Verse 52
52. Disciples Luke does not adopt the name Christians himself, but still retains the usual epithet disciples.
Filled with joy As the Gospel was a message of joy, so those who were filled with it were filled with joy.
And with the Holy Ghost And this was the source of their joy, their strength, and their firmness. Great is the power of Christian joy. A religion of gloom, of asceticism, of self-accusation, may be sincere and solid; but it wants the abounding strength, the rich consolation, the glorious attractiveness, of a religion of joy, especially if it be the joy of those filled with the Holy Ghost. Our apostles were slandered, were persecuted, were banished; but they left behind them blessed, joyous, living monuments of their labours: monuments enduring unto that eternal life for which they were disposed, in which they believed, and by which they triumphed.
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