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THE KING’S BUSINESS
ties in this matter, and surely go beyond what is written, and it is always dangerous to do that. There certainly is not à hint o f criticism in the inspired record. Mat thias was chosen by lot, and it is well to note that there was no use o f the lot after Pentecost. 'God had a better way o f mak ing His mind known than by lot (Acts 13:2). At first glance there seems to be a contradiction between the account o f Judas’ death given here and that given in Matt. 27:5 where he is said to have hanged him self. Infidels have tried to make much of this seeming discrepancy, but there is no contradiction hère. W e are told he “ fell headlong” and “ burst asunder,” but if he did hang himself as Matt. 27:5 tells us he did, and if the rope broke after he hanged himself, the result would very naturally be what is here recorded, so it is clear there is no necessary contradiction. All the seeming discrepancies in the Bible are only seeming, and it is only with the superficial student that they have any real force. Sunday, September 29 . Acts 2 : 1 - 4 . For ten days the apostolic company had continued steadfastly with one accord in prayer for the promise o f the Father (cf. Luke 11:13; Acts '4:31; 8:15-17). They did not regard the positive promise of Christ (ch. 1 :5) as relieving them from the necessity o f prayer, but as an incentive to and foundation for prayer. The women were there as well as the men (cf. ch. 1 :14). The day .of Pentecosti the day o f “first fruits,” i.e., the gathering o f the church (cf. Lev. 23:15-21 ) came at last. Not until that day came could the Holy Spirit be given. But now that the day o f Pentecost “ was being fulfilled” (see R. V. margin) there was no longer need o f waiting. God’s appointed time had come, and for us today, now that Pentecost has been fulfilled and the Holy Spirit therefore given, no one needs to wait ten days for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Indeed he does not need to wait one day if he meets the condition. There is no record o f any such waiting since Pentecost was “ fulfilled” (cf. ch.
4:31; 8:15-17; 9:17-22; 10:44; 19:1-6). The baptism in the Spirit is every believer’s birthright through the crucified, risen and ascended Christ (vs. 33, 39), and the moment the conditions are fulfilled this blessing will be ours. If we have to wait the difficulty is with us and not with. God. It is simply because we have not met the conditions. Apparently the disciples were expecting that the promise would be ful filled on that very day, as “they were all together in one place.” It was at, or before, nine in the morning (v. 15):. They were not only in one place, but they were also “o f one accord” (cf. ch. 1:13, 14; 2:46; 4:24, 32 ; 5:12). This unity doubtless had much to do with the bestowal o f the gift, and the absence o f this unity has much to do with the failure o f many churches today to receive it.. When the blessing did come it came “suddenly” (cf. ch. 16:25, 26; Mai. 3:1; Luke 2:13). There was not a moment’s warning. There was the roar as o f a hurricane. In the Greek great empha sis is laid upon the fact that this sound came “from heaven,” (rather, “out o f hea ven” ). It is wind “ out o f heaven” that- we need. We have too much wind o f another sort in our churches today. This sound “filled all the house.” The disciples were “sitting," not kneeling in prayer as they are so often represented, when the Holy Ghost fell. This is significant for the Lord had commanded them to “ sit down (Luke 24:49, see Greek) in the city until- ye be clothed with power from on high,” and they were doing literally and exactly what He had bidden them to do. And He always gives the Holy Spirit “to them that obey Him” (ch. 5:32). But there was not only “wind" out o f heaven, but “fire” as well (cf. Matt. 3:11; Isa. 4 :4 ; Jer. 23:29). ' The fire was in the form o f tongues, because the new power was to manifest itself in a tongue o f fire granted to them (v. 4). The tongues parted asunder (R. V .), or por tioned themselves out to each one o f them. In the story that follows Peter alone is made prominent, but each one o f them received a tongue o f fire. The tongues o f
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