Acts 10:38

10:34-43 Acceptance cannot be obtained on any other ground than that of the covenant of mercy, through the atonement of Christ; but wherever true religion is found, God will accept it without regarding names or sects. The fear of God and works of righteousness are the substance of true religion, the effects of special grace. Though these are not the cause of a man's acceptance, yet they show it; and whatever may be wanting in knowledge or faith, will in due time be given by Him who has begun it. They knew in general the word, that is, the gospel, which God sent to the children of Israel. The purport of this word was, that God by it published the good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ. They knew the several matters of fact relating to the gospel. They knew the baptism of repentance which John preached. Let them know that this Jesus Christ, by whom peace is made between God and man, is Lord of all; not only as over all, God blessed for evermore, but as Mediator. All power, both in heaven and in earth, is put into his hand, and all judgment committed to him. God will go with those whom he anoints; he will be with those to whom he has given his Spirit. Peter then declares Christ's resurrection from the dead, and the proofs of it. Faith has reference to a testimony, and the Christian faith is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, on the testimony given by them. See what must be believed concerning him.

That we are all accountable to Christ as our Judge; so every one must seek his favour, and to have him as our Friend. And if we believe in him, we shall all be justified by him as our Righteousness. The remission of sins lays a foundation for all other favours and blessings, by taking that out of the way which hinders the bestowing of them. If sin be pardoned, all is well, and shall end well for ever.

Anointed (ἔχρισεν) See on Christ, Matthew 1:1. Went about (διῆλθεν) Lit., went through (the country). Compare Acts 8:4. And healing The and (καὶ) has a particularizing force: doing good, and in particular, healing. Oppressed (καταδυναστευομένους) Only here and James 2:6, on which see note.

God anointed Jesus: it was usual to anoint their kings, priests, and prophets, unto all which offices Christ was anointed by his Father; hence called Christ, as in the Old Testament the Messiah. Of Nazareth: the apostle is not ashamed of this name, though given to our Saviour by way of contempt; he gloried in the cross of Christ. With the Holy Ghost and with power; Christ was endued with the Almighty Spirit of God, and with the power of it. Who went about doing good: all the miracles our blessed Saviour wrought, were works of mercy, for the benefit and relief of those upon whom he wrought them: he could have wrought miracles to destroy and ruin such as would not believe in him, which he was often provoked unto; nay, his apostles would have had him but to permit them by fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans, Luke 9:54 , and he would not. Healing all that were oppressed of the devil: the deliverances our Saviour so often wrought upon such as were possessed of devils, was to show unto them that he was come to destroy the works of the devil, aim to cast him out of the souls of men who were spiritually possessed by him; which also our Saviour did, so that it was a happy calamity for them, which brought them to Christ. For God was with him; God was with our Saviour, 1. By his might and power doing such miracles. 2. In his extraordinary love to him, Matthew 3:17 , and always hearing of him, John 11:42 . And also, 3.

Acts 10:38 . Ἰησοῦν — ὡς ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς , Jesus—how God anointed Him ) This being joined by apposition with the word , τὸ — ῥῆμα , depends on ye know . Therefore the words in construction have the same force as if it were said, Ἰησοῦς ὡς ἔχρισται ; which is equivalent to, τὰ περὶ Ἰησοῦ , ὃν ἔχρισεν ὁ Θεός . The sentiment is this, that Jesus, and that too as the Christ, was known to them.— ἔχρισεν αὐτὸν , anointed Him ) especially in baptism. Matthew 3:16-17 ; Luke 4:1 ; Luke 4:14 ; Luke 4:18 .— Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ καὶ δυνάμει , with the Holy Spirit and with power ) The mention of the Holy Ghost is often so made, as that there is added mention of that gift of the Spirit specially which accords with the matter in hand for the time being: as in this place, where the works of Christ are the subject predicated of, there is added, with power . So in ch. Acts 6:3 , the Seven, “full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom ;” ch. Acts 11:24 , “full of the Holy Ghost and of faith ;” ch. Acts 13:52 , “The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.” Comp. the words, spirit and truth, spirit and life , John 4:23 ; John 6:63 . The concrete and abstract nouns are joined in the same way as in 1 Peter 4:14 .— εὐεργετῶν , doing good ) All the miracles of Christ brought health and salvation, not injury, to men.

The genus, good deeds , is followed by the species, healings .— πάντας , all ) There had been, especially at that time, a great multitude of persons possessed and sick.— καταδυναστευομένους , oppressed by ) with unjust force.—( μετʼ αὐτοῦ , with Him ) He speaks somewhat sparingly of the Majesty of Christ, so as to adapt himself to the capacity of his hearers.

How God {q} anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (q) This manner of speaking is taken from an old custom of the Jews, who used to anoint their kings and priests, because of which it came to pass to call those anointed upon whom God bestowed gifts and virtues.

38. Now God anointed Jesus of Nazareth—rather, "Jesus of Nazareth (as the burden of that 'published word'), how God anointed Him." with the Holy Ghost and with power—that is, at His baptism, thus visibly proclaiming Him Messiah, "the Lord's Christ." See Lu 4:18-21. For it is not His unction for personal holiness at His incarnation that is referred to—as many of the Fathers and some moderns take it—but His investiture with the insignia of the Messianic office, in which He presented Himself after His baptism to the acceptance of the people. went about doing good—holding up the beneficent character of all His miracles, which was their predicted character (Isa 35:5, 6, &c.). healing all that were oppressed of the devil—whether in the form of demoniacal possessions, or more indirectly, as in her "whom Satan had bound with a spirit of infirmity eighteen years" (Lu 13:16); thereby showing Himself the Redeemer from all evil. for God was with him—Thus gently does the apostle rise to the supreme dignity of Christ with which he closes, accommodating himself to his hearers.

Verse 38. - Even Jesus of Nazareth, how that God anointed him for how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. The reference to the anointing ( Isaiah 61:1 ; Luke 4:18, 21 ; Matthew 1:16, 17 ; Acts 4:27 ) was necessary to represent him as God's Christ (see Acts 9:22 ). For the designation, of Nazareth , comp. Acts 2:22 ; Acts 3:26 ; Acts 4:10 ; Acts 6:14 ; Luke 24:20 . Oppressed of the devil . This ascription of disease to Satan agrees with Job 2:7 and Luke 13:16 . The word rendered "oppressed" ( καταδυναστευομένους ) occurs in the New Testament only here and James 2:6 , but, with its substantive καταδυναστεία , is found repeatedly in the LXX. and the Apocrypha, and in classical Greek, though rarely. A good example of its force is Exodus 1:13 , and of the substantive Exodus 6:7 . It means "to rule over oppressively, and by force." In the explanatory addition, For God was with him , Peter teaches what our Lord himself and St. John in his Gospel so constantly do, that our Lord's miracles were wrought by the power of God (see e.g. John 5:17, 19, 30 ; John 7:28 ; John 8:28 ; John 9:3, 4 ; Luke 11:20 , etc.). The unity of the Son with the Father would be taught later. Acts 10:38

38 . how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth ] It seems better to take the name “Jesus of Nazareth” as in apposition with the tidings mentioned in the previous verse, making the connection thus: Ye know the tidings, &c., “even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him,” &c. This is the whole scope of what was preached, that Jesus had lived as a man in Nazareth, but yet had been God’s Anointed, the Messiah, and shewn to be so by the mighty works which He did. healing all that were oppressed of the devil ] This is perhaps mentioned as shewing that the power of Jesus was to be not only over physical but over moral evil likewise, and this alone is mentioned because in the healing of the greater, the power to cure the less evil is implied. for God was with him ] As Nicodemus confessed, “No man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him” ( John 3:2 ).

(38) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. —In the Greek structure the name stands in apposition with the “word” in the two previous verses—“Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him.” The word “anointed” is used with distinct reference to the name of Christ in Acts 10:35 , and assumes a knowledge of the facts connected with His baptism, as in Matthew 3:16 , Mark 1:10 , Luke 3:21-22 , as the divine witness that that Name belonged of right to Him and to no other. Healing all that were oppressed of the devil.—The words seem to us to refer specially to the works of healing performed on demoniacs, but were probably uttered with a wider range of meaning, all disease being thought of as the work directly or indirectly of the great enemy. So Satan had bound the woman with a spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:11). So St. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was a messenger of Satan to buffet him (2Corinthians 12:7).