CHAP. of the Jews, When Pilate, therefore, heard these words, he was the more 1 afraid, but is afraid and went again into the judgmenthall, and saith unto Jesus, "Whence art thou?" But Jesus gave him 10 no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, " Wilt thou not speak unto me? Dost, thou not know that I have power to crucify thee, and 11 have power to let thee go?" Jesus answered, "Thou couldst have no power against me, unless it had been given thee from above; but concerning this matter, he that delivered me up to thee hath greater 12 sin." On this account Pilate was desirous to release him; but the Jews cried out, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Cesar's friend: every one that setteth himself up for a king, opposeth Cesar.' and con 13 sents that Jesus 22 XIX. read this title, for the place where CHAP. diers take Then the Jews, after fastening 23 Jesus to the cross, took his outer The solgarments, and made four parts, to his clothes. every soldier a part; and his coat which was woven without a seam from the top throughout. They 24 said, therefore, among themselves, "Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be;" whereby this scripture was fulfilled, which saith, They divided my gar- Psalm ments among them, and for my hements vesture they cast lots." things the soldiers did. When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment-seat, in a place should be called the Pavement, but in Hecrucified. brew, Gabbatha. Now it was the 14 preparation of the paschal-sabbath, and about the sixth hour, when he said unto the Jews, "Behold! 15 your king." But they cried out, "Put him to death! put him to death! crucify him!" Pilate saith unto them, "Shall I crucify your king?" fixion. So these xxii. 18, /mits the care of his Now the mother of Jesus, and 25 his mother's sister, Mary, the wife Jesus comof Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene, had placed themselves by the cross mother to of Jesus. Jesus therefore seeing John, his mother, and the disciple whom 26 he loved, standing by her, saith unto his mother, "Woman! behold thy son." Then he saith to the 27 The chief priests an-disciple, "Behold thy mother." swered, "We have no king but And from that time this disciple 16 Cesar." Then Pilate delivered him took her to his own house. up to be crucified. 17 After this, Jesus knowing that 28 And they took Jesus, and led all things were nearly finished, and exThe cruci- him away, and he went, carrying fulfilled the scripture, by saying, pires. his own cross, to a place called "I thirst." "I thirst." For upon this some 29 the Place of a Skull, but in He-filled a spunge out of a vessel full Psalm 18 brew, Golgotha, where they fast- of vinegar that was there, and after xix. 21. ened him to the cross, and two putting a branch of hyssop about others with him, one on each side, it, lifted it to his mouth. When 30 19 and Jesus in the middle. Now Pi- Jesus therefore had received the late also wrote a title, and put it on vinegar, he said, “It is finished," the cross, and the writing was, and bowed down his head, and ex"Jesus of Nazareth, the king of pired. 20 the Jews." And many of the Jews 1 He was more swayed by fear to condemn Jesus, lest disturbance and tumult Now, the Jews, because it was 31 should otherwise arise. XIX. pierces him with a XX. the tomb to go to the tomb. Now they both ran toge- 4 CHAP. the preparation for the Sabbath, Now on the first day of the CHAP, that the bodies might not remain week, Mary Magdalene setteth A soldier on the cross that Sabbath, which was out early in the morning while Peter and to the heart a great day, besought Pilate, that it was yet dark, towards the John go to they might have their legs broken, tomb, and when it was light she with Mary spear. and be taken away. Accordingly seeth the stone taken away from Magdalene. 32 the soldiers came, and brake the the tomb. She runneth there- 2 legs of the first, and of the other, fore, and cometh to Simon Peter, that had been crucified with Jesus; and to the other disciple whom 33 but when they came to Jesus, and Jesus loved, and saith unto them, saw that he was dead already, they" They have taken away our mas34 did not break his legs; but one of ter out of the tomb, and we the soldiers with a spear, pierced know not where they have laid his side, and immediately there him." Then Peter and that other 3 35 came out blood and water. And he disciple went out who saw this, beareth testimony of it, that ye may believe; and this tes-ther, but the other disciple outran timony of his is true,and Jesus him- Peter, and came first to the tomb. self knoweth that he speaketh truth. And when he had stooped down 5 36 And hereby was that scripture ful- to look in, he saw the linen filled, "A bone of him will not be clothes lying, but he went not in. broken." And another scripture Then cometh Simon Peter after 6 also saith, "They will look on him, and went into the tomb, him whom they pierced." and seeth the linen clothes lying, 7 Now, after this, Joseph of Ari-and the napkin that had been on the head of Jesus not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped up in a place by itself. Then that S other disciple who came first to the tomb, went in also, and saw, and believed; for they did not 9 yet understand this scripture, that he must rise from the dead. And these disciples went home 10 again. Exod. xii 46. Zech. xii. 10. ried by Nicode mus. 38 1 He is bu- mathea, a disciple of Jesus, (but seJoseph and cretly for fear of the Jews) asked leave of Pilate to take away the body of Jesus; and when Pilate had given him leave, he went and 39 took away the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus (who went at the first to Jesus by night) came and brought with him a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds 40 weight. So they took the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, according to the custom of embalming among 41 the Jews. Now in the place, where he was crucified, there was a garden, and in that garden a new tomb, wherein no one had yet been 42 laid. There they laid Jesus therefore, because that tomb was nigh, and that day was the day of preparation to the Jews. Mary; But Mary stood by the tomb on 11 the outside, weeping; and as she Jesus is seen by wept, she stooped down to look into the tomb, and seeth seeth two angels in white raiment, one sit- 12 ting at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, 13 Woman, why weepest thou?” she saith unto them, "Because they have taken away my master, and I know not where they have I The evangelist in applying these texts to Jesus, does not say that they were originally meant of him. 2 Spices in large quantities were heaped on the dead body, when peculiar honour was designed. XX. CHAP. laid him." And when she said this, she turned herself back, 14 and saw Jesus standing by, but 15 knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou?" She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, "Sir, if thou have carried him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him 16 away." Jesus saith unto her, "Mary!" She turneth herself and saith unto him, 66 Rabboni," 17 (which means, My master!) Jesus saith unto her, "Embrace me not now, for I do not yet ascend to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I shall ascend to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your 18 God. So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples, that she had seen the Lord, and related what he had said unto her. ties. 19 1 Then in the evening of that day, by ten of which was the first day of the bis apos- week, the doors, where the disciples were assembled, being shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, 20" Peace be unto you." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side, and the disciples rejoiced at seeing the 21 Lord. Then said Jesus unto them again: "Peace be unto you! As the Father sent me, so I send 22 you.' "And upon saying this, he breathed on them, and saith unto 2" Receive ye the holy them, Having opened the door miraculously, and without the disciples perceiving it. • He probably meant this as an earnest of the spirit, reserving the full effusion of it to the day of Pentecost. Thomas to But Thomas called Didymus, 24 was not with them when Jesus Backwardcame. The other disciples then ness of said unto him, "We have seen believe. the Lord." But he said unto them, "Unless I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." And eight days after, while the 26 disciples were in the house, and He is convinced by Thomas with them, Jesus came, sensible when the doors were shut, and proof. stood in the midst of them, and said," Peace be unto you." Then saith he to Thomas, " Bring 27 hither thy finger, and examine my hands, and bring hither thy hand, and put it into my side, and be not too backward to believe, but be convinced." And Thomas an- 28 swered, and said unto him, "O my Lord!" and, "O my God!" Jesus saith unto him, "Because 29 thou seest me, Thomas doest thou believe? Happy are they who have not seen me, and yet believe." 466 end of Now Jesus performed in the 30 presence of his disciples many other Design and miracles, which are not written in John's this book; but these are written, gospel. that ye may believe Jesus to be the Christ, the son of God, and that believing ye may have life through his name. 6 1 was now convinced. The other part to God, whose power and goodness in raising up his Lord, the piety of the apostle naturally led him to admire. 5 On sufficient moral evidence. Through belief of, and obedience to 3 According to the terms of the gospel. The first part of this exclamation relates his gospel. to Jesus, of whose resurrection Thomas 138 CHAP. I. sion of Christ. ACTS OF THE APOSTLES'. MADE the former relation, O spirit coming upon you, and shall CHAP. I Theophilus, concerning all those be witnesses unto me, both in Je The ascen- things which Jesus both did and taught, until the day when he was taken up, after giving his commands to the apostles, whom he 3 had chosen by the holy spirit; to whom also he showed himself to be alive, after he had suffered death, by many proofs, during forty days being seen by them, and speaking of the things con4 cerning the kingdom of God. And during these communications with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for that promise of the Father, "which he said, ye have heard from me; 5 for John, indeed, baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with a holy spirit, not many days 6 hence." Then while they were together at Bethany, they asked him, saying, "Master, art thou going at this time to restore the king7 dom to Israel?" And he said, "It is not for you to know those seasons of time, which the Father 8 keepeth in his own disposal; but ye shall receive power by the holy rusalem, and in all Judea, and in I. tles return and betake Then they returned to Jerusalem 12 from the mount, called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, The apos at the distance of a Sabbath-day's journey. And when they were themselves come to the city, they went into the to prayer. upper-room, where they usually 13 abode, both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the bro This book which would have been more correctly entitled, "A concise history of the Church of Christ, during thirty years subsequent to his Ascension," is, with every good reason, believed to have been written by the Evangelist Luke, A. D. 63, or 64. It is evidently a second part, or continuation of St. Luke's gospel, as appears from the beginning of it; and from its bearing upon it the strongest marks with respect to style, of being the production of the same pen. It forms a central or intermediate book to connect the gospels and epistles; serving as an useful postscript to the former, and a proper introduction to the latter. Besides the very interesting light in which this record appears, as a valuable 2 Of working miracles, and communicating spiritual gifts. 3 About a mile. 15 election of And in those days Peter stood Peter pro- up in the midst of the disciples, poses the the number of whom then present some one was about an hundred and twenty, to succeed and said, "Brethren, it was neJudas. cessary for that scripture to be ful16 filled, which the holy spirit spake before by the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was guide 17 to those who took Jesus, and who was numbered with us, and had his part allotted him in this service, in which we are engaged. 18' (Now this man was the cause of a field being purchased with the reward of his iniquity, and afterwards fell down flat and burst, so that 19 all his bowels gushed out. And this was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called, Aceldama, that is, the 20 Field of Blood). For it is written in the book of Psalms, "Let his haIxix. 25. bitation be desolate, and let no one dwell therein.” And in another place, "Let another take his office." Out of these men therefore 21 who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus was amongst 22 us, from the time he was baptized by John, to the day of his being taken up from us, one should be appointed to be a witness with us of his resurrection." Psalm Psalm fix 8. II. Effusion of the holy Now when the day of Pentecost CHAP. was come, the apostles were all with one mind in the same place; when suddenly there was a noise spirit. from heaven, like the rushing of a mighty wind, which filled all the room where they were sitting. And they saw, as it were, tongues 3 of fire distributing themselves, and sitting upon each of them, and 4 they were all filled with a holy spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as that spirit gave them utterance. Now there 5 were dwelling at Jerusalem at that time, Jews, religious men, out of many nations under heaven. And when this report was spread 6 abroad, the multitude came together, and were perplexed, because every man heard the apostles speak in his own language. And they 7 were all amazed and wondered, saying one to another, "Behold, are not all those who are speaking, Galileans? How then do we hear 8 every man in our own language, in which we were born! We who are Parthians and Medes, and 9 Persians, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, of Judea, and Cappadocia, of Pontus, and the western part of the Lesser Asia, of Phrygia, and 10 Pamphylia, of Egypt, and of the parts of Lybia about Cyrene, and strangers from Rome, both native Jews, and proselytes, Cretans, 11 also, and Arabians; we hear them speaking in our own languages the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed, and doubt- 12 ed, saying one to another, "What can this mean. But others scof- 13 fing, said, "These men are full of new wine." |