the Third Week of Advent
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Bible Commentaries
Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible Gill's Exposition
Ascension of Jesus; Appointment of Matthias.Chapter 2
Pentecost; Peter's Sermon; Birth of the Church.Chapter 3
Healing of the Lame Man; Peter's Sermon.Chapter 4
Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin; Early Church's Unity.Chapter 5
Ananias and Sapphira; Apostles' Miracles and Imprisonment.Chapter 6
Selection of the Seven Deacons; Stephen's Ministry.Chapter 7
Stephen's Speech and Martyrdom.Chapter 8
Persecution; Philip's Ministry in Samaria and with the Eunuch.Chapter 9
Conversion of Saul; Peter's Miracles.Chapter 10
Cornelius' Vision; Peter's Vision and Visit.Chapter 11
Peter's Defense; Antioch's Church and Its Growth.Chapter 12
James' Martyrdom; Peter's Miraculous Escape from Prison.Chapter 13
Paul and Barnabas' First Missionary Journey Begins.Chapter 14
Paul and Barnabas' Ministry; Return to Antioch.Chapter 15
Jerusalem Council's Decision on Gentile Believers.Chapter 16
Paul's Second Journey; Lydia's Conversion; Imprisonment in Philippi.Chapter 17
Paul in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens.Chapter 18
Paul in Corinth; Return to Antioch.Chapter 19
Paul in Ephesus; Riot at the Temple of Artemis.Chapter 20
Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders; Journey to Jerusalem.Chapter 21
Paul's Arrival in Jerusalem; Arrest.Chapter 22
Paul's Defense Before the Crowd.Chapter 23
Paul Before the Sanhedrin; Conspiracy Against Him.Chapter 24
Paul's Trial Before Felix.Chapter 25
Paul Before Festus; Appeal to Caesar.Chapter 26
Paul's Defense Before King Agrippa.Chapter 27
Paul's Voyage to Rome; Shipwreck.Chapter 28
Paul in Rome; Ministry and Witness.
- Acts
by John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO ACTS
This book, in some copies, is called, "The Acts of the holy Apostles". It contains an history of the ministry and miracles of the apostles of Christ, and is a sort of a journal of their actions, from whence it takes its name. It begins at the ascension of Christ, and reaches to the imprisonment of the Apostle Paul at Rome; and is a history of upwards of thirty years: it gives an account of the first Gospel church at Jerusalem, and of the progress of the Gospel there, and in Judea, by the means of all the apostles, and particularly Peter, the minister of the circumcision, and who also first opened the door of faith to the Gentiles: it shows how the Gospel went forth from Jerusalem, and was spread in the Gentile world, especially by the Apostle Paul, whose companion Luke was, that was the writer of this book; for that it was written by him is very evident from the beginning of it, it being dedicated to the same person his Gospel is, and of which he makes mention; and in the Complutensian edition the book is called, "The Acts of the Apostles of Saint Luke the Evangelist"; and so the title of it in the Syriac version is, "the Book of the Acts: that is, the history of the blessed apostles, which my Lord Luke the Evangelist collected for the saints". It was by him written in the Greek language; and we are told a, that there was a version of it into the Hebrew language, and which was laid up in the library of the Jews at Tiberias; and is cited by R. Azarias b under the name of הפעולות, "the Acts": of the authority of this book there has been no doubt, among the ancients, only Cerinthus the heretic endeavoured to discredit it; and it was not received by another sort of heretics called Severiani, from Severus, a disciple of Tatian c. It is a most excellent and useful work, showing the first planting of Christianity, and of Christian churches, both among the Jews and Gentiles; the spread and progress of the Gospel in several parts of the world; what sufferings the apostles endured for the sake of it; and with what patience and courage they bore them; and what success attended them; and is a standing proof and confirmation of the Christian religion.
a Epiphan. Contr. Haeres. l. 1. Haeres. 30. b Meor Enayim, p. 167. c Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 4. c. 29.
