Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
CHAPTER I.
DEDICATION.
1, 2. We see that this book is dedicated to Luke’s friend Theophilus, to whom his Gospel is also
dedicated. Doubtless this brother Theophilus, who is not elsewhere mentioned, was much beloved
by Paul and Luke. While it is more than likely that some eminent saint is here personally addressed,
it is pertinent to observe that Theophilus is a cognomen from Theos, God, and philos, a lover. Hence
it means a lover of God, and is here to be understood not only as specific, but generic, and applying
to all of the lovers of God in all ages. Hence, reader, take notice; if you are a lover of God, this book,
as well as Luke’s Gospel, is dedicated to you, since it is dedicated to all the lovers of God of all ages
and nations.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
3. I am so sorry that nothing has been elaborately revealed appertaining to the precious ministry
of our Lord with His apostles during the forty days of His glorified sojourn upon the earth between
His resurrection and ascension. It is merely here stated that He spent the time “speaking the things
concerning the kingdom of God.” Doubtless this explains the thrilling enthusiasm of apostolic
preaching relative to the coming kingdom, and their incessant buoyant expectancy of their Lord’s
return on the throne of His Millennial glory during their personal ministry. The kingdom of God is
the Divine government. It was predominant in Eden, suffering total eclipse in the Fall. It was
partially restored among the antediluvians, received a great impetus in the flood, flashed along the
patriarchal ages, thundered out from Sinai, was predicted by the old prophets, preached by John the
Baptist, our Savior and His apostles, and, during the Gospel dispensation, is to be heralded to all the
nations on the face of the whole earth, calling out the elect and preparing them for the Lord’s
glorious coming, when He will be crowned King of all nations and reign from the rising of the sun
to the going down of the same, “and of His kingdom there shall be no end.”
BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
4, 5. One of the puzzles of all Christendom, a problem which none can solve, is why the Christian
Church in all ages has not strictly adhered to the positive and unequivocal mandate of her Lord “not
to depart from Jerusalem” till the Pentecostal enduement of the Holy Ghost and fire had descended
on them. If she had faithfully obeyed this commandment of her ascended Lord she would have
conquered the world long ago, preached the Gospel to every nation, and thus brought back her
glorious King, restoring to the whole earth the Edenic state. This is the missing key-stone out of the
fallen arches of all the great ecclesiasticisms that have ever risen upon the earth. When the Holiness
people relax their grip upon this glorious mandate of our Lord, and send out unsanctified preachers
like the worldly churches, it will then be pertinent to write Ichabod on our escutcheon.