The Kingdom's entrance into the world begins on the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit. God's breath permeates the Kingdom, forming its nature (or, more precisely, what replaces nature in...
The Kingdom's entrance into the world begins on the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit. God's breath permeates the Kingdom, forming its nature (or, more precisely, what replaces nature in the Kingdom). And afterward the spread of the Kingdom through the world continues in the same way: it becomes a continuous Pentecost, repeated again and again.
Not some other, new Pentecost, but the very same one, appearing now here, now there, everywhere there are people seeking the Kingdom and desiring to enter it. God's breath, the breath of the Kingdom, enters the world, but always through people. It cannot be otherwise: the Kingdom consists of people who have firm, stable, and completely real relationships with God and with Christ. These relationships form the structure of the Kingdom, insofar as they can be called a structure at all. Yet despite its apparent dependence on a person and his choice, the power of the Kingdom is fully real. It is so real that, once it has entered the world, everyone senses the effect of this power.
Of course, they sense it in different ways: although the power of the Kingdom can be felt anywhere and at any time, its breath, full of God's love, can be felt only by opening the heart to it and entering it. It is no accident that the Book of Acts so often mentions magicians who sensed the power of the Kingdom and left their former way behind. They felt the power of the Kingdom very well, but they could not feel the breath of God's love that stood behind it until they themselves became its inhabitants, and therefore Christians.
There is no other way: one cannot simply make use of the Kingdom. Some wanted to, like the "exorcists" who tried to use the name of Jesus to achieve their own goals. They had apparently heard the words about the name of Jesus by which one can be saved, and they decided that it possessed power in roughly the same sense as the names they used in their magical practice possessed power. The result was disastrous, and the newly minted exorcists barely escaped with their lives.
The power of the name of Jesus shows itself only when a person becomes an inhabitant of the Kingdom, and only to the extent that he has become one. It cannot be otherwise: God's power always changes a person from within, and God never merely wants to make a person His instrument by giving him certain special abilities. He wants to renew him, turning him into an inhabitant of His Kingdom. That is what matters most. Everything else is only forms and means, which in themselves give a person nothing.
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18:24 An eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures - Of the Old Testament. Every talent may be of use in the kingdom of God, if joined with the knowledge of the Scriptures and fervour of spirit.
18:25 This man had been instructed - Though not perfectly, in the way of the Lord - In the doctrine of Christ. Knowing only the baptism of John - Only what John taught those whom he baptized, namely, to repent and believe in a Messiah shortly to appear.
18:26 He spake - Privately; and taught publicly. Probably he returned to live at Alexandria, soon after he had been baptized by John; and so had no opportunity of being fully acquainted with the doctrines of the Gospel, as delivered by Christ and his apostles. And explained to him the way of God more perfectly - He who knows Christ, is able to instruct even those that are mighty in the Scriptures.
18:27 Who greatly helped through grace - It is through grace only that any gift of any one is profitable to another. Them that had believed - Apollos did not plant, but water. This was the peculiar gift which he had received. And he was better able to convince the Jews, than to convert the heathens.
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19:1 Having passed through - Galatia and Phrygia, which were termed the upper parts of Asia Minor. Certain disciples - Who had been formerly baptized by John the Baptist, and since imperfectly instructed in Christianity.
19:2 Have ye received the Holy Ghost? - The extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, as well as his sanctifying graces? We have not so much as heard - Whether there be any such gifts.
19:3 Into what were ye baptized - Into what dispensation? To the sealing of what doctrine? Into John's baptism - We were baptized by John and believe what he taught.
19:4 John baptized - That is, the whole baptism and preaching of John pointed at Christ. After this John is mentioned no more in the New Testament. Here he gives way to Christ altogether.
19:5 And hearing this, they were baptized - By some other. Paul only laid his hands upon them. They were baptized - They were baptized twice; but not with the same baptism. John did not administer that baptism which Christ afterward commanded, that is, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
19:9 The way - The Christian way of worshipping God. He departed - Leaving them their synagogue to themselves. Discoursing daily - Not on the Sabbath only, in the school of one Tyrannus - Which wedo not find was any otherwise consecrated, than by preaching the Gospel there.
19:10 All who desired it among the inhabitants of the proconsular Asia, now heard the word: St. Paul had been forbidden to preach it in Asia before, Actus 16:6. But now the time was come.
19:11 Special miracles - Wrought in a very uncommon manner.
19:12 Evil spirits - Who also occasioned many of those diseases, which yet might appear to be purely natural.
19:13 Exorcists - Several of the Jews about this time pretended to a power of casting out devils, particularly by certain arts or charms, supposed to be derived from Solomon. Undertook to name - Vain undertaking! Satan laughs at all those who attempt toexpel him either out of the bodies or the souls of men but by Divine faith. All the light of reason is nothing to the craft or strength of that subtle spirit. His craft cannot be known but by the Spirit of God nor can his strength be conquered but by the power of faith.
19:17 And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified - So that even the malice of the devil wrought for the furtherance of the Gospel.
19:18 Many came confessing - Of their own accord, and openly declaring their deeds - The efficacy of God's word, penetrating the inmost recesses of their soul, wrought that free and open confession to which perhaps even torments would not have compelled them.
19:19 Curious arts - Magical arts, to which that soft appellation was given by those who practised them. Ephesus was peculiarly famous for these. And as these practices were of so much reputation there, it is no wonder the books which taught them should bear a great price. Bringing their books together - As it were by common consent, burnt them - Which was far better than selling them, even though the money had been given to the poor.Fifty thousand pieces of silver - If these pieces of silver be taken for Jewish shekels, the sum will amount to six thousand two hundred and fifty pounds.
19:20 So powerfully did the word of God grow - In extent, and prevail - In power and efficacy.
19:21 After these things were ended - Paul sought not to rest, but pressed on, as if he had yet done nothing. He is already possessed of Ephesus and Asia. He purposes for Macedonia and Achaia. He has his eye upon Jerusalem, then upon Rome; afterward on Spain, Romanos 15:28. No Cesar, no Alexander the Great, no other hero, comes up to the magnanimity of this little Benjamite. Faith and love to God and man had enlarged his heart, even as the sand of the sea.