1 

1:1 The former treatise - In that important season which reached from the resurrection of Christ to his ascension, the former treatise ends, and this begins: this describing the Acts of the Holy Ghost, (by the apostles,) as that does the acts of Jesus Christ. Of all things - In a summary manner: which Jesus began to do - until the day - That is, of all things which Jesus did from the beginning till that day.

1:2 After having given commandment - In the Act 1:3 St. Luke expresses in general terms what Christsaid to his apostles during those forty days. But in the Act 1:4 and following verses he declares what he said on the day of his ascension. He had brought his former account down tothat day; and from that day begins the Acts of the Apostles.

1:3 Being seen by them forty days - That is, many times during that space. And speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God - Which was the sum of all his discourses with them before his passion also.

1:4 Wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard from me - When he was with them a little before, as it is recorded, Luk 24:49.

1:5 Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost - And so are all true believers to the end of the world. But the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost also are here promised.

1:6 Dost thou at this time - At the time thou now speakest of?not many days hence? restore the kingdom to Israel? - They still seemed to dream of an outward, temporal kingdom, in which the Jews should have dominion over all nations. It seems they came in a body, having before concerted the design, to ask when this kingdom would come.

1:7 The times or the seasons - Times, in the language of the Scriptures, denote a longer; seasons, a shorter space. Which the Father hath put in his own power - To be revealed when and to whom it pleaseth him.

1:8 But ye shall receive power - and shall be witnesses to me - That is, ye shall be empowered to witness my Gospel, both by your preaching and suffering.

4 

4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord - Imprisoned for his sake and for your sakes; for the sake of the gospel which he had preached amongst them. This was therefore a powerful motive to them to comfort him under it by their obedience.

4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit - That mutual union and harmony, which is a fruit of the Spirit.The bond of peace is love.

4:4 There is one body - The universal church, all believers throughout the world. One Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father - The ever - blessed Trinity. One hope - Of heaven.

4:5 One outward baptism.

4:6 One God and Father of all - That believe. Who is above all - Presiding over all his children, operating through them all by Christ, and dwelling in all by his Spirit.

4:7 According to the measure of the gift of Christ - According as Christ is pleased to give to each.

4:8 Wherefore he saith - That is, in reference to which God saith by David, Having ascended on high, he led captivity captive - He triumphed over all his enemies, Satan, sin, and death, which had before enslaved all the world: alluding to the custom of ancient conquerors, who led those they had conquered in chains after them.And, as they also used to give donatives to the people, at their return from victory, so he gave gifts to men - Both the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. Psa 68:18.

4:9 Now this expression, He ascended, what is it, but that he descended - That is, does it not imply, that he descended first?Certainly it does, on the supposition of his being God. Otherwise it would not: since all the saints will ascend to heaven, though none of them descended thence. Into the lower parts of the earth - So the womb is called, Psa 139:15; the grave, Psa 63:9.

4:10 He that descended - That thus amazingly humbled himself.Is the same that ascended - That was so highly exalted. That he might fill all things - The whole church, with his Spirit, presence, and operations.

4:11 And, among other his free gifts, he gave some apostles - His chief ministers and special witnesses, as having seen him after his resurrection, and received their commission immediately from him.And same prophets, and some evangelists - A prophet testifies of things to come; an evangelist of things past: and that chiefly by preaching the gospel before or after any of the apostles. All these were extraordinary officers. The ordinary were. Some pastors - Watching over their several flocks. And some teachers - Whether of the same or a lower order, to assist them, as occasion might require.

4:12 And each of these has three parts, standing in the same order. For the perfecting the saints - The completing them both in number and their various gifts and graces. To the work of the ministry - The serving God and his church in their various ministrations. To the edifying of the body of Christ - The building up this his mystical body in faith, love, holiness.

4:13 Till we all - And every one of us. Come to the unity of the faith, and knowledge of the Son of God - To both an exact agreement in the Christian doctrine, and an experimental knowledge of Christ as the Son of God. To a perfect man - To a state of spiritual manhood both in understanding and strength.To the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ - To that maturity of age and spiritual stature wherein we shall be filled with Christ, so that he will be all in all.

16 

16:15 Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature - Our Lord speaks without any limitation or restriction.If therefore every creature in every age hath not heard it, either those who should have preached, or those who should have heard it, or both, made void the counsel of God herein. Mat 28:19.

16:16 And is baptized - In token thereof. Every one that believed was baptized. But he that believeth not - Whether baptized or unbaptized, shall perish everlastingly.

16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe - An eminent author sub - joins, "That believe with that very faith mentioned in the preceding verse." (Though it is certain that a man may work miracles, and not have saving faith, Mat 7:22-23.) "It was not one faith by which St. Paul was saved, another bywhich he wrought miracles. Even at this day in every believer faith has a latent miraculous power; (every effect of prayer being really miraculous;) although in many, both because of their own littleness of faith, and because the world is unworthy, that power is not exerted. Miracles, in the beginning, were helps to faith; now also they are the object of it.At Leonberg, in the memory of our fathers, a cripple that could hardly move with crutches, while the dean was preaching on this very text, was in a moment made whole." Shall follow - The word and faith must go before. In my name - By my authority committed to them. Raising the dead is not mentioned. So our Lord performed even more than he promised.

16:18 If they drink any deadly thing - But not by their own choice.God never calls us to try any such experiments.

16:19 The Lord - How seasonable is he called by this title! After he had spoken to them - For forty days. Luk 24:50.

16:20 They preached every where - At the time St. Mark wrote, the apostles had already gone into all the known world, Rom 10:18; and each of them was there known where he preached: the name of Christ only was known throughout the world.