Acts 28

Notes

Reflections.—Barbarous heathens often far exceed many professed Christians in their kind compassion to shipwrecked mariners. And richly are they here rewarded of God with the healing of their sick, and no doubt much instruction for the salvation of their souls. We must never hastily judge of the external dispensations of Providence, nor run from one extreme to another. There is great danger in thinking uncharitably of the distressed, or too honourably of the prosperous. And it is God's will, not idols or charms, that can render our attempts successful. If we sincerely aim at honouring God, he will procure sufficient honour, comfort, and kindness for us, go where we will. But awful is the enmity of carnal minds against Christ, that his religion, notwithstanding all its purity, dignity, and benevolence, should be everywhere spoken against, and that any should be loaded with chains on his account.—And for the advantage of souls, ministers should be careful to prevent, avert, or remove whatever groundless prejudices can be conceived against them. But let them do what they will, the gospel will be to many a savour of death unto death. And dreadful indeed is the experience of this. But it is a great mercy if any are made to believe; and if ministers can be useful, even under persecuting restraints, and can devote their house, as well as their heart, lips, and hands, to the service of Jesus Christ

Concluding Remarks on the Acts of the Apostles.

The 'ACTS OF THE APOSTLES' possesses all the characteristics of other scriptural histories—brevity; impartiality; selection of what is valuable for instruction; neglect of what is merely curious; tenderness towards the persons of the wicked, but unflinching condemnation of their sins; a continuous reference of all events to God, with an overwhelming desire to promote his glory by the conversion of sinners. The whole book presents, not so much a history as a specimen of the primitive church; but that specimen amply sufficient, not merely to attest the miraculous origin of Christianity, but also to exhibit those moral qualities—those graces of the Spirit—by which, as 'outward and ordinary means,' the gospel was originally propagated; and by which alone it can continue to be propagated, where miraculous powers are not bestowed—graces of the Spirit, more or less common to all true believers, and without which, even the eye of the prophet penetrating the depths of futurity, the tongue of inspiration expounding all mysteries, with the arm of faith miraculously removing mountains—are all 'nothing,' 1 Co. 13. 2. Accordingly it will be seen that one of the first moral qualities—one of the first graces—of the primitive church was absolute dependence upon God, evidencing itself in an earnest desire for his Spirit, and in continued waiting upon his promise and providence in prayer, ch. 1. 4, 14, 24; 2. 46; 6. 4-6; 9. 11; 10. 9; 12. 5; 16. 16. A second distinguishing feature of the primitive church appears in the spirit of liberality of the rich towards the poor, and their personal indifference, as individuals, to the acquirement and accumulation of wealth, ch. 2. 44, 45; 5. 4; 8. 18-20. A third characteristic may be seen in the order and efficiency with which their temporal affairs were conducted, as manifested in that most difficult department, the comfortable support of the poor, ch. 6. 1-6. This part of primitive Christianity was, most probably, derived from the Mosaic institutions, in which provision for the widow, the fatherless, the poor, and even the stranger, occupied a conspicuous place. And, in this characteristic, had the modern imitated the primitive churches more, the interference of human law on behalf of the poor would have been quite unnecessary; and although it is certain pauperism would not have been annihilated, there is little question that it would have been diminished; and the unexpensive machinery of the deaconship would have been amply sufficient for distinguishing between the really necessitous and the indolent impostor, and collection and outlay of the ample finance of benevolence. A fourth characteristic of the primitive church may be seen in the profound respect with which the apostles regarded, in things temporal, 'the powers that be,' and the faithfulness and courage with which, in things spiritual, they declared their determination to 'obey God rather than man,' ch. 4. 13-20; 16. 37; 25. 11. A fifth speciality in the primitive church is founded in the coexistence of a fixed and itinerant or superintendent ministry. The fixed ministry lay in the hands of the deacons managing the temporalities, and of the elders labouring in the spiritualities, ch. 6. 1-6; 14. 23; 20. 17, 28; the itinerant or superintendent in the hands of the apostles and their companions, as qualified and designated by the Holy Spirit, and prayerfully appointed by their brethren, ch. 11. 22, 23; 13. 2, 3; 15. 36-41; 16. 4-13. Upon this characteristic there is immediately ingrafted a sixth—the primitive was essentially, if not totally, a missionary church—a church of missionaries. But there is a speciality in this characteristic not to be overlooked—the primitive church did not intend to become missionary—the very apostles did not at first understand either the nature, object, or extent of their original commission. And when the eyes of an apostle were opened, as it were, by light from heaven, the body of the church took offence, and he was necessitated to justify himself for obeying a heavenly vision, and preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, ch. 10. 9-16, 34, 35, 45; 11. 1-3, 18. Christianity alone has been able to grapple with and overcome the prejudices of caste and colour. Christianity alone infuses a heaven-born ambition—an ambition that aims at universal conquest and universal monarchy—a conquest of truth over error, of love over enmity; and a monarchy of which the meek and lowly Jesus is the sole King and Head. Among the many internal evidences of Christianity, the early eradication of national prejudices, and the cordial reconciliation and fellowship of the Jews with the Gentiles, presents one, in the form of a moral transformation, never to be accounted for by any power inferior to that of him in whose hands are the hearts of all men, and who turneth them (if they will) as the rivers of water in the valleys. The last characteristic of the primitive church specially demanding notice is presented in the humility of its rulers, and the simplicity of its government. This is no place for any discussion of the comparative merits of mere forms of church government. But one fact every true Christian will admit—that whatever form approaches nearest to that historically depicted in the Acts of the Apostles, must be acknowledged as the true model by all who seek and find their religion in the Bible, and the Bible alone. But to whatever conclusion Christians may come concerning the original form of the church and its binding nature as a model to future times, one thing they will do well to observe—that no outward form can supply the lack of truth and charity, 1 Co. 13. 1-6; a world renounced and self-denied, Mat. 16. 24; Ro. 12. 1, 2; of Christ crucified before the eyes, and of Christ reigning in the heart, Ga. 3. 1; Col. 1. 27; that heart renewed by the indwelling Spirit of God, and thereby rendered an abiding place for the Father and the Son, 1 Co. 3. 16; Jn. 14. 23. Without these, ministers and churches are 'nothing;' with these, they either have all that they need, or, if anything be wanting, or anything superfluous, God will assuredly reveal it to them in his own time, Phi. 3. 15.

Before closing our remarks on the Book of Acts, let us direct a moment's attention, not to the whole, but to a few peculiar features in the character of Paul. (1) One of the first features of his character, as exemplified in his actions, is that perfect and undivided energy with which he devoted himself to one object. As a Jewish persecutor he did nothing but persecute; as a Christian apostle he did nothing but journey, visit, pray, preach, and write. Even when by a necessity arising from the poverty of a persecuted church, he was compelled to labour for his daily bread, he still continued to 'reason in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuade both the Jews and the Gentiles,' ch. 18. 4. And when this interval was past, with what undivided purpose and energy he again devoted himself to his one work, the brief notices in the 'Acts,' and the cursory review in one of his epistles, will sufficiently demonstrate. Hear his own account, the truth of which was right well known to the churches:—'In journeyings often—in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches,' 2 Co. 11. 26. (2) Immediately connected with the foregoing trait of character, or rather intimately and inseparably blended with it, appears that endurance of fatigue which seems to imply an iron-like constitution of body, with that endurance of insults, injuries, and ingratitude which depends upon a crucified spirit. (3) It is unnecessary to record more than a passing remark upon the personal courage with which he was endowed, which, in prophetic view of 'bonds and imprisonments,' could easily reply to all the dissuasion of his friends, 'None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself.' (4) With similar brevity may be noted that remarkable decision by which he was distinguished. When even Peter vacillated, Paul remained unshaken; when Peter 'was to be blamed,' Paul 'withstood him to the face.' A truth once confirmed, he never doubts; a prejudice once uprooted, he never suffers to be replanted; a purpose once formed, no obstruction can induce him to relax his efforts for its accomplishment. He uniformly acts as one who has 'set the Lord before him,' and therefore, whatever may betide him, can never be unduly moved. (5) The last characteristic we shall select from among many may be discovered in that perfect readiness with which he meets the difficulties of every emergency in his laborious and eventful life. No doubt this, like every other quality noticed, was 'the gift of God,' in fulfilment of his gracious promise to his disciples of a 'strength' sufficient for 'their day.' Still we are not the less, upon that account, to note or admire the gift; in fact, our admiration should only be the greater, when to the worth of the possessor is superadded the grace of the donor. Every remarkable incident of his life exemplifies the readiness of the apostle—take the examples of his use of the Greek tongue with Lysias (ch. 21. 37), his immediate transition to Hebrew when he addresses the Jews, who, be it observed, did not generally speak the Hebrew, but who nevertheless honoured it above all languages. Note also the readiness with which he justly put forward his faith in the resurrection, whereby he roused the Pharisees against the Sadducees, while he engaged the Pharisees themselves to a more attentive consideration of the evidences of the resurrection of Jesus, ch. 23. 6. Mark again the readiness and graphic accuracy with which he distinguishes between Felix and Agrippa, seizing at a glance the distinctive peculiarities of each, flattering neither, but conciliating both, ch. 24. 10; 26. 2, 3. With similar readiness he appeals to Cesar (ch. 25. 11); for the time had now arrived when, had he willingly returned to Jerusalem, he had been guilty of his own death. But the most striking example of this wonderful readiness for all emergencies appears during his voyage to Rome, a readiness the more wonderful, that there appears no trace of his previous acquaintance with maritime affairs; nevertheless we find him (ch. 27. 9) admonishing the captain of the ship and officers of the imperial army of the future disasters of the voyage. When the cowardly sailors are about to become the first to desert their ship, we find him detaining them on board as the agents and securities of the general safety; and when crew and passengers were alike exhausted with labour and fasting, we find him again, by precept, example, and promise, cheering their drooping spirits; and when they had escaped from shipwreck, with the same characteristic readiness he 'gathers a bundle of sticks, lays them on the fire;' and, when bitten by a viper—the emblem of Satan's enmity when God's dear children escape from the moral storms he is permitted to raise—we find him, unmoved, cast the venomous creature back into the fire—the emblem of that judgment 'prepared for the devil and his angels.' Now in all these instances—and many others might easily be adduced—Paul certainly stands assimilated to the character of our Lord beyond any other apostle. Our Lord, it may be justly said, was never taken unawares or unprepared. He alone fully realized the words of the psalm (Ps. 16. 8), 'I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved:' and Paul, in an eminent degree realized his promise (Mat. 10. 19), because, in an eminent degree, he was filled with his Spirit. C.