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

eceived his Peniel sanctification twenty years after his Bethel conversion, and did drag poor Judas
Iscariot from the apostleship down to hell, also proved fatal in the case of Simon Magus.
APOSTOLICAL PRECEDENT.
14-16. “And the apostles in Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received the word of God, sent
to them Peter and John, who having come down, prayed that they may receive the Holy Ghost.” For
He had not fallen upon any one of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus.
17. “Then they laid hands on them, and they continued to receive the Holy Ghost.” Why the
church has utterly ignored this positive, clear and unequivocal Apostolical precedent, confirmatory
of the second work of grace in the plan of salvation, is to all ages an enigma indissoluble, recognized
by none but the fragmentary holiness movements since the fatal Constantinian apostasy of the fourth
century, thus elucidating to all Bible readers the indisputable fact that all human ecclesiasticisms in
all ages are actual departures from the New Testament church, following human dogmatism off on
endless diversity of sidetracks, into the darkness and morasses of Satan’s bewilderment; while the
irregular Holy Ghost revivals in the different ages, anathematized, persecuted and martyred by the
popular churches, are really the survival of the apostles and primitive saints through all the
intervening ages, daring to preach the unadulterated truth and walk in the precepts of the Apostolic
church. How signally you see this fact verified at the present day. In vain do you ransack the popular
ecclesiasticisms to find a verification of this Apostolical precedent. But I am happy to say you find
it everywhere among the different phases of the holiness movement, this day girdling the globe, and,
without financial resources, preaching the gospel to more heathens than all the popular churches with
their millions of money. No church can possibly sustain a claim to orthodoxy and ignore New
Testament precedent. Here we have a clear and unequivocal illustration of the gospel plan of
salvation transmitted to us by the infallible history of the Holy Ghost. No one will dare discount
those “roaring” demonstrative conversions under the preaching of Philip. But you see this is not
enough in the judgment of the inspired apostles. Therefore they unhesitatingly send out Peter and
John to preach to them the second work of grace, that they may all receive the Holy Ghost. What
think you of the churches and preachers who not only ignore this procedure, but antagonize it? Rest
assured, they will have trouble in the judgment day. No wonder God is raising up the holiness
movement in every nation under heaven and pushing it to the ends of the earth. In connection with
this movement He is raising up a grand army of evangelists, male and female, endued with
Pentecostal heroism, fearlessly of men and devils to preach and practice the gospel in its New
Testament simplicity, from the heads of the rivers to the ends of the earth, thus ushering in the
millennium and preparing the nations for our Lord’s return.
22. “Repent therefore from this sin of thine, and pray the Lord if perchance the thought of thine
heart shall be forgiven thee.” This verse confirms the conclusion that Simon backslid by yielding
to that old predominant phase of inbred sin, i.e., the love of money, which had played so conspicuous
a part in his former ministry. God help all the preachers to take warning over the sad fate of Simon
Magus and Judas Iscariot, and myriads of others, ruined world without end by the love of money.
No wonder our Savior condemns the hireling shepherd, assuring us that he can not be depended on;