This book is called "The Acts of the Holy Apostles" because it contains the Acts of all the Apostles. And the person who tells about these deeds is the Evangelist Luke, who also wrote this book. Being an Antiochian by birth and a doctor by profession, he accompanied the other apostles, especially Paul, and writes about what he knows quite thoroughly. This book also tells how the Lord ascended into heaven at the appearance of angels; tells further about the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and on all who were then present, as well as on the election of Matthias instead of Judas the traitor, on the election of seven deacons, on the conversion of Paul, and on what he suffered. In addition, it tells about what miracles the apostles performed with the help of prayer and faith in Christ, and about Paul's journey to Rome. So, Luke sets forth the deeds of the apostles and the miracles performed by them. The miracles he describes are as follows: 1) Peter and John heal a lame man from birth, who was sitting at the doors called Red, in the name of the Lord. 2) Peter exposes Ananias and his wife Sapphira, who withheld part of what they promised God, and they immediately died. 3) Peter raises the relaxed Aeneas to his feet. 4) Peter in Joppa resurrects dead Tabitha by prayer. 5) Peter sees a vessel descending from heaven filled with animals of all kinds. 6) Peter's shadow, falling on the weak, heals them. 7) Peter, kept prisoner in prison, is released by an angel, so that the guards do not see this, and Herod, eaten by worms, expires. 8) Stephen works signs and wonders. 9) Philip in Samaria casts out many spirits and heals the lame and paralyzed. 10) Paul, approaching Damascus, sees the apparition and immediately becomes a preacher of the gospel. 11) The same Philip meets a eunuch reading on the way and baptizes him. 12) Paul in Lystra heals the lame from birth in the name of the Lord. 13) Paul is called by vision to Macedonia. 14) Paul in Philippi heals a woman (maiden) possessed by an inquisitive spirit. 15) Paul and Silas are imprisoned, and their feet are fixed in stocks; but in the middle of the night there is an earthquake and their bands fall. 16) On the weak and demon-possessed they put ubrusses - aprons - from the body of Paul, and they were healed. 17) Paul in Troas resurrects Eutychus, who fell from the window and died, saying: “His soul is in him” (). 18) Paul in Cyprus condemns the sorcerer Elima, and this sorcerer becomes blind. 19) Paul and all who were with him on the ship are overtaken on the way to Rome by a fourteen-day storm. And when everyone was expecting death, an angel appeared to Paul and said: "Behold, I have given you all those who sail with you"(), - and everyone was saved. 20) When Paul got off the ship, he was bitten by a viper, and everyone thought that he would die. And since he remained unharmed, they considered him to be God. 21) With the laying on of hands, Paul heals the father of Poplius, who was suffering from dysentery, on the island; heals many other patients.
Travels of the Holy Apostle Paul
Paul began his journey from Damascus and came to Jerusalem; from here he went to Tarsus, and from Tarsus to Antioch, and then again to Jerusalem, and again, a second time, to Antioch; from here, having been appointed together with Barnabas for the work of the apostle, he arrived in Seleucia, then to Cyprus, where he began to be called Paul; then he went to Perga, then to Pisidian Antioch, to Iconium, to Lystra, to Derbe and Lycaonia, then to Pamphylia, then again to Perga, then to Attalia, then again, a third time, to Syrian Antioch, a third time - to Jerusalem for circumcision, then again, for the fourth time, he arrived in Antioch, then again, a second time, to Derbe and Lystra, then to Phrygia and the country of Galatia, then to Mysia, then to Troas and from there to Naples, then - in Philippi, the city of Macedonia; then, passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, he came to Thessalonica, then to Beria, to Athens, to Corinth, to Ephesus, to Caesarea, then, a second time, to Antioch in Pisidia, then to the country of Galatia and to Phrygia, then again, to the second time, to Ephesus; then, having passed Macedonia, again, for the second time, he arrived at Philippi and from Philippi - again to Troad, where he resurrected the fallen Eutychus. Then he arrived in Asson, then - in Mitylene; then landed on the shore against Khiya; then he came to Samos and thence to Melite, where he called the Ephesian presbyters and talked with them; then he went to Kon (Koos), then to Rhodes, from here to Patara, then to Tire, to Ptolemais and from here to Caesarea, from where again, for the fourth time, he returned to Jerusalem. From Jerusalem he was sent to Caesarea and, finally , having been sent as a prisoner to Rome, he thus arrived from Caesarea to Sidon, then to the Lycian Worlds, then to Cnidus, and from there, after many hardships, he arrived on the island on which he was stung by a viper; then he went to Syracuse, then to Rhygia Calabria, then to Pothioli, and from there he came on foot to Rome. Here, at the Appian marketplace and three innkeepers, the believers met him. Arriving in this way in Rome, he taught here for a sufficient time, and finally, in Rome itself, he received martyrdom after the good deed that he had labored here. The Romans, however, erected a beautiful building and a basilica on his remains, annually celebrating his memorial day on the third day before the July kalends. And before that, this blessed man gave a lot of advice regarding honesty of life and virtue, he also gave a lot of practical instructions; moreover, what is especially important, in his fourteen epistles he outlined all the rules of human life.
Main Subjects of the Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles
About the teaching of Christ after the Resurrection, about the appearance of His disciples and the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit to them, about the form and image of the Lord's ascension and about His glorious second coming. Peter's speech to his disciples about the death and rejection of Judas the traitor. About the Divine descent of the Holy Spirit on the believers on the day of Pentecost. About the healing of the lame from birth in the name of Christ; the favorable, exhortational and salutary edification made by Peter on this occasion. About the unanimous and complete communion of believers. About how the apostles imprisoned in prison were led out of it at night by an angel of God, commanding them to preach Jesus without restraint. On the election and consecration of seven deacons. Rebellion and slander of the Jews against Stephen; his speech on God's covenant with Abraham and the twelve patriarchs. On the persecution and death of Stephen. About the sorcerer Simon who believed and was baptized with many others. That the gift of the Holy Spirit is given not for money and not to hypocrites, but to believers according to their faith. About what favors the salvation of good and faithful people, as can be seen from the example of the eunuch. About Paul's divine calling from heaven to the work of Christ's apostleship. About the paralyzed Aeneas, healed in Lydda by Peter. About how the Angel appeared to Cornelius and how the appeal to Peter was again from heaven. About how Peter, condemned by the apostles for fellowship with the uncircumcised, tells them everything that happened in order, and how at the same time he sends Barnabas to the brethren who were in Antioch. The prophecy of Agab about the famine that had to be throughout the world, and the help provided by the believers of Antioch to the brethren in Judea. The murder of the Apostle James here is about the punishment of the guards and about the bitter and disastrous death of the wicked Herod. About Barnabas and Saul, sent by the Divine Spirit to Cyprus, and about what they did in the name of Christ with the sorcerer Elima. Pavlov's rich edification about Christ on the basis of the law and the prophets, with historical and gospel characteristics. About how, preaching Christ in Iconium, the apostles were expelled from there after many believed. About the healing by the apostles in Lystra of the lame from birth; as a result of which they were taken by the inhabitants for the gods who descended to them; Paul is stoned. About not circumcising the converting Gentiles; reasoning and decision of the apostles. About the instruction of Timothy and about the revelation to Paul to go to Macedonia. About the indignation that occurred in Thessalonica as a result of the gospel sermon, and about the flight of Paul to Beria and from there to Athens. About the inscription on the altar in Athens and about the wise preaching of Paul. About Aquila and Priscilla, about the speedy belief of the Corinthians, and about the foreknowledge of God's favor towards them, which was communicated to Paul through revelation. About the baptism of those who believed in Ephesus, about the communication to them of the gift of the Holy Spirit through the prayer of Paul, and about the healings performed by Paul. About the death and appeal to life of Eutychus by the prayer of Paul in the Troas; pastoral exhortation to the elders of Ephesus. Agave's prophecy about what will happen to Paul in Jerusalem. James admonishes Paul not to forbid Jews to be circumcised. About the indignation raised in Jerusalem against Paul and about how the captain took him away from the hands of the crowd. About what Paul suffered when he appeared in the Sanhedrin, what he said and what he did. About the atrocities that the Jews plotted against Paul, and about their denunciation of him by Lysias. On the accusation of Paul by Tertillus before the hegemon and on his acquittal. On the successor of Felix Fist and the manner of the latter. The arrival of Agrippa and Verenice and the communication of information about Paul to them. Filled with very many and very great dangers, Paul's sea voyage to Rome. How Paul came to Rome from Melite. About the conversation of Paul with the Jews who were in Rome.
Our Holy Father John, Archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom, a forewarning to the Acts of the Holy Apostles
Many, and not just anyone, knew neither the book itself, nor the one who compiled and wrote it. Therefore, I considered it necessary to take up this interpretation with the aim of both teaching the ignorant, and not allowing such a treasure to be unknown and hidden under a bushel, because no less than the Gospels themselves, the penetration of such wisdom and such right teaching can bring us benefit, and especially what is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. And so, let us not omit this book from our attention; on the contrary, let us study it with all possible care, because in it we can see that those prophecies of Christ, which are contained in the Gospels, have actually been fulfilled; in it one can also see the truth, shining in the very deeds, and a great change for the better in the disciples, brought about by the Holy Spirit. It can be found in it, which no one would have been so clearly understood if this book did not exist; without it, the essence of our salvation would have remained hidden, and some of the dogmas of the doctrine and of the rules of life would have remained unknown. But most of the content of this book is made up of the deeds of the Apostle Paul, who worked hardest of all. The reason for this was also that the writer of this book, Blessed Luke, was a disciple of Paul. His love for the teacher is also evident from many other things, but especially from the fact that he was inseparable from his teacher and constantly followed him, while Demas and Hermogenes left him: one went to Galatia, the other to Dalmatia. Listen to what Paul himself says about Luke: "One Luke with me"(); and, in the Epistle to the Corinthians, says of him: “They sent ... a brother who is praised in all the churches for his gospel”(); also when he says “Kepha appeared, then twelve; I remind you… the gospel that I proclaimed to you, which you accepted.”(), understands his Gospel; so that no one will sin if this work of Luke (the book of the Acts of the holy apostles) is referred to Him; when I say "unto Him", I mean Christ. If someone says: “Why, then, did Luke, being with Paul until the end of his life, describe not everything?” - then we will answer that for the zealous even this was enough, that he always dwelled on what was especially needed, and that the primary concern of the apostles was not writing books, since they transmitted a lot without writing. But everything that is contained in this book is worthy of admiration, especially the adaptability of the apostles, which the Holy Spirit inspired in them, preparing them for the work of dispensation. Therefore, while talking so much about Christ, they talked a little about His divinity, and more about His incarnation, His sufferings, resurrection and ascension. For the end they were aiming at was to make their hearers believe that He had risen and ascended into heaven. Just as Christ Himself tried most of all to prove that He came from the Father, so Paul tried most of all to prove that Christ was risen, ascended, departed to the Father, and came from Him. For if before the Jews did not believe that He came from the Father, then the whole teaching of Christ seemed to them much more incredible after the legend of the resurrection and His ascension to heaven was added to it. Therefore, Paul imperceptibly, little by little, brings them to an understanding of higher truths; and in Athens, Paul even calls Christ simply a man, without adding anything else, and this is not without purpose, because if Christ Himself, when He spoke of His equality with the Father, often tried to be stoned and called a blasphemer of God for this, then with difficulty could accept this teaching from the fishermen, and moreover, after His crucifixion on the cross. And what can be said about the Jews, when the disciples of Christ themselves, listening to the teaching on more exalted subjects, were perplexed and tempted? That is why Christ said: “I have much more to tell you; but now you can't accommodate"(). If they could not "accommodate", they, who were with Him for so long, who were initiated into so many mysteries and saw so many miracles, then how could the pagans, having abandoned altars, idols, sacrifices, cats and crocodiles ( because this was the pagan religion) and from other impious rites, could they suddenly receive an exalted word about Christian dogmas? How also the Jews, who daily read and heard the following saying from the law: "Listen, Israel: our Lord, the Lord is one"(), I am and there is no God besides Me "(), and at the same time they saw Christ crucified on the cross, and most importantly, they crucified Him and put Him in the tomb and did not see His resurrection - how can these people, hearing that this same husband is and equal to the Father, could not be confused and not fall away completely, and, moreover, faster and easier than anyone else? Therefore, the apostles gradually and imperceptibly prepare them and show great skill in adapting themselves, while they themselves receive more abundant grace of the Spirit and work greater miracles in the name of Christ than those performed by Christ Himself, in order to raise them prostrate on the earth in one way or another and awaken faith in them. in the word about the resurrection. And therefore this book is primarily a proof of the resurrection, because after believing in the resurrection, everything else was conveniently perceived. And anyone who has thoroughly studied this book will say that this is mainly its content and its whole purpose. Let us first hear the very beginning of it.
Ananias and Sapphira (1-10). Further successes of the Church of Christ and the Apostles (11-16). New persecution of the Sanhedrin: imprisonment of the Apostles, release by an angel, preaching in the temple, answer before the Sanhedrin (17-33). The wise counsel of Gamaliel (34-39). First wounds for the name of Christ (40-42)
1 And a certain man, named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, having sold their property,
"Selling the property"... Greek επώλησε κτη̃μα, more correctly Slavic: "selling the village" ... sold the village (according to verse 8 - village - τό χωρίον, i.e. land, town, field).
2 He hid from the price, with the knowledge of his wife, and brought some part and laid it at the feet of the Apostles.
"Hidden from the price"..., and by itself concealment truth was an unseemly act. But here it was even more criminal, because Ananias said that he brought all, what was given to them for the land. This was not only an expression of shameful self-interest, but also a deliberate conscious lie and hypocrisy. Deceiving the entire Christian society with the Apostles at the head, they wanted to present themselves as selfless in favor of the poor, like others, but in fact they were not: they served two masters, but wanted to seem to serve one. Thus, instead of truthfulness and sincerity, here two qualities most repugnant to him appear in the holy society of Christians - the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the love of money of Judas.
3 But Peter said: Ananias! For what you allowed put Satan in your heart thought lie to the Holy Spirit and hide from the price of the earth?
"Peter said"..., having learned about this lie and hypocrisy not from anyone else, but from the Holy Spirit who fulfilled him.
"Why did you let Satan...?" Greek διά τί επλήρωσεν ο σατανα̃ς τήν καρδίαν σου ψεύσασθαί σε ... more precisely Slav.: "Let Satan fill your heart with lies"... Thus, it would be more accurate and better to express the beauty of the original as follows: Why has Satan filled your heart (to) lie to the Holy Spirit and hide from the price of the village?
In the act of Ananias, Peter reveals the work of Satan - the father of lies (John VIII, 44.) and the original enemy of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Messiah, which is why he prevents the invasion of this dangerous evil with such a decisive and strict measure. It is possible that selfishness, falsehood and hypocrisy manifested themselves in Ananias and Sapphira not without their preliminary secret development, as in Judas, that their inner life was not particularly pure before, that the seed of evil took root in them long ago and only now brought its bad fruits.
“Some say that if Satan filled the heart of Ananias, then why did he suffer punishment? Because he himself was the culprit that Satan filled his heart, since he himself prepared himself to accept the action of Satan and to fulfill his own strength" (Theophilus).
The concealment of the price of the village is interpreted here as a lie to the Holy Spirit, because Peter and the other Apostles, as representatives of the Church, were primarily the bearers and organs of the Holy Spirit who acted in the Church.
4 What did you own, was it not yours, and what was acquired by sale was not in your power? Why did you put this in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.
"Owned not yours remained"...? Greek ουχί μένον, σοί έμενε ..., glory. what is to you, is it not yours? it would be more accurate to translate abiding(at your place) didn't you stay? Ananias could dispose of his estate as he pleased, even if he did not sell it at all. "Was there any need? Are we forcibly attracting you? (Chrysostom)". And if Ananias decided to sell it, then again the money was in his full possession, and he could dispose of it as he liked, he could give all to the cashier for the poor, could give part, could nothing don't give. Neither the one, nor the other, nor the third is of such importance here as the fact that, having brought only part money, he represents this part for all the proceeds amount. “You see, Chrysostom says, how he is accused of having made his money sacred, then took it? Couldn’t you, he says, having sold the estate, use it as your own? Who hindered you? Why do you admire them after How did you promise to give it back? Why, he says, did you do it? Did you want to keep it with you? It was necessary to keep it first and not make a promise "...
"Not lied to men, but to God... above said - "Holy Spirit". lie before Spirit of St. there is thus a lie before God- one of the clearest evidence of the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, as a certain Divine person.
5 Hearing these words, Ananias fell lifeless; and great fear seized all who heard it.
"Ananias fell lifeless" ..., Greek. πεσών εζέψυζε, more precisely Slav, "get down"... fell, expired, died. It was not a natural nervous shock from Ananias' strong shock from the revelations of his act, but God's miraculous direct punishment of the criminal. “Three miracles in one and the same case: one was that Peter found out what was done secretly; the other was that he determined the mental mood of Ananias, and the third was that Ananias lost his life for one command" (Theophylact). - The severity of the punishment is commensurate with the severity of the guilt of the offender against the Holy Spirit, since this is the sin of Judas, a sin that, moreover, threatened the whole society and therefore required exemplary punishment, "so that the execution of two was a science for many" - (Jerome). "Great fear seized all who heard it"- the matter took place, apparently, in a general solemn, perhaps liturgical meeting, and the young men there were probably ordinary ministers who carried out various tasks for a fairly well-organized society, like those who were attached to the synagogues. Therefore, these young men, as soon as they saw the one who had fallen lifeless, got up from the assembly and, without special demand, as they saw their duty in it, proceed to the lifeless one and carry it away for burial. In fear or, perhaps, haste and uncertainty of the whereabouts of the wife, or, rather, according to the Divine dispensation, the latter is not notified of what has happened and is, as an accomplice in the husband's sin, to share his punishment.
6
And the young men got up and prepared him for burial, and carrying him out, they buried him.
7
About three hours later, his wife also came, not knowing what had happened.
"Three Hours"... the accuracy of timing indicates the accuracy and complete authenticity of the narration. These three hours passed in the burial of Ananias, with all the preparations for it, especially if the place of burial was not close. The speed of burial - three hours after death - is nothing strange for the East.
"His wife also came" ...ειςη̃λθεν - more precisely Slav. outside- entered, those. to the house, to the place of the meeting, which, apparently, had not yet had time to disperse, so that Peter, asking Sapphira, For how much they sold the land, probably pointed to the money that was still at the feet of the Apostle. "Peter did not call her, says Chrysostom, but waited for her to come herself. And of the others, no one dared to tell (her) about what had happened; this is fear of the teacher, this is respect and obedience of the students. Three hours later - and the wife did not and none of those present said about it, although there was enough time for the news to spread about it. But they were in fear. About this the writer says with amazement: not knowing what happened...
8 Peter asked her: Tell me, did you sell the land for that much? She said: yes, for so much.
"For how much?"- "Peter - says. Theophylact - wanted to save her, because her husband was the instigator of sin. That's why he gives her time to justify herself and repent, saying: tell me, for how much?"...
"Yes, for so much" ... The same lie, the same hypocrisy, the same selfishness as Ananias.
9 But Peter said to her, Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? behold, those who buried thy husband enter at the door; and they will take you out.
"Test the Spirit of the Lord"... those. how to tempt him by deceit, is he really omniscient?
"Bot enter"... Greek ιδού οι πόδες τω̃ν θαψάντων... επί τη̃ θύρα , more precisely glorious: "behold the feet of those who have buried thy husband at the door"...
The young men who buried Ananias were returning at this time, and Peter takes this opportunity to say the same execution on the wife as the husband was subjected to: "and they'll take you out!", i.e. dead for burial. Whether Peter meant in his own words to smite Ananias with death (v. 4), or whether it was a direct action of God independent of Peter's will and intention, is not directly evident from the text. But when Ananias was already struck by death, the Apostle, speaking to Sapphira the above words, could already be sure that it would be the same with her as with her husband, according to their similarity, and utter a formidable - "and they'll take you out!"...
10 Suddenly she fell at his feet and gave up her spirit. And the young men went in and found her dead, and carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
"Gone out"... not by the natural action of a blow, but by the special action of God, like her husband (v. 5). “Pay attention (Theophylactus says here) to the fact that among their own Apostles are strict, and among strangers they are kept from punishment; both are natural. to the true faith; first, so that those who have already converted to faith and have been rewarded with heavenly teaching and spiritual grace should not be allowed to become contemptible people and blasphemers, especially at the beginning, because this would serve as a pretext for reviling their preaching "...
11 And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard it.
"And great fear seized the whole Church"- τήν εκκλησίαν. This is the first name of the Christian society Church. A secondary indication of the feeling of fear speaks of its extraordinary nature. From the amazing action of God's punishment, the fear that first seized some of the witnesses of what happened, now spread to the whole Church, those. on the whole Christian community, and on All those who heard this those. those who were outside the Church, to whose ears this news only reached.
12 And by the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
Intending to move on to the story of the new persecution of the Apostles by the Sanhedrin, the descriptor makes several general remarks about the state of the Church of Christ at that time. And above all, he mentions the multitude of signs and wonders performed not only by Peter, but by the Apostles in general. These signs and wonders were done among the people who did not yet believe in Christ, and, obviously, to attract to this faith.
"All with one accord dwelt in Solomon's porch"... This favorite place of the Apostles - a large covered gallery, at the main entrance to the temple, was obviously a particularly convenient place for their meetings.
13 Of outsiders, none dared to stick to them, and the people glorified them.
"Out of the strangers, no one dared to pester them"... So strong was the feeling of some reverent fear and bewilderment before them, as extraordinary people, especially when they saw them in a unanimous reverent and prayerful mood.
14
And believers more and more joined the Lord, many men and women,
15 So they carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and beds, so that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow one of them.
With the multitude of miraculous healings performed in general by the hands of the Apostles, the descriptor notes the special amazingness of the healings of Peter, in whom even a shadow, overshadowing the sick, granted them healing. True, the descriptor does not speak about this directly, but makes it clear enough from the fact that the sick were taken out into the street to be shaded by the passing Peter. Obviously, the people were convinced of the healing power of Peter's shadow, and they were convinced only after the experiments of healing from this shadow. Just as one touch on the garment of Christ, even without other actions of Christ, was accompanied by the healing of those who touched it (Matt. IX, 20, etc.), so one overshadowing of Peter's shadow produced healing. "Great is the faith of those who come, says Chrysostom on this occasion: even more than it was under Christ. Under Christ, it was not that the sick received healing on the pillars and from the shadow. Why did this happen? From what Christ foretold, saying (John XIV, 12): "he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also, and greater than these he will do." Thus, “surprise towards the Apostles increased from all sides: both from those who believed, and from those who were healed, and from those who were punished, and from their boldness during the sermon, and from the side of a virtuous and impeccable life” (Theophylact).
16 Many of the surrounding cities also converged to Jerusalem, carrying the sick and those possessed by unclean spirits, who were all healed.
17
And the high priest, and with him all who belonged to the heresy of the Sadducees, were filled with envy,
As can be seen from the previous depiction of the internal state of Christian society and the attitude of the people towards it, the Church of Christ flourished internally and was glorified by the people. It is natural that the murderers of the Lord, out of envy, among other things, for His glory, were filled with envy for His disciples, who are so glorified by the people.
"High Priest"... probably Caiaphas, who was then ruling, and therefore not named.
"And with him all who belonged to the heresy of the Sadducees"... Greek καί πάντες οί σύν αυτω̃ (η ου̃σα αίρεσις τω̃ν σαδδουκαίων ), more precisely Slav. "and all who are with him, the sheer heresy of the Sadducees"...; this shows that the high priest himself belonged to the heretical sect of the Sadducees and was its representative. Flavius directly says that one son of Anan or Anna (father-in-law of Caiaphas) belonged to the Sadducean sect (Archeol. XX, 9, 1). It was possible at this time of national decay that the High Priest himself was deviated into heresy, perhaps even though it was unspoken and with certain precautions.
18 and laid their hands on the apostles, and shut them up in the prison of the people.
"They laid their hands on the apostles"... used violence, treating them like criminals.
19
But the Angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison at night, and bringing them out, said:
20
go and, standing in the temple, speak to the people all these words of life.
"Standing in the temple, say" ...σταθέντες λαλει̃τε εν τω̃ ιερω ̃, more correctly Slav.: "become a glogolite in the Church" ...
The more stubbornly the persecution of enemies becomes, the more clearly the Lord renders His help to the persecuted, partly to instruct and frighten the persecutors, but in general to spread and establish the newly established Church. Angel commands to speak in the temple- boldly, fearlessly, not afraid of threats and persecution.
"All these words of life"... Greek πάντα τά ρήματα τη̃ς ζωη̃ς τάυτης , more precisely glorious: "all the words of this life"...- all verbs this life, i.e. true, eternal, grace-filled, in which you yourself abide.
21 After listening, they entered the temple in the morning and taught. In the meantime the high priest, and those who came with him, called the Sanhedrin and all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent them into prison to bring Apostles.
"All Elders"... beyond the members of the Sanhedrin. The work of the Apostles seemed so important, or they wanted to lead it so persistently and resolutely, that not only the Sanhedrin in its entirety, but also all the elders of Israel were gathered together so that the decisions of the Sanhedrin would take on special force.
"Sent to the dungeon"... Consequently, the miraculous release of the apostles and the fact that they were already teaching the people in the temple was not yet known: obviously, the meeting took place early in the morning, as on matters of the most serious, urgent.
22
But the servants, when they came, did not find them in the dungeon, and when they returned, they reported,
23 saying, We found the prison shut with all precautions, and guards standing before the door; but when they opened it, they found no one in it.
24
When the high priest, the chief of the guard, and others the chief priests wondered what that meant.
The only place in the entire New Testament where high priest for some reason it is simply called ιεριύς, and not αρχιερεύς. Next are mentioned, especially from this, and more "high priests". They were probably retired, since, according to I. Flavius (Arch. III, 15), the high priests then changed very often, and the replaced ones continued to be called high priests and remained members of the Sanhedrin. It is also possible that here the first priests of each of the 24 series, into which David divided all the priests, are called high priests (I Chron. XXIII, 6; 24; II Chron. VIII, 14; XXIX, 25; I Ezra. VIII, 24).
25
And someone came and reported to them, saying, Behold, the men whom you have locked up in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.
26 Then the captain of the guard went with the servants and brought them without compulsion, because they were afraid of the people, lest they stone them.
"He brought them without coercion" ... i.e., obviously, having offered the Apostles voluntarily, without laying hands on them, to appear at the invitation of the Sanhedrin. Undoubtedly, the sympathy of the people for the Apostles was now such that open violence against them was extremely dangerous.
27
And having brought them, they appointed them to the Sanhedrin; and the high priest asked them, saying:
28 Have we not strongly forbidden you to teach about this name? and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to bring the blood of that Man upon us.
From the circumstances of the whole affair, the miraculous deliverance of the Apostles from prison was clear; it is all the more surprising that this circumstance is completely hushed up in the Sanhedrin, and a formality is put forward in accusation against the Apostles, which loses all significance in the general chain of events. Such are these true formalists and hypocrites, quite familiar to us from the Gospel and the formidable denunciations of the Lord (“those who strain out a mosquito and swallow a camel”).
"Do not teach about this name" ... What petty contempt for the very name of Jesus: he avoids even naming it, proving by this, however, that no one can call upon this Most Holy Name, except by the Holy Spirit.
"You want to bring the blood of that person on us"..., i.e. Divine punishment for its innocent spill. They themselves once shouted: "His blood is on us and on our children!" And now they want to blame the Apostles for everything! In what a slide of irony over themselves the unfortunate murderers of the Lord get entangled! And how inexorably the wise truth of God leads them to clean water!
29 But Peter and the Apostles said in reply: One must obey God rather than men.
To the accusation of the Sanhedrin, Peter answers the same as before (IV, 19-20), but more decisively and indisputably. "Great wisdom in their words, and such that from here the enmity of those against God (Chrysostom) is revealed."
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging on a tree.
"Killed"...διεχειρίσασθε - they killed with their own hands, a strong expression in order to indicate the guilt of the judges themselves, in eliminating the accusation that the apostles want to bring on them, members of the Sanhedrin, the blood of that person.
"hung on a tree" again a strengthened expression, borrowed from the law of Moses, where the concept of a curse is combined with the concept of hanging on a tree (cf. Gal. III, 13). This again raises the guilt of the crucifiers of the Messiah to terrifying proportions.
31 He was exalted by God at His right hand to be the Head and Savior, in order to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
God exalted him at His right hand to be the Leader and Savior"..., Greek: του̃τον ο Θεός αρχηγόν καί σωτη̃ρα ύφοσε ... The Slavic translation preserves better, so to speak, fragrance original: "Exalt this God of the ruler and Savior by Your right hand" ... This expression makes one feel that Jesus was before chief ours and savior(His royal and high-priestly dignity and ministry), but that was, as it were, hidden and humiliated by the state of His voluntary reduction to the rank of a slave. With the resurrection and ascension of Him, Jesus, His dignity as our Head and Savior was manifested in all glory, fullness and power. The Russian translation loses this "flavor" of the original, and is expressed as if Jesus was not previously what God later elevated Him to.
32 We are His witnesses in this, and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.
"Witnesses to Him in this(more precisely, glory, sih verb- τω̃ν ρητάτων τούτων everything that was said about him we and the Holy Spirit... The testimony of the Apostles and the testimony of the Holy Spirit about the said exaltation - the resurrection and ascension of the Lord are exactly the same in content (cf. John XV, 26-27). The comparison and separate indication of them here, as in the Gospel of John, has the meaning that the Apostles were not unconscious instruments of the Spirit acting through them, but, being under His influence, remained together and independent, personally free figures; in particular, as eyewitnesses of His deeds and direct listeners of His teaching from the very beginning of His social activity, they, as if independently of the Spirit, could be reliable witnesses of Him as the Messiah - the Son of God.
"To those who obey Him"., i.e. not only to the Apostles, but to all believers.
33
Hearing this, they were torn with anger and plotted to kill them.
34 Standing up in the Sanhedrin, a certain Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, ordered the Apostles to be brought out for a short time,
"Gamaliel" mentioned here as a member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee and a teacher of the law respected by the people, there is a well-known Jewish rabbi in the Talmud, the son of Rabbi Simeon and the grandson of another famous Rabbi Hillel. He was also a teacher to Ap. Paul (XXII, 3), and later, like his disciple, also became a Christian and a preacher of the Gospel, for which the Holy Church gave him the name Equal-to-the-Apostles (Chet. Min., Jan. 4 and Aug. 2).
35
and he said to them, Men of Israel! think with yourselves about these people, what you should do with them.
36 For shortly before this, Thewdas appeared, posing as someone great, and about four hundred people stuck to him; but he was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and disappeared.
37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census, and drew away with him enough people; but he perished, and all who obeyed him were scattered.
On the advice of Gamaliel, it is best for the Sanhedrin not to interfere in the cause of Christianity, but to leave it to the natural course of things in the confidence that, if it is not the work of God, it will collapse of itself. To prove this, Gamaliel cites two recent cases when two great deceivers of the people died without any intervention of the Sanhedrin, along with all their work. These are the Revolts of Theevdas and Judas the Galilean. In this mention of the descriptor, however, important bewilderments are caused: firstly, Gamaliel's speech dates back to the time before the actual performance of the historical Theevda (not earlier than 44 years according to R. Chr.): and, secondly, this Theevda appears as if before Judas the Galilean who rebelled" in days of writing those. during the census- "Fevda... so Judas"... In order to reconcile these inaccuracies, many learned interpreters allow two rebels with the name of Theevdas; others explain this inaccuracy simply by a mistake in the writer’s memory (like Acts XII, 16) and believe that under the name of Thebda, some other rebel was brought to his thoughts, who really lived at the time indicated by Luke (before Judas of Galilee).
"Posing as some great"..., obviously for a prophet or Messiah. Theeuda, mentioned by Flavius, closely resembles the one described in Acts, although the time of his appearance indicated by the descriptor does not allow him to be identified in both cases. About Judas Galilean, Flavius also preserved very curious news, confirming the historical reality of this event. Flavius names Judas Gaulonite(Arch. XVIII, 1, 1), since he was from Gamala in the lower Gavlonitis (on the eastern shore of the Lake of Galilee), he also calls the Galilean (Arch. XX, 5, 2; about the war Jude. II, 8, 1 ). He revolted the people and drew away many people with him on the basis of dissatisfaction with the census carried out at the command of Augustus in Judea (Luke II, 2). Seeing in this census the final enslavement of the "chosen" people to the "pagan", he urged the people not to obey Caesar's decree on the census, crying out: "We have one Lord and Master God"!...
"He died"...- Flavius actually tells about the death of only the children of this Judas, while Gamaliel mentions the death of himself - two legends that do not exclude, but rather complement one another.
38 And now, I say to you, depart from this people and leave them; for if this enterprise and this work are from men, then it will be destroyed,
"Deal of the people"...(cf. Matt. XXI, 25), that is, of human origin and character, with only human goals and aspirations, without the will and blessing of God.
39 and if from God, then you cannot destroy it; beware so that you do not turn out to be the enemies of God.
"And if from God" ... According to the interpretation of Chrysostom: "as if he said: wait! if these also appeared on their own, then without any doubt - they will also disperse ... If this is a human matter, then there is no need for you to worry. And if it is God's, then with with all your efforts you will not be able to overcome them "...
It can be said with certainty that such advice as Gamaliel gave could only be given by a person disposed to see in Christianity precisely the power of God; for, while true in general, this proposition, when applied to the activity of people in their relation to events, cannot always be unconditionally true, since if this proposition is unconditionally applied, it would generally seem superfluous to argue against the development of evil principles in life, sometimes allowed by God, that contrary to the laws of conscience and the Law of God. In the mouth of a person who is disposed to see the power of God in Christianity, this proposition has its full force, assuming that the power of God here will certainly be revealed in subsequent events in a more obvious and convincing way. In this case, Gamaliel's advice also loses the character of indifference and a frivolous attitude to events, for which it is all the same whether it is so or not. - In any case, a favorable attitude towards Christianity in the council of Gamaliel is undoubted (cf. Chrysostom and Theophilus). This is evident from Gamaliel's further threat to the members of the Sanhedrin that they might be opposers of God(Greek and Slav. stronger - theomachists- θεομάχοι - rebelling against God, fighting against Him).
40 They obeyed him; and calling the apostles, they beat them and having forbidden them to speak of the name of Jesus, they let them go.
Gamaliel's strong speech made an impression on the Sanhedrin and persuaded them to obey good advice - in the sense that the plan to kill the Apostles (v. 33) was left without execution. This did not rule out, however, the possibility of a hostile attitude towards them on the part of those who were not disposed, following Gamaliel, to suspect the power of God in their work. The apostles were subjected to corporal punishment (scourging), probably under the pretext of disobedience to their previous determination of the Sanhedrin, now renewed with the same force. "The irrefutable justice of the words (Gamaliel) they could not resist; but, in spite of that, they satisfied their rage, and, moreover, again hoped in this way to eliminate the Apostles (Chrysostom) ...
41 They left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that for the name of the Lord Jesus they were worthy to receive dishonor.
"Rejoicing that for the name of the Lord Jesus they were deemed worthy to receive dishonor"... They considered this dishonor a special mercy to them of their Lord and Teacher; for what could be more rewarding and dearer for a loving heart in relation to the Beloved Lord and Teacher, than the readiness and opportunity to lay down for Him at least one's soul!
Of course, the preaching of the Gospel, and after that, went on in its own order, without ceasing or weakening at all, but even more intensifying: "both in the temple and at home", "every day",- i.e. incessantly, incessantly, both privately and publicly.
42 And every day in the temple and from house to house they did not cease to teach and preach the gospel about Jesus Christ.
1.1. Preface by Luke (1:1-3)
1:1 I wrote the first book for you, Theophilus, about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning
1:2 until the day on which he ascended, giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, 1:3 to whom he also showed himself alive, after his suffering, with many sure proofs, appearing to them for forty days and speaking of the kingdom God's.
Both the first part of his work, the Gospel (Luke 1:1-4), and the second, the Acts of the Apostles, the author begins by referring to Theophilus, who was probably a Christian (Luke 1:4), since Luke intended to instruct him distribution of both books. We can say that Theophilus played the role of Luke's publisher.
In a brief preface, the author conveys the content of the Gospel, citing only its beginning and end. At the same time, the description of the ascension of Jesus is a kind of link, connecting the gospel with the Acts. For us, two aspects are essential.
Firstly, Luke, from the very beginning, pays special attention to the apostles, whose lives and deeds he intends to tell in the future, and in connection with which the book got its name. And although it is unlikely that it was given to her by the author himself, it is nevertheless obvious that it is the apostles that are important to Luke. After all, Jesus chose them through the Holy Spirit and directed them to spread the Good News (Luke 24:47-49), after they personally met the Risen One. Therefore, for the evangelist, the testimonies of the apostles about Jesus are so important: His life and teaching; His death, resurrection and ascension. The testimonies of such people grew in importance as false claims about Christ and Christians began to spread. Those who sought to obtain accurate information about Jesus Christ (Luke 1:4) had to rely on the veracity of the accounts of these eyewitnesses. Incidentally, it is important to note that Luke, Paul's friend and associate, nowhere refers to this eminent evangelist as an apostle.
Secondly, from Acts. 1:3 we get new information about the period between Jesus' resurrection and ascension: for forty days Jesus appeared to His disciples. Looking into the Symphony, we see the significance of the number forty in the Bible: for forty days and nights God allowed the flood to fall; for forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness; for forty days Moses remained on Mount Sinai; after forty days the spies of the Israelites returned from the promised land; Nineveh receives forty days to repent. In addition, one can see an analogy between the stay of Moses on Mount Sinai in communion with God and the meetings of Jesus with the apostles after the resurrection. As God on Mount Sinai declared His will to Moses, so now the apostles, the leaders of the New Testament people of God, receive orders from Christ. We also learn that at this time Jesus appeared to them, speaking of the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). It remains unknown what exactly He said then, but we must take it on faith: it was an introduction to the teachings of the apostles, as well as an entry into the new covenant. The Evangelist John emphasizes that the meaning of some events in the life of Jesus was revealed to the disciples only after His resurrection (cf., for example, John 12:16 - Christ's entry into Jerusalem). Only some time after the meeting with the Resurrected did they realize what had happened. Describing the meeting of Jesus with the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), Luke tells how the Master opened their eyes to God's plan and God's will. And in our day, wanting to know what the Lord wants from us, we must turn to the Old and New Testaments. Only there will we find the reliable word of God: through the Scriptures, the Lord speaks directly to each of us.
Luke paid great attention to the teaching of the apostles (see Acts 2:42) and saw its organic connection with the speeches and teachings of Christ Himself. About how the Good News spread throughout the world, finding its reflection in the life of the Church, Luke tells in Acts.
(1:4-11)
1.2. Ascension of Christ (1:4-11)
1:4 And having gathered them together, He commanded them, Do not excommunicate ma, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard from me,
1:5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days after this.
1:6 Wherefore they came together and asked him, saying, Lord, are you not at this time restoring the kingdom to Israel?
1:7 And he said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed in his own power,
1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
1:9 Having said this, He lifted up before their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.
1:10 And as they were looking into heaven, at the time of His ascension, suddenly there stood before them two men dressed in white
1:11 and said, Men of Galilee! why are you standing and looking at the sky? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.
What was it like for Jesus to have this last meeting with His closest disciples? It is known that the Lord encountered misunderstanding on their part in earthly life, but, alas, His resurrection did little to clarify them (see Luke 24:21). “But others doubted,” says Matthew about how the disciples received the command of Jesus Christ about missionary service. Luke shows the extent to which His disciples associate the expectation of the promised salvation with the earthly world (Acts 1:6; cf. Matt. 28:17).
However, let's look at everything in order. Art. 4 and 5 tell of Jesus' command and the promise He made to His disciples. John the Baptist already knew that the baptism he performed would not be the last, and predicted: "... He who comes after me ... will baptize ... with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matt. 3:11). Presumably, the sequence "by water - by the Holy Spirit" represents a kind of ascent from the lower to the higher. While John the Baptist used a transient element in baptism, i.e. water, the apostles were to be baptized with the very Spirit of God. It is noteworthy that baptism
The Spirit, which is now so often spoken of, is mentioned throughout the New Testament only in the prophetic words of John the Baptist (Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33) and in the words of Christ (Acts 1:5) . Much greater significance for the life of the whole Church and every Christian, the authors of the New Testament attach to baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. But the rare mention of the baptism with the Holy Spirit does not at all mean its insignificance. On the contrary, John the Baptist speaks of him with reverence, echoing the Old Testament promises of the outpouring of God's Spirit at the end of time (see Isa. 32:15; Ezek. 39:29; Joel. 2:28ff; Zech. 12:10) . Jeremiah does not mention the Spirit anywhere, but speaks of a new covenant that God wants to make with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31ff.).
For the Jews, as well as for their Gentile environment, baptism was by no means surprising. Along with ritual ablutions, which served to restore cult purity (see, for example, the numerous references to ablutions in the book of Leviticus or during the earthly life of Christ - Mark 7:3 et seq.), the Jews knew the so-called washing of proselytes, which was supposed to to be done by anyone who wants to become a Jew. This ablution was essentially a baptism that a person performed on himself. In all types of pre-Christian ritual ablutions, the idea of liberation from impurity dominated, but they did not have the significance of a public confession of faith.
If the Jews perceived ablution (especially in the Qumran community) as an action of a person performed on himself with the aim of renewed participation in the prayer community of Israel, then already in early Christianity both the form and content of ablution-baptism change.
Although purification remains the main aspect here, baptism is already performed through an intermediary. Added to the concept of deliverance from impurity is the teaching that baptism represents death and resurrection with Christ (Rom. 6:1-14). When the person being baptized is completely immersed in water, he is separated from all those around him (“dead”), and then, as a “new creature”, is resurrected for a new life. This interpretation is based on the fact that Christ Himself understood His death as "baptism" (Matt. 20:22). Christian baptism is a sacred act (sacrament) of God performed by Him over a sinful person, which is not carried out according to the merits of the latter and must be perceived by faith.
The reaction of the disciples indicates that they understood the eschatological meaning of Jesus' command to be baptized (Acts 1:6). The disciples correlate the promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them with the promised restoration of the great kingdom of Israel, especially since Christ connected the outpouring of the Spirit precisely with Jerusalem (Acts 1:4), in which devout Jews had hoped since the reign of David. In this city, which God Himself chose (2 Chr. 6:6), where a pious king once ruled (2 Sam. 5:5), where Solomon built the Temple of the Most High (Z Kings 6), in a city that the righteous in their prayers (Ps. 121:6; 127:5; 136:6 ff.), which the prophets, beginning with Isaiah, speak of as the place of the eschatological salvation of all nations (Is. 2:2-4; 24:23; 27 :13; Zech. 1:17; 9:9: 14:1-11), where the very Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, had to stand trial, there was always hope for a glorious future for Israel. No wonder Jesus' disciples had similar thoughts!
Jesus Christ directly points out to His followers: ... it is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed in His own power (Acts 1:7). This prohibition remains in force today: Jesus limits human curiosity. There is no need to try to calculate anything, but one should always be ready to meet the Lord. Churches of Jesus
It was always difficult for Christ to put up with this restriction, especially in difficult times for her. Unfortunately, being under the influence of certain circumstances, people sometimes still make attempts to determine the date of the Second Coming. However, as one would expect, none of these dates turned out to be correct. The church of Christ must bear the burden of this ignorance, in order to be constantly awake in expectation of the Lord. At the same time, she should learn to discern the "signs of the times" (Matt. 16:3), but not at all in order to do any calculations.
The church must make the best use of the time before the return of the Lord (which is very limited) to preach the gospel (Acts 1:8). Thus, Jesus simultaneously warns against false enthusiasm and calls for the worldwide preaching of the gospel (8): ...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Researchers have come to the conclusion that Luke used these words of Christ as an outline for the composition of Acts. In general, the plan of the book included three aspects: geographical - the spread of the Moisture message from Jerusalem (Acts 1-7) through Samaria and the coastal cities of Palestine and Syria (Acts 8-12) up to the center of the Roman Empire (Acts 13-28) ; personal (in Acts 1-12 tells about Peter, as ch.13 about Paul) and theological: from preaching to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea (Acts 1-7) through missionary activity among "half-pagans" or "half-Jews" (Acts. 8-12) to gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 13). The fact that these aspects are sometimes intertwined gives the work a special sublimity and integrity. Luke wanted to show us that the history of the development of Christianity from the moment of the ascension of Christ to the arrival of Paul in Rome is fully consistent with the commission of Jesus.
The disciples are to be witnesses of Jesus. In the original Greek, the word here is derived from tsartgh; [m'artyus] - "witness", which from about the middle of the 2nd century. n. e. acquires the meaning of "martyr", since to believe in Christ and testify about Him was tantamount to accepting martyrdom.
In Paul's time, this was the word most commonly used for Christian evangelists. According to Hebrew law, the witness himself had to bring charges against the person who committed the crime. A great responsibility rested on the witness, as the verdict was passed on the basis of concurring testimony from at least two eyewitnesses (see Leviticus 5:1; Numbers 35:30; Deut. 19:15 and Matt. 26:60). In the case of a death sentence, the witnesses were to be the first to raise their hands and stone the condemned (cf. Deut. 17:7 and Acts 7:57ff.). Thus, they themselves became guilty in the event that their testimony turned out to be false. Therefore, the witness must have had a strong belief in what he was claiming. His testimony was not simply an expression of a subjective opinion, but had to have a real substantiation. Moreover, witnessing was not a matter of free choice, but a sacred duty (I Cor. 9:16). Only on this basis can we understand why Paul (see 1 Cor. 15:3-8) is so important legally irrefutable testimony about the central event of his sermon - the resurrection of Christ. For the same reason, the apostle does not mention women - according to Jewish law, they did not have the right to act as witnesses. In general, Paul sees a very close connection between God's plan of salvation and faith. Therefore, the disciples of Jesus at all times should be just such witnesses as described above. After all, only those who are convinced of something themselves are able to convince others.
So, in order to fulfill this commission of Jesus, the witnesses had to become partakers of the Holy Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit descends on you... - Christ promises His disciples. The concept of strength in the original Greek is conveyed by the word Sovapic; | d'yunamis] - "strength", "ability", "miracle". Aovapiq - God's power, acting in history for the salvation of man. And the miracles performed by Jesus were, no doubt, deeds of salvation. Christ rejects the possibility of a speedy judgment through a miracle, which took place, for example, during the ministry of the prophets Elijah and Elisha (Luke 9:51-56). Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and His power is not the ultimate goal of a Christian, but only serves as an auxiliary means in the work of spreading the Good News. The disciples of Jesus, armed with this force, must testify about Him, starting from the center of the Jewish world - Jerusalem, then - in the semi-pagan Samaria, and finally - in the capital of the Roman Empire. Probably, Luke meant by this that already from Rome Christianity would spread further - to the ends of the earth (such was the preaching strategy of Paul, who usually created a community in the capital city, so that from there the teaching would spread throughout the province). It is obvious that Luke, a well-educated and well-traveled man, could not consider Rome to be the outskirts of the inhabited civilized world, just whoever owns the capital owns the whole empire.
So, the last words of Christ to the disciples before His ascension are the command to wait in Jerusalem for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and then testify about their Teacher. Having said this, He arose before their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight (1:9). The story of the ascension of Christ has always caused bewilderment, as well as His birth from a virgin. In both cases, the immanent and the transcendent intersected at a single point, which was difficult to accept, especially for people of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Scientists were engaged in calculations of the speed of the ascension of Jesus Christ, the astronauts were looking for Him in the Universe and thus sought to prove the implausibility of the biblical tradition. People have always tried to understand: where is God, what is "heaven"? Scripture does not provide clarification on this matter, arguing nevertheless that God intervenes tangibly in history, and in these cases the immanent can coincide with the transcendent. However, the Bible does not attempt to localize God's abode, despite the fact that it could be opened to the elect for a time (see Isaiah 6; 2 Corinthians 12). The Scriptures also do not mention the date of the Second Coming of Christ. God visits the soul of every person in due time. But if this is true, and we recognize this ability for God the Creator, then the ascent of Jesus Christ to heaven is not a natural scientific problem, but should be perceived as a theological problem.
It is interesting that the cloud is mentioned here. In both the Old and New Testaments, its appearance has a special meaning: the cloud hides the glory of the Lord from human eyes. In the desert, God always appeared to the people hidden in the cloud (see Ex. 16:10 et seq.; Ps. 96:2), during the transfiguration of Jesus, the Lord spoke to the disciples from the cloud (Matt. 17:5), and at the Second Coming The Son of Man is coming on a cloud (Luke 21:27). The apostle John also observed something similar (Rev. 1:7; 10:1; 14:14). In this case, this means: if the cloud took the resurrected Jesus, then He entered into the glory of the Lord, passing from the immanent to the transcendent.
So the disciples were left alone. It is not difficult to imagine how they stood, helplessly looking at the sky. Luke does not give a detailed description of the ascension in his book, he does not even try to explain this event. He leaves us with the disciples before a fact that we have yet to comprehend. They, like us, were aware of the Old Testament parallels of such a transition to another world (Enoch in Genesis 5:24; Elijah in 2 Kings 2:9-11), which, however, does little to overcome the feeling of God-forsakenness. However, even here, on the Mount of Olives (Oleon), the Lord comes to the aid of His disciples. Two men in white clothes suddenly appear before them. Although Luke does not give any details about these men, it is clear to the reader that they are angels. Usually. God spoke to His people through prophets, but sometimes He still resorted to the help of special messengers, who, according to Hebrews, are "ministering spirits" (Heb. 1:14). The birth of Jesus was announced by angels (Luke 1:26ff.; 2:8ff.), his resurrection was also confirmed by heavenly messengers (Luke 24:1ff.); His ascension was accompanied by a message they brought (Acts 1:10ff.). Thus, we see that angels take part in especially important events.
As with the resurrection, the message they brought after the ascension of Christ, in its meaning, goes beyond the scope of the event itself and promises a new meeting with the Lord (see Mark 16:7; Acts 1:11). Following Jesus does not mean immersing yourself in sentimental memories of some special revelations or guessing about His current place of residence, but consciously moving towards His Second Coming (see Luke 21:27). Jesus will come to our land again, and not in the form of a servant or imperceptibly, but in the power of the Lord and clearly. Until then, we have to watch, pray, and act while the day goes on.
Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 1 (1:12-14)
1.3. A Brief Account of the Life of the Early Christians (1:12-14)
1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath journey away.
1:13 And when they arrived, they went up into the upper room, where they were, Peter and James, John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James Alpheus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the brother of James.
1:14 They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with some of the women, and with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.
Beforehand, it is necessary to explain certain points, without which the understanding of the text will be difficult. Mount of Olives (Mount of Olives) is located east of Jerusalem. It is a hilly range with three small peaks that rise above the city and even the Temple Mount. In ancient times, the Mount of Olives was probably covered with olive orchards. Referred to in the Old Testament as the "Mount of Olives," it was already in David's time a place of service to God (2 Sam. 15:30-32; see also EC 11:7). In prophetic predictions to Israel, this mountain played a special role (see Ezek. 11:23; Zech. 14:4). By the time of the appearance of Jesus, it was probably considered already unclean in religious terms, since the graves of pilgrims appeared here. Luke reports that the Mount of Olives (or, more accurately, the site of Jesus' ascension) was a Sabbath journey from Jerusalem. Based on what is said in Ex. 16:29 it was believed that on Saturday one should not move more than two thousand cubits (about one kilometer) from the place of this holiday. Theoretically, a Jew was not supposed to leave the place where he was on the Sabbath. Thus, the Mount of Olives as the site of the ascension of Jesus is mentioned in close connection with the holy city of Jerusalem.
It remains to explain the word upper room (Greek gzherfou hk) per’oon] - “upper room or floor”). We know that houses in the East in those days were one-storied with flat roofs, and they remain so even now, unless they are built according to modern Western models. On the roof, a superstructure of light material was often built, resembling a mezzanine. Most of the time the family spent on the lower floor, the upper chamber served as a resting place: there one could find solitude for fellowship with God (see Dan. 6:10-11; Acts 10:9 et seq.).
Now let's get back to the apostles who remained after parting with Jesus. Their path from the Mount of Olives, covered with graves, to the holy city of Jerusalem became the first stage in the movement of the Good News to people. You can call it a prototype of the formation of the Christian Church, moving from the "cemetery of this world" to the heavenly Jerusalem. On this path, the students had to do a lot. They were given a commission that seemed to the man of that time absolutely impossible: to preach the gospel to the whole world! How to carry out "missionary work" on such a scale, none of the apostles could imagine. At first, the gospel was simply passed from person to person at every opportunity, until Paul introduced the method of centralized evangelism, which will be discussed below. From the point of view of modern Christians, perhaps the disciples, in a state of spiritual uplift, should immediately go to the square in front of the Temple and begin to preach the gospel. But they didn't. Their first route through the city did not lead to the podium, but to the upper room (1:13; see Matt. 6:6). The young community was preparing for the sermon in an atmosphere of quiet joint prayer before the face of God. In this, the early Christians can serve as an example for us, who believe that it is possible to fulfill God's commission in vain and in haste. Before talking to people about God, you should talk to the Lord about these people. And besides, it is not enough to develop the concepts of missionary work in today's conditions at countless meetings; one should preach the gospel in deeds. One of the serious problems of modern evangelical churches is a kind of division of labor, when some people only plan, while others directly preach the word of God.
In the early Christian community in Jerusalem, this problem did not exist. The followers of Jesus prayed and worked together. But who were these people? Luke gives a list of the names of the disciples, similar lists we find in the Gospels (see Mark 3:16-19 and Luke 6:14-16). He probably does this because Acts was published separately from the Gospel of Luke. In any case, as a historian, it is important for Luke not to miss the opportunity to report on people whose names serve as evidence of the authenticity of the tradition about Jesus. These eleven names (Judas Iscariot was no longer among them) are presented in the sequence that corresponds to the degree of their significance, which is typical of antiquity. First on the list is Peter, followed by the sons of Zebedee. Even during the Lord's stay on earth, Peter was a kind of speaker among the disciples (see Matt. 16:16 and John 6:67-69), and Peter, James and John made up a narrow circle of His followers (see Matt. 26: 37, as well as Matthew 17:1 and Mark 5:37). The name of Peter also tops the list of witnesses of the resurrected Christ in 1 Cor. 15:5ff. What were the people who stood at the origins of Christianity?
Peter's name before meeting Jesus was Simon; he was the son of Jonah (see John 21:15). Together with his brother Andrew, Peter came from Bethsaida, a small town located on the border between Galilee and the Golan Heights, where the Jordan flows into the Lake of Gennesaret. The name Peter (“stone”), given to him by Jesus and gradually replacing his own, symbolizes the destiny that Simon was destined to fulfill: he, who was the first to confess Christ as the Son of God, was to become the foundation of the Church (Matt. 16:13 and ff. ). Peter was probably one of the earliest disciples of Christ. We know from the Gospels that he had a quick temper (cf. John 18:10 et seq.), sometimes overestimating his abilities (Matt. 26:33-35). Peter was an indirect witness to the interrogation of Jesus by the high priest (John 18:15) and out of fear he denied the Lord, but after the resurrection of Christ he was again received by Him. Jesus entrusted him with the leadership (John 21:15ff.) of the first Christian community in Jerusalem. After the arrest and miraculous release (Acts 12) in the mid-40s. under Herod Agrippa 1, Peter left Jerusalem. He is also mentioned in Acts (Acts 15:7), where he speaks with James about the Gentiles and the law. It is possible that Peter preached the gospel in Babylon, where there was a large Jewish diaspora3 (see 1 Peter 5:13). But only the fact that Peter, in connection with the persecutions perpetrated by Nero, was martyred in Rome in the mid-60s, can be considered established. We do not know the details of this event. Peter is an example of the irascible and wavering man whom Jesus, despite all his weaknesses, calls to the ministry and puts to good use!
James, like his brother John, was the son of Zebedee. Both of them lived on the northern shore of the Lake of Genniearet and, like Peter and Andrew, were fishermen (Luke 5:1-11). Jesus called them to service, tearing them away from their daily work, and without hesitation they left their nets and boats and followed Him. This readiness to breastfeed for the glory of the Lord never left them. Jesus called them “sons of thunder” (Mk. 3:17), when they wanted, like Elijah, to destroy the Samara village by fire, the inhabitants of which refused to accept the Lord and the disciples (Lk. 9:51-56; see 2 Kings 1:9 etc.). That exclusive trust that the Master placed in them awakened in them dreams of a special position among other disciples (Matt. 20:20-28). After the resurrection of Christ, James became one of the leaders of the Church, for which he was executed by Herod Agrippa I under circumstances unknown to us c. 44 AD >.
John, brother of James. He is supposed to have been a favorite disciple of Jesus (John 13:23). Like Peter, John left Jerusalem and, according to church tradition, settled in Ephesus. His close ties with the churches of Asia Minor are evidenced by his Revelation (Rev. 1:4 et seq.), although, contrary to crowbar, the three epistles of John that have come down to us do not contain any mention of the Asia Minor area. During the reign of Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96), John was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he received a revelation from Jesus Christ. The Gospel he wrote, as well as his Epistles and Revelation, suggest that he stood out among the New Testament writers for his intellect. It was he, who at first was a simple fisherman, who entered the fight against the emerging Gnosticism and contributed to its overcoming. John died at an advanced age.
Andrew appears before us as if in the shadow of his brother Peter. Yet it was he who brought Peter to Jesus (John 1:41ff.). Not only celebrities who do something exceptional and become the property of history are significant in the Kingdom of God. Andrew is an example for us that the Lord needs the small to draw the great to Himself. According to church tradition, Andrew, after leaving Jerusalem, was a preacher in Scythia (Northern Black Sea region, south of modern Ukraine).
Philip, Bartholomew, Jacob Alfeev and Judas, brother of James - four apostles, about whom we know very little. Philip was from Bethsaida (John 1:44). From the Gospel of John (John 12:20 et seq.) it is known that some "Greeks", wishing to meet with Jesus, turned to Philip with this request. It is not known whether the real Greeks (i.e. pagans) are meant here, or whether they are talking about the Jews of the Diaspora who spoke the Greek language. In any case, Philip appears to have maintained ties with the Greek-speaking world. It is disputed whether Philip the evangelist (Acts 6:5) and the apostle Philip existed, or whether the reference is to the same person.
About Bartholomew, the Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea reports that in his missionary journey the apostle reached India and brought the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew to the Indians4. Whether this news is reliable is difficult to say.
We know almost nothing about Jacob and Jude.
Thomas was nicknamed the Twin. According to Eusebius of Caesarea, the field of his missionary activity was mainly the Parthian kingdom, the main rival of the Roman Empire in the East. Thomas is known to us as a doubting person, capable of believing only what he sees or touches (John 20:24 et seq.). But after the ascension, Jesus paid special attention to this disciple, which served as an incentive for his spiritual renewal.
Matthew may be none other than Levi the publican, whom Jesus called to follow Him (see Matt. 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27ff.). The tax collectors were extremely unpopular with the Jews, because they cooperated with the Roman authorities, while not forgetting about their own pocket. They were not without reason considered unclean on
hand. Jesus nonetheless called one of them to follow Him, and it is to this tax collector that we owe the Gospel of Matthew. Thanks to Jesus, the businessman became a writer - this is not a miracle!
Not much is known about Simon the Zealot. It is noteworthy that before his conversion, Simon belonged to the national-religious movement of the Zealots, “zealots of God’s honor”, the most radical grouping of which, the Sicarii, with villainous murders terrified all Jews loyal to Rome. Zealots in the time of Christ were a kind of terrorists. Nevertheless, a supporter of this movement was part of a narrow circle of His disciples, although, in all likelihood, he no longer belonged to the Zealot party at that time, since he was transformed by the Teacher, Who, as you know, did not approve of the actions of this group (see Matt. 22:15-22).
Thus, Jesus gathered around Himself a rather motley company, which became the core of His Church: “hot-tempered”, “intellectual”, “skeptic”, former “dealer”, former “terrorist”… In the Church of Christ these differences do not disappear, but do not prevent unity of people. This is how Jesus transforms us!
Along with the apostles, or rather, after them, Luke always mentions women who were in Jerusalem from the very beginning. Among them was the mother of Jesus - Mary.
The message of Christ has consistently attracted women. Luke names some of them in his Gospel (Luke 8:1-3). Women were the first witnesses of the Risen One, His most faithful followers, even when men (like Peter, for example) denied it. They were at the cross of Jesus at the crucifixion, at His tomb at the burial and on the morning of the resurrection. But, by the will of the Lord, men took a leading position in the young Church. Later, in Corinth, the city of Hellenistic Christianity, the apostle Paul strongly rejected the claims of women to a leading role, pointing to the place assigned to a woman in the creation of the world (1 Cor. 11).
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is rarely mentioned and, in any case, is not honored with special veneration anywhere. Jesus does not insist on honoring His mother by pointing out what is truly significant (Luke 11:27ff.). Mary herself humbly names herself in a song of praise in Lk. 1:46-55 "servant" of the Lord (Luke 1:48). After the dramatic events that took place at the end of the earthly life of Jesus (Mark 3:31-35), we meet her at the foot of His Cross (John 19:25-27), later she was in His community.
Much controversy was initially raised by the question of the brothers of Jesus. In MF. 13:55 their names are given: James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, and the sisters are also mentioned there. The Catholic Church calls these people cousins of Jesus in order to affirm the dogma of the "perpetual virginity" of Mary. This view (albeit for different reasons) has recently been supported by some members of evangelical churches. But the author of this Commentary is of the opinion that Jesus had blood brothers and sisters according to the flesh. Of these, James and Jude are primarily known, each of whom is the author of the New Testament epistles.
James became the head of the first Church after Peter had to flee. He had a great influence on the development of early Christian theology. The Jews called him righteous, which testifies to his high authority among the adherents of Judaism. His execution provoked strong condemnation on their part. James is known primarily as Paul's opponent on evangelism among the Gentiles. His Epistle testifies to how strong the influence exerted on him by the Old Testament was, which is why it was so difficult for this devout Jew who converted to Christianity to allow the Gentiles to enter the Church, bypassing communion with the chosen people, i.e. circumcision. However, in the future it was he, according to Acts. 15:13 et seq., put forward a proposal that contributed to the achievement of mutual agreement.
Judas, by contrast, does not appear to have played a leading role in the Church. Members of Jesus' family had to go through significant internal changes in order to give up their original opinion about Him (“He lost his temper”, Mark 3:21) and recognize in Jesus the Messiah by the time of His ascension.
Thus, the first evangelists were a very diverse group of people who were sent to conquer the world. Outwardly, they were unrepresentative and unknown people. But the point was not who they were, but who sent them and what they did. All of them unanimously remained in prayer and supplication ... - writes Luke. Here, for the first time, the word unanimously occurs, Luke's favorite word, by which he designates the atmosphere that prevailed within the community (see Acts 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25). They were focused on Jesus. Perhaps this was the secret of their success.
Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 1 (1:15-26)
1.4. Election of Matthias (1:15-26)
1:15 And in those days Peter, standing in the midst of the disciples, said
1:16 (there was an assembly of about a hundred and twenty people): men, brethren! It was to be fulfilled that which the Holy Spirit had foretold in the Scriptures through the mouth of David concerning Judas, the former leader of those who took Jesus;
1:17 he was numbered with us and received the lot of this ministry;
1:18 But he bought the land with an unrighteous reward, and when he fell down, his belly was split open, and all his bowels fell out;
1:19 and this became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the land in their native language was called Akeldama, that is, the land of blood.
1:20 But in the book of Psalms it is written, Let his court be empty, and let him not dwell in it; and: let another take his dignity.
1:21 It is therefore necessary that one of those who were with us all the time that the Lord Jesus was and was dealing with us,
1:22 From the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us, he was with us a witness of his resurrection.
1:23 And they appointed two: Joseph, called Barsabas, who was called Justus, and Matthias;
1:24 And they prayed and said, You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show me one of these two whom You have chosen.
1:25 to accept the lot of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell away in order to go to his own place.
1:26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered among the eleven apostles.
When reading the story of the acceptance of Matthias into the circle of the apostles, the question arises: why was such a choice made?
We know that Jesus, along with a fairly large number of followers in Judea and Galilee, had a number of followers who accompanied him on his travels. We know of seventy disciples whom He sent to proclaim and heal (Luke 10:1ff.). We also know about the inner circle of Jesus, which consisted of twelve disciples (see Matt. 10:2-4 and parallel passages). In all lists of names, only one always stands at the end: the name of the traitor Judas. The reward for betrayal turned against him (Matt. 27:3-10). Perhaps he imagined the course of events after the arrest of Jesus very differently. In any case, after a desperate attempt to exonerate himself, Judas could no longer find peace and eventually committed suicide (Matt. 27:5 and Acts 1:18). Eleven apostles could simply leave his place free, because the Lord who called them did not give any instructions regarding additional elections. The further history of the development of the early Church indicates that Paul should be considered the twelfth apostle, because Matthias, chosen by the apostles, is not mentioned anywhere else, and Paul becomes one of the most zealous executors of Christ's command to evangelize. However, it is strange that it is Luke, a disciple of Paul, who devotes half a chapter to describing the elections - this gives us the basis for a more detailed study of this event.
The initiative for choosing the twelfth apostle comes from Peter (1:15). In his short speech, which is addressed to a community of almost 120 people, the apostle Peter suggests choosing one of the disciples of Christ to replace Judas, saying: Therefore, it is necessary ... (1:21). At the same time, he uses the Greek word dei [day - “necessary”, “necessary”, “necessary”, which is sometimes used when talking about the fulfillment of God's plan. In the true sense of the word, it was necessary that Christ suffered and died for us (Luke 24:26). Therefore, for the fulfillment of God's plan for salvation, it is necessary that there be twelve apostles, Peter believes. It was not by chance that Jesus called exactly twelve disciples at one time, He saw in them symbolic representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel. That is why the election of another apostle was required to restore the original state.
There is another reason. Peter justifies both the departure of the traitor and the election of another person in his place with the help of quotations from the Old Testament (1:20). We will not be mistaken if we assume that Peter made the election proposal after careful study of the Scriptures. In what happened to Judas, he sees the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. The quotations from the psalms placed in the middle of the passage are relevant both to the previous (1:16-19) and to the subsequent text (1:21-26). However, it is obvious that these quotations contradict each other in a certain sense - after reading Ps. 68:26 one would expect the place left by Judas to remain vacant, while in Ps. 109:8, on the other hand, calls for a worthy one to take it. Since Peter's speech must be considered as a whole, the word mi [kai] - and, connecting both quotes (1:20), should be understood not as a connecting, but as an opposing union, translating it with the words “on the other hand”, “in the same time" or "but". In this case, Peter's words would take on approximately the following meaning: although the traitor Judas dropped out of the number of twelve, as it was predicted in the Old Testament (Ps. 68:26), at the same time, the Old Testament contains an indication that he should change successor (Ps. 109:8).
The first part of Peter's speech (1:16-19) is dedicated to the death of the traitor Judas Iscariot. In accordance with the Gospels, Luke tells that Judas, who betrayed Jesus to the guards, was a full member of the circle of twelve (1:16ff.). In MF. 27:8 there is the phrase land of blood (1:19), which was understood by the evangelists ambiguously. It is noteworthy that Luke gives the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic name AkeA.5arah [Akeldam'ah| and at the same time gives the translation: land of blood. This fact, as well as the use of different Greek terms by Matthew and Luke to denote the word "earth" (in Matt. 'ion] - "locality", "country", "place") indicates that both of them in this case dealt with an Aramaic source. Both Greek words denote, however, the same concept. (Note that the translation into Greek, which might have seemed out of place in the mouth of the Galilean Peter, is undoubtedly Luke's.)
The matter becomes more complicated when we turn to the story of the death of Judas. If Matthew says: “And throwing the pieces of silver in the temple, he went out, went and strangled himself” (Matt. 27:5), then Peter (in the presentation of Luke) says this: ... his belly was split open, and all his bowels fell out… (1:18). At first glance, we are talking about two different versions, but one does not exclude the other. Matthew7 also speaks of the acquisition of land (through the mediation of the high priests) (Matt. 27:5-7). The hanging in Matthew and the fall in Luke do not contradict each other. We do not know the details, but why not assume that the hanged man fell and cut his stomach? You should not focus on places with apparent contradictions.
In the second part of his speech, Peter (1:20-22) reflects on the consequences of Judas' departure. Obviously, many in the community were concerned about his betrayal. The words of Scripture on which Peter is based are taken from two psalms in which the psalmist complains about his enemies and curses them (see, for example, Ps. 109:17-20).
Further, Peter names the requirements that the new chosen one must meet. They are of particular interest to us, as they show what distinguished the disciples who were close to Jesus, and why they could testify reliably about Him. Only those who were constantly with Christ from the moment of His baptism in the Jordan until the ascension (1:21ff.) could belong to the circle of twelve. It should be noted that the testimonies of the three evangelists that the first disciples were called only after the baptism of Jesus coincide. However, only John explicitly points out the close relationship between Jesus' baptism and the calling of disciples (John 1:35 et seq.).
The meaning of this sequence is clear: the chosen one must report information about Jesus on the basis of his own experience, that is, be a true witness. He must certainly be an eyewitness to His resurrection. Already in those distant times - and we are mentally still in the year when He resurrected - this event was considered the focus of the Christian message. Paul writes about the same thing twenty years later in Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:12 et seq.). However, the assumption of modernist theologians that the message of the resurrection and the call to faith are in no way connected with the problem of the historical reliability of the tradition of Jesus seems to be wrong. Peter (Acts 1:21 et seq.), like Paul (1 Cor. 15:1-10), understands perfectly well that the news of the resurrection of Christ only sounds plausible when this fact is historically reliable. Paul confirms the indisputability of the resurrection by listing the eyewitnesses of this phenomenon, without mentioning, however, the first witnesses - women, since, according to Jewish law, their testimony in court was not taken into account.
So, we are dealing with evidence of the resurrection, but these facts do not detract from the importance of faith. God is at work in history, but we must reverently await our salvation. In doing so, it is important for us to have weighty historical evidence for the resurrection. If we approach the study of resurrection evidence with an open mind, we will have to agree with many scholars who believe that it is difficult to find another “historical event that is supported by such reliable and varied evidence as the resurrection of Christ” 8. The news of this event cannot remain just interesting information that is not related to reality. Indeed, Jesus is in our lives, He wants us to follow Him, and this requires faith.
Obviously, among the followers of Jesus there were many who met the above requirements. From Acts we learn that the lot was to be drawn by two claimants (1:23). The name of one of them that has come down to us is mentioned in all sources: Matthias (in Hebrew, perhaps Mattia or Mattitya). Contradictory information has reached us about the other candidate. According to fairly reliable sources, his name was Joseph, but the Aramaic name Barsaba was also mentioned, as well as his Latin nickname Justus (Righteous). In some texts he is called Barnabas and thus identified with the one mentioned in Acts. 4:36 by a companion of Paul who appeared later in Luke's account. Presumably speech is still
it is about two personalities, which, as a result of the similarity of names, the scribes considered one and the same person.
After the assembly (in one of the oldest Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, known as the code of Beza, Peter is implied, since it says “set” instead of put) made a preliminary choice, the last word is left to the Lord, who called other disciples in due time. The short prayer (1:24-25), perhaps the most ancient prayer known to us to the ascended Lord, is addressed to the One Who judges not by appearance, but as the Knower of the hearts of all (see Luke 16:15 about God). He himself must decide. Even then, Christians understood that different criteria apply in the Kingdom of God than in this world, and that the owner of the most outstanding qualities does not necessarily have to become the best minister.
So, the chosen one had to combine two types of activity: this ministry and the Apostleship (G.25). We see that specific functions and positions were already distinguished in the community. By ministry is probably meant "the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4), i.e., preaching about Jesus, which the apostles intended to follow exactly. It should be noted that apostolate as such is mentioned here for the first time. It was precisely a ministry in the modern sense of the word, associated with certain legal powers. The Jewish institute shal iaha served as a model for him. It was the highest Jewish notification body in Jerusalem, which kept in touch with numerous communities in the Diaspora through "messengers" (s'gpo [sheluh'im]) who delivered messages and instructions to Jews all over the world. The orders of these messengers were to be obeyed as the orders of the Sanhedrin. Now it becomes clear to us what significance the apostles and the apostolate had for the early Church. Apostles are people who are able to communicate reliable information about Jesus and by their authority determine the life and teaching of the Church. This opinion is indirectly confirmed by the fact that Paul, before starting his work, secured the consent of the Jerusalem apostles (Gal. 2:2) and later considered their opinion on the most important issues.
By lot it fell to Matthias to take the place of Judas (1:26). The custom of drawing lots was generally accepted in antiquity (see, for example, Mark 15:24) and was especially popular among the Jews. It was believed that in this way a person acquired what he could not achieve on his own. How the lot was cast, we do not know. In any case, those passages in the Bible (1 Chron. 25:8 et seq.; 26:13 et seq.) can give a general idea of this, where it is said that positions were distributed precisely by lot. So the circle of twelve was restored.
Brief summary of the interpretation of chapter 1 of the Acts of the Apostles.
Wrap up after reading chapter 1 of the Acts of the Apostles.
- Luke writes this historical work as an addition to the Gospel. He describes the path of the gospel, starting from Jerusalem, the spiritual center, and ending with Rome, the most important political center of that time.
- After the ascension of Jesus to the Father, His Church becomes the bearer and preacher of the Gospel. Before His ascension, Jesus instructs her to preach the Good News and proclaim the coming of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, from Luke's point of view, the history of the Church is a valid continuation of the history of Jesus Christ.
- But before proceeding to the sermon, a narrow circle of Christ's followers needs preparation. This takes place in the course of joint prayer, the study of Scripture and the restoration of the circle of twelve apostles, representing the true Israel. On the eve of Pentecost, we see the readiness of the early Church to begin to fulfill the mission of the Lord.
The book "Acts of the Apostles" was written in the 1st century after the birth of Christ. It contains historical facts describing the development of the Christian Church in the period after the Resurrection. It is generally accepted that the authorship of the book belongs to the holy Apostle Luke, one of the 70 disciples of the Savior.
A few words about the book
"Acts" is a direct continuation of the Gospel. The stylistic features of the letter directly testify to the indisputable authorship of the Apostle Luke, which is also confirmed by many holy fathers of the church, such as Irenaeus of Lyon, Clement of Alexandria, and others.
The Acts of the Apostles is the only book in which a chronology of historical events is observed. Many of the characters described in the book are real historical characters. The main characters here are the saints and Paul, Matthias and Luke. The book describes their preaching activities in order to spread the teachings of Christ throughout the world.
Among other actors, there are many political figures of those times: the Jewish kings Herod Agrippa I and his son Agrippa II, a member of the Sanhedrin Gamaleil, the Roman senator Junius Annei Gallio, the Roman procurators Felix and Porcius Festus, as well as many other historical characters. Therefore, the book "Acts of the Apostles" is of great interest not only as one of the parts of Holy Scripture, but also as a reliable historical source.
The book contains 28 chapters, which are conventionally divided into two parts. The first part (chapters 1-12) describes the creation of the Christian Church and its spread in the Palestinian territory, and the second part (chapters 13-28) describes travels in the Mediterranean, Greece and East Asia with missionary sermons. According to the traditional version, the time of writing the book refers to the 60s of the 1st century, which is confirmed by many facts.
Interpretation on the "Acts of the Holy Apostles"
From the first centuries, this book was considered canonical - its texts are still used in worship to edify Christians. In addition to reading in the temple, all believers are also encouraged to study the book "Acts of the Apostles" on their own. The interpretation and explanation of many of the events described in this literary work are given by the following authors:
- Saint
- Blissful
- Rev. Isidore Pelusiot.
- Saint Maximus the Confessor.
- Saint Leo the Great and other holy fathers of the Orthodox Church.
Why you need to read the interpretation of the books of Holy Scripture
According to the teachings of the holy Orthodox Church, a misunderstanding of the Holy Scriptures can lead to the emergence of various heretical currents and directions, which is confirmed by church history itself. Many believers, due to their illiteracy, are not able to independently explain all the events described in the book "Acts". Therefore, the clergy advise to study the patristic interpretation of these books, designed to guide pious Christians on the right path.
Conclusion
Some interpreters of the book "Acts of the Holy Apostles" believed that when writing the book, the goal was to prove to the Roman authorities the safety of the new Christian religious movement. Nevertheless, the most important and main goal of writing this book is the gospel of Christ, which is reflected in the content of the book. The Apostle Luke had the intention not only to tell about the events of the first 30 years of the existence of the Church, but also to collect facts illustrating his main idea: spreading from Jerusalem to Rome, the Church turns into a Universal, open to East and West.
29.12.2013
Matthew Henry
Interpretation of the books of the New Testament. Acts of the Holy Apostles
CHAPTER 1
The inspired writer begins his story of the deeds of the apostles and:
I. Briefly summarizing the third gospel, or history of the life of Christ, and dedicates this book, like the first, to his friend Theophilus, v. 12.
II. Succinctly recounts the circumstances that testify to the resurrection of Christ, recounting his meetings with the disciples, and conveying the instructions he gave them during his forty days on earth, v. 3-5.
III. Describes in detail the ascension of Christ into heaven, the conversation of the disciples with Him before His ascension, and the conversation of the angels with them after it, v. 6-11.
IV. Gives a general idea of the beginning of the Church, and of her condition from the ascension of Christ to the outpouring of the Spirit, v. 12-14.
V. Details the filling of the vacancy that appeared in the sacred college of the apostles after the death of Judas, in whose place Matthias was chosen, v. 15-26.
Verses 1-5
In these verses:
I. Theophilus, and with him also us, is reminded of the Holy Annunciation from Luke, which it would be useful to skim through the eyes before proceeding to the study of this book, in order not only to pay attention to the fact that it begins where the first one ends of the two books mentioned, but also to see in the deeds of the apostles, as in water face to face, the deeds of their Teacher, the deeds of His grace.
1. The patron of Luke, to whom this book is dedicated (it would probably be better to call him a student of Luke, since the writer, starting with such a dedication, intends to instruct and guide him rather than seek encouragement or protection from him), is a certain Theophilus, art. . 1. In the written dedication preceded by the Gospel, this man is called the venerable Theophilus; here Luke calls him simply Theophilus. It’s not that he lost his dignity or his dignity diminished, became less glorious, but, most likely, Theophilus by that time had already left the place he occupied before, whatever it was, a place that required such a form of treatment. Another possible reason for this could be that, having entered his mature years, he began to treat such honorary titles with great disdain, or Luke, who now maintains a shorter relationship with Theophilus, could feel freer when addressing him. In ancient times, the dedication of books to private individuals was, in general, a common practice among both Christian and pagan writers. The dedication of certain books of Holy Scripture should be understood as an indication to consider them destined for each person personally, for everything that was written before was written for our instruction.
2. His gospel is here called the first book that he wrote and which he still did not lose sight of, now working on his second book, since the intention of the author was to continue and confirm ton prwton lovgon - that previous word. The written gospel is as true as the oral one; even more so, there is not a single tradition to date that could be trusted, except for those that find their confirmation in Scripture. He had written the first book, and now had power from on high to set about writing the second, for Christians must not but hasten to perfection, Heb. 6:1. And therefore their teachers should encourage them, teach the people knowledge (Eccl. 12:9), and do not consider that the works of the past, however useful they may be, free them from the labors to come; nay, in former works they should find encouragement and encouragement for future labors, imitating in this Luke, who laid the foundation in the first book and intends to build on it in the second. So let one thing not replace the other; let new sermons and new books not force us to forget the old ones, but remind us and help us to use them with greater profit for ourselves.
3. His gospel told of all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning; three other evangelists wrote about the same thing. Note:
(1) Christ did and taught. He taught the doctrine, confirming it with miracles, testifying that He is the Teacher who came from God, Jn. 3:2. Good and merciful, He taught and explained with the help of His deeds, in order to leave us an example that also testifies of Him as a Teacher who came from God, for it is said: by their fruits you will know them. Excellent ministers are usually those who do and teach, those whose life itself is an unceasing preaching.
(2) He did and taught from the beginning. He laid the foundation for all the works and teachings of the Church. His apostles were to continue and fulfill what He had begun, they were to do the same and teach the same. Christ appointed the apostles and left them alone, instructing them to go on, but He sent them His Spirit, Who was to endow them with power, so that they both did and taught. This is the consolation for all who strive to continue the work of the gospel, that at the beginning of this work stood Christ Himself. So great a salvation was first preached by the Lord, Heb. 2:3.
(3) The four evangelists, and in particular Luke, recount all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning; moreover, they do not convey all the specific details (the world cannot contain them), but all the main points, giving clear examples of everything in such a multitude and variety that everything else can be judged on the basis of them. We have the beginning of his teaching (Matt. 4:17) and the beginning of his miracles, Jn. 2:11. By conveying and explaining all the sayings and deeds of Christ, without going into details, Luke gives a general idea of them.
4. The gospel story closes on the day on which He ascended, v. 2. On that day Christ left this world and no longer appeared in it in bodily form. The Holy Gospel of Mark ends with the words: And so the Lord ... ascended into heaven ... (Mk. 16:19); we find the same thing in Luke, Luke. 24:51. Christ did and taught until the last day, on which He ascended for another work assigned to Him in the interior beyond the veil.
II. The truth of the resurrection of Christ is affirmed and confirmed, v.3. This part of what was told in the first book was so essential that it had to be repeated at every opportunity. The sure proof of Christ's resurrection was that He revealed Himself to the living apostles; the risen Christ appeared to them alive, and they saw Him. These were faithful people, and one can rely on their word; but they too could be deceived, for such things sometimes happen even to those who act from the best of intentions. However, the apostles were not deceived, for:
1. These were sure proofs, TEKMpioig - clear indications that He was alive (He met and talked, ate and drank with them), and that it was Himself and not someone else, since He repeatedly showed they had welts on their arms and legs and side, which was the most indisputable proof of all available or required.
2. These sure proofs were many, and they were often repeated: He appeared to them for forty days and, not always dwelling with them, but often appearing to them, step by step completely satisfied them with this, which delivered them from all sorrow caused by Him. ascension. Already exalted and glorified, Christ did not leave the earth for forty days in order to strengthen the faith in the disciples and comfort their hearts during this time. This became a proof of His exceptional indulgence and compassion for the believers, a model that completely confirms that we do not have such a high priest who cannot sympathize with us in our infirmities.
III. In general outline are given the commands which Christ, now leaving His disciples, gave them. Now they could contain them better than before, because He breathed on them and opened their minds to understanding.
1. He instructed them in the work they were to do: He gave orders to the apostles whom he had chosen.
Note, Christ's election is always associated with a commission from him. Those chosen by Christ for the apostolic ministry thought that He would exalt them, but instead He gives them orders. ... Departing on the road ... he gave authority to his servants, and to each his own business ... (Mk. 13:34), giving commands by the Holy Spirit, - the Spirit, with which he himself was filled as a Mediator and whom he breathed into them. He gave them the Holy Spirit and left them commands; and, since the Comforter was to be the Instructor, it was incumbent upon him to remind them of all that Christ had spoken to them. He gives orders by the Holy Spirit to the Apostles; this is how these words should be understood. The very circumstance that they received the Holy Ghost was the ground that legitimized their authority, Jn. 20:22. He did not ascend until He gave them orders, and there He finished His work.
2. Speaking to them about the kingdom of God, he instructs them in the doctrine that they are to proclaim. About this Kingdom and about the time of its establishment on earth, He already spoke to them in general terms (see the parable of the Savior in Mark 13); here He teaches them more about its nature as the Kingdom of grace in this world and the Kingdom of glory in the other world, and explains to them this covenant - the great charter granted by the supreme power, by which this Kingdom is established. He speaks to them about the Kingdom of God in order to:
(1) To prepare them to receive the Holy Spirit and go through future trials. Christ secretly instructs them in what they will have to proclaim to the world openly; they will find that the same Spirit of truth, appearing, will instruct them in the same way.
(2) To be a proof (one of many) of Christ's resurrection. In this situation, everything happens like this: the disciples, to whom He revealed Himself alive, recognized Him not only by what was revealed to them, but also by what He said. No one, except Christ, was able to speak about the Kingdom of God so intelligibly and perfectly. He did not entertain them with talk about politics and culture, philosophy and physics, but commanded them pure teaching and instructed them in the Kingdom of grace, which was closer to them and most of all excited them and those to whom they were sent.
IV. Having gathered the disciples for a conversation on a famous mountain in Galilee, apparently on the very one to which before His death He commanded them to go (for they, as it is written, converged to be present at His ascension, v. 6), Christ especially assures them that they should soon receive the Holy Spirit, and therefore commands them to wait, v. 4, 5. Although they are now assembled in Galilee by His command, let them not think of staying there always; they still need to return to Jerusalem and never leave the place. Note:
1. He commands them to wait. This command was to resurrect in them hopes for something great, and they already had reason to expect something very great from the glorified Redeemer.
(1.) They must wait for the appointed time, which will come in a few days. By faith, those who trust in the promised mercies must be patient and wait for the moment when these mercies will appear at the right time, at the appointed time. But if the time is near, as it is now, then it is necessary, like Daniel, to wait intently for its coming, Dan. 9:3.
(2.) They are to wait at the appointed place, and that place is Jerusalem. It was there for the first time that the Spirit was to be poured out, for Christ was to be anointed King over Zion, the holy mountain; for the word of the Lord was to go out from Jerusalem - a church was to be formed here, from which later other churches were to be separated. Here Christ was brought to shame, and therefore this honor was to be given to Him here. Such favor was shown to Jerusalem in order to instruct us how it is proper to forgive our enemies and persecutors. It was very dangerous for the apostles to stay in Jerusalem, but it was not so terrible to be in Galilee; but, having found rest in God, and unceasingly fulfilling one's duties, one can live without fear. Now the apostles had to enter into public service, and for this they had to venture into public speaking. Jerusalem was the best candlestick for the candles that were to be set in it.
2. He assures them that their waiting will not be in vain.
(1.) The blessing prepared for them will appear, and they will find it worth waiting for. ...You... will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, that is:
"The Holy Spirit will be poured out on you more abundantly than ever before." The Holy Spirit had already been blown upon them (John 20:22), and they had already had time to appreciate the advantage of it; but now they were to receive more of his blessings, gifts, and comforts: they would be baptized by them. These words seem to contain an allusion to the Old Testament promises of the outpouring of the Spirit, Joel. 2:28; Is. 44:3; 32:15.
“The Holy Spirit will wash and cleanse you,” like the water with which the priests were baptized and cleansed before being ordained to the sacred service. “Water for the priests was a sign; for you, it will be what it indicated. You will be sanctified by the truth as the Spirit guides you step by step in its paths, and your conscience will be cleansed by the testimony of the Spirit so that you can serve as your apostolate to the Living God.
“Through this, more than before, trust the Teacher and His guidance, like Israel, who was baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and cleave to Christ so that you will never leave Him, as you left once, being afraid of suffering.”
(2) Of the Holy Spirit He says to them:
As about a gift promised from the Father, about which they heard from Him and in which they could therefore hope.
First, The Spirit was given by promise, and that promise was as great for that time as the promise of the Messiah was formerly for their time (Luke 1:72), and as the promise of eternal life appears now, 1 Jn. 2:25. If temporal blessings come from Providence, God gives the Spirit and blessings according to the promise, Gal. 3:18. The Spirit of God is not given in the same way as the human spirit is given and how it is formed inside a person due to natural causes (Zech. 12:1), but according to the word of God:
1. To further appreciate this gift, Christ made the promise of the Spirit an inheritance to his church.
2. That the promise of the Spirit may be still more unchangeable, and that the heirs of the promise may be convinced of the immutability of God's determination concerning him.
3. That the gift of the Holy Spirit be a gift of grace, a gift of special grace, and be received by faith, according to this promise and in hope of it. As Christ is received by faith, so the Spirit is received by faith.
Secondly, this promise was a promise from the Father:
1. Father of Christ. Christ, as Mediator, did not take his eyes off God, His Father, jealous of His intentions and accepting them from the beginning as His own.
2. Our Father, who, having adopted us, will certainly give us the Spirit of adoption, Gal. 4:5, 6. He will give us the Spirit, because He is the Father of lights, the Father of spirits, and the Father of mercy—all this means receiving the promise of the Father.
Thirdly, the apostles heard about this promise of the Father many times from Christ, especially in His farewell sermon, which He delivered to the circle of His disciples shortly before His death. In it He assured them again and again that the Comforter would come. What we have heard from Jesus Christ confirms God's promise and encourages us to trust him, for in him are all God's yes and amen promises. "You heard about it from Me - I will keep My word."
As to the gift John the Baptist foretold, for now Christ urges them to set their eyes upon him, v. 5. “You have not heard this prophecy from Me alone, but also from John. Leading you to Me, John said: ... I baptize you with water ... but He who comes after me ... will baptize you with the Holy Spirit ... (Matthew 3:11).” The great honor that Christ does to John is not only that He quotes his words, but also that He will soon give the disciples a great gift of the Spirit, so that the prophecy of John will be fulfilled in them. Thus he confirms the word of his servants, his messengers, Isa. 44:26. However, Christ is able to do more than all His servants. For such, it is an honorable right to dispose of the means of grace, but to give the Spirit of grace is the exclusive right of Christ. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit; He will guide you by His Spirit and make His Spirit intercede for you, which is beyond the prayer of the best ministers who preach among us.
(3) How the apostles will receive the promised, foretold, and expected gift of the Holy Spirit, we will read in the next chapter, where this promise will be perfectly fulfilled. The fulfillment of this promise must come, and we do not expect otherwise, for it is said here that it will come in a few days after this. Christ does not indicate a specific day, because this gift they had to be ready to accept on any day. If in other places of Scripture it is said about the gift of the Holy Spirit given to ordinary believers, then here it is about the Holy Spirit, Who endowed the first evangelizers and founders of the Church with unusual power and Who gave them the ability to teach the doctrine of Christ with testimonies confirming it to their generation without any distortion and write down it for future generations. Therefore, thanks to this promise, as well as its fulfillment, we place our hopes in the New Testament, accepting it as inspired Scripture.
Verses 6-11
In Jerusalem, through His Angel, Christ appointed a meeting for the disciples in Galilee, and, conversely, in Galilee He appointed a meeting for them on that day in Jerusalem. Thus he tested their obedience and found it immediate and effective: they came together, as Christ commanded them, to become witnesses of his ascension, the story of which is just recorded in these verses. Note:
I. What do the disciples ask Christ during this meeting. They came together to Him; The disciples all appeared and, having discussed and agreed among themselves nemine contradicente in advance - unanimously, they asked Him, the lord of the house, the question: “At this time, Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel?” The question is ambiguous, because it can be understood in two ways:
1. “Undoubtedly, You will restore the kingdom, but not for the current rulers of Israel - the chief priests and elders who put You to death, who, in fulfillment of this evil intention, slavishly transferred the kingdom to Caesar and became, in essence, his subjects. Will You really hand over the reins of government to those who hated and persecuted You and us along with You? You can't do that." However, a more accurate interpretation of this question would be:
2. "Surely now You will restore the kingdom to the Jewish people, if they submit to You as King." The following two premises of this question were incorrect:
(1.) Their firm hope for this event as such. They thought that Christ would restore the kingdom to Israel, in other words, make the Jewish people as great and noticeable among the nations as it was in the days of David and Solomon, Asa and Jehoshaphat; that, being the Reconciler, he will return the scepter to Judah and restore the legislator from his loins. However, Christ did not come to restore, that is, to restore, the earthly kingdom to Israel, but to erect His own Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven. Look:
Just as people, including merciful ones, are inclined to take for the welfare of the Church her external greatness and strength, as if neither Israel can become glorious until her kingdom is restored, nor the disciples of Christ can be glorified until they become sovereign men. Meanwhile, we are called in this world to carry our cross, and we must look forward to the Kingdom in the other world.
How inclined we are to retain in ourselves what we once learned, and how difficult it is to overcome the prejudices instilled in education! The disciples, who absorbed the concept of the Messiah as an earthly king with their mother's milk, least of all thought of His Kingdom as a spiritual phenomenon.
How naturally we show partiality towards our own people. The disciples believed that God would have no other kingdom on earth unless he first restored the kingdom to Israel. Meanwhile, all the kingdoms of the world will submit to Christ and glorify Him, regardless of whether Israel is destined to perish or win.
How prone we are to err in the interpretation of Scripture, to take literally what is expressed in the language of images, and to interpret the Word of God according to our own understandings, when, on the contrary, our own understandings must be built in accordance with the requirements of Scripture. But, thank God, when the Spirit is poured out from above, we will get rid of our errors, just as the apostles soon got rid of their mistakes.
(2) Inquiries about the time and timing of this event. “Lord, will you not do this at this time? Isn't that why You gathered us together to discuss what is necessary for the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel? Indeed, one could not think of a more convenient set of circumstances for holding such a council.” But they were wrong in that:
They began to show interest in the secret, to explore which the Teacher had never persuaded them and to which he had never allowed them.
They longed to be in a kingdom where everyone dreamed of receiving their considerable share and looked forward to knowing God's intentions for themselves. Christ testified to the disciples that they would sit on thrones (Luke 22:30), and, behold, nothing is dear to them, but only give them a throne, and moreover immediately, because they are impatient; but he who believes in him will not be ashamed, for he is convinced that God's time is the best time.
II. How Christ reproaches them for this, answering them in a rather harsh manner, just as shortly before he answered Peter: "... what is it to you? ..", when he asked about John (v. 7): "Not yours it is a matter of knowing the times or seasons...” He has nothing against their hopes for the restoration of the kingdom, because,
First, the Holy Spirit, which will soon be poured out, will correct their erroneous ideas, after which they will stop thinking about the earthly kingdom. And because,
Secondly, it still makes sense to hope for the establishment of a spiritual, evangelical Kingdom on earth, and the erroneous understanding of this promise by the apostles does not deprive it of its strength. However, this is why Christ rebukes them for the question of time.
1. They shouldn't know him. "It's not your business to know, and therefore it's not your business to ask."
(1) Christ now parted with them, parted in love, and yet utters this rebuke to warn the Church at all times not to stumble on the stone that proved fatal to our first parents, the stone of a passionate attraction to forbidden knowledge, and not to invade the invisible, hidden by the Lord. Nescire velle quae magister maximus docere non vult, erudita inscitia est - It is foolish to strive to know beyond what is written, and it is wise to be content with knowledge not exceeding what is written.
(2) Christ had already imparted to his disciples much knowledge beyond the knowledge of other people (it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God...), and promised them his Spirit, who was to teach them still more. Now, lest they should be exalted by the abundance of revelations, He makes them understand that there is something that it is none of their business to know. If we think about how much a person does not know, then we will understand how little reason he has to be proud of his knowledge.
(3) Before his death and after his resurrection, Christ instructed the disciples in all that was necessary for their performance of their duties; but now he wants them to be content with these lessons, for this knowledge is sufficient for a Christian, and idle curiosity is a bad inclination that must be mortified, not gratified.
(4.) Christ himself testified to the disciples of the Kingdom of God, and promised that the Spirit would proclaim to them the future, Jn. 16:13. He also gave them the signs of the times, which it was their duty to watch, but it is a sin to lose sight of them, Mt. 24:33; 16:3. But at the same time, they do not need to neither desire nor strive to know all the details of future events or their exact dates. It is good for us to be in the darkness of ignorance, having no idea of times or dates (as Dr. Hammond understands this passage), of the future of the Church, as well as of our own future, of all periods of time and of the end times, and also about the era of which we are contemporaries.
Prudens futuri temporis exitum Caliginosa nocte premit Deus
The darkness of the most impenetrable night Was sent by the eternally wise Jupiter, And what is to come and what will be Hidden from mortal eyes. (Horace).
As for the seasons, it is known that summer always comes after winter, although it is impossible to accurately predict which day will be fine and which overcast. So it is with our deeds in this world: so that in an auspicious summer we should not remain careless, it is said that the winter of our anxiety will come; and so that in this winter we do not lose hope and do not indulge in despair, an assurance is given that summer will come. However, we cannot say what this or that day will bring with it, so we must submit and resignedly experience it, no matter how it may seem to us.
2. The knowledge of these matters belongs to God, for only He has the exclusive faculty of omniscience. This knowledge the Father has placed in His own power, this knowledge is hidden in Him. No one but the Father can reveal the times and dates to come. All His works are known to God from eternity; they are known to Him, and not to us, ch. 15:18. It is in His and only His power to proclaim from the beginning what will be at the end; in this very He reveals Himself as God, Isa. 46:10. “Sometimes God revealed times and dates to the Old Testament prophets (for example, they knew that the Egyptian captivity of Israel would last four hundred years, and the Babylonian one seventy), but He does not consider it necessary to reveal times and dates to you, in particular the time when Jerusalem will come to desolation , although you are absolutely sure of the immutability of this event. However, he did not say that he would not let you know more about times and dates than what you already know about them. Later God gave such knowledge to His servant John; “But to give or not to give is in His power, for He does what pleases Him.” So, all the New Testament prophecies concerning times and dates seem so vague and difficult to understand that when referring to them, we should not forget the words of Christ that it is not our business to know the times and dates. Buxtorf cites one Talmudic saying about the time of the appearance of the Messiah: Rumpatur spiritus eorum qui supputant tempora - Let the one who calculates time be destroyed!
III. He entrusts them with the task and, invested with authority, assures them that they will be able to go out and achieve the goal set before them. “It is not your business to know times or seasons, for knowing this will not serve you well. But know for sure” (v. 8) “that you will receive power from on high when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will not receive it in vain, for you will be witnesses to Me, witnesses of My glory. And your testimony will not remain in vain, for it will be accepted here in Jerusalem, and in all the Holy Land, and even to the ends of the earth” (v. 8). If Christ uses us for the sake of His glory in our time, then let this alone satisfy us and we will not trouble ourselves with questions about the times and dates to come. Here Christ teaches them that:
1. Their cause will have honor and glory. ...and you will be my witnesses...
(1.) They shall proclaim him King, and proclaim to the world the truths upon which his kingdom and dominion are founded. They are to openly and holyly preach His gospel to the world.
(2.) They shall certify and confirm their testimony, not under oath, as ordinary witnesses, but with God's seal of miracles and supernatural gifts: And you will suffer for Me, or: And you will be My martyrs (as it is said in some manuscripts), as of the truth They testified to the gospel by their torment and even death.
2. They have enough strength for this. They did not have their own strength for this, they also lacked wisdom and courage. By their nature, they are the foolish and weak of the world: they did not dare to defend Christ at His trial, and they could not do it. But you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit that has come upon you (this is how this text can be understood). “You will be inspired and moved by a spirit that is higher than you. You will have power to preach the gospel, power to confirm it with the Old Testament Scriptures" (which they, filled with the Holy Spirit, did to everyone's amazement, ch. 18:28), "and strengthen it with miracles and sufferings."
Note, Those who testify of Christ will gain strength for the work the Lord has assigned them; those whom the Lord draws to His service, He will prepare for it and sustain it.
3. Their influence will be great and undivided. "You will be witnesses of Christ and continue His work":
(1.) "In Jerusalem you will begin with it, and many will accept your testimony, and those who will not accept it will remain without excuse."
(2) "And your light from here shall shine upon all Judea, where your labors have hitherto been without result."
(3) "Then you will continue your work in Samaria, although before you were forbidden to preach in the cities of Samara."
(4) "By witnessing for Christ, you will go even to the ends of the earth and become a blessing to the whole world."
IV. Having given these commands, he leaves them, v. 9. Having said this, having said all that He wanted, He blessed them (on this see Luke 24:50), and while the disciples looked intently at Christ blessing them, He gradually rose in their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of sight. them. Before us is a picture of the ascension of Christ: He ascended into heaven not in a whirlwind, just as Elijah was taken up in a chariot of fire and horses of fire, but by making his own efforts, just as He rose from the tomb after the resurrection, since from that moment He had already been in the spiritual body. All saints at the resurrection will acquire the same bodies as Christ had, spiritual, resurrected in power and incorruption. Note:
1. The ascension of Christ began in the sight of His disciples, in their eyes. They did not see how Christ rose from the tomb, because they later had the opportunity to see Him resurrected, which subsequently became a sufficient consolation for them. But they saw how He ascended to heaven, and, fixing their eyes on Him, they examined Him so intently and concentratedly and with such spiritual delight that they could not be deceived. Apparently, for the greater comfort of the disciples, He ascended into the mountain heights slowly, with due dignity.
2. He became invisible to them, hiding in a cloud, a dark cloud, for God said that he was pleased to dwell in darkness, or in a bright cloud, which was to emphasize the splendor of his glorified body. If a bright cloud overshadowed Christ at the moment of His transfiguration, then we can assume that this cloud was also bright, Mt. 17:5. Perhaps the cloud took Him at the moment when He reached that tier in the atmosphere where clouds are mainly formed. Besides, we are not talking about one of those stratus clouds that are usually observed, but about such a cloud, which had dimensions sufficient to enclose Him in itself. Behold, he made the clouds his chariot, Ps. 103:3. God formerly often descended in a cloud, but now He has ascended in it. Dr. Hammond thinks that here the angels who received Him are called the clouds that took Him, since the appearance of angels is usually described as the descent of a cloud, cf. Ref. 25:22 and Lev. 16:2. The clouds are the means of communication between the upper and lower worlds; the steam rising from the earth forms clouds above, which then descend from the sky to the earth in the form of dew. Therefore, in accordance with this, He who is the mediator between God and men ascends in the cloud: through Him, mercies from God descend on us, and our prayers ascend to God. So, the moment came when people saw Christ for the last time. Many eyewitnesses kept their eyes on Him until at last the cloud received Him. Those who wish to know what happened to Him further will find in Scripture (Dan. 7:13) such words: ... with the clouds of heaven, as it were, the Son of man went, came to the Ancient of Days, and was brought to Him in the clouds.
V. Christ disappeared from the sight of the disciples, but they continued to look to heaven, v. 10. This went on longer than necessary and went beyond the bounds of decency. Why?
1. Perhaps they had hope for the speedy return of Christ for the purpose of restoring the kingdom of Israel, and could not believe that they were parting from him forever; for they still felt the need for direct fellowship with Christ, though he taught them that it was better for them that he should go. Or they looked after him with the thought of whether he would return, just as the sons of the prophets looked after Elijah, 2 Kings. 2:16.
2. Now, after the ascension of the Lord, the disciples might have hoped to notice some change in the visible celestial sphere, when the sun was put to shame and the moon reddened (Isa. 24:23), which were now eclipsed by the radiance of His glory, or, more likely, when these earthly luminaries show signs of joy and triumph. Perhaps the disciples were determined to see the glory of the invisible heavens opened to receive Christ. For He taught that they would see heaven open, John. 1:51. In that case, why shouldn't they see him like this right now?
VI. Two angels appeared to the disciples to convey a timely message from the Lord. The host of angels was ready to receive the Savior, who is now making a sacred entry into heavenly Jerusalem, and it can be assumed that these two God's messengers did not really want to be here on earth. Nevertheless, showing concern for the Church on earth, Christ sends to the disciples two angels from among those who came to meet Him. It is they who appear before them in the guise of two men in white clothes, bright and shining, for are not the angels commanded, according to the charter of their ministry, to serve Christ in order to serve His servants? And now we hear the word that these heavenly messengers had to convey to the disciples:
1. It was supposed to curb their curiosity. Men of Galilee! why are you standing and looking at the sky? The angels address them with the words men of Galilee, reminding them of the rock from which they were hewn. Christ did them a great honor by appointing them as His messengers on earth, but they should remember that they are, in essence, the most ordinary people, earthly vessels, simple Galileans, who are looked upon with contempt in society. So the angels say: “Why are you standing here like rough and uncouth Galileans and looking at the sky? What else would you like to see? Everything you were brought here for, you have already seen, what else are you looking for? Why are you standing and looking with a frozen look, as if dumbfounded and insane? It is not for the disciples of Christ to be astonished or bewildered, for they have a sure guide for walking and a sure foundation for building.
2. Their word was to strengthen their faith in the second coming of Christ. The teacher often spoke to them of this, and these angels were sent to them in good time to remind them of this promise. “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, where you are still looking in the hope that He will return to you, has not gone away forever, since a day has been appointed on which He will come in the same way as you saw Him ascending into heaven, however you should not expect His coming earlier than the appointed time.
(1) “None but this Jesus will return, clothed in a glorious body. This same Jesus, who came once to put away sin by His sacrifice, will appear a second time not to cleanse sin” (Heb. 9:26, 28). “He who once appeared in humiliation to be judged will then come in glory to judge. This Jesus, who gave you commission to do your work, will return to call you to account, and to know how you have justified his trust; it is he who will return, and not someone else in his place” (Job 19:27).
(2) “He will come in the same way. He ascended in a cloud and accompanied by angels; and behold, He will appear in the clouds, and with Him a host of angels! He went up with shouts and with the sound of a trumpet” (Ps. 46:6) “and will descend from heaven with the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God” (1 Thess. 4:16). “The clouds and the air have taken Him out of your sight, and where He has gone, you cannot follow Him now, but later on when you are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” When we begin to be carried away by the insignificant, may then the discussion of the second coming of the Lord awaken us to life; when we begin to tremble, let the thought of him comfort and sustain us.
Verses 12-14
It says here:
I. Whence Christ ascended. From the mountain called Olivet (v. 12), stand the part of it, where at that time the village of Bethany was, Lu. 24:50. On the Mount of Olives, the Lord's suffering began (Luke 22:39), so it was there that He removed their reproach with His glorious ascension, pointing out that the sufferings of the Lord and His glorious ascension had the same purpose, for they served the same and the same purpose. Thus He came into possession of His Kingdom in the sight of all Jerusalem, including those of her rebellious and ungrateful inhabitants who did not want His dominion over them. It was Him that the prophet had in mind (Zech. 14:4), when he predicted that His feet would stand that day on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem, they would eventually stand in this very place, and further argued that the Mount of Olives would split in two. . From the mountain called Olivet Christ ascended, that good olive tree, through which we receive the anointing with oil, Zech. 4:12; Rome. 11:24. As it is said here, the Mount of Olives is located near Jerusalem, at a distance of the Sabbath way, that is, not far away, not farther than the way that the pious Jews, indulging in reflections on the mountain, made at the end of the Sabbath day. This path is estimated by some as a thousand steps, by others as two thousand cubits, by others as seven or even eight stages. In reality, Bethany was near Jerusalem, fifteen stadia from it (John 11:18), but that part of Olivet, closer to Jerusalem, from where Christ began His triumphal entry into the capital, was at a distance of seven or eight stades from the city. In the Chaldean retelling of Rufus. 1 says: And we were commanded to keep the sabbath and holy days, so as not to walk more than two thousand cubits, which agrees with Jos. N. 3:4, which says that the distance between the people and the ark during the passage through the Jordan should be up to two thousand cubits by a measure. Therefore, it was not God who set these limits for the Jews, but they themselves. For us, however, the Jewish tradition of not doing more on the Sabbath than is necessary for the work of the Sabbath is not a law; and if there is a need for the Sabbath work to go a greater distance, then we are not only allowed to do this, but even commanded, 2 Kings. 4:23.
II. Where did the students return? Fulfilling the will of the Teacher, they came to Jerusalem, although enemies were waiting for them here. After the resurrection of Christ, the disciples were monitored and feared by the Jews, but with the news of their removal to Galilee, their return to Jerusalem, apparently, went unnoticed, and no further investigation was undertaken against them. God will find refuge in the midst of enemies for His people and will act on Saul so that he will no longer look out for David. In Jerusalem, the disciples went up to the upper room, where they remained. This is not about the place where the disciples lived and ate, because in this room they gathered every day to glorify God and wait for the descent of the Spirit. As for the chamber itself, the opinions of scientists are divided. Some believe that we are talking about a room on the top floor of the temple, but this hypothesis is hardly correct for the simple reason that the high priests (namely, all the premises of the temple were at their disposal) would hardly have come to terms with the constant presence of Christ's disciples in any of them. . Indeed, the same historian notes that they were always in the temple (Luke 24:53), but here he says that the disciples were in the courts of the Lord's house during the hours of prayer, for no one would dare to forbid them to go to the temple ; so, most likely, this chamber was in one of the private properties. This is the opinion of Gregory of Oxford, who, in connection with this passage, quotes a student of Aramaic literature, who asserts that it is the same upper room in which they ate the passover; and although that room, dvdymov, was on the first floor, and this one, unspioov, on the second, both words can mean the same room. “It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of whether this upper room was in the house of the Evangelist John, as Euodius testifies” (Euodius), “or in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, which other scholars tend to” (see. his Notes, ch. 13).
III. What kind of students held each other. This is followed by the names of the eleven apostles (v. 13), together with them Mary, the mother of the Lord (v. 14), who, by the way, is mentioned here for the last time in Scripture. There are also people who are called brothers of the Lord, who are related to Him according to the flesh. To get a full idea of the hundred and twenty mentioned here (v. 16), it may be assumed that all or almost all of the seventy disciples who were among the rest were with the apostles and engaged in the gospel.
IV. How they prayed together. ... All of them with one accord continued in prayer and supplication ... Note:
1. They prayed and pleaded. The people of God are a people who pray, a people who are in prayer. Now for the disciples of Christ the time of anxiety and unrest has come, now they were like sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves. But isn't it written: Does anyone suffer? let him pray? Prayer can soothe worries and fears. The disciples have a new work, a great work, and before embarking on it, they show constancy in prayer to God so that their work is done before the face of the Lord. Before sending the disciples to preach for the first time, Christ prayed a lot for them, and now the disciples are in fellowship, praying for each other. They are waiting for the descent of the Spirit and therefore they pray without ceasing. The Spirit came upon the Savior when He prayed, Lu. 3:21. The prayerful mood of the soul is the best means of obtaining spiritual blessings. Christ promised the disciples that soon He would send the Holy Spirit to them; however, this promise did not cancel the prayer, on the contrary, it made it more lively and quick. God desires to be asked for the promised mercies, and the closer the fulfillment of what is asked for seems, the more fervently one should offer up one's prayers to Him.
2. They were in prayer, that is to say, they devoted much time to prayer, prayed at least more than usual, prayed often, and their prayer lasted a long time. The disciples never missed prayer hours; they agreed to pray persistently until the Holy Spirit came, remembering the parable that one should always pray and not lose heart. In one place it is written (Luke 24:53) that they were ... glorifying and blessing God; but here it is said that they continued in prayer and supplication. For just as to praise God for a given promise is to ask in a proper manner for the fulfillment of the promise, and to praise Him for previous mercies is to pray for the fulfillment of subsequent ones, so to seek God and turn to Him is to praise Him for the mercy and favor that are in Him. .
3. The disciples pleaded with God with one accord. These words show that all the disciples were united in holy love, that there were no quarrels and strife among them; and those who maintain this unity of spirit in the bond of peace are best equipped to receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit. These words also testify to their most worthy agreement in the prayer they offer. Although only one of those present spoke, nevertheless they all prayed, for if two agree to ask, then it will be so, especially if many are in agreement. See also Matt. 18:19.
Verses 15-26
Judas' sin led not only to his personal disgrace and death, but also to the release of a place in the college of the apostles. Twelve apostles were chosen, appointed according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve patriarchs; these were the twelve stars that make up the crown of the church (Rev. 12:1), and twelve thrones were appointed for them, Mt. 19:28. When the apostles were disciples, there were twelve of them, but now there are only eleven left; when the time comes for the disciples to turn into mentors, everyone will have a reason to investigate, they say, what happened to the twelfth, and thereby recall the scandalous incident that occurred within their community. That is why the apostles took pains to fill the vacant place even before the descent of the Spirit, which is what is said in the following verses. It is probable that our Lord Jesus, among other things, left certain instructions on this subject when he taught about the Kingdom of God. Note:
I. Participants of the meeting.
1. There were about a hundred and twenty people gathered. Some believe that this number included only males, separately from females. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that the eleven Apostles, the seventy disciples, and thirty-nine others, for the most part Christ's relatives, countrymen, and others, made the number one hundred and twenty, so that this assembly was a kind of council, a synod or council of ministers, something like a presbytery, or a standing council of presbyters (ch. 4:23), to which no outsider dared to tread, ch. 5:13. According to the same scholar, the disciples gathered together until the persecution that fell upon them after the execution of Stephen scattered them all, with the exception of the apostles, ch. 8:1. However, this scholar believes that by that time the number of believers in Jerusalem, if not counting the hundred and twenty mentioned, reached hundreds, if not thousands, of souls. Indeed, we read that many believed in Him, but for the sake of the Pharisees they did not confess. That is why I cannot agree with the opinion expressed before me that they united in various communities to preach the word and perform other types of ministry: this simply could not have taken place until the time of the descent of the Spirit and the mass repentances described in the next chapter. This is how the Church was born; this one hundred and twenty was the mustard seed from which the tree grew, and the leaven that raised all the dough.
2. The word was kept by Peter, who was and still was the first among the disciples. This indication of the zeal and zeal of Peter is made here in order to draw our attention to the fact that by this time he had already regained all his former positions, lost by him as a result of his denial of the Teacher, and that he, the pre-chosen apostle of the circumcised, appears in the course of the narrative at the first plan in that part of the sacred history in which the Jewish theme is the main one; in the same way, when sacred history subsequently proceeds to describe the conversion of the Gentiles, it will confine itself to the account of Paul.
II. Peter's proposal for the selection of a new apostle. He stood in the midst of the disciples, v. 15. Peter did not sit down as if he were a legislator or having supremacy over the rest, but stood up like a man who wants to make a proposal and honor the brethren by his rising. Consider his speech.
1. Peter announces, and in great detail, about the place vacated after the death of Judas, and, as befits one on whom Christ breathed, he refers to the Scripture that was fulfilled in this. And here is the subject of his discussion:
(1) The authority which was given to Judah, v. 17. "He was numbered with us and received the lot of this ministry, which was also entrusted to us."
Note: In this world many are counted as saints, but how many will remain among the saints on the day of separating the precious from the worthless? What is the use of being revered as a disciple of Christ, and not having the spirit and nature of Christ? That Judas had a part in this ministry only aggravates his sin and ruin; however, the same thing awaits those who prophesied in the name of Christ, while remaining workers of iniquity.
(2.) The crime that Judas committed, although he was honored to be a disciple of Christ. Judas was the leader of those who took Jesus, because he not only showed the enemies the place where Christ was (they could have found Him even without the personal presence of the traitor), but also openly stepped out (he was shameless enough) at the head of the detachment that seized Jesus. He led them to that very place and, as if filled with pride from such an honor, commanded: "...He is the one, take Him."
Note, The most notorious sinners are leaders in sinful works, and the worst of these leaders are those who, by the duty of their office, are bound to serve as guides for the friends of Christ, and serve as guides for his enemies.
(3) The death of Judas as a result of this sin. Realizing that the high priests want to kill Christ and the disciples, Judas decides to save his life and commits betrayal, but does not rest on this, because he also wants to get rich through this, hoping that the reward received for betrayal was just deposit. However, listen to what came out of it.
This wage Judas squandered rather disgracefully, v. 18. He bought the land for thirty pieces of silver, which were just that unrighteous reward. He did not acquire this land himself, but others did it for him, using his unrighteous bribe for the purchase, and here the historian is subtly ironic about the evil intent of Judas, who wanted to get rich on such a deal. He took it into his head to buy land for himself, which Gehazi also wanted to do with silver obtained from Naaman by fraud (see 2 Kings 5:26), but this land becomes a burial place for strangers; Was it better for Judas and those like him?
More shamefully, he ruined his life. In MF. 27:5 says he went in despair and strangled himself (there is no other meaning for this word). There is an addition here (similar to those that later historians add to the testimonies of earlier historians) that, having hanged himself, or strangled himself, from grief and horror, he fell down, that is, fell on his face (according to Dr. Hammond, Dr. Hammond), and partly from swelling, partly from the force of the fall, his belly split open, and so that all his insides fell out. If, during the exorcism of the demon from the boy, he threw him down and began to beat him, and only then came out, almost killing him (see Mark 9:26; Luke 9:42), then it is not surprising that, disposing of Judas as his own property, the demon threw him to the ground so that he tore it apart. Because of the strangulation reported by Matthew, Judas swelled until he burst, which is what Peter is talking about. And it burst with a great noise (according to Dr. Edwards), which could not but be heard in the neighborhood, so that all this became known (v. 19): ... and all his insides fell out ... Luke describes this event as a doctor who knows a lot about the structure of the middle and lower womb. The traitors are gutted, and this is only part of their retribution. The inside that is contrary to the Lord Jesus will be torn apart. It is possible that Christ foretold the fate of Judas when he spoke of the evil servant and that they would cut him, Mt. 24:51.
(4) The news of Judas' suicide was made public. ... And this became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem ... The whole city, as if this news had been launched into the newspapers, kept repeating about God's amazing judgment on those who had betrayed their Teacher, v. 19. The message was discussed not only by the disciples, it was on the lips of everyone, and no one doubted its authenticity. ... And it became known ... that is, everyone knew that what happened to Judas really took place. It would seem that this terrible event should have prompted the repentance of those who took part in one way or another in putting Christ to death, and now learned about the fate of Judas, who was the first to have a hand in this crime and thus served as a bad example. But, alas, people became bitter. As for those who nevertheless were destined to soften, they were able to be moved by the word of God and the Spirit working through it. The fame of this case with Judas is confirmed by the fact that the field acquired with the money he received was called Akeldama, that is, "land of blood", for it was acquired at the price of blood, which perpetuated the dishonor of both the seller of this innocent, precious blood, and its buyers. . Let's see what they say when the Lord calls them to account for this blood.
(5.) The fulfillment in this of the Scriptures, which so clearly foretold all that was to be fulfilled, v. 16. Do not be surprised at this and stumble that one of the twelve ended his life in this way, for David predicted not only the crime of Judas (Christ paid attention to this, saying: “... he who eats bread with me raised his heel against me” , see John 13:18 and Ps 40:10), but also:
That retribution will come upon him, Ps. 68:26. Let their dwelling be empty... This Psalm is a messianic one. Not more than three verses before the quoted text, David mentions that he will be given gall and vinegar, so that the subsequent prophecies about the defeat of David's enemies should be applied to all the enemies of Christ, and in particular to Judas. It is possible that in Jerusalem he had some kind of dwelling in which no one dared to settle, which is why it subsequently fell into desolation. This prophecy predicts the fate of a lawless man, the same is evidenced by the words of Bildad: His hope will be driven out of his tent, and this will bring him down to the king of horrors. They will dwell in his tent, because he is no longer his; His dwelling will be strewn with brimstone, Job. 18:14, 15.
That another will take his place. Dignity (English dignity of a bishop. - Approx. translator.), Or his ministry (such is the meaning of this word), let another accept it, Ps. 108:8. In quoting this verse from Scripture, Peter makes a very appropriate introduction to the following statement.
Note: Not a single office (whether we are talking about state officials or the clergy) among those established by God should not be thought badly, despite all the iniquity of those occupying this office or the shameful punishment for them. Will God allow the failure of at least one of His plans, the abolition of at least one of His commissions, the collapse of at least one of His enterprises due to the retreat of those who did not justify the trust placed in him? Human unbelief will not leave God's promises in vain. Judas hanged himself, but his position remained. About his dwelling it is said that there will be no one living in it and he will not leave an heir in it; but nothing of the kind is said of the office of Judas, for he was not to be left without a successor. The same is true of the ministers of the Church as of other believers: if some of the branches are broken off, others are grafted in in their place, Rom. 11:17. The cause of Christ will never stop because of the insufficient number of His witnesses.
2. Peter's offer to choose another apostle, v. 21, 22. Notice here:
(1) The qualifications to be met by a future apostle. Peter says that he should be one of those seventy who were with us, constantly accompanied us all the time when the Lord Jesus stayed and dealt with us, preaching and working miracles for three and a half years, starting from the baptism of John, from the beginning of the gospel of Christ until the day in which He ascended from us. Those who have shown themselves diligent, faithful, and constant in their duty in a lower rank, are more worthy than all others to be given a higher rank; those who have shown themselves faithful in little things will be entrusted with more. Only a person who is well acquainted with the doctrine and work of Christ from beginning to end can become His servant, the preacher of His gospel, and the leader of His Church. Only one who accompanied the rest of the apostles, and constantly, who maintained close communication with them, and not just visited their company from time to time, could become an apostle.
(2.) The work to be done by the apostle who filled the vacant seat. It is said that he was to be with us a witness of His resurrection. It follows from this that the other disciples were also with the eleven at the time when Christ appeared to them, otherwise they could not have been witnesses with them, just as full witnesses of the resurrection of Christ as they were. The most important thing that the apostles had to assure the world of was the resurrection of Christ, for it is precisely His resurrection that is the greatest confirmation of His anointing and the firm foundation of our hope in Him. Note that the apostles were not appointed to seek earthly glory and gain dominion for themselves, but to preach Christ and the power of His resurrection.
III. Nomination of candidates to fill the apostolic office of Judas.
1. Two candidates were nominated for the vacant seat, two known and constant companions of Christ, blameless and pure in heart, v.23. ... And they appointed two ... Not eleven took responsibility for nominating candidates, but one hundred and twenty, for Peter spoke one hundred and twenty, not eleven. The names of the candidates were Joseph and Matthias. It should be noted that Scripture nowhere, except here, says anything about these disciples, except that Joseph, here mentioned, is the same person as Jesus, called the Void, who is reported by Paul, Col. 4:11. It was known about him that he was of the circumcision, that he was born a Jew, that he was Paul's worker for the Kingdom of God, which was his joy. If this is the case, then it is remarkable that, although this Justus did not become an apostle, he still did not leave his ministry and was very useful in small things, for are all the Apostles? are all prophets? The opinion is expressed that the Joseph mentioned is Josiah (Mk. 6:3), the brother of James the lesser (Mk. 15:40), who was called Josiah the righteous, just as James the lesser was called James the righteous. This Josiah is confused by some with another Josiah mentioned in Acts. 4:36. But that Josiah was from Cyprus, and this one from Galilee; and, it seems, in order to distinguish between them, one was given the nickname Barnabas, which means the son of consolation, and the other Barsaba, which means the son of the vow. Joseph and Matthias were both worthy of their election to the apostolic ministry, but the audience did not succeed in choosing one of them as the most suitable, but they all agreed among themselves that one of them would take the vacant place. Without putting forward themselves and not fighting for the place of the apostle, they sat humbly and were put forward by applicants.
2. The congregation turns prayerfully to God to point out not one of the seventy, since none of the latter, in the opinion of all, could compete with Joseph and Matthias, but one of these two, v. 24, 25.
(1.) They turn to God, who searches hearts: "You, Lord, are the knower of the hearts of all, you know what is not known to us, and you know people better than they know themselves."
Note, When it came to choosing an apostle, the choice must be made according to the heart, temper, and inclination of the applicant. Jesus knew everything about people, and yet, having wise and holy intentions, he chose Judas among His disciples. When we pray for the well-being of the Church and her servants, we take comfort in the fact that the God to whom we pray knows the hearts of all, and holds them not only before His eyes, but also in His hand, and can direct them to those paths that He considers pleasing. Himself, and if these people turn out to be different before Him, He can make them serve His purposes by putting a different spirit into them.
(2) They want to know which of the two God will point them to. "Lord, show us that we may be convinced." The matter of choosing God's servants is to be left to God; and if, in one way or another, whether by providence or by the gifts of the Spirit, He indicates whom He has chosen or what intentions He has with regard to us, then we are obliged to agree with Him in everything.
(3) They are ready, like a brother, to accept the one whom God will point to them, for none of them hatched in themselves the plan to exalt themselves by putting others aside, but all wanted God's chosen one to accept the lot of this ministry and Apostleship, to join them in this ministry and shared with them the glory of the apostolate, from which Judas fell away, leaving and betraying the Teacher. He fell from the place of the apostle, whom he was not worthy of, to go to his place as a traitor - the place for him is the most suitable; he went not just to the gallows, but to the underworld - that's where his place was.
Note: Those who betray Christ, falling away from glorious fellowship with Him, doom themselves to inevitable death. Of Balaam it is said (Numbers 24:25) that he went back to his place, that is, as one Jewish rabbi teaches, he went to hell. Dr. Whitby, referring to the words of Ignatius, testifies that iSiog Tonog is assigned to everyone - a proper place, to each his own, that is, God will reward everyone according to his deeds. Our Savior foretold that Judas had his place prepared, and it would be better for this man not to be born (Matt. 26:24): his grief will be such that it cannot be worse. Judas was a hypocrite, and hell is the most suitable place for his kind; other condemned sinners are subject to the same fate, Mt. 24:51.
(4) Doubts were settled by lot (v. 26), which is an appeal to God and (if thrown with due propriety and in accordance with all the requirements of the law, preceded by this ritual with a prayer of faith) a legitimate way of deciding those questions that cannot be resolved by any other manner; for the lot is cast in the floor, but all its decision is from the Lord, Prov. 16:33. Matthias was not appointed an apostle, like the presbyters, by the laying on of hands, for he was chosen by a lot that fell according to the will of God. Therefore, he had to be baptized and put into the service of the Holy Spirit, as happened to everyone after a few days. Thus the number of apostles was completed; later, after the martyrdom of James, one of the twelve, Paul will become an apostle.