THE name of the book in the German version would rather signify the History of the Apostles. No human history was ever written that could by any means compare in interest with the records of this book. The thirty years and over covered by this account, bring us from the ascension of our Lord to the triumphant condition of the church, when believers were found, and churches organized, in every part of the known world. Such unrivaled progress is delightful to contemplate. The church went forth conquering and to conquer. Rev. 6:2. But to suppose, as some do, that the church had its beginning with the commencement of this period, would be a great mistake; for the church had an existence in the days of Moses, or rather from the time of Adam. Steven speaks of the church in the wilderness (Acts 7:38), and David, as quoted by Paul in Heb. 2:12, says, "In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee." The Saviour speaks of the church as in actual existence when He gave instructions concerning our intercourse with our fellow disciples; for He says if an erring member will not hear the church, he shall be considered as a heathen man and a publican. Matt. 18:17.
The Greek for "church," ecclesia, occurs often in the Old Testament, one of the earliest instances being found in Deut. 9:10, where the word "assembly" is used to convey the idea. So the church is just as familiar an object in the old dispensation as in the new, and while the book of Acts covers so interesting a period in church history, it is by no means the beginning of church history. Neither do the rules of the church to be followed now begin with the day of Pentecost as some affirm; for the great Head of the church in giving His commission to His disciples told them to teach all things that He had commanded them, and that would embrace all the instructions from the Sermon on the Mount to His ascension, and in that sermon, as well as in many other places, we find that He teaches the obligation to keep all the commandments of the Decalogue. So it is just as true now as ever it was, that if we would enter into life we must keep the commandments. Matt. 19:17.
It is evident that many of the quotations from the Old Testament, used in the book, are from the Septuagint or Greek translation, made nearly 300 years before the birth of Christ. We will notice one instance. In Acts 8:32 we read: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before His shearer, so opened He not His mouth." This is a quotation from Isa. 53:7, but we find by examining that reference, that it is the sheep that is brought to the shearer, and the lamb to the slaughter. This would certainly be in harmony with the facts in the case, for sheep are sheared, and lambs were used for sacrifice. The Septuagint version of Isa. 53:7, however, reads just as it is in Acts 8:32,—the sheep to the slaughter and the lamb to the shearer, showing that the apostle followed the Greek translation in making the quotation. This would be the natural way to do, to use the version in common use, instead of going to the original which the people did not so generally understand.
Sabbath History.
There is considerable interesting Sabbath history in the book of Acts. Let the reader carefully examine these references: Acts 13:42-44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4. From these texts we learn that the apostles preached to both Jews and Gentiles on the Sabbath day, that it was Paul's manner, just as it was Jesus' custom, to do so. Luke 4:16. It was a peculiarity of Luke, as seen in the Acts, which he wrote, as well as in his Gospel, to mention as such any practise which had become a custom with those whose history he was recording. So we find him stating that Sabbath observance was a custom of our Lord's, and that it was also Paul's manner. One isolated instance of any occurrence does not establish a custom. Such an instance will be found in Acts 20:7. If holding meetings on the first day of the week had become a custom, Luke would have spoken of it as such in this case, but nothing of this kind is recorded. So the history of the Sabbath as found in the book of Acts is in complete harmony with the testimony of the evangelists in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, showing that the Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue is still binding and was observed by Christ, the apostles, and the early Christian church. Do we not desire, as sincere and faithful followers of the Master, to imitate this pious example, and keep the holy rest day according to the commandment? May the Lord grant that the warning of the closing chapter of the book may not be pronounced against us: "For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed: lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." But rather may the blessing come to us that came9to the noble Bereans who "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11. "Search the Scriptures," shall still be our constant motto, and in this research, the book of Acts will be made a matter of careful study. We have cause for the most sincere gratitude that such an important history has been handed down to us.
