A Commentary on Acts of the Apostles

by John William McGarvey

Publisher:

Transylvania Printing and Publishing Co.

, 1872

Overview

From the introduction: "Much the greater part of Acts may be resolved into a detailed history of cases of conversion, and of unsuccessful attempts at the conversion of sinners. If we extract from it all cases of this kind, with the facts and incidents preparatory to each and immediately consequent upon it, we will have exhausted almost the entire contents of the narrative."

Contents

Top Highlights

“During the personal ministry of Jesus, he authorized no human being to announce his Messiahship.” (Page 9)

“At the death of Christ, therefore, the old kingdom came to its legal end, and on the next Pentecost the new kingdom began.” (Page 16)

“They had heard him say to parties like themselves, ‘Repent and be immersed;’ and the first act they saw performed by those who signified their repentance, was to be immersed. When, now, he commands them to repent and turn, they could but understand that they were to turn as their predecessors had done, by being immersed. The commands turn, and be immersed, are equivalent, not because the words have the same meaning, but because the command, ‘Turn to the Lord’ was uniformly obeyed by the specific act of being immersed. Previous to immersion, men repented, but did not turn; after immersion, they had turned, and immersion was the turning act.” (Page 56)

“According to the law of Moses the high priest held office during life; hence, in deposing Annas, the Roman governor violated the Jewish Law, and the act was religiously null and void. Annas was still high priest by right, and for this reason is so styled here by Luke. The Jews, also, recognized his right, by taking Jesus before him for trial, though he, not daring to claim the office, sent them to Caiaphas. In his former narrative, Luke also mentions them both as being high priests at the same time.⁴ This is best explained by the fact that one was rightfully entitled to the office, and the other was exercising it by illegal appointment.” (Page 62)

Product Details

• Title: A Commentary on Acts of the Apostles
• Author: John W. McGarvey
• Publisher: Logos Research Systems
• Publication Date: 1999

About John William McGarvey

J. W. McGarvey was Professor of Sacred History in the College of the Bible. He is author of a Commentary on Matthew and Mark, Lands of the Bible, and Evidences of Christianity.