Acts:1:1-11
Seeker Overlay ON
rwp @
Acts:1:1 @
_The
Title_
is simply _Acts_
(\
Praxeis \)
in Aleph ,
Origen ,
Tertullian ,
Didymus ,
Hilary ,
Eusebius ,
Epiphanius .
_The
Acts of the Apostles_
(\
Praxeis apostol
n \)
is the reading of B D (
Aleph in subscription )
Athanasius ,
Origen ,
Tertullian ,
Cyprian ,
Eusebius ,
Cyril of Jerusalem ,
Theodoret ,
Hilary .
_The
Acts of the Holy Apostles_
(\
Praxeis t
n hagi
n apostol
n \)
is read by A2 E G H A K Chrysostom .
It is possible that the book was given no title at all by Luke ,
for it is plain that usage varied greatly even in the same writers .
The long title as found in the Textus Receptus (
Authorized Version )
is undoubtedly wrong with the adjective "
Holy ."
The reading of B D , "
_The
Acts of the Apostles_
,"
may be accepted as probably correct .
rwp @
Acts:1:1 @{
The former treatise } (\
ton men pr
ton \).
Literally ,
the first treatise .
The use of the superlative is common enough and by no means implies ,
though it allows ,
a third volume .
This use of \
pr
tos \
where only two are compared is seen between the Baptist and Jesus (
John:1:15 |),
John and Peter (
John:20:4 |).
The idiom is common in the papyri (
Robertson ,
_Grammar_
,
pp .
662 ,
669 ).
The use of \
men solitarium \
here ,
as Hackett notes ,
is common in Acts .
It is by no means true that \
men \
requires a following \
de \
by contrast .
The word is merely a weakened form of \
m
n \=
surely ,
indeed .
The reference is to the "
first treatise "
and merely emphasizes that .
The use of \
logos \ (
word )
for treatise or historical narrative is common in ancient Greek as in Herodotus 6 and 9 .
Plato (
_Phaedo_
,
p .
61 B )
makes a contrast between \
muthos \
and \
logos \. {
I made } (\
epoi
sam
n \).
Aorist middle indicative ,
the middle being the usual construction for mental acts with \
poie \. {
O Theophilus } (\
O Theophile \).
The interjection \
O \
here as is common ,
though not in strkjv @
Luke:1:3 |.
But the adjective \
kratiste \ (
most excellent )
is wanting here .
See remarks on Theophilus on ¯
Luke:1:3 |.
Hackett thinks that he lived at Rome because of the way Acts ends .
He was a man of rank .
He may have defrayed the expense of publishing both Luke and Acts .
Perhaps by this time Luke may have reached a less ceremonious acquaintance with Theophilus . {
Which Jesus began } (\
h
n
rxato I
sous \).
The relative is attracted from the accusative \
ha \
to the genitive \
h
n \
because of the antecedent \
pant
n \ (
all ).
The language of Luke here is not merely pleonastic as Winer held .
Jesus "
began " "
both to do and to teach " (\
poiein te kai didaskein \).
Note present infinitives ,
linear action ,
still going on ,
and the use of \
te--kai \
binds together the life and teachings of Jesus ,
as if to say that Jesus is still carrying on from heaven the work and teaching of the disciples which he started while on earth before his ascension .
The record which Luke now records is really the Acts of Jesus as much as the Acts of the Apostles .
Dr .
A .
T .
Pierson called it "
The Acts of the Holy Spirit ,"
and that is true also .
The Acts ,
according to Luke ,
is a continuation of the doings and teachings of Jesus . "
The following writings appear intended to give us ,
and do ,
in fact ,
profess to give us ,
that which Jesus _continued_
to do and teach after the day in which he was taken up " (
Bernard ,
_Progress
of Doctrine in the N .
T .
_
).
rwp @
Acts:1:2 @{
Until the day in which } (\
achri h
s h
meras \).
Incorporation of the antecedent into the relative clause and the change of case \
h
i \ (
locative )
to \
h
s \ (
genitive ). {
Was received up } (\
anel
mpth \).
First aorist passive indicative of \
analamban \.
Common verb to lift anything up (
Acts:10:16 |)
or person as Paul (
Acts:20:13 |).
Several times of the Ascension of Jesus to heaven (
Mark:16:19 ;
strkjv @
Acts:1:2 ,
11 ,
22 ;
strkjv @
1Timothy:3:16 |)
with or without "
into heaven " (\
eis ton ouranon \).
This same verb is used of Elijah '
s translation to heaven in the LXX (
2Kings:2:11 |).
The same idea ,
though not this word ,
is in strkjv @
Luke:24:51 |.
See strkjv @
Luke:9:51 |
for \
anal
mpsis \
of the Ascension . {
Had given commandment } (\
enteilamenos \).
First aorist middle participle of \
entell \ (
from \
en \
and \
tell \,
to accomplish ),
usually in the middle ,
old verb ,
to enjoin .
This special commandment refers directly to what we call the commission given the apostles before Christ ascended on high (
John:20:21-23 ;
strkjv @
Matthew:28:16-20 ;
strkjv @
Mark:16:15-18 ;
strkjv @
1Corinthians:15:6 ;
strkjv @
Luke:24:44-49 |).
He had given commands to them when they were first chosen and when they were sent out on the tour of Galilee ,
but the immediate reference is as above . {
Through the Holy Spirit } (\
dia pneumatos hagiou \).
In his human life Jesus was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit .
This applies to the choice of the apostles (
Luke:6:13 |)
and to these special commands before the Ascension . {
Whom he had chosen } (\
hous exelexato \).
Aorist middle indicative ,
not past perfect .
The same verb (\
eklexamenos \)
was used by Luke in describing the choice of the twelve by Jesus (
Luke:6:13 |).
But the aorist does not stand "
for "
our English pluperfect as Hackett says .
That is explaining Greek by English .
The Western text here adds : "
And ordered to proclaim the gospel ."
rwp @
Acts:1:3 @{
To whom also } (\
hois kai \).
He chose them and then also manifested himself to these very same men that they might have personal witness to give . {
Shewed himself alive } (\
parest
sen heauton z
nta \).
To the disciples the first Sunday evening (
Mark:16:14 ;
strkjv @
Luke:24:36-43 ;
strkjv @
John:20:19-25 |),
the second Sunday evening (
John:20:26-29 |),
at the Sea of Tiberias (
John:21:1-23 |),
on the mountain in Galilee (
Matthew:28:16-20 ;
strkjv @
Mark:16:15-18 ;
strkjv @
1Corinthians:15:6 |),
to the disciples in Jerusalem and Olivet (
Luke:24:44-53 ;
strkjv @
Mark:16-19f .;
strkjv @
Acts:1:1-11 |).
Luke uses this verb \
parist
mi \
13 times in the Acts both transitively and intransitively .
It is rendered by various English words (
present ,
furnish ,
provide ,
assist ,
commend ).
The early disciples including Paul never doubted the fact of the Resurrection ,
once they were convinced by personal experience .
At first some doubted like Thomas (
Mark:16:14 ;
strkjv @
Luke:24:41 ;
strkjv @
John:20:24f .;
strkjv @
Matthew:28:17 |).
But after that they never wavered in their testimony to their own experience with the Risen Christ , "
whereof we are witnesses "
Peter said (
Acts:3:15 |).
They doubted at first ,
that we may believe ,
but at last they risked life itself in defence of this firm faith . {
After his passion } (\
meta to pathein auton \).
Neat Greek idiom , \
meta \
with the articular infinitive (
second aorist active of \
pasch \)
and the accusative of general reference , "
after the suffering as to him ."
For \
pathein \
used absolutely of Christ '
s suffering see also strkjv @
Acts:17:3 ;
strkjv @
26:23 |. {
By many proofs } (\
en pollois tekm
riois \).
Literally , "
in many proofs ." \
Tekm
rion \
is only here in the N .
T .,
though an old and common word in ancient Greek and occurring in the _Koin
_
(
papyri ,
etc .).
The verb \
tekmair \,
to prove by sure signs ,
is from \
tekmar \,
a sign .
Luke does not hesitate to apply the definite word "
proofs "
to the evidence for the Resurrection of Christ after full investigation on the part of this scientific historian .
Aristotle makes a distinction between \
tekm
rion \ (
proof )
and \
s
meion \ (
sign )
as does Galen the medical writer . {
Appearing } (\
optanomenos \).
Present middle participle from late verb \
optan \,
late _Koin
_
verb from root \
opt \
seen in \
opsomai ,
phth
n \.
In LXX ,
papyri of second century B .
C . (
Deissmann ,
_Light
from the Ancient East_
,
p .
83 ).
Only here in the N .
T .
For \
optasia \
for vision see strkjv @
Acts:26:19 ;
strkjv @
Luke:1:22 ;
strkjv @
24:23 |. {
By the space of forty days } (\
di '
h
mer
n tesserakonta \).
At intervals (\
dia \,
between )
during the forty days ,
ten appearances being known to us .
Jesus was not with them continually now in bodily presence .
The period of forty days is given here alone .
The Ascension was thus ten days before Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came .
Moses was in the mount forty days (
Exodus:24:18 |)
and Jesus fasted forty days (
Matthew:4:2 |).
In the Gospel of Luke 24 this separation of forty days between the Resurrection and the Ascension is not drawn . {
The things concerning the Kingdom of God } (\
ta peri t
s basileias tou theou \).
This phrase appears 33 times in Luke '
s Gospel ,
15 times in Mark ,
4 times in Matthew who elsewhere has "
the kingdom of heaven ,"
once in John ,
and 6 times in Acts .
No essential distinction is to be drawn between the two for the Jews often used "
heaven "
rather than "
God "
to avoid using the Tetragrammaton .
But it is noticeable how the word kingdom drops out of Acts .
Other words like gospel (\
euaggelion \)
take the place of "
kingdom ."
Jesus was fond of the word "
kingdom "
and Luke is fond of the idiom "
the things concerning " (\
ta peri \).
Certainly with Jesus the term "
kingdom "
applies to the present and the future and covers so much that it is not strange that the disciples with their notions of a political Messianic kingdom (
Acts:1:6 |)
were slow to comprehend the spiritual nature of the reign of God .
rwp @
Acts:1:4 @{
Being assembled together with them } (\
sunalizomenos \).
Present passive participle from \
sunaliz \,
an old verb in Herodotus ,
Xenophon ,
etc .,
from sun ,
with ,
and \
haliz \,
from \
hal
s \,
crowded .
The margin of both the Authorized and the Revised Versions has "
eating with them "
as if from \
sun \
and \
hals \ (
salt ).
Salt was the mark of hospitality .
There is the verb \
halisth
te en aut
i \
used by Ignatius _Ad
Magnes_
.
X , "
Be ye salted in him ."
But it is more than doubtful if that is the idea here though the Vulgate does have _convescens
illis_
"
eating with them ,"
as if that was the common habit of Jesus during the forty days (
Wendt ,
Feine ,
etc .).
Jesus did on occasion eat with the disciples (
Luke:24:41-43 ;
strkjv @
Mark:16:14 |). {
To wait for the promise of the Father } (\
perimenein t
n epaggelian tou patros \).
Note present active infinitive ,
to keep on waiting for (
around , \
peri \).
In the Great Commission on the mountain in Galilee this item was not given (
Matthew:28:16-20 |).
It is the subjective genitive ,
the promise given by the Father (
note this Johannine use of the word ),
that is the Holy Spirit ("
the promise of the Holy Spirit ,"
objective genitive ). {
Which ye heard from me } (\
h
n
kousate mou \).
Change from indirect discourse (
command ),
infinitives \
ch
rizesthai \
and \
perimenein \
after \
par
ggeilen \
to direct discourse without any \
eph \ (
said he )
as the English (
Italics ).
Luke often does this (
_oratior
ariata_
).
Note also the ablative case of \
mou \ (
from me ).
Luke continues in verse 5 |
with the direct discourse giving the words of Jesus .
rwp @
Acts:1:5 @{
Baptized with water } (\
ebaptisen hudati \) {
and with the Holy Ghost } (\
en pneumati baptisth
sesthe hagi
i \).
The margin has "
in the Holy Ghost " (
Spirit ,
it should be ).
The American Standard Version renders "
in "
both with "
water "
and "
Holy Spirit "
as do Goodspeed (
American Translation )
and Mrs .
Montgomery (
Centenary Translation ).
John '
s own words (
Matthew:3:11 |)
to which Jesus apparently refers use \
en \ (
in )
both with water and Spirit .
There is a so-called instrumental use of \
en \
where we in English have to say "
with " (
Revelation:13:10 | \
en machair
i \,
like \
machair
i \,
strkjv @
Acts:12:2 |).
That is to say \
en \
with the locative presents the act as located in a certain instrument like a sword (
Robertson ,
_Grammar_
,
pp .
589f .).
But the instrumental case is more common without \
en \ (
the locative and instrumental cases having the same form ).
Songs:it is often a matter of indifference which idiom is used as in strkjv @
John:21:8 |
we have \
t
i ploiari
i \ (
locative without \
en \).
They came {
in } (
locative case without \
en \)
the boat .
Songs:in strkjv @
John:1:31 | \
en hudati baptiz
n \
baptizing in water .
No distinction therefore can be insisted on here between the construction \
hudati \
and \
en pneumati \ (
both being in the locative case ,
one without ,
one with \
en \).
Note unusual position of the verb \
baptisth
sesthe \ (
future passive indicative )
between \
pneumati \
and \
hagi
i \.
This baptism of the Holy Spirit was predicted by John (
Matthew:3:11 |)
as the characteristic of the Messiah '
s work .
Now the Messiah himself in his last message before his Ascension proclaims that in a few days the fulfilment of that prophecy will come to pass .
The Codex Bezae adds here "
which ye are about to receive "
and "
until the Pentecost "
to verse 5 |. {
Not many days hence } (\
ou meta pollas tautas h
meras \).
A neat Greek idiom difficult to render smoothly into English : "
Not after many days these ."
The litotes (
not many =
few )
is common in Luke (
Luke:7:6 ;
strkjv @
15:13 ;
strkjv @
Acts:17:27 ;
strkjv @
19:11 ;
strkjv @
20:12 ;
strkjv @
21:39 ;
strkjv @
28:14 ;
strkjv @
28:2 |).
The predicate use of \
tautas \ (
without article )
is to be noted . "
These "
really means as a starting point , "
from these " (
Robertson ,
_Grammar_
,
p .
702 ).
It was ten days hence .
This idiom occurs several times in Luke (
Luke:24:21 ;
strkjv @
Acts:24:21 |),
as elsewhere (
John:4:18 ;
strkjv @
2Peter:3:1 |).
In strkjv @
Luke:2:12 |
the copula is easily supplied as it exists in strkjv @
Luke:1:36 ;
strkjv @
2:2 |.
rwp @
Acts:1:6 @{
They therefore } (\
hoi men oun \).
Demonstrative use of \
hoi \
with \
men oun \
without any corresponding \
de \
just as in strkjv @
1:1 | \
men \
occurs alone .
The combination \
men oun \
is common in Acts (
27 times ).
Cf .
strkjv @
Luke:3:18 |.
The \
oun \
is resumptive and refers to the introductory verses (
1:1-5 |),
which served to connect the Acts with the preceding Gospel .
The narrative now begins . {
Asked } (\
r
t
n \).
Imperfect active ,
repeatedly asked before Jesus answered . {
Lord } (\
kurie \).
Here not in the sense of "
sir " (
Matthew:21:30 |),
but to Jesus as Lord and Master as often in Acts (
19:5 ,
10 |,
etc .)
and in prayer to Jesus (
7:59 |). {
Dost thou restore } (\
ei apokathistaneis \).
The use of \
ei \
in an indirect question is common .
We have already seen its use in direct questions (
Matthew:12:10 ;
strkjv @
Luke:13:23 |
which see for discussion ),
possibly in imitation of the Hebrew (
frequent in the LXX )
or as a partial condition without conclusion .
See also strkjv @
Acts:7:1 ;
strkjv @
19:2 ;
strkjv @
21:37 ;
strkjv @
22:25 |.
The form of the verb \
apokathistan \
is late (
also \
apokathista \)
omega form for the old and common \
apokathist
mi \,
double compound ,
to restore to its former state .
As a matter of fact the Messianic kingdom for which they are asking is a political kingdom that would throw off the hated Roman yoke .
It is a futuristic present and they are uneasy that Jesus may yet fail to fulfil their hopes .
Surely here is proof that the eleven apostles needed the promise of the Father before they began to spread the message of the Risen Christ .
They still yearn for a political kingdom for Israel even after faith and hope have come back .
They need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (
John:14-16 |)
and the power of the Holy Spirit (
Acts:1:4f .|).
rwp @
Acts:1:7 @{
Times or seasons } (\
chronous
kairous \). "
Periods "
and "
points "
of time sometimes and probably so here ,
but such a distinction is not always maintained .
See strkjv @
Acts:17:26 |
for \
kairous \
in the same sense as \
chronous \
for long periods of time .
But here some distinction seems to be called for .
It is curious how eager people have always been to fix definite dates about the second coming of Christ as the apostles were about the political Messianic kingdom which they were expecting . {
Hath set } (\
etheto \).
Second aorist middle indicative ,
emphasizing the sovereignty of the Father in keeping all such matters to himself ,
a gentle hint to people today about the limits of curiosity .
Note also "
his own " (\
idi
i \) "
authority " (\
exousi
i \).
rwp @
Acts:1:8 @{
Power } (\
dunamin \).
Not the "
power "
about which they were concerned (
political organization and equipments for empire on the order of Rome ).
Their very question was ample proof of their need of this new "
power " (\
dunamin \),
to enable them (
from \
dunamai \,
to be able ),
to grapple with the spread of the gospel in the world . {
When the Holy Ghost is come upon you } (\
epelthontos tou hagiou pneumatos eph '
humas \).
Genitive absolute and is simultaneous in time with the preceding verb "
shall receive " (\
l
mpsesthe \).
The Holy Spirit will give them the "
power "
as he comes upon them .
This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit referred to in verse 5 |. {
My witnesses } (\
mou martures \).
Correct text . "
Royal words of magnificent and Divine assurance " (
Furneaux ).
Our word martyrs is this word \
martures \.
In strkjv @
Luke:24:48 |
Jesus calls the disciples "
witnesses to these things " (\
martures tout
n \,
objective genitive ).
In strkjv @
Acts:1:22 |
an apostle has to be a "
witness to the Resurrection "
of Christ and in strkjv @
10:39 |
to the life and work of Jesus .
Hence there could be no "
apostles "
in this sense after the first generation .
But here the apostles are called "
my witnesses ." "
His by a direct personal relationship " (
Knowling ).
The expanding sphere of their witness when the Holy Spirit comes upon them is "
unto the uttermost part of the earth " (\
he
s eschatou t
s g
s \).
Once they had been commanded to avoid Samaria (
Matthew:10:5 |),
but now it is included in the world program as already outlined on the mountain in Galilee (
Matthew:28:19 ;
strkjv @
Mark:16:15 |).
Jesus is on Olivet as he points to Jerusalem ,
Judea ,
Samaria ,
the uttermost (
last , \
eschatou \)
part of the earth .
The program still beckons us on to world conquest for Christ . "
The Acts themselves form the best commentary on these words ,
and the words themselves might be given as the best summary of the Acts " (
Page ).
The events follow this outline (
Jerusalem till the end of chapter 7 ,
with the martyrdom of Stephen ,
the scattering of the saints through Judea and Samaria in chapter 8 ,
the conversion of Saul ,
chapter 9 ,
the spread of the gospel to Romans in Caesarea by Peter (
chapter 10 ),
to Greeks in Antioch (
chapter 11 ),
finally Paul '
s world tours and arrest and arrival in Rome (
chapters 11 to 28 ).
rwp @
Acts:1:9 @{
As they were looking } (\
blepont
n aut
n \).
Genitive absolute .
The present participle accents the fact that they were looking directly at Jesus . {
He was taken up } (
ep
rth ).
First aorist passive indicative of \
epair \,
old and common verb meaning to lift up .
In strkjv @
Luke:24:51 |
we have "
he was borne up " (\
anephereto \)
and in strkjv @
Acts:1:2 ,
strkjv @
1:11 ;
strkjv @
1Timothy:3:6 | "
was received up " (\
anel
mpth \). {
Received } (\
hupelaben \).
Second aorist active indicative of \
hupolamban \,
literally here "
took under him ."
He seemed to be supported by the cloud . "
In glory "
Paul adds in strkjv @
1Timothy:3:16 |. {
Out of their sight } (\
apo t
n ophthalm
n aut
n \).
From their eyes (\
apo \
with ablative case ).
rwp @
Acts:1:10 @{
Were looking steadfastly } (\
atenizontes
san \).
Periphrastic imperfect active of \
ateniz \,
a late intensive verb (
intensive \
a \
and \
tein \,
to stretch ).
Common in Acts and also in strkjv @
Luke:4:20 ;
strkjv @
22:56 |
as well as strkjv @
Acts:10:4 |,
which see . {
As he went } (\
poreuomenou autou \).
Genitive absolute of present middle participle .
They saw him slipping away from their eyes as the cloud bore him away . {
Stood by them } (\
pareist
keisan autois \).
Past perfect active indicative of \
parist
mi \
and intransitive (
note \
i \
in B instead of \
ei \
for augment ,
mere itacism ).
rwp @
Acts:1:11 @{
Who also } (\
hoi kai \).
Common use of \
kai \
pleonastic to show that the two events were parallel .
This is the simplest way from Homer on to narrate two parallel events . {
Why ?} (\
ti \).
Jesus had told them of his coming Ascension (
John:6:62 ;
strkjv @
20:17 |)
so that they should have been prepared . {
This Jesus } (\
houtos ho I
sous \).
_Qui
vobis fuit eritque semper Jesus ,
id est ,
Salvator_
(
Corn .
a Lapide ).
The personal name assures them that Jesus will always be in heaven a personal friend and divine Saviour (
Knowling ). {
Songs:in like manner } (\
hout
s hon tropon \).
Same idea twice . "
Songs:in which manner " (
incorporation of antecedent and accusative of general reference ).
The fact of his second coming and the manner of it also described by this emphatic repetition .