not kill Judas, who afterwards threw himself down from an eminence upon his face, and broke his belly by the fall; which is what is referred to by St. Luke.

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Acts 1:19. And it was known, &c.— Aringhius mentions a funeral inscription dug up in the Via Nomentana, by which it appears that the fate of Judas became a proverbial form of cursing. See his Roma Subterran. p. 436. The best critics seem universally to read this verse in a parenthesis, considering it not as the words of St. Peter, but of the historian. Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, that the potter's field was the place where Judas hanged himself; and that it was not only bought with the money for which Judas had sold his Master, but stained also with the traitor's blood. See on Matthew 27:7-8.

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Acts 1:20. And his bishoprick let another take.— And let another take his office. Heylin.

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Acts 1:22. Must one be ordained, &c.— They must reasonably and modestly conclude, that it was fit the number of apostles whom Christ first chose, should be kept up, perhaps in allusion to the twelve tribes of Israel. But it is impossible, as well as quite unnecessary, that we at this distance of time should be able to assign a reason why the two afterwards mentioned, and no more, were proposed as candidates. Perhaps a longer and more intimate acquaintance with our Lord, might entitle them to a preference on this occasion.

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Acts 1:23. Joseph called Barsabas, &c.— That this Joseph was a different person from Joses, surnamed Barnabas, mentioned ch. Act 4:36 will appear more than probable, when it has been considered, first, that the character of Barnabas is given chap. 4: as if he had no where been mentioned before: secondly, this Joseph was surnamed Justus; but we nowhere find that Barnabas was so named,

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Acts 1:24. Which knowest the hearts— See Proverbs 15:11. 1 Samuel 16:7. Jeremiah 17:10.

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Acts 1:25. That he might go to his own place.— That is, to the place and state of lost souls. It was a maxim among the Jews, "He who betrayeth an Israelite, shall have no part in the world to come." The term his own place, or his due or appointed place, was very frequently used by the primitive Christians, who meant thereby to express a man's going presently after death into his proper place and state of happiness or misery. In the epistle ascribed to Barnabas, it is said, that good men go to the place appointed for them; and Clemens Romanus observes, that St. Peter suffered martyrdom, and went into the place of glory which was due to him, that is, his own, through the Blood of Christ. Ignatius says, "all things have an end; death and life are set before us, and every one must go unto his own place." Compare with this, what our Lord himself had said of Judas, Matthew 26:24.John 6:70-71; John 6:70-71; John 17:12. The word rendered part is κληρον, which signifies a lot, and may refer to the lots mentioned in the next verse.

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