PETER'S address to his countrymen arose naturally out of the healing of the mendicant cripple.— "And Peter, seeing it, answered the people, Men of Israel, why are ye astonished at this? or why do ye gaze on us, as if we had by our own power or piety made him to walk?" Peter answered their amazement and earnest inquiring gaze. He addresses them as Men of Israel, and his whole sermon regards them as on that ground. He did not so much object to their wonder, as at their wondering at them, as though they were the source of the miracle. He at once removes the false impression as he had done in the preceding chapter (verses 14, 15); and he is precise in stating that they were wrong in thinking that they by their own power or piety had made the cripple to walk. "There had been neither magical craft nor any other supposed means of working miracles, nor is it because of any meritorious efficacy, so as to have obtained this for him on our own account." Those who claim to be Peter's successors teach that though it may be God's power that works, it is the piety of the saints that procures the desired bene a; and while we would not be caught by the superstitions of Rome, let us avoid an exaggerated way of speaking of successful servants of the Lord, such as indicates that they are more in our minds than the Master whom they serve. It was of Simon the sorcerer they said, "This man is the great power of God." Although Peter was a man of both power and piety of no ordinary sort by the grace of the Holy Ghost, yet these had nothing to do with the working of the miracle, and hence he promptly turns away the gaze of the wondering crowd from him and John to Jesus, God's glorified servant.
1. PETER REFERS THE CURE OF THE CRIPPLE TO THE GLORIFIED JESUS.—The God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant, Jesus, whom, ye delivered up and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he had judged that He should be let go. But ye denied the holy and righteous One, and demanded that a man [that was] a murderer should be granted to you. But the originator of life ye slew, whom, God raised up from, among [the] dead, whereof we are witnesses: and by faith in, His name, His name has made this man strong whom, ye behold and know: and the faith which, is by Him, has given him this complete soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I know that ye did it in ignorance, as also your rulers; but God has thus fulfilled what He had announced beforehand by the mouth, of all the prophets that His Christ should suffer" (verses 13-18). "The God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob;" shows that he is addressing the “Men of in such a way as to bring home the guilt of rejecting their Messiah most vividly. "The God of our fathers has glorified His Servant Jesus.”
“Behold my Servant whom I have chosen" (Isa. 42:11Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. (Isaiah 42:1)). He "glorified" Him after His death and resurrection, by setting Him at His own right hand. Some refer this glorifying to His life on earth (John 12:2828Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. (John 12:28); 2 Pet. 1:1717For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (2 Peter 1:17)). Others refer it to the present miracle specially, or to the whole of His exaltation, or to both conjointly. It seems to us to be the historic fact of setting the rejected Jesus at His right hand; although this miracle, and all the testimony borne by the Apostles, linked themselves with Jesus in the glory of God, and gave honor to His name. "God glorified His Servant Jesus." This is what God says—it is not Son. We know Mm (and the Spirit of God, who wrote this book, infinitely better knew Him) to be the Son of God. But we must always hold to what God says; and the testimony of God did not yet, and especially in dealing with the Jews, set forth all the glory of Christ. It was gradually brought out; and the more that man's unbelief grew, so much the more God's maintenance of the Lord's glory was manifested." Their delivering up of Jesus, and denying Him in the presence of Pilate, when he judged He should be loosed, and desiring a murderer instead, and killed the Prince of life, only showed what they were; but God has glorified Him; and His name through faith, now, is honored by God working miracles, such as the healing of this cripple. It is striking what grace will do. Peter, the very man who had denied his Lord, now charges the men of Israel with that sin. But he had met the Lord in resurrection, and had his soul restored, and so conscious is he of his nothingness, that he disclaims all power or piety, but at the same time so conscious of the forgiving love of Jesus blotting out his sins, that he can boldly challenge the" Men of Israel” with denying their Messiah. Even Pilate would have let Him go; but they denied the Holy and the Just, in the presence of Pilate. Messiah and Barabbas being set before them, they desired Satan's Son of the Father and denied God's; they preferred the destroyer of life to the originator of life. The Prince of life ye slew: God raised Him from the dead. The contrasts are very marked, and everything tells against the "Men of Israel" (We have considered all this more at length in chapter E.) "And by faith in His name, His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know; and the faith which is by Him has given him this complete soundness in the presence of you all" (v. 16). This assigns the cause for the miraculous effect which they were looking upon. It was the name of this Lord of life, faith in His name; the faith which is by Him, that had given this man strength and perfect soundness (1 Pet. 1:2121Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:21)). The apostle seems full of the all-powerful name of Jesus, and of faith in His name. There was nothing before his mind but the glorious name of Jesus, and he cannot but speak of Him. The apostles were the witnesses of Christ's resurrection; the "Men of Israel" were eye-witnesses of the effect of the glorious power of His name in the case of a healed cripple now before them. They had denied and slain Him through unbelief; His name, now that He is exalted, is seen to be all-powerful through faith in it. Thus, they were reproved and convicted of sin in denying and slaying their Messiah.
But Peter continues firmly yet kindly to carry forward conviction in their minds; "And now I know that ye did it in ignorance, as also your rulers." Paul was himself an instance of this Jewish ignorance, the veil being upon the heart in the reading of Moses, and he speaks in the synagogue of Antioch in the same manner as Peter here: "Because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath day. They have fulfilled them in condemning Him" (Acts 13:2727For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. (Acts 13:27)).
“Ye did it in ignorance, as also your rulers." One is sometimes inclined to be too severe with men for opposing Christ and persecuting Christians, and not to give sufficient place to "ignorance." Saul of Tarsus was as conscientious in seeking to destroy the Church as he was afterward in building 'it up; but he tells us, "I did it ignorantly in unbelief." Ignorance may lessen though it does not cancel guilt. There is as determined opposition to Christ to-day as in the times of His apostles, and much of it, one would hope, is from ignorance and in unbelief: for to sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth removes a man from the sphere of "ignorance" to that of malice and enmity, for which there is "no more sacrifice for sins" (Heb. 10) Jesus had said on the cross, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;" and this their ignorance, pleaded by the Redeemer on the cross, is precisely what the Holy Ghost now admits. This intercession of the Lord on the cross provided that, instead of judgment being instantly executed because of their unparalleled wickedness in denying and slaying "the Just One," full free absolute forgiveness should be proclaimed to them on condition of their repentance. And it is a national forgiveness of which the apostle is speaking, and a restoration of their forfeited national blessings, even including the return of Jesus Himself, and the setting up of His kingdom in power and glory.
Their rejection of their Messiah led to the fulfillment of "all things spoken by the prophets, that Christ should suffer" (Isa. 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6); Luke 24:4646And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (Luke 24:46)). The verb "to suffer," as in chap. 1:3, indicates "a definite single act." "Christ died for our sine according to the Scriptures." "God announced before that Christ should suffer;" hence they ought to have known it, seeing that God, by His prophets, had said before "that His Anointed one should suffer." Theirs was guilty ignorance, but still pardonable on condition of their repentance. Guilty of the ten thousand talents (Matt. 18:23-3523Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. (Matthew 18:23‑35)), the Great King remits it them—sending them the message of mercy that calls them to repentance.
This is the purport of what we have now to consider of Peter's second sermon.
2. REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION PREACHED.—"Repent then and be converted for the blotting out of your sine, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and He may send Jesus Christ who was foreordained for you, whom heaven indeed must receive till the time of the restoring of all things, of which, God has spoken, by the mouth, of His holy prophets since the world began" (verses 19-21).
This passage presents Israel's repentance and conversion as the precursor of—
1. The nation's forgiveness of sins.
2. Times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, "the great season of joy and rest which it was understood the coming of the Messiah in His glory was to bring with it.”
3. The sending of Jesus from the heavens.
4. The restoring of all things of which God has spoken by His holy prophets.
Christ had instructed them to preach repentance and remission of sins, in His name to all nations, "beginning at Jerusalem," the chief city of "the nation of the Jews," and the guiltiest of all the nations of the earth (Luke 24:4747And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)).
Peter is addressing them as "Men of Israel," in reference to Israel's blessing as such. All that had taken place as yet might have been only the commencement of a repentant remnant in Israel, that, had the nation, as such, joined them now, at Peter's word, in repenting of their sin in regard to their Messiah, it would have been all blotted out, and times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord would have come; and the glorified Jesus having come, the times of restoring of all things in their favor as a nation would have come, and thus the predicted kingdom of the Messiah would have gone on, with the converted Jewish nation as its center and Christ as their King, subjugating and reigning over all nations—they enjoying righteousness, peace under His glorious reign, and every earthly blessing as foretold by the prophets. This is what Peter meant, and precisely what the Spirit said by his lips, as God lingered in mercy over His sinful nation, "a people laden with iniquity.”
But why should this be so, some may ask, when God knew that they would not repent and be converted? Why, they might also ask, was Jesus presented as their Messiah before His crucifixion? and why were they laid under solemn responsibility, on pain of destruction as a nation, to receive Him, and yet He had destined Mm to die as a sacrifice for sin? "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world;" but His purpose and grace, as well as perfect knowledge, do not set aside man's responsibility, nor the sincerity of God in making offers to men in such a passage as this. Man had to be openly tested that God might be openly vindicated. They had the unbelieving heart at enmity with God, which preferred a murderer to the Just One, and they had rejected and crucified Him. When they had refused Him in His life-ministry, God raised Him to His throne, and through that very death proposed in His grace forgiveness on their repentance; and here He suspends that and all the blessings the prophets spoke of, and the sending of Jesus Himself on their repentance: and all would have been given them had they repented, and the millennial glory would have been immediately introduced. But on the definitive refusal of this, when preached to them with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven—culminating in the stoning of Stephen—a heavenly glory was opened, and a reserve of grace was exhibited in connection with this refused but glorified Man that God had purposed in Christ to bestow before the world was, but which could not have been manifested but for their refusing to repent and be converted.
This is what Rom. 11 teaches; but it does not close without telling us that though Israel's blessings are now held in abeyance during this Church-gathering period, a time is coming when the Deliverer will come to Zion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob. "So all Israel" (as Israel, not as brought into the Church, for there will then be no Church on earth to bring them into) "shall be saved," although "the wrath has now come upon them to the uttermost." The setting up of Christ's kingdom and glory on the earth is still suspended on the fulfillment of this word of St. Peter, which we are now looking at. It will begin with Israel's repentance and forgiveness at the second coming of Christ, and continue for a thousand years (Rev. 20)
3. STRANGE DOCTRINES.— Strange doctrines are sometimes taught from verse 21— (1), That it refers to the present, and the times of refreshing are such as men feel when they have repented and been converted. But this cannot be the meaning, for the word "shall come," signifies a definite arrival, one and the same for all, not a mere occurrence, and they are dependent on the Lord Jesus being sent, and men on the earth having " the presence of the Lord." “Until" (ἅχοι) Not during, as the advocates of the present spiritual sense of the passage wish to render it, but "UNTIL" (Alford). (2), The doctrine of universal restoration is also taught from the expression, "the times of the restitution of all things;" but this cannot be, for the prophets did not mean, by this restoring of all things, all men: it refers to the glorious restoration of all things in the millennial age—the Palingenesia, which is the theme of all the prophets from the beginning. They looked over the present period, and prophesied of these times of the kingdom and glory of the Messiah. (3), It is taught also that "whom heaven indeed must receive," means that Christ receives or takes possession of heaven; but this is unsuited to the sense and forced, and heaven is the subject, for the heaven receives Him meanwhile because the earth has rejected Him; but on the repentance of Israel He will come again, and then the earth will receive Him as the King of Glory. (4), Then again others make restoration fulfilment, and link "which" with "all things," and refer it to what is going on now: but "which" refers to "times," not to "all things." To render "restitution" by "fulfillment" is, says Alford, "against all precedent." (So also Dr. Lechler in "Lange's Commentary.") "The times of refreshing" are to be regarded subjectively; “the times of restitution of all things" objectively the one refers to the effect on persons, the other to the effect on things. Both will take place in the future, and the coming of them is dependent on Israel's repentance and conversion as a nation (Psa. 67; Isa. 2)
“By Israel's rejection of their Messiah, as now proposed to them in Peter's preaching, and definitively in the case of Stephen, the way was prepared for the revelation of the mystery,' till then necessarily concealed, that the period of Christ's rejection by Israel and the earth should be occupied in the calling and formation by the Holy Ghost of THE CHURCH '— the elect Body or Bride of Christ— to be the vessel of His sympathies and sharer of His rejection by the world, while He sits on the Father's throne on high; and also to be the sharer of His glory when He shall take to Him His great power and reign.'”
4. JESUS THE PROPHET SPOKEN OF BY MOSES.— "Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you out of your brethren like me: him, shall ye hear in everything whatever he shall say to you; and it shall be that whatsoever soul shall not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. And, indeed, all the prophets, from Samuel, and those in succession alter [him], as many as have spoken, have announced also these days. Ye are [the] sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which, God appointed to our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in thy Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. To you first, God having raised up His servant, has sent Him, blessing you in turning every one of you from, your wickedness" (verses 22-26).
Peter now confirms what he has said by reference to prophetic testimony from Moses downwards.
The Lord applies this to Himself in John (5:45-47), when He says to the Jews: "Moses, in whom ye trust, will accuse you: for if ye believed Moses ye would also believe me: for he wrote of me." Philip had no doubt this writing in his mind when he said to Nathanael— "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law did write, Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:4545Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. (John 1:45)). The people also, by asking John the Baptist, "Art thou that prophet?" showed that this prophecy was never understood to have been fulfilled by the raising up of any intervening prophet between Moses and Jesus. He was the Prophet Moses spoke of, as Peter now confirms it to us by his quoting in substance Moses' words. And like Moses He was a Prophet mighty in word and deed— a Mediator, Deliverer, Lawgiver, and Founder of a new dispensation, although as far superior to Moses as the Son is to the servant (Heb. 3:1-61Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. 4For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:1‑6)). Christ had been raised up in being sent to His own as their Messiah, the Word made flesh: for He "was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:33Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; (Romans 1:3)).
Now this great Prophet and Deliverer was come; and so Peter sets before them, not only the coming, the Blesser's arrival and rejection in their midst, but the awfulness of trifling with it. Whoever would not bow to Him and hearken to His Word was to be cut off, according to their own Moses' declaration— "And it shall be that whatsoever soul shall not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people." AH the prophets from Samuel, the next great prophet to Moses, and all his successors, have all announced the coming of those days. They were the sons of the prophets and of the covenant made to Abraham— "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:3; 18:18, 22:183And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)). They were the very parties who had a hereditary interest in all that their prophets had spoken of blessings to Israel, natural heirs of the promises of the covenant made with their father Abraham. The "SEED" was now come— "He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy SEED, which is CHRIST" (Gal. 3:1616Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)). They, as "sons of the covenant" had now presented to them the Christ raised up of God, and it was for them to declare themselves; and they had done so in the most awful way, having denied, rejected, and slain Him; but at His intercession God was willing to pardon it all, did they only repent and become converted, for the blotting out of their sins.
5. "TO THE JEW FIRST."—"To you first, God having raised up His servant Jesus, hath, sent Him, blessing you, in turning every one of you from your wickedness" (verse 26). "To you first," for they had precedence as the natural heirs, "sons of the prophets and of the covenant" (verse 25). Neither Peter nor his hearers yet knew of any other way for the Gentiles to be blessed, except as coming in under the wing of the Jews; and this was the sort of thing Peter here contemplated—not the Church in which there is neither Jew nor Greek (though the believing Jews were now indeed added to the Church for salvation).
"Having raised up His servant Jesus." This refers to the raising up in the flesh, doubtless; but as He had spoken of God raising Him up from the dead, the whole of God's act in raising Him up from Mary's womb to the throne of glory would now be before Peter's mind, and the minds of many of his hearers; for He was originally sent to bless them (Matt. 1:2121And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)); and now that He is at the throne of God, and the Holy Ghost has come clown from Him to the earth, the work of blessing in turning His people from their wickedness is still being carried on. As Christ in person preached repentance and conversion, so does Peter now preach repentance and conversion in the power of the Holy Ghost.
“Thus we have an appeal to the nation as such; for in all this, it will be observed, he does not speak a word to them of the Lord Jesus as Head of the Church; we have no hint of this truth yet to anybody. Nay, we have not Jesus spoken of, even in the same height as in the preceding chapter ii. We have Him in heaven it is true; but about to return and bring in earthly power, blessing, and glory, if Israel only turned with repentance to Him. Such was the testimony of Peter. It was a true word; and it remains true. When Israel shall turn in heart to the Lord, He who secretly works this in grace will return publicly to them. When they shall say, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of Jehovah," the Messiah will come in fullness of blessing. The heavens will retain Him no more, but will give Him up, who will fill earth as well as heaven with glory. No word of God perishes; all abides perfectly true. Meanwhile, other and deeper counsels have been brought to light by the unbelief of Israel.”
Persisting in their unbelief and rejection of their Messiah, even in His ascension-glory, "the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost." Because of unbelief they were broken off "from their own olive-tree" of promise, as God's favored people; and "believers" of this present period "are grafted in." The Church has been called out and united to her heavenly Head in glory; and the Gentiles, who compose it (as well as the Jews), have "be-come partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel," instead of sharing the promise made to Abraham, by means of the repentant and converted nation of the Jews under their returned Messiah when reigning in His glory.