14 These G3778 all G3956 continued G2258 G4342 with one accord G3661 in prayer G4335 and G2532 supplication, G1162 with G4862 the women, G1135 and G2532 Mary G3137 the mother G3384 of Jesus, G2424 and G2532 with G4862 his G846 brethren. G80
Now G1161 there stood G2476 by G3844 the cross G4716 of Jesus G2424 his G846 mother, G3384 and G2532 his G846 mother's G3384 sister, G79 Mary G3137 the wife G3588 of Cleophas, G2832 and G2532 Mary G3137 Magdalene. G3094 When Jesus G2424 therefore G3767 saw G1492 his mother, G3384 and G2532 the disciple G3101 standing by, G3936 whom G3739 he loved, G25 he saith G3004 unto his G846 mother, G3384 Woman, G1135 behold G2400 thy G4675 son! G5207
And G2532 certain G5100 women, G1135 which G3739 had been G2258 healed G2323 of G575 evil G4190 spirits G4151 and G2532 infirmities, G769 Mary G3137 called G2564 Magdalene, G3094 out of G575 whom G3739 went G1831 seven G2033 devils, G1140 And G2532 Joanna G2489 the wife G1135 of Chuza G5529 Herod's G2264 steward, G2012 and G2532 Susanna, G4677 and G2532 many G4183 others, G2087 which G3748 ministered G1247 unto him G846 of G575 their G846 substance. G5224
Is G2076 not G3756 this G3778 the carpenter's G5045 son? G5207 is G3004 not G3780 his G846 mother G3384 called G3004 Mary? G3137 and G2532 his G846 brethren, G80 James, G2385 and G2532 Joses, G2500 and G2532 Simon, G4613 and G2532 Judas? G2455 And G2532 his G846 sisters, G79 are they G1526 not G3780 all G3956 with G4314 us? G2248 Whence G4159 then G3767 hath this man G5129 all G3956 these things? G5023
And G1161 when they heard that, G191 they lifted up G142 their voice G5456 to G4314 God G2316 with one accord, G3661 and G2532 said, G2036 Lord, G1203 thou G4771 art God, G2316 which G3588 hast made G4160 heaven, G3772 and G2532 earth, G1093 and G2532 the sea, G2281 and G2532 all G3956 that in G1722 them is: G846 Who G3588 by G1223 the mouth G4750 of thy G4675 servant G3816 David G1138 hast said, G2036 Why G2444 did G5433 the heathen G1484 rage, G5433 and G2532 the people G2992 imagine G3191 vain things? G2756 The kings G935 of the earth G1093 stood up, G3936 and G2532 the rulers G758 were gathered G4863 together G1909 G846 against G2596 the Lord, G2962 and G2532 against G2596 his G846 Christ. G5547 For G1063 of G1909 a truth G225 against G1909 thy G4675 holy G40 child G3816 Jesus, G2424 whom G3739 thou hast anointed, G5548 both G5037 Herod, G2264 and G2532 Pontius G4194 Pilate, G4091 with G4862 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 the people G2992 of Israel, G2474 were gathered together, G4863 For to do G4160 whatsoever G3745 thy G4675 hand G5495 and G2532 thy G4675 counsel G1012 determined before G4309 to be done. G1096 And G2532 now, G3569 Lord, G2962 behold G1896 G1909 their G846 threatenings: G547 and G2532 grant unto G1325 thy G4675 servants, G1401 that with G3326 all G3956 boldness G3954 they may speak G2980 thy G4675 word, G3056 By G1722 G4571 stretching forth G1614 thine G4675 hand G5495 to G1519 heal; G2392 and G2532 that signs G4592 and G2532 wonders G5059 may be done G1096 by G1223 the name G3686 of thy G4675 holy G40 child G3816 Jesus. G2424 And G2532 when they G846 had prayed, G1189 the place G5117 was shaken G4531 where G1722 G3739 they were G2258 assembled together; G4863 and G2532 they were G4130 all G537 filled G4130 with the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 and G2532 they spake G2980 the word G3056 of God G2316 with G3326 boldness. G3954
There came G2064 then G3767 his G846 brethren G80 and G2532 his mother, G3384 and, G2532 standing G2476 without, G1854 sent G649 unto G4314 him, G846 calling G5455 him. G846 And G2532 the multitude G3793 sat G2521 about G4012 him, G846 and G1161 they said G2036 unto him, G846 Behold, G2400 thy G4675 mother G3384 and G2532 thy G4675 brethren G80 without G1854 seek for G2212 thee. G4571 And G2532 he answered G611 them, G846 saying, G3004 Who G5101 is G2076 my G3450 mother, G3384 or G2228 my G3450 brethren? G80 And G2532 he looked G4017 round about G2945 on them which G3588 sat G2521 about G4012 him, G846 and said, G3004 Behold G2396 my G3450 mother G3384 and G2532 my G3450 brethren! G80 For G1063 whosoever G3739 G302 shall do G4160 the will G2307 of God, G2316 the same G3778 is G2076 my G3450 brother, G80 and G2532 my G3450 sister, G79 and G2532 mother. G3384
Again G3825 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 if G1437 two G1417 of you G5216 shall agree G4856 on G1909 earth G1093 as touching G4012 any G3956 thing G4229 that G3739 G1437 they shall ask, G154 it shall be done G1096 for them G846 of G3844 my G3450 Father G3962 which G3588 is in G1722 heaven. G3772 For G1063 where G3757 two G1417 or G2228 three G5140 are G1526 gathered together G4863 in G1519 my G1699 name, G3686 there G1563 am I G1510 in G1722 the midst G3319 of them. G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Acts 1
Commentary on Acts 1 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 1
Ac 1:1-11. Introduction—Last Days of Our Lord upon Earth—His Ascension.
1, 2. former treatise—Luke's Gospel.
Theophilus—(See on Lu 1:3).
began to do and teach—a very important statement, dividing the work of Christ into two great branches: the one embracing His work on earth, the other His subsequent work from heaven; the one in His own Person, the other by His Spirit; the one the "beginning," the other the continuance of the same work; the one complete when He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, the other to continue till His second appearing; the one recorded in "The Gospels," the beginnings only of the other related in this book of "The Acts." "Hence the grand history of what Jesus did and taught does not conclude with His departure to the Father; but Luke now begins it in a higher strain; for all the subsequent labors of the apostles are just an exhibition of the ministry of the glorified Redeemer Himself because they were acting under His authority, and He was the principle that operated in them all" [Olshausen].
2. after that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments, &c.—referring to the charge recorded in Mt 28:18-20; Mr 16:15-18; Lu 24:44-49. It is worthy of notice that nowhere else are such communications of the risen Redeemer said to have been given "through the Holy Ghost." In general, this might have been said of all He uttered and all He did in His official character; for it was for this very end that God "gave not the Spirit by measure unto Him" (Joh 3:34). But after His resurrection, as if to signify the new relation in which He now stood to the Church, He signalized His first meeting with the assembled disciples by breathing on them (immediately after dispensing to them His peace) and saying, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (Joh 20:22) thus anticipating the donation of the Spirit from His hands (see on Joh 20:21, 22); and on the same principle His parting charges are here said to have been given "through the Holy Ghost," as if to mark that He was now all redolent with the Spirit; that what had been husbanded, during His suffering work, for His own necessary uses, had now been set free, was already overflowing from Himself to His disciples, and needed but His ascension and glorification to flow all forth. (See on Joh 7:39.)
3-5. showed himself alive—As the author is about to tell us that "the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" was the great burden of apostolic preaching, so the subject is here filly introduced by an allusion to the primary evidence on which that great fact rests, the repeated and undeniable manifestations of Himself in the body to the assembled disciples, who, instead of being predisposed to believe it, had to be overpowered by the resistless evidence of their own senses, and were slow of yielding even to this (Mr 16:14).
after his passion—or, suffering. This primary sense of the word "passion" has fallen into disuse; but it is nobly consecrated in the phraseology of the Church to express the Redeemer's final endurances.
seen of them forty days—This important specification of time occurs here only.
speaking of—rather "speaking."
the things pertaining to the kingdom of God—till now only in germ, but soon to take visible form; the earliest and the latest burden of His teaching on earth.
4. should not depart from Jerusalem—because the Spirit was to glorify the existing economy, by descending on the disciples at its metropolitan seat, and at the next of its great festivals after the ascension of the Church's Head; in order that "out of Zion might go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa 2:3; and compare Lu 24:49).
5. ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence—ten days hence, as appears from Le 23:15, 16; but it was expressed thus indefinitely to exercise their faith.
6-8. wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?—Doubtless their carnal views of Messiah's kingdom had by this time been modified, though how far it is impossible to say. But, as they plainly looked for some restoration of the kingdom to Israel, so they are neither rebuked nor contradicted on this point.
7. It is not for you to know the times, &c.—implying not only that this was not the time, but that the question was irrelevant to their present business and future work.
8. receive power—See Lu 24:49.
and ye shall be witnesses unto me … in Jerusalem … in all Judea … and unto the uttermost part of the earth—This order of apostolic preaching and success supplies the proper key to the plan of the Acts, which relates first the progress of the Gospel "in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria" (the first through ninth chapters), and then "unto the uttermost part of the earth" (the tenth through twenty-eighth chapters).
9-11. while they beheld, he was taken up—See on Lu 24:50-53. Lest it should be thought He had disappeared when they were looking in some other direction, and so was only concluded to have gone up to heaven, it is here expressly said that "while they were looking He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." So Elijah, "If thou see me when I am taken from thee" (2Ki 2:10); "And Elisha saw it" (Ac 1:12). (See on Lu 9:32.)
10. while they looked steadfastly toward heaven—following Him with their eager eyes, in rapt amazement. Not, however, as a mere fact is this recorded, but as a part of that resistless evidence of their senses on which their whole subsequent testimony was to be borne.
two men in white apparel—angels in human form, as in Lu 24:4.
11. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven, &c.—"as if your now glorified Head were gone from you never to return: He is coming again; not another, but 'this same Jesus'; and 'as ye have seen Him go, in the like manner shall He come'—as personally, as visibly, as gloriously; and let the joyful expectation of this coming swallow up the sorrow of that departure."
Ac 1:12-26. Return of the Eleven to Jerusalem—Proceedings in the Upper Room till Pentecost.
12-14. a sabbath day's journey—about two thousand cubits.
13. went up into an upper room—perhaps the same "large upper room" where with their Lord they had celebrated the last Passover and the first Supper (Lu 22:12).
where abode—not lodged, but had for their place of rendezvous.
Peter, &c.—(See on Mt 10:2-4).
14. continued with one accord—knit by a bond stronger than death.
in prayer and supplication—for the promised baptism, the need of which in their orphan state would be increasingly felt.
and Mary the mother of Jesus—distinguished from the other "women," but "so as to exclude the idea of her having any pre-eminence over the disciples. We find her with the rest in prayer to her glorified Son" [Webster and Wilkinson]. This is the last mention of her in the New Testament. The fable of the Assumption of the Virgin has no foundation even in tradition [Alford].
with his brethren—(See on Joh 7:3).
15-26. in those days—of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19).
the number … about an hundred and twenty—Many, therefore, of the "five hundred brethren" who saw their risen Lord "at once" (1Co 15:6), must have remained in Galilee.
18. falling headlong, &c.—This information supplements, but by no means contradicts, what is said in Mt 27:5.
20. his bishopric—or "charge." The words are a combination of Ps 69:25 and Ps 109:8; in which the apostle discerns a greater than David, and a worse than Ahithophel and his fellow conspirators against David.
21. all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—in the close intimacies of a three years' public life.
22. Beginning from the baptism of John—by whom our Lord was not only Himself baptized, but first officially announced and introduced to his own disciples.
unto that same day when he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection—How clearly is the primary office of the apostles here expressed: (1) to testify, from personal observation, to the one great fact of "the resurrection of the Lord Jesus"; (2) to show how this glorified His whole previous life, of which they were constant observers, and established His divine claims.
23. they appointed—"put up" in nomination; meaning not the Eleven but the whole company, of whom Peter was the spokesman.
two—The choice would lie between a very few.
24. prayed and said, Thou, Lord, &c.—"The word 'Lord,' placed absolutely, denotes in the New Testament almost universally THE SON; and the words, 'Show whom Thou hast chosen,' are decisive. The apostles are just Christ's messengers: It is He that sends them, and of Him they bear witness. Here, therefore, we have the first example of a prayer offered to the exalted Redeemer; furnishing indirectly the strongest proof of His divinity" [Olshausen].
which knowest the hearts of all men—See Joh 2:24, 25; 21:15-17; Re 2:23.
25. that he might go to his own place—A euphemistic or softened expression of the awful future of the traitor, implying not only destined habitation but congenial element.
26. was numbered—"voted in" by general suffrage.
with the eleven apostles—completing the broken Twelve.