An Apostle Preaches

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words.” — Acts n. 14.

LIK the life of the Lord himself, it was after the Spirit had descended upon him at his baptism that he broke forth into a positive, aggressive ministry. In this respect the Church, which is his body, follows the same rule. Before the mission of the Spirit at Pentecost the disciples remained at Jerusalem, and remained silent there. Upward to God there was much sighing and crying in the interval, but no word going outward to men. It was a time to receive, not a: time to give: they waited for one great receiving, which should enable them to give out all their life afterward.

There were, first, prayer with one accord; next, the gracious answer in the gift of the Spirit; and then the positive ministry began. Now the apostles have received i power; and now they will become witnesses for Christ. t Beginning at Jerusalem, they will not cease from their q labours until all ends of the earth shall see the salvation a of God. x The multitude who had gathered round the disciples, and y had heard the wonderful works of God, were now divided L into two portions, — the overawed inquirers, and the light- ga hearted mockers. Thus far and no farther can signs and wonders go. The work of conversion, in its completeness, is i due to another power. Although the earthquake and the k storm may prove effectual to shake the heedless out of their lethargy, the still small voice must come after these signs L ere a human soul can be reached with renewing grace. The, j miracles of Pentecost avail to divide the multitude only into two classes: some were solemnised and amazed; others in the vanity of their hearts attempted to laugh down the whole matter as a drunken freak. But when the Word is preached with the power of the Spirit — the Word of God that goes like a sword through the joints and marrow — it will be found that the two classes grow into three. Besides the mockers, and the solemnised inquirers, the believers will emerge — those who receive the word with gladness and live by faith.

Having now received the power, the apostles will immediately exercise it. They will seize the opportunity of being witnesses for Christ. Peter, as usual, is spokesman. Prince, that is, “foremost,” of the apostles, he certainly is, in the sense that he is always ready to spring to his feet, and to speak for himself and his brethren.

Peter stood up. Possibly there were some private consultations between him and those who happened to be nearest as to who should first speak, and what line of argument the speaker should adopt. I could even conceive that John stood next the spokesman, and helped him with the quotations from Scripture as he went along. It would appear also (verse 14) that the whole college of apostles stood up while Peter spoke, that they might adopt his words as the testimony of all. He lifted up his voice, perhaps in a very loud tone, in order to reach the outskirts of the vast congregation.

Here the preaching of a completed redemption began. This is the first sermon. Since that time the preaching of Christ has exercised a great power on the world; and it must continue until, like the sun, the light of the gospel shall compass the earth.

In this first specimen of preaching peculiar honour is given to the Scriptures of the Old Testament. The preacher plants his foot on the Prophets and the Psalms as on a sure and everlasting foundation. All is grounded on the inspired Word. Further, this earliest example of a sermon is in the main a narrative. The apostles considered themselves to be the witnesses of a fact to the world. They depended neither upon argument nor rhetoric: they told a story, and looked to God for the power. At a subsequent period, even in apostolic times, it became necessary to intermingle doctrinal discussion with the narrative of facts; but at the outset it was testimony merely, and it continued to be testimony mainly to the last.

Even now the essence of preaching is the statement of a fact. When the Evangelist Luke at the commencement of his second book takes a retrospective view of his earlier work, he calls it a record of “all that J esus began both to do and teach” The doing goes before the teaching, and lies under it to sustain, as the foundation sustains the superstructure. The teaching is secondary, and subordinate to the acting: the teaching is of use only in as far as it explains and applies the action. It is what Jesus did that saves; and preaching is valuable only in as far as it explains and enforces his saving work.

Another feature of Peter’s sermon is that it presents Christ as the fulfilment of Scripture. The disciple had learned this from his Master. When Jesus had read the text from Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke iv. 16-22) he closed the book and gave it again to the attendant; and, presenting himself to the audience, he said, “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.” It is only when we read them in the light of Christ risen that the Prophets and the Psalms can be understood. It is when the sun rises and shines on them that all the gems scattered over the ground and partly embedded in the earth begin to sparkle like stars in the sky.

Towards the close of his discourse, Peter exhibits great skill and boldness in pressing home his doctrine to the hearts of his hearers. This is an outstanding characteristic of apostolic preaching; we must adopt this method if we would see the kingdom coming in our own day. If we draw weapons from the Lord’s great armoury, and suspend them in the air, that spectators may see and admire their sheen and sharpness, and if we then cease, our labour is vain. These weapons are made for wounding; and he handles them uselessly and faithlessly who does not bring their points to bear on the enemies of the King that lurk in human hearts.

In this case the preaching was successful: the sword went home. “They were pricked in their hearts,” and the wounded sought the Healer. The apostles led the convicted to Christ. The words of Peter generated a great thirst in many souls; the thirsty were led, on the instant, to the water of life. They gladly received his word, and the same day were added unto them about three thousand souls.