The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-21

8. ComIuonness OF possessions, 37-d7.
6. Healing of Lame Man, chapters and a.
Z. Ananas. 5 i'll.
b. Works and Trials OF Apostles, 12-52.
9. Deacons elected. g.
TO- St Stephen, T.
Part relates 10
l. Simon the Sorcerer s: 1-25.
9. Ethiopian Ennuch 1910
e. Saul's Conversion, ..
d. Cornelius and ST. Peters Defense, 10 and
II.
>. Prosecutions, ~.
Part tells OF
ST. Paul's Mission Tours, 13 TO 21:I
Part reports
1. ST. Paul at jerusalem 81 II to %: %
z. st. Paul before Folk. % rs 10 n
3 ST. Paul before Festus aud Agrippa, % and
&c.
4. ST. Paul's Voyage to Rome and Imprson-
ment there, % and %.
ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT OF SITS. PETER
AND JoHN.
Data.
Acts, a: Ii. Chapter should be read care
fully.
Time
Summer of A. d. 80. sSsSome time after Pente.
cost. 81. Evening. v. }.
Ph4ce
Jerusalem. At the Temple. 81. Solomon's
Porch. >: Ii.
Occasion.
SITS. Peter and John were companions. 81 !.
In some measure, St. John had a share in the
healing OF the lame man. The cure OF the man
brought together a crowd Of persons. 1t was
an opportunity TO preach the Gospel aud St.
Peter seized it and improved it. He disowned
any direct connection with the healing of tho
man, save rs an agent, and attributed the cure
solely TO Christ's power. JIe then charged
them with Icing accessories to the crime of
the crucifXon of Christ; declared it terrible
sin deplored their gnilt; and called upon them
to have faith aud to repent. Some were doubtless
convinced OF their wekedness, for it is evident
that many were added to- the 3 600 Christians
Q Al; 4:4. But there were others who were
maddened. 4:2. They became spitcful, and
even murderous. As.
saddueces.
In Christ's time there were several denomi-
nations of persons-Pharsees. Sadducees. Is
senes, Herodians. As to Sadducees, sec st. Matt.
81: 1911, 6, II. u; %: % 81. We are not
quite certain as 10 the derivation of the name.
Some hold without much au thority, it is from
the Hebrew word Tsedakab which means
righteousness. The original of tile word
Pharisee signifies separation. The Pharsees
were separatists. They claimed to be better
than other folk, and kept themselves aioof from
association with those not of their order. They
were the pious class All the Sadducees cared
about was TO be fair, honest Just. The more
fuon view is that the word Sadducees is gotten
from Sad0c, a Jewish Rabbi, b. {. 300 a pupil
Of Antigonus, of Socho. His great phiosOphic
principle in the religious realm was the duty
10 do right from the intrinsic valne of right
ness with regard at all to the doctrine of
rewards and punishmehts. Hence originated
the body known as the Caraites. We have
many, however, who believe the 3adducees had
a pricstiy origin that their founder. or the one
from whom they were named. was Iadok, who
was made high priest in Soiomon's reign. l
XII, 3240; g: 80. Read, also, Eze, 40 46;
a: 10. And see how intimately the Sad.
dncees are referred to along with the priests in
Acts, 5 II.
The Pharisees had added to the written Law
an oral law tradition which far more
ouerous than the written Law given by Moses.
1t was trifing in its detail, and, yet in the
mind of tho Pharisees, was far more binding
than the written code. The Sadducees would
none of this. So the Caraites, Sadducee-ike,
gave no precedence as to the traditions of the
Talmnd-dcnied the equality of tradition and
paid it littlo regard They taught the bind
ingness of only the very letter of the Law as
given through Moses. The opinion that the
Sadducces recognized only the Pentateuch
seems an error, for we find no words of theirs
casting any discount ON the other portions of the
received Old Testament. They were fond of the
book Of Ecclesiastes 1t expresses their creed,
and is congenial to their philosophy of human
life.
The Sadducces were not fataistic in their
theological ideas of life. They advocated the
doctrine Of free viii.
Tho Sadducees believed in making most of
the present, which they said was the real and
certain. Existence beyond this world was
not clearly enough enunciatcd to form part of
a creed. They hence denied the doctrines of
the resurrection, angelic existences or spirits,
Immortality. Acts 1913. They were mater-
alists. They served good purpose in SO far as
they limited the spread of Pharisaic narrow
ness.
We find the Sadducees were an influential
class They were aristocratic in political way.
The High Priest who condemned Christ was
Sadducce. to wit, Caiaphas. We can see his
prudential idea in st. John, II SO.
Words aud Phrases.
]. As they spake. j. We have the speech of
ST. Peter. 3: 1926 Probably st. John also made
remarks; hence, they" There would have
been a longer conference had the meeting not
been interrupted.
g. Priests. l. They arc simply mentioned
here. In verses IA the Sadducees alone figure.
The priests began their specific attack next day.
VS.. . d.
3. Captain of the Temple. v. i. See Chr.
oil; Chr, 81 Il; Neh, IL: II. He had
charge of the priests and Levites then OH duty,
and was responsible for order in the Temple.
1t seems he had sone civil authority. See
5:2s. 9f"SI
4. Came upon them tsts Peter and John).
VI A degree of violence is implied. They
arrested the Apostles.
8. Laid hands on. 3. Made actual arrest. It
is principle OF law that person is not arrested
unless there be actual touch of the person by
the officers. We except assent to arrest, which
is arrest.
q. Grieved. 2. We're mentally panied aud
excited. stirred up with Indignation aud anger
z. Resurrection from the dead. We. This
doctrine was repudiatcd by the Sadducees. 1t
was not till the distinct utterance of this tenet
that tho Sadducees appear very conspicuously
in antagonism to Christianity.
8. Hold. 3. Prison. 5:l8.
8. Five Thousand. 4. Notice the develop
ment-lcO Il 15l-aOOO II :4l)-5,O00 a: A.
now miliiOns-f5i7 000 nm