Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 1, verses 15-17, 20-26
12 They accordingly return, and giving themselves to prayer choose Matthias apostle in the place of Judas1 John, Chapter 4, verses 11-16
7 and by many reasons exhorteth to brotherly love4
4:12 If we love one another, God abideth in us - This is treated of, Jo1 4:13-16. And his love is perfected - Has its full effect. In us - This is treated of, Jo1 4:17-19.
4:14 And in consequence of this we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son - These are the foundation and the criteria of our abiding in God and God in us, the communion of the Spirit, and the confession of the Son.
4:15 Whosoever shall, from a principle of loving faith, openly confess in the face of all opposition and danger, that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him.
4:16 And we know and believe - By the same Spirit, the love that God hath to us.
17 In this chapter our Lord prays,
- For himself, Joh 17:1-5.
- For the apostles, Joh 17:6-19.
And again, Joh 17:24-26.
- For all believers, Joh 17:20-23. And
- For the world, Joh 17:21-23.
In his prayer he comprises all he had said from Joh 13:31,
and seals, as it were, all he had hitherto done, beholding things past, present, and to come. This chapter contains the easiest words, and the deepest sense of any in all the Scripture: yet is here no incoherent rhapsody, but the whole is closely and exactly connected.
17:11 Keep them through thy name - Thy power, mercy, wisdom, that they may be one - with us and with each other; one body, separate from the world: as we are - By resemblance to us, though not equality.
17:12 Those whom thou hast given me I have guarded, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition - So one even of them whom God had given him is lost. So far was even that decree from being unchangeable! That the Scripture might be fulfilled - That is, whereby the Scripture was fulfilled. The son of perdition signifies one that deservedly perishes; as a son of death, Joh 12:5;children of hell, Mat 23:15, andchildren of wrath, Eph 2:3,signify persons justly obnoxious to death, hell, wrath. Psa 109:8.
17:13 In the world - That is, before I leave the world.My joy - The joy I feel at going to the Father.
17:15 That thou wouldest take them out of the world - Not yet: but that thou wouldest keep them from the evil one - Who reigns therein.
17:17 Sanctify - Consecrate them by the anointing of thy Spirit to their office, and perfect them in holiness, by means of thy word.
17:19 I sanctify myself - I devote myself as a victim, to be sacrificed.
1
1:15 The number of persons together - Who were together in the upper room. were a hundred and twenty - But he had undoubtedly many more in other places; of whom more than five hundred saw him at once after his resurrection, Co1 15:6.
1:16 Psa 41:9.