TRV
Bede
Late Patristic · AD 500–800 · 6,271 passages across 45 books
Commentary
Acts 2:36
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
And the Lord, he says, He made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. Because Jesus is the proper name of that man whom the Jews crucified, just as Aaron or David are proper names of men: however, Lord is a term of power and majesty, to which every creature should rightly be subject, about which He Himself said to the disciples after appearing post-resurrection: All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, Christ is a title of royal or priestly dignity. For priests and kings were accustomed to be anointed with holy oil by law, and for that reason to be called anointed, a figure indeed of Him who was anointed with the oil of gladness, that is, the Holy Spirit above His companions by God, made to be our King and great Priest: a priest, namely, so that by the sacrifice of His passion He might cleanse us from all sin, so that, placed at the right hand of God, He might intercede for us even now; a king, however, so that, with all our adversaries defeated, He might lead us to an immortal kingdom.
Acts 2:37
· 2 passages
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
And having heard this, they were cut to the heart, etc. See the prophecy of Joel fulfilled, the flesh following the fire of the Holy Spirit, compunction's vapor follows. For smoke tends to produce tears. They begin to weep who had laughed, they beat their chest, they give their prayer to God as a sacrifice, so they might taste the blood of salvation, which they had previously invoked upon themselves and their children to their condemnation. It follows:
What shall we do, brothers? In Greek, it is rendered more: Show us. This word we frequently find appended to sentences in the works of those who expounded the holy Scriptures.
Acts 2:38
· 2 passages
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
"Repent," he says, "and let each one of you be baptized." Speaking of baptism, he first mentioned the laments of repentance, so that, following the custom of the Church, they might first immerse themselves in the water of their affliction, and afterward be washed in the sacrament of baptism.
And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, as the Lord says through the prophet: I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (Joel II). And what he added: And to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call, refers to that final testimony placed from the prophet, that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Ibid.). This particularly pertains to the calling of the Gentiles, who were far removed from the fellowship of the sons of Israel in both kinship and merit, and yet were to be saved by invoking the name of the Lord according to the prophet’s promise.
Acts 2:41
· 2 passages
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
And about three thousand souls were added that day. Where the baptism of the Church was first celebrated, divine mercy, by careful plan, gathered a number of souls equal to the confession of the Holy Trinity. And Moses indeed, on the fiftieth day of Passover when the law was given, commanded the solemnity of the first fruits to be initiated; but now, with the Holy Spirit coming, not sheaves of wheat, but souls were consecrated as first fruits to the Lord.
Those, therefore, who received his word were baptized. Another translation, according to the accuracy of the Greek truth, has it thus: Those indeed willingly accepting his word were baptized. By this interpretation it seems more clearly expressed that not some of those who had heard Peter's word, but all who had assembled to hear, willingly hearing this, were baptized.
Acts 2:44
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
And they had all things in common, etc. If the love of God is poured into our hearts, it soon surely generates love for our neighbor. Hence, on account of the double ardor of charity, the Holy Spirit is read to have been given twice to the apostles. It is also a great indication of fraternal love to possess all things in common, having nothing as one's own.
Acts 2:47
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
But the Lord added daily those who were being saved. In Greek it is read thus: But the Lord added to the Church those who were being saved, and then another narration begins.
Acts 3:1
· 2 passages
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple, etc. The apostles, about to enter the temple at the ninth hour, first heal a man lame from birth, and then, laboring until evening, imbue many thousands of men with the word of faith. For the teachers of the Church, coming toward the end of the world, preach both to Israel, who were first languishing, and afterwards to the Gentiles. For these are the laborers whom the father of the family brings into the vineyard at the ninth and eleventh hour (Matt. XX).
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. Which can be adapted to the previous sentence thus: Since the Lord daily was gathering the believers to his Church through the preaching of the apostles, the foremost of the apostles were going up to the temple to pray to God for the same thing, that is, so that he might always provide increases to his Church.
Acts 3:2
· 2 passages
And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful. The Beautiful Gate of the temple is the Lord, through whom if anyone enters, he shall be saved. To this gate, the weak Israel, unable to go on his own, is carried by the voices of the law and the prophets, so that he may beseech help from those entering the interior, by hearing the wisdom of faith. They place listeners at the gate by the prophecy of what is to come, but it is Peter's to lead them into the temple, to whom for a strong confession both the name of the rock and the keys of heaven have been given.
And a certain man, who was lame from his mother's womb, was carried. For the people of Israel were rebellious not only to the Incarnate Lord, but from the very first times of the given law, as if lame from the mother's womb. This is well figured by Jacob wrestling with the angel, blessed indeed, but limping (Gen. XXXII), because the same people, prevailing in the passion of the Lord, were in some ways blessed through faith, but in others lame through disbelief.
Acts 3:6
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Silver and gold have I none, etc. Indeed, the old tabernacle had the justifications of worship, and the secular sanctuary distinguished by gold and silver, but the blood of the Gospel shines more precious than the metals of the law, because the people who before lay mentally weak at the gilded posts, healed in the name of the Crucified, enter the temple of the heavenly kingdom. Otherwise, the blessed Peter, mindful of the Lord's precept, which says: Do not possess gold and silver (Matt. X), used to preserve the money placed at the apostles' feet not for himself, but for the use of the poor, who had left their patrimonies.
Acts 3:7
· 2 passages
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
And having taken his right hand, he raised him up. He who lifts another up also strengthens him with his right hand. For the word of the teacher is worth less in the hearts of the hearers if it is not also recommended by examples of one's own action.
And immediately his feet and ankle bones were strengthened. The term 'bases' is Greek in origin, and it is placed thus in Greek, which in Latin means 'supports': by which term it indicates that his steps were strengthened, just as some have also translated it into Latin. But it must be known that steps are properly called διαβήματα or πορίαι among the Greeks.
Acts 3:8
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
And leaping up, he stood and walked. And he entered the temple with them. The order of perfection is clear: first, he who had lain down rises, then he seizes strength, and thus he enters the gate of the kingdom with the apostles.
Acts 3:10
· 2 passages
And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
And they were all filled with wonder and amazement. Ecstasy means fear here. For ecstasy can also be said in another way, not alienated by fear, but taken up by some inspiration of revelation.
And they were filled with wonder and amazement. Another Edition for amazement, which is a state of being beyond one's mind, does not properly place ‘admiration’; because greater amazement sometimes leads the mind to a state beyond, and transfers it to higher modes of thought beyond the usual manner of thinking.
Acts 3:11
And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
All the people ran to them, to the portico called Solomon's. With Israel saved by the apostles, the entire world rushes to the thresholds of the true and peaceful Solomon, of whom it is said: "His government shall increase and peace shall have no end" (Isaiah IX). This is the stone cut from the mountain, which, with the earthly realm of faith's enemy crumbling, alone holds the peaceful dominion through the world (Daniel II).