Readings varying from the _Text. recept_. TITLE. ΠΡΆΞΕΙΣ� adopted on the authority of B, and as describing the contents of the book better than any other. The book is not _the_ Acts of _the_ Apostles, but merely _some_ acts of _certain_ Apostles, which are related by the author, but intermixed with... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ἸΗΣΟΥ͂Σ with אAE. The omission in other MSS. is probably due to the occurrence of o as the last letter of ἤρξατο. 1. ΠΡΩ͂ΤΟΝ. The use of πρῶτος for the former of _two_ things was not uncommon in later Greek. We have examples, Matthew 21:28; 1 Corinthians 14:30; Hebrews 8:7; Hebrews 9:15; Revelatio... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:1-14. LINK CONNECTING THIS BOOK WITH ST LUKE’S GOSPEL. DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE ASCENSION... [ Continue Reading ]
ἌΧΡΙ ἯΣ ἩΜΈΡΑΣ. An instance of the incorporation of the antecedent into the relative clause, where it must take the case of the relative. Cf. Matthew 7:2, ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε = ἐν τῷ μέτρῳ, ἐν ᾦ μετρεῖτε. ΔΙᾺ ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΟΣ ἉΓΊΟΥ. The preposition indicates the operation of that power of the Holy Spirit w... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΕΣΣΕΡΆΚΟΝΤΑ is the spelling of אAB and other authorities. 3. ΜΕΤᾺ ΤῸ ΠΑΘΕΙ͂Ν ΑΥ̓ΤΌΝ, _after He had suffered_. The death is included with the other forms of the passion. ἘΝ ΠΟΛΛΟΙ͂Σ ΤΕΚΜΗΡΊΟΙΣ. This use of ἐν for expressing the _means_ by which anything is done, is from a translation of the Hebrew... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΝΑΛΙΖΌΜΕΝΟΣ. This word is not found elsewhere in N.T., and in only one doubtful instance (Psalms 140:5) in the LXX., but is frequent in Herodotus, and several times found in Xenophon. Connected with ἁλής = close gathered together, its sense is ‘being gathered in company,’ and αὐτοῖς is to be suppl... [ Continue Reading ]
5. The variation in construction after βαπτίζειν, first the dative ὕδατι without a preposition and then with ἐν, is probably due to the difference of sense between baptism with water and with the Spirit. But βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι is found (John 1:31) where there is no contrast between sacramental and s... [ Continue Reading ]
ἨΡΏΤΩΝ with אABC. The shorter form was most likely the earlier. The same may be said too of ΒΛΈΠΟΝΤΕΣ in Acts 1:11. 6. ΕἸ. This conjunction, at first used after some verb on which it was dependent, at last came to be employed in questions of an independent form. We may suppose that originally some... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓Χ ὙΜΩ͂Ν ἘΣΤΊΝ, _it does not belong to you_, it is not your business. This sense of the genitive, implying _property_ or _propriety_, is not uncommon in classical Greek. During the tutelage, as it may be called, of His disciples, Jesus constantly avoided giving a direct answer to the inquiries whi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΟΥ. The _Text. recept_. is the result of a conformity to the more common construction. 8. ΔΎΝΑΜΙΝ. The _Vulgate_ renders ‘virtutem,’ and makes it govern the words in the genitive which immediately follow, ‘Ye shall receive the influence of the Holy Spirit which shall come upon you.’ It is better, w... [ Continue Reading ]
ΒΛΕΠΌΝΤΩΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν. The Ascension took place while the Eleven beheld, for they were to be witnesses of that event to the world as well as of the life, death, and resurrection. That the Eleven alone saw Christ go into heaven is told us, Mark 16:14. In the Gospel (Luke 24:51), we are told that Christ w... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΣΘΉΣΕΣΙ ΛΕΥΚΑΙ͂Σ. This is the reading of אABC. The _Vulgate_ has ‘in vestibus albis.’ The _Text. recept_. has conformed to the ordinary expression. 10. ΠΟΡΕΥΟΜΈΝΟΥ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂, _as He went_. The ‘up’ of A.V. is not represented in the Gk. ΚΑῚ ἸΔΟΎ. The καὶ with the apodosis after expressions signifyin... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΑΛΙΛΑΙ͂ΟΙ. We know that most of the Twelve were called in Galilee, and it is very probable that they were all from the same district, as they would be called at the earliest portion of Christ’s ministerial life, which was begun among His countrymen in the north. Below (Acts 5:22) Peter speaks of th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΑΛΟΥΜΈΝΟΥ, as well as the subsequent indication of the locality of mountain, shew us that he for whom the Acts was written was a stranger to these places. ἘΛΑΙΩ͂ΝΟΣ. Here Ἐλαιών is given as the designation by which the mountain was known. Its name was = _Olivetum_. ἘΓΓῪΣ ἹΕΡΟΥΣΑΛΉΜ, _near un... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΣΗ͂ΛΘΟΝ, _they were come in_, i.e. entered into Jerusalem, coming from the open country where the Ascension had taken place. ΕἸΣ ΤῸ ὙΠΕΡΩ͂ΙΟΝ, _into the upper room_. The occurrence of the article is probably because the room was the same which had been used before for the Last Supper (Mark 14:15;... [ Continue Reading ]
14. καὶ τῇ δεήσει omitted with אABCDE. The _Vulgate_ has only ‘oratione.’ The insertion of the words is probably due to a marginal note taken from Philippians 4:6. 14. ΤΗ͂Ι ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ͂Ι. It would seem from the article here as if already some religious service had taken definite form among the discipl... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΔΕΛΦΩ͂Ν with אABC. μαθητῶν seems to have been introduced to avoid the occurrence of the same word in three consecutive verses. The _Vulg_. has ‘fratrum.’ 15. ἩΜΈΡΑΙΣ. The days which intervened between the Ascension and Pentecost. ΠΈΤΡΟΣ. As in the Gospels, so here, Peter is always the moving spir... [ Continue Reading ]
ELECTION OF AN APOSTLE TO FILL THE PLACE OF JUDAS ISCARIOT... [ Continue Reading ]
16. ταύτην omitted with אABC and _Vulgate_. 16. ἌΝΔΡΕΣ�. This form of beginning an address is common throughout the Acts (cf. Acts 1:11; Acts 2:14; Acts 2:22; Acts 2:29; Acts 3:12, &c.), and an objection has been raised against this uniformity. But we cannot but suppose, that St Luke after collectin... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ for ΣῪΝ with all the most ancient authorities. The _Vulg_. has ‘in.’ 17. ἘΝ ἩΜΙ͂Ν. This preposition is supported by the ‘_in_ nobis’ of the _Vulgate_, and seems to give, more than is done by the σὺν of the _Text. recept_. the sense that though Judas was counted _in_ the Twelve, he was not truly... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜῈΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν. These particles at the opening of the verse shew that there is a break in the continuity of the narrative and that what follows, in Acts 1:18-19, must be taken for a parenthesis. For examples of such use of μὲν οὖν cf. Acts 5:41; Acts 13:4; Acts 17:30; Acts 23:22; Acts 26:9. ἘΚΤΉΣΑΤΟ, _ac... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΧΕΛΔΑΜΆΧ with אA. The form, though not easy to be accounted for, has also much support from the versions. 19. ΚΑῚ ΓΝΩΣΤῸΝ ἘΓΈΝΕΤΟ, _and it became known_. And hence the name of ‘the Potter’s Field’ was by general consent changed to ‘the Field of Blood.’ The entire story, as St Luke tells it, must h... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΕΝΗΘΉΤΩ, _let it become_ (or _be made_) _desolate_. The _Vulgate_ gives ‘fiat commoratio _eorum_ deserta,’ quoting exactly from Psalms 69, where the pronoun is plural. But there is no authority for reading αὐτῶν instead of αὐτοῦ, and the singular is needed in this application of the verse to Judas.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΠΑΝΤῚ ΧΡΌΝΩΙ. It seems then that Justus and Matthias had been companions of Jesus from a very early period, as no doubt were several others; for the Twelve were chosen out of a greater number, and the sending of the Seventy shews us that Jesus employed many more agents, and had many more who were... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΡΞΆΜΕΝΟΣ. For it could not be long after His baptism that Jesus began to gather followers around Him, and some of these had been beforetime disciples of John, had perhaps been witnesses of the baptism of Jesus, and certainly had heard the frequent testimony borne to Him by the Baptist. ἯΣ. This is... [ Continue Reading ]
ΒΑΡΣΑΒΒΑ͂Ν with אABE. ΜΑΘΘΑΊΟΣ with BD, following the analogy of Μαθθῖαν in 13, which is there the form given by א also. But the authorities are inconsistent about the latter name. 23. ἜΣΤΗΣΑΝ. They first exercised their own powers in selecting those who best fulfilled the condition laid down. Prob... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΟΣΕΥΞΆΜΕΝΟΙ. They made a solemn supplication to God for His guidance. St Luke mentions the only point towards which the whole tenor of their petitions was directed, viz. for light to see God’s choice. No doubt the prayers, like the speeches in the book, were of greater extent than is indicated in... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΌΠΟΝ for κλῆρον with ABCD. _Text. recept_. seems to have been a change made because τόπον occurs again in the verse. The _Vulg_. has ‘locum,’ א κλῆρον. ἈΦ' for ἐξ with אABCD. 25. ΤΌΠΟΝ. Used in the sense of _a position_ or _office_, Sir 12:12 μὴ�. Cf. also 1 Corinthians 14:16. The testimony of th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΛΉΡΟΥΣ. The giving of lots was a provision in the Law (Leviticus 16:8) by which one of the two goats offered on the great Day of Atonement was to be selected for the Lord. ‘The goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell’ was offered for a sin offering. Most probably in this case each one of the Eleven wro... [ Continue Reading ]