_On the opening words of the_ ‘ _Acts._ ' ‘The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach' (Acts 1:1). There is a well-known Latin Fragment on the Canon, first published by Muratori, discovered in the library of St. Ambrose at Milan, in an ancient MS. whi... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:2. UNTIL THE DAY IN WHICH HE WAS TAKEN UP. The ascension of Jesus is the turning-point at which the gospel history of the work and teaching of Jesus on earth ends, and where the Acts, the story of His work and teaching from His throne in heaven, commences. The abrupt way of referring to the g... [ Continue Reading ]
EXCURSUS ON ACTS 1:3. ‘THE FORTY DAYS.' This is the only place where the interval between the resurrection and ascension is specified. It has been suggested (see Ewald, _Apostelgeschicht. Ier Theil. 2teHalfte,_ pp. 56-61) that the ascension took place on the resurrection day, the first Sunday afte... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:4. AND, BEING ASSEMBLED TOGETHER WITH THEM. The translation given in the margin of the Authorised Version, ‘eating together with them,' seems the more accurate one. Modern critics are much divided on the question of the true rendering here; the authority, however, of the Greek fathers Chrysos... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:5. FOR JOHN TRULY BAPTIZED WITH WATER; BUT YE SHALL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST NOT MANY DAYS HENCE. He reminds them of the strange prediction of the ‘Baptist' (Luke 3:16; John 1:33). ‘His words which you all remember respecting a future baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire, you will soon... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Last Interview with the Disciples, 6-8._ Acts 1:6. WHEN THEY THEREFORE WERE COME TOGETHER. This is a different meeting from that related above (Acts 1:4-5). That was in the house where they partook of a meal together. This is the last interview with the Risen One on the Mount of Olives, which... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:7. AND HE SAID UNTO THEM. The Lord's reply in the 7th and 8th verses tacitly sanctions their expectation of a great restoration, but gravely rebukes the self-seeking impatience of His Jewish followers, and by His broad command respecting their preaching and work, sweeps away all exclusive Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:8. BUT YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON you. The Lord again referred to that new power which should descend upon them which He had before promised them, and told them how, armed with this new strength, they should be His witnesses not only in the city and Holy La... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:9. HE WAS TAKEN UP; AND A CLOUD RECEIVED HIM OUT OF THEIR SIGHT. When the last words had been spoken, while in the act of blessing them (Luke 24:51), the disciples of Jesus saw their Master lifted up from the ground; and as He rose, a cloud passed under Him the bright cloud of glory which ove... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Ascension_, 9-11. In three verses the story of the Lord's ascension is told. St. Luke and St. Mark in their Gospels simply record the fact; they add no details whatever, with the exception of one beautiful and touching incident in St. Luke: Jesus was in the act _of blessing them_ when He was pa... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:10. TWO MEN STOOD BY THEM IN WHITE APPAREL. Ewald suggests these two were Moses and Elias, as in the transfiguration; but had this been the case, St. Luke would surely have referred to it: they were two angels, who probably had an especial charge connected with Messiah's work on earth. St. Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:11. WHY STAND YE GAZING UP INTO HEAVEN? The angels, while comforting them with the solemn assurance He _would_ return to earth again, still gently reprove these loving followers of Jesus, who remained gazing upwards, not without a hope He might reappear. Their duty now was not quiet contempla... [ Continue Reading ]
_Return of the Disciples to Jerusalem,_ 12-14. Acts 1:12. FROM THE MOUNT CALLED OLIVET, WHICH IS FROM JERUSALEM A SABBATH DAY'S JOURNEY. Our Lord (Luke 24:50) had led out His disciples from the city as far as Bethany, had blessed them and ascended into heaven; but Bethany was about twice a Sabbath... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:13. INTO AN UPPER ROOM. Some have supposed this was an apartment in the temple, arguing from the words of the last verse of St. Luke's Gospel, ‘And were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.' It is hardly likely that the priests, bitterly hostile as they were to Jesus, would ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:14. WITH THE WOMEN. These words are specially worthy of attention. In the Jewish temple the women were not admitted to worship God with men, but they had their own court, ‘the court of the women.' Among the silent changes which Christianity has worked in society, none is more striking than th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Election of Matthias into the Number of the Twelve,_ 15-26. _Address of Peter before the Election,_ 15-22. Acts 1:15. IN THOSE DAYS. The few days intervening between the ascension and Pentecost. PETER. Various reasons have been suggested for this priority which St. Peter certainly possessed among... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:16. THE SCRIPTURE MUST NEEDS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED. The Scripture referred to is Psalms 69 (LXX., Psalms 68) Psalms 26; and Psalms 109 (LXX., Psalms 108) Psalms 8. The quotations are freely made from the LXX. Version. The most important variation is in the first citation from Psalms 69, where i... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:18-19. Some commentators have supposed these two verses to be an explanatory clause inserted by St. Luke, and do not consider them a part of St. Peter's speech. But the rhetorical style of these verses would seem to show that they are part of the original discourse. The account here given of... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:21-22. The necessary conditions of apostleship were the having been an eye and ear witness of all that had taken place from the day the baptism of John until the day of the ascension. The office of an apostle is briefly summed up in he statement, ‘He must' ‘be a witness of the resurrection.'... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:23. JOSEPH, CALLED BARSABAS, WHO WAS SURNAMED JUSTUS, AND MATTHIAS. Eusebius, quoting from Papias (second century), relates of this Joseph that he drank a deadly poison, but through the grace of God experienced nothing injurious (_H. E._ iii. 39). He and also Matthias probably belonged to the... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:24. AND THEY PRAYED, AND SAID, THOU, LORD, WHICH KNOWEST THE HEARTS OF ALL MEN, SHOW WHETHER OF THESE TWO MEN THOU HAST CHOSEN. There is no doubt that this prayer was addressed to the glorified and risen Lord, for (1) in Acts 1:21 Jesus is termed _Lord_ (ὁ ϰύριος), to which αύτοῡ _, His_ (res... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:25. THAT HE MAY TAKE PART OF THIS MINISTRY AND APOSTLESHIP. The word ϰλῆρος _(clerus),_ translated ‘part,' better perhaps ‘the place,' signifies (1) a lot, (2) anything assigned by lot; for instance, an allotment of land, or an official position. So Israel is termed the inheritance, the lot,... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 1:26. AND THE LOT FELL ON MATTHIAS. ‘The lots alluded to here were probably tablets with the names of the persons written upon them, and shaken in a vessel or in the lap of a robe (Proverbs 16:33), he whose lot first leaped out being the person designated' (Alford, _Com. on Acts)._ This asking... [ Continue Reading ]