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Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 1:12

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Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

12. from the mount called Olivet ] Elsewhere usually called the mount of Olives, but in Luk 19:29; Luk 21:37, some texts give, as here, Olivet

which is from Jerusalem, &c.] Literally, which is near unto Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey off. The mount of Olives is on the east of Jerusalem, and must be passed by those who go from Jerusalem to Bethany. Hence St Luke’s expression in the Gospel is (Luk 24:50) “He led them out as far as towards ( ) Bethany.”

The sabbath day’s journey was two thousand yards or cubits [ ammoth ], and in the Babylonian Talmud, Erubin 51 a, there is given an elaborate account of how this precise limit was arrived at, which is such an interesting specimen of Rabbinical reasoning, that it seems worth quoting at some length. “We have a Boraitha [i.e. a Mishna not taught officially in R. Jehudah ha-Nasi’s lectures and so not embodied in the Mishna proper, but incorporated amongst the Gemara or in other ways] on Exo 16:29, ‘Abide ye every man in his place ’ ( takhtav), that means the four yards (which is the space allowed for downsitting and uprising), and in the same verse it says ‘Let no man go out of his place ( makom), this is the two thousand yards.’ ” The argument intended to be founded on this explanation is, that as Holy Writ, which does not uselessly multiply words, has used here two different words for place, this is done because there is a different meaning for each. “But (continues the questioner) how do you learn this?” (viz. that makom implies two thousand yards). Rab Chisda says “We have learnt the meaning of makom from the use of makom elsewhere, and we learn what that [second] makom means from nisah (= flight, with which word, in one passage, it is connected), and what nisah means we have learnt from another nisah, and the meaning of the [second] nisah we gather from gebul (= border, which is found in connection with it in a certain passage), and what gebul means we gather from another gebul, and what that gebul means from khuts (= extremity), and what khuts means from another khuts; for it is written (Num 35:5) ‘and ye shall measure from the extremity ( mikhuts) of the city, on the east side, two thousand yards.’ ”

So taking khuts in this last passage as defined, they, by an equation khuts = gebul = nisah = makom, defined the second word place mentioned in Exo 16:29, as also equal to two thousand yards.

The Scriptural passages on which the above reasoning is based are (1) Exo 21:13, “I will appoint thee a place ( makom) whither he shall flee ” ( yanus), and from the verb yanus the noun nisah is formed; (2) Num 35:26, “But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border ( gebul) of the city of his refuge whither he is fled,” which passage connects gebul and nisah; and (3) Num 35:27, “If the avenger of blood find him without ( mikhuts) the border of the city of his refuge,” which brings khuts into connection with gebul.

A traditional development of an interpretation like this must have been received, by him who announces it, from his teacher and must not be his own invention, and in this way a very high antiquity is assured for all such interpretations.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Then returned they unto Jerusalem – In Luk 24:52, we are told that they worshipped Jesus before they returned, and it is probable that the act of worship to which he refers was what is mentioned in this chapter their gazing intently on their departing Lord.

From the mount called Olivet – From the Mount of Olives. See the notes on Mat 21:1. The part of the mountain from which he ascended was the eastern declivity, where stood the little village of Bethany, Luk 24:50.

A sabbath-days journey – As far as might be lawfully traveled by a Jew on the Sabbath. This was 2,000 paces or cubits, or seven furlongs and a half – not quite one mile. See the notes On Mat 24:20. The distance of a lawful journey on the Sabbath was not fixed by the laws of Moses, but the Jewish teachers had fixed it at 2,000 paces. This measure was determined on because it was a tradition that in the camp of the Israelites, when coming from Egypt, no part of the camp was more than 2000 paces from the tabernacle, and over this space, therefore, they were permitted to travel for worship. Perhaps, also, some countenance was given to this from the fact that this was the extent of the suburbs of the Levitical cities, Num 35:5. Mount Olivet was only 5 furlongs from Jerusalem, and Bethany was 15 furlongs. But on the eastern declivity of the mountain the tract of country was called, for a considerable space, the region of Bethany; and it was from this place that the Lord Jesus ascended.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Act 1:12-14

Then returned they unto Jerusalem.

The return to Jerusalem

The distance was a Sabbath-days journey; not that Moses had limited a journey on the Sabbath; but the Rabbins derived the rule from the prohibition to depart, on the sacred day, from the camp, which was supposed to be two miles square. The return, had it not been for the promise of the Father, would have been like turning from the gates of heaven to the antechamber of hell.

I. The place. An upper room. This could hardly have been in the temple, for the ecclesiastical authorities were too hostile to suffer such a company within the sacred precincts. It was probably the room in which our Lord ate His last supper, and which, from His manner of pointing it out, seems to have belonged to a disciple. The Jews had such an upper room for their devotions, as we read of Peter going up to one, for prayer; and of Paul holding, in an upper room, a meeting of the Church at Miletus. In the houses of Jerusalem such apartments were provided for those who came up to keep the feasts. Here the disciples abode, i.e., probably spent the day there; retiring to separate lodgings at night. What reflections must have rushed into their minds on coming to the scene of the Last Supper! How much better they now understood our Lords discourse, and how soothing must have been the remembrance of His prayer! After seeing Him make the clouds His chariot, what must they have thought of His condescension in washing the disciples feet! In that room, after a few days, descended the Spirit, of which Jesus said not in vain, He shall glorify Me.

II. The company. As if to show how important it is for us to know who the apostles were, Luke, after giving the list in the Gospel, here repeats it. The women seem to be those who came up with our Lord from Galilee, and who ministered to Him of their substance. Mary, the mother of Jesus, not of God, as she has been impiously called, is there; and this is all that the inspired history says of her whom all generations shall call blessed. Verily the Scriptures are not chargeable with Mariolatry. By the brethren of Christ being there, we conclude that it could no longer be said, neither did they believe on Him. The hundred and twenty included probably the seventy evangelists; some inhabitants of Jerusalem, who, like the master of the house, believed, and such persons as Joseph of Arimathea. This upper room was the cradle of the Christian Church, now an infant, but soon to become a giant and stride over a conquered world. Who then would despise the day of small things?

III. Their employment.

1. Their harmony was secured by the discourses which they had heard and the scenes they had witnessed, which had extinguished self, that fire-brand of discord. With a world ready to rise in arms against them, their strength lay in union; and now that the traitor, the discordant one, was gone, we may say, Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

2. They were commanded to wait, but not to be idle; and their business was prayer for that Spirit who was to fit them for their work. They came from this retirement, to live in the view of a world, eyed by enemies as the butt of persecution, and by friends as examples and guides. Not the least of the blessings which resulted from these days of prayer was the lesson given to public men to prepare for great doings by secret devotions. (J. Bennett, D. D.)

The ten days

The interval between Ascension and Whitsuntide represents an exceptional portion of the history of the Church, and may be compared, or rather contrasted, with the three days during which our Lord rested in the tomb; in each Christ was gone and the Comforter was not come; in each the Church had received a part of her endowments but not the whole; in each the disciples waited patiently till they should obtain a more complete commission, though in the one case they waited with sad hearts and disappointed hopes, while in the other, notwithstanding the absence of their Lord, they experienced great joy, and were continually praising and blessing God. (Bp. Harvey Goodwin.)

The first assembly of the Christian Church

This assembly was marked by–

I. Separation from the world. The work was unworldly, and therefore separation was necessary. This separation was–

1. Local. Worldly business was not likely to come to the upper room, as there were no attractions for buyers and sellers. Every Church should have a place of meeting set apart for its own use.

2. Mental. No worldly-minded man could have anything in common with their mental state. They were waiting for the bestowal of what no outsider had ever seen or heard. Does this mental distinction exist to-day?

3. Moral. They had given themselves up to be directed by Jesus. Such renunciation marks all true Christians. It cannot co-exist with the pride and self-sufficiency which mark unregenerate men.

II. Unity. The separation would not have answered its purpose without this. All present–

1. Recognised one Head. Attachment to a chief often unites men of varying gifts, tastes, and ambitions. So high and low, educated and illiterate, etc., are united in Christ. The light of the sun illumines planets of different magnitudes in various orbits, and each reflects the light of the ruling orb. So Christ is the centre of the Christian system, binds each member of the system to Himself, and freely sheds His light on all. Discord in a Church is therefore unchristian.

2. Had oneness of spirit. They all stood in the same relation to Christ, agreed in the exercises to which they were now devoted, and had grace to love one another. This oneness has often appeared where personal elements have been of very diverse kinds. Such unity in diversity is one of the beautiful effects of Christianity.

3. Were of one purpose–viz., to know, experience, and do the Divine will. For this end they conferred, waited, and prayed. In the abolition of slavery men of opposite opinions, etc., were united by a common purpose. Such union will ever be shown where men aim at Christian ends.

III. Confident expectation. They persevered in the work to which they had given themselves. They had strong faith in Him whose words had brought and now kept them together. When that faith was tried by delay it bore the test. Continuance in prayer would increase the sense of power at the throne of grace; and this would intensify the longing for the promised blessing. This confident expectation ought to appear in all Christian assemblies, for there are Divine promises yet to be fulfilled. (W. Hudson.)

The waiting time

Was–

I. A transition period. It stood midway between Christs completed work on earth and the unopened work of the Spirit from heaven. In the history of redemption the first chapter closed on the day of the Incarnation. A long, dreary, chequered period that had been, but it was succeeded by one in all respects the reverse–brief, bright with heaven, and, though ending tragically, bringing life and immortality to light. But it was reserved for the Spirit to make this good, and His dispensation, the last chapter, was now to open. But ere the curtain should be drawn, a breathing time of ten days was in the wisdom of God to take place. It was like the silence in heaven, for the space of half an hour between the breaking of the seals and the appearance of the angels.

II. A time of felt need. The eleven were told that they were to be their Masters witnesses, but they had no clear comprehension of the tale they were to tell, and could not but feel that they had neither position, culture, influence, nor any ground to hope for success save in their assurance of the truth of their story, and the help they might receive in telling it. As they thought of this what sinkings would come over them, which would rather be intensified, as day after day found them in the upper room, but for some counteractive.

III. A time of expectancy. How often would they recall and find it indispensable to recall the promise of the Father–ill as they understood what it meant. Yet being charged not to stir till it was fulfilled, they could not but hope that it would bring a full qualification for their arduous mission. But it was no time of silent waiting, for it was–

IV. A time of prayer. Who can doubt that the burden of the supplication was the promised power. But besides this it was–

V. A time of fraternal conference. They could hardly have prayed without intermission; and it is only reasonable to assume that the intervals would be filled up with the interchange of recollections and encouragements.

VI. It was a time of action (verses 15-26.) (D. Brown, D. D.)

Waiting for the promise

It is on Thursday, probably in the evening, that the disciples return to Jerusalem. Did they expect to receive it that very night? This we know not; but we do know that then opened a new era in the intercourse of man with heaven. As they began to pray, how would they find all their conceptions of the Majesty on high changed! The glory of the Father encompassing a human form, a beaming from a human brow! Mingling with this first joy for the Masters exaltation would be the feeling, He has entered for us within the veil! He maketh intercession for us! Hush! which of the-twelve is it that says to the brethren–Let us ask the Father in His name? (Joh 16:23-24). The angels had often sung together over the prayer of repenting sinners, Now, for the first time, they hear prayers authorised and accredited by the name of the Only-begotten of the Father. That name has just been set above every name; and as it echoes through the host on high, with the solemn joy of a hundred believing voices, things in heaven bow. What must have been that moment for the saints in Paradise, who had seen the Saviour afar off, but never known the joy of praying directly in His name! Father Abraham had rejoiced to see His day. What would be His gladness now? David, what would be the things which, in that wonderful moment, his voice would sing, touching the King? Oh, the joy of that first hour of praying in the name of Christ! What short and burning petitions would go up from the lips which first quoted, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He shall give it you! But the Spirit has not seen it good to hand down the strong and tender collects of these ten days. Then surely it is unlawful to impose good forms of prayer upon all men, because ancient saints wrote them. He who will never use a form in public prayer casts away the wisdom of the past. He who will use only forms casts away the hope of utterance to be given by the Spirit at present, and even shuts up the future in the dead hand of the past. Does any one of the hundred and twenty up to this moment forget that Thursday night? The Friday morning dawns: the day the Lord had died. Would He not send His promised Substitute to-day? Now came back all His words about the death which He should accomplish. Yet the Friday wears away, and no baptism of fire! The Saturday sets in; its hours are filled up as before, with prayer; but no answer. And now dawns the first day of the week, the day whereon He rose, the first Lords day He had passed on His throne of glory. Surely they would expect that the blessing be delayed no longer. But the evening steals on, and all their prayers might have risen into a heaven that could not hear. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday pass. Their faith does not fail; still in the temple praising and blessing God, or in the upper room in prayer and supplication, they continue of one accord. Though He tarry, yet will they wait for Him. This is waiting. Some speak of waiting for salvation as if it meant making ourselves at ease, and dismissing both effort and anxiety. Who so waits for any person, or any event? When waiting, your mind is set on a certain point; you can give yourself to nothing else. You are looking forward and preparing; every moment of delay increases the sensitiveness of your mind as to that one thing. A servant waiting for his master, a wife waiting for the footstep of her husband, a mother waiting for her expected boy, a merchant waiting for his richly-laden ship, a sailor waiting for the sight of land, a monarch waiting for tidings of the battle: all these are cases wherein the mind is set on one object, and cannot easily give attention to another. To-morrow will be Thursday, a full week from the Ascension; that will be the day. The Thursday finds them, as before, of one accord in one place; no Thomas absent through unbelief. How the scene of that day week would return to their view! How they would over and over again, in mind, repeat the occurrences of a week ago! But the day wears on, and no blessing. Is not the delay long? Not many days! Does the promise hold good? They must have felt disappointed as the evening fell. Now is the hour of trial. Will their faith fail? Will some stay at home, or go a-fishing, saying that they will wait the Lords time, and not be unwarrantably anxious about what, after all, does not depend on them, but on the Lord? Or will they begin to find out that the cause lies in the unfaithfulness of their companions? Happily the spirit of faith and love abides upon them. Happy for them that none fancied He could fix upon others the cause of their unanswered prayers! The Thursday is gone; eight days! The Friday and the Saturday follow it, marked by the same persistency in union, in praise, in prayer, and by the same absence of encouragement. Ten days gone! the promise, Not many days, is all but broken. The final proof given by Peter, that he was waiting indeed, making all preparation for the event, was in calling upon his brethren to fill up the number of apostles. (W. Arthur, M. A.)

Waiting for the promise

They were waiting in quiet expectation and hope, as little children sitting together on a Christmas Eve in a dark room, while in the next room the Christmas presents are preparing; for it was again the time of Advent, of the Advent of the Lord in the Spirit. (J. P. Lange, D. D.)

Waiting for the promise

As those who dye cloth first prepare the cloth to receive the dye which it is to take, so does God ordain that the soul which is to receive His grace must be fitted for the sanctifying Spirit. (Chrysostom.)

Waiting for the promise: the duty of ministers and churches

It may be asked whether we are to expect that in all ages, a sufficient number of men will be raised up, bearing the primitive marks of a call from God, and of gifts from God; and our reply would be simply, Remember the ten days. There we see men whose commission had come from the lips of the Lord Jesus, whose training has been under His own eye, who have forsaken houses, and lands, and all that could bind them to secular avocations, who are ready to set forth upon the work of calling and warning a world that is lying in the wicked one; and yet day after day the inhibition lies upon them, that they are to tarry until they are endued with power from on high. As we look at that spectacle–sinners dying, time rolling on, the Master looking down from His newly-ascended throne on the world which He has redeemed, seeing death bear away its thousands while His servants keep silence–there is in that silence a tone which booms through all the future, warning us that never, never, under the dispensation of the Spirit, are men to set out upon the embassy to Christ, be their qualifications or credentials what they may, until first they have been endued with power from on high, been baptized with tongues of fire. Better let the Church wait ever so long–better let the ordinances of Gods house be without perfunctory actors, and all, feeling sore need, be forced to cry with special urgency for fresh outpourings and baptisms of the Holy Ghost, to raise up holy ministers, than that, by any manner of factitious supply, substitutes should be furnished-substitutes no more ministers of God, than coals arranged in a grate are a fire; or than a golden candlestick with a wax taper, never kindled, is a light. (A. Arthur, M. A.)

The first prayer-meeting after the Ascension

I. The scene. Upper does not mean a room above the lower floor, much less a garret or inferior apartment, but one comparatively spacious–reserved in Greek and Jewish houses for the use of guests, or for unusual occasions. Upper rooms were a kind of domestic chapels in every house. There they assembled to read the law, and to transact religious affairs. In returning to Jerusalem the disciples showed–

1. Their obedience to Christ.

2. Their fearless faith.

II. The attendance. The roll of names reminds us of–

1. The sociality of Christs system. If you would unite men in social affection, you must get them to love supremely your common object. Christianity alone supplies an object that all hearts can love supremely; and therefore of all systems it is the most social.

2. The triumph of grace. Here is Peter no longer fearful, and Thomas no longer incredulous, etc. Women are also here: their presence being noted in strong contrast which assigned a separate court in the temple, and kept women apart in the synagogue. In Christ there is neither male nor female. Christianity has raised woman to her present position, and woman has ever proved most loyal to the system that has made her what she is.

3. The ravages of sin. Where is Judas? He was present at the supper, perhaps in this very room.

III. The spirit was a spirit of–

1. Union. They were not only assembled in the same place and for the same purpose; but there was a great unanimity of sentiment amongst them. They agreed in the blessings they sought, and in the mode of seeking them.

2. Perseverance. Cf. Parable of unjust judge. Conclusion: Would that all prayer-meetings were something like this. We must go back to apostolic times for our models of devotion. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

A model prayer-meeting

If the prayer-meeting is the thermometer of the Church, then the first Christian prayer-meeting registers a high degree of spiritual life existing just after the departure of Christ. This was a model in point of–

I. Attendance. There were one hundred and twenty present.

1. All the office-bearers were there. Are modern elders and deacons as exemplary?

2. The male members were there. Business or pleasure did not hinder them.

3. The female members were there. The women still form a large proportion of the attendants at prayer-meetings.

II. The spirit. Peace and unity prevailed. The day of murmuring had not yet come (Act 6:1.) Union is strength. A divided Church cannot long remain a praying Church. God answers prayer when it is offered by few or many with one accord. The promise is addressed to those who are agreed.

III. The results (see chap. 2.). The Church was born at a prayermeeting, which should encourage us to sustain our often thinly attended and cold-spirited prayer-meetings. The prayer-meeting is more than the thermometer of the Church, it is the source of her spiritual power. There is as intimate a relation between the prayer-meeting and the outpouring of the Spirit as between the gathering of the cloud and the downpour of the shower. Pentecostal revivals must be preceded by ante-Pentecostal prayer-meetings. (T. S. Dickson, M. A.)

The meeting for prayer preparatory to the day of Pentecost

This passage refers to the most interesting period in the history of the Church, the results of which will be felt to all eternity. In one point of view the infant Church was in a bereaved condition. Still their glorified Lord had given to them words of promise which inspired them with the confident expectation of coming glory. And never was there a more interesting congregation. No Jewish ruler, no Rabbi, no Roman senator was there. It was a select and happy group of holy men and women, who had met for the most important purpose, to agonise in prayer. They were not acting under a momentary impulse; nor as the result of a transient excitement, but under the influence of that deep personal piety that needs no other impulse but what is supplied by a sense of duty, or by its own spontaneous energy.

I. The features by which they were distinguished.

1. They contemplated the attainment of a special object. The Saviours promise, so far from inducing indifference, awoke attention, urged to duty, and gave a specific character to prayer. During the greater part of the Saviours ministry they seem to have known little of the doctrine of Divine influence. But at its close the Lord dwelt mainly upon this fundamental truth; and now the doctrine inspired their hopes, warmed their hearts, and must have formed the subject of their prayerful appeal to heaven. This blessing is as important for us as for them, The doctrine of Divine influence is admitted as an article of our faith, but it fails to exert the amount of influence over us which its importance demands. Yet, upon the prayers of the Church is made to depend the bestowment of the Spirit in any enlarged degree. And what else can secure the salvation of the perishing? or warm the hearts of slumbering saints? or reclaim the backslider from his wanderings? or correct the existing errors of the Church?

2. The prayers were presented in concert and union. The place was humble, but it served the purpose. It was not enough that that each one separately should have been endued with the spirit of prayer. Religion is social. Like gravitation, its tendency is to bring its recipients into contact; and the wants of the Church make it necessary for its members to meet that they may blend their affections and unite in service.

3. These devotional exercises were continuous and persevering. The disciples laid aside for several days their ordinary occupations and gave themselves to the uninterrupted pursuit of spiritual things. This course was as true to philosophy as it was consistent with religion. It is by oft-repeated strokes that the artisan produces the desired impression on the metal; and that the heart may be subdued and elevated, it must be brought into continuous contact with spiritual realities. It is partly on such grounds that extraordinary religious services may be adopted and justified. A state of things may exist in a Church such as to call for some special effort. It may have lost its first love, and the things that remain may be ready to die. All ordinary effort to revive its piety seems to be in vain. It may be necessary, therefore, to resort to, extraordinary measures and give ourselves to special prayer.

4. These exercises must have been marked by fervency and sustained by faith and hope.

II. The influence and results by which these devotional exercises would de attended.

1. They would improve personal piety. That indeed had progressed considerably. Still, in point of depth, comprehensiveness, and power, it was susceptible of improvement. And if the first disciples needed an improvement in spiritual character, how much more we? What, then, shall accomplish it? United, as well as private prayer.

2. They would prepare the disciples to receive the promised effusion of the Spirit, and for their future vocation. A fixed rule in the Divine government is that the minds of men must be prepared by a suitable course of discipline for the reception of any special token of the favour of God. Isaiah was not called to witness before the live coal from the altar touched his lips. Moses was instructed by immediate communion with the Most High, preparatory to his mission. Would you be endued with power from on high and win souls to Christ? Then pray in unison.

3. They sustained an intimate relation to the events of the day of Pentecost. May they not be regarded as a most gracious answer to the prayers of the suppliant Church? (W. A. Hurndall.)

Prayer-meetings not to be given up

A pious woman, when it was decided to close the prayer-meeting in a certain village, declared that it should not be, for she would be there if no one else was. True to her word, when, the next morning, some one said to her jestingly, Did you have a prayer-meeting last night? Ah, that we did, she replied. How many were present? Four, she said. Why, said he, I heard that you were there all alone. No, she said; I was the only one visible; but the Father was there, and the Son was there, and the Holy Spirit was there, and we were all agreed in prayer. Before long others took shame themselves at the earnest perseverance of this poor woman, the prayer-meeting was revived and the church prospered. (W. Baxendale.)

Prayer-meetings, Sunday morning

I have been endeavouring to establish among us what are called Aaron and Hur Societies; i.e., little collections of four or five or more persons, who meet before service on Sabbath morning, to spend an hour in prayer for a blessing on the minister and the ordinances. They began on New Years Day and we seemed to have an immediate answer, for the meeting was unusually solemn; and we have reason to hope that the Word was not preached in vain. (E. Payson, D. D.)

Social prayer

By this is meant such meetings as are held pre-eminently for the purpose of prayer, praise, and revival.

I. Importance.

1. The inauguration of the Christian Church was preceded and attended with social prayer. The Day of Pentecost followed a ten days prayer-meeting of the one hundred and twenty disciples.

2. Seasons of joy or danger were marked by meetings for prayer (Act 4:23-31; Act 12:12; Act 16:13).

3. Revivals of religion are closely connected with them. When Zion travails in prayer she brings forth her spiritual children (Isa 66:8).

4. Great movements have been originated in them. The first foreign missionary society had its inception in the meeting for prayer held by five young men–Mills, Richards, Robbins, Loomis, and Green–under a haystack at Williams-town in 1806.

II. Different kinds of meetings for social purposes.

1. The weekly Church prayer-meeting.

2. Ladies prayer-meetings.

3. Business mens noonday meetings.

4. The week of prayer.

5. Neighbourhood or cottage prayer-meetings.

6. Conventions or convocations for prayer and revival.

III. Scripture promises.

1. That Christ will make one in their company, whether they be few or many (Mat 18:20).

2. That the prayer of faith shall be answered (Mat 18:19; Joh 16:23-24).

3. That their rewards shall be sure (Mat 3:16).

IV. How may the efficiency of such meetings be enlarged?

1. By preceding them with secret prayer.

2. By regular and prompt attendance.

3. By labouring to secure the attendance upon them of every able-bodied Church member and others. (L. O. Thompson.)

An assembly of Christians

You know those lights which we use in public places, where you have a ring pierced with a hundred tiny holes, from each of which bursts a separate flame; but when all are lit they run into one brilliant circle, and lose their separateness in the rounded completeness of the blended blaze. This is like what Christs Church ought to be. We each, by our own personal contact with Him, by our individual communion with our Saviour, become light in the Lord, and yet we joyfully blend with our brethren and fused into one, give forth our mingled light. (A. Maclaren, D. D)

Prayer meetings

One of the greenest spots upon earth was the parish of St. Peters, Dundee, when the lovely MCheyne was its pastor. He thus records in his diary the spirit of prayer which prevailed among his people: Many prayer-meetings were formed, some of which were strictly private, and others, conducted by persons of some Christian experience, were open to persons under concern at one anothers houses. At the time of my return from the mission to the Jews I found thirty-nine such meetings held weekly in connection with the congregation.

The social power of prayer

Akin to the moral are the social effects of prayer. Prayer makes men as members of society different in their whole being from those who do not pray. It gilds social intercourse and conduct with a tenderness, an unobstructiveness, a sincerity, a frankness, an evenness of temper, a cheerfulness, a collectedness, a con-stunt consideration for others, united to a simple loyalty to truth and duty, which leavens and strengthens society. (Canon Liddon.)

Result of united prayer

There was an old deacon in a city in Michigan who was connected with a church which had no conversion for sixteen years. He came to his death-bed, and felt that he could not die in peace. He sent for the minister, but he had been too long accustomed to the darkness to be easily awakened. Failing with all the male members of the church he sent for the ladies, and pleaded with them to pray for a revival. They prayed and fasted before God. In a little while the whole church was moved. I received a despatch from the minister. On my arrival he took me into a room filled with these ladies praying that the Lord would reveal His power. I felt, as soon as I entered, that God was there. The next night the power came, and in forty-eight hours there was scarcely a young man or young woman who was not converted to God, or anxious to be saved. (D. L. Moody.)

The substance of the Church

There is a mine near Plymouth, where the men work in it two hundred and fifty feet below the surface, have a little shelf for their Bibles and their hymn-books, and a little place where every morning, when they go down in the black darkness, they bow before God, and praise Him whose tender mercies are over all His works. You never heard of these miners, perhaps, and do not know them; but possibly some of them are the very substance of the Church. There sits Mr. Somebody in that pew; oh, what a support he is to the Church! Yes, in money matters, perhaps; but do you know there is poor old Mrs. Nobody in the aisle that is most likely a greater pillar to the Church than he, for she is a holier Christian, one who lives nearer to her God and serves Him better, and she is the substance thereof? Ah, that old woman in the garret that is often in prayer, that old man on his bed that spends days and nights in supplication, such people as these are the substance of the Church. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The duty of prayer

I. The circumstances of the apostles.

1. They had just been visited with a very afflicting dispensation. We all know something of the pangs of separation, but how trying must have been separation from the Redeemer Himself! Amidst the experience of the pain which separation inflicted, however, they betook themselves to prayer, and in the exercise they sought and found consolation. Have you such a salve for the experience of trials?

2. They had just met with disappointment in reference to their worldly views and expectations. How did they act? did they exhibit symptoms of chagrin or hesitate about persevering in the service of Christ? No, they betook themselves to prayer. Let us follow their example.

3. They were placed in circumstances of great trial and perplexity. Not only were they now deprived of their Adviser and Friend, not only were their worldly expectations blasted, but they were taught to look for the experience of difficulty, persecution, and death. And, besides this, there was perplexity as to the duties they were to discharge (verse 8). How were they qualified then to go to the uttermost parts of the earth to appear before the learned, the great, and the wise? But in the midst of all this they went to Him who could comfort them; and they did not repair to Him in vain.

4. A promise had been made to them, and their prayers had a very special reference to this. There are many who contend that prayer is useless because it is impossible that it can alter the decrees of the Almighty. There are some who condemn it for the same reason. But the apostles were made aware, not only of Gods decrees, but they had a promise actually made to them, yet they prayed for the very things which Christ had declared should be bestowed. True it is that no one can resist the will of the Almighty; but God works by means, and prayer is one of them.

II. The spirit and temper that characterised their supplications.

1. They doubtless prayed in the name of Christ (Joh 16:22). When we go to God never let us forget that the name we mention is that of Him who sitteth at the right hand of the Father.

2. They prayed in a spirit of obedience. We read here of their supplication, but notice their practice: They returned unto Jerusalem. Let us be taught by this, that if we expect our prayers to be heard we must not only go to God in the name of Christ, but we must go seeking, and praying, and aspiring after obedience.

3. They showed also the spirit of love. We do read of their disputes, hut we shall read of these no more. They are met with one accord.

4. They united together. And this teaches us the importance of public worship. (J. Marshall.)

Church attitudes: unity

To separate ourselves from our brethren is to lose power. Half-dead brands heaped close will kindle one another, and flame will sparkle beneath the film of white ashes on their edges. Fling them apart and they go out. Rake them together and they glow. Let us try not to be little, feeble tapers, stuck in separate sockets, and each twinkling struggling rays over some inch or so of space; but draw near to our brethren, and be workers together with them that there may rise a glorious flame from our summed and collective brightness which shall be a guide and hospitable call to many a wandering and weary spirit. (A. Maclaren, D. D)

Church attitudes: expectancy

The sunshine flows into the opened eye, the breath of life into the expanding lung–so surely, so immediately, the fulness of God fills the waiting, wishing souls. (A. Maclaren, D. D)

Church attitudes: receptivity

If the Church is to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit she must cultivate the receiving frame of mind–she must place herself in right attitude toward the gift she would receive. The thirsty man who comes to the fountain must hold his cup the right side up if he is to receive the refreshing water, then the water will fill it; but if he holds the cup the wrong side up the water will flow over and dash away from it, and thus his thirst will not be quenched. Penitence, unity, prayer, earnestness, constitute the receptive attitude of the soul; to such the Spirit will be given without measure. Peter, James, and John:–A curious text was once used by the Rev. J. Thain Davidson, D.D., in his first ministerial charge in Scotland, for the purpose of securing a large gathering of children whom he was anxious to address. The text was Peter, James, and John–from which he sought to show the individualising love of Christ. Fifteen years passed away and he heard nothing of that sermon; but one day, after he was settled in London, a young man called upon him: Do you remember me, sir? No; I do not. Do you remember the sermon you preached years ago on Peter, James, and John? Yes. I was but a boy then, but I walked six miles to hear you, and God blessed that sermon to my conversion. Since then the young man has devoted himself to the ministry, and he is now a useful minister of Christ in America. This illustrates the importance of presenting to childrens minds Bible truth in the most striking manner.

Prayer, patience in

How many courtiers go a hundred times a year into the princes chamber without hope of once speaking with him, but only to be seen of him! So must we come to the exercise of prayer, purely and merely to do our duty and to testify our fidelity. (St. Francis de Sales.)

Prayer, persevering

Two Christian ladies, whose husbands were unconverted, feeling their great danger, agreed to spend one hour each day in united prayer for their salvation. This was continued for seven years; when they debated whether they should pray longer, so useless did their prayers appear, and decided to persevere till death, and, if their husbands went to destruction, it should be loaded with prayers. In renewed strength they prayed three years longer; when one of them was awakened in the night by her husband who was in great distress for sin. As soon as the day dawned she hastened, with joy, to tell her praying companion that God was about to answer their prayers. What was her surprise to meet her friend coming to her on the same errand! Thus ten years of united and persevering prayer was crowned with the conversion of both husbands on the same day. (E. Foster.)

Prayer, the secret of strength

There is an old story of mythology about a giant named Antaeus, who was born by the earth. In order to keep alive this giant was obliged to touch the earth as often as once in five minutes, and every time he thus came in contact with the earth he became twice as strong as before. The Christian resembles Antaeus. In order to become and continue a truly living Christian, the disciple of Christ must often approach his Father by prayer. (Preachers Lantern.)

Prayer, the secret of usefulness

Spurgeon, being asked as to the reason of his marvellous and blessed usefulness for God, pointed to the floor of the tabernacle saying, In the room beneath you will find three hundred praying Christians. Every time I preach here they gather together, and uphold my hands by continuous prayer and supplication–there you will find the secret of all the blessing.

Prayer, faith in

Prayer is the bow, the promise is the arrow; faith is the hand which draws the bow, and sends the arrow with the hearts message to heaven. The bow without the arrow is of no use; and the arrow without the bow is of little worth; and both, without the strength of the hand, to no purpose. Neither the promise without prayer, nor prayer without the promise, nor both without faith, avail the Christian anything. What was said of the Israelites, They could not enter in because of unbelief, the same may be said of many of our prayers: they cannot enter into heaven because they are not put up in faith. (H. G. Salter.)

Prayer and revivals

The great revival in New York in 1858-9 began in answer to the earnest believing prayers of one man. After long waiting upon God, asking Him to show him what He would have him to do, and becoming more and more confident that God would show him the way through which hundreds might be influenced for their souls good, he at last began a noon-day prayer-meeting. The first half-hour nobody came, and he prayed through it alone. At half-past twelve the step of a solitary individual was heard on the stairs; others came, until six made up the whole company. His record of that meeting was, The Lord was with us to bless us. Of those six, one was a Presbyterian, one a Baptist, another a Congregationalist, and another a Reformed Dutch. (The Power of Prayer.)

Church unity

They were all together in one mind. How graphic this sketch of true union; and of union for the attainment of a definite object I The expression implies not only concord, union of heart, but concert, agreement of will, prearrangement, and design. All together in one mind. How fair a model for the imitation of the expectant Church in every age–for sure His after-comings will be like to His first, to them that are, and not to any but them that are of one accord. All, comprising every diversity of mental and moral constitution, in every degree of development, each retaining his proper individuality, yet each in vital sympathy and unison with all the rest. Various yet one, and the more completely one because various. All together, the individual influencing the community, and the whole community influencing each individual; each communicating something to all; and all communicating something to each; Peters quickness and vigour acting upon Thomass sober considerateness; and Thomass quiet considerateness keeping Peters impetuous energy under wholesome restraint; the serene fervour of John blending with the activity of Andrew, and the unhesitating openness of Bartholomew; Marthas vivacity combining with her sister Marys thoughtfulness, and the subdued and tender seriousness of Mary, the mother of the Lord; each simultaneously active and passive, and all sensibly quickened, by their union, to increasing earnestness and confidence. All together, and of one mind, that single mind centring all its hopes, exercising all its energies on one object-the immediate descent of power from on high. (F. W. Briggs.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 12. A Sabbath day’s journey.] See the difficulties in this verse explained in Clarke’s note on “Lu 24:50“. A Sabbath day’s journey was seven furlongs and a half. Olivet was but five furlongs from Jerusalem; and Bethany was fifteen. The first region or tract of Mount Olivet, which was called Bethany, was distant from the city a Sabbath day’s journey, or seven furlongs and a half; and the same distance did that tract called Bethphage extend from the city. When, therefore; our Lord came to the place where these two tracts touched each other, he there ascended, which place was distant from Jerusalem a Sabbath day’s journey, as St. Luke here remarks. See the notes referred to above.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

From the mount called Olivet, which Bethany was a part of, as situate towards the bottom of it, remoter from Jerusalem. Hence Luk 24:50, differs not from this place. From hence the rather our Lord ascended, that he might receive his glory nigh the place where he began his suffering, (in the garden where he endured his agony, and was betrayed), and in the view of Jerusalem, where he had been condemned and scorned.

A sabbath days journey; about a mile or two, or such a space as, by Gods appointment, was between the ark and the people, Jos 3:4.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

12-14. a sabbath day’s journeyabouttwo thousand cubits.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Then returned they unto Jerusalem,…. With great joy, after the angels had told them that he should come again in like manner:

from the mount called Olivet; which was on the east side of Jerusalem, a mountain Christ much frequented, and from whence he ascended to heaven. This is the hill which in 1Ki 11:7 is said to be “before Jerusalem”; and accordingly Jarchi interprets it of the Mount of Olives; and in Zec 14:4 it is expressly said to be “before Jerusalem on the east”; hence, when our Lord sat upon it, he is said to be over against the temple, Mr 13:3. It has its name from the multitude of olive trees which grew upon it: it is by the Jewish writers sometimes called , “the Mount of Olives” n, as in

Zec 14:4 and sometimes o, and p, “the Mount of Oil”; i.e. of olive oil, which was made out of the olives that grew upon it. It is said, that in an old edition of the Latin version of this text it is called “the Mountain of Three Lights”; and this reason is given for it, because on the west side it was enlightened in the night by the continual fire of the altar in the temple; and on the east side it had the first beams of the sun before the city was enlightened with them; and it produced plenty of olives, by which the light is maintained in the lamps. Josephus q relates, that in the earthquake in the times of Uzziah, half part of this mountain, which was to the west, was divided from it, and was rolled four furlongs to the eastern part of it, so that the ways and king’s gardens were stopped up.

Which, is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. The Syriac version renders it, “about seven furlongs”, or near a mile; though Josephus r writes, that the Mount of Olives was but five furlongs from Jerusalem: perhaps this may be a mistake in the present copies of Josephus, since Chrysostom on this place cites this passage of Josephus, and reads seven furlongs; which exactly agrees with the Syriac version. A sabbath day’s journey, according to the Jews, was two thousand cubits from any city or town, and which they often called, , “the bound of the sabbath” s; and which they collect partly from Nu 35:4 which they understand thus t:

“a thousand cubits are the suburbs (of the city), and two thousand cubits the bounds of the sabbath.”

And these were so many middling paces; for so they say u,

“a walk of two thousand middling paces, this is the bound of the sabbath.”

And that this was the proper space they also gather from Jos 3:4 it being the distance between the ark and the people when they marched; and though this was not fixed by the law, yet being a tradition of the elders, was strictly observed by them: so when Ruth desired to become a proselytess, the Targumist on Ru 1:16 introduces Naomi thus speaking to her;

“says Naomi, we are commanded to keep the sabbaths, and the good days, (or feasts,) and not to walk above “two thousand cubits”;”

i.e. on those days; for to go further was reckoned a profanation of them: so it is said w,

“the sabbath day is profaned with the hands by work, and with the feet by walking more than “two thousand cubits”.”

Yea, this was punishable with beatings x:

“a man might go on the sabbath without the city two thousand cubits on every side–but if he went beyond two thousand cubits, they beat him with the beating of rebels,”

or in the same manner a rebellious son was beaten. Nay, not only they might not go out of a city or town where they were, further than this, but from whatsoever place they happened to be, as appears by these following rules y;

“if anyone falls asleep in the way (or on the road), and he does not know that it was dark (and so that the sabbath is begun), he has two thousand cubits (allowed him) on every side.–Whoever is on a journey, and it is dark, and he knows a tree, or a hedge, and says, let my sabbath (or sabbatical seat) be under it, he says nothing; but if he says, let my sabbath be at the root of it, then he may go from the place of his feet, and to the root of it, two thousand cubits, and from the root of it to his house two thousand cubits; by which means he may go four thousand cubits after it is dark. But if he does not know (any), and is not expert in walking, and says, let my sabbath be in my place, (i.e. in which he stands,) then from his place he has two thousand cubits on every side.”

Hence, in some copies it is here inserted, “such being the distance that the Jews could walk”; that is, were allowed to walk by their canons. They call two thousand cubits a mile z; and if the Mount of Olives was seven furlongs from Jerusalem, it was pretty near a mile; but if but five furlongs, it was little more than half a mile: perhaps the true distance might be six furlongs, since Josephus says a, the tenth legion was ordered to encamp six furlongs from Jerusalem, at the Mount of Olives, which was over against the city to the east; agreeably to which Epiphanius b, who had been a Jew, and was born in Palestine, says,

“it was not lawful to go on the sabbath day beyond six furlongs,”

which were three quarters of a mile.

n Prefat. Echa Rabbati, fol. 40. 4. Jarchi in 1 Kings xi. 7. o Misn. Parah, c. 3. sect. 6. Echa Rabbati, fol. 52. 4. Misn. Roshhashanah, c. 2. sect. 4. p Targum in Cant. viii. 5. q Antiqu. l. 9. c. 10. sect. 4. r Antiqu. l. 20. c. 7. sect. 6. s Midrash Kohelet, fol. 75. 2. Vid. Maimon. Hilchot Sabbat, c. 27. & 28. & Origin. Philocal. p. 14. t Misna Sota, c. 5. sect 3. u T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 42. 1. Maimon. Hilch, Sabbat, c. 27, sect. 4. w Zohar in Exod. fol. 27. 1. & 83. 2. x Maimon. Hiichot Sabbat, c. 97. sect. 1, 2. y Misna Erubin, c. 4. sect. 5, 7, 8. z Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 2. fol. 178. 4. a De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 2. sect. 3. b Centra Haeres. l. 2. Haeres. 66.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Apostles in Jerusalem.

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

We are here told, I. Whence Christ ascended–from the mount of Olives (v. 12), from that part of it where the town of Bethany stood, Luke xxiv. 50. There he began his sufferings (Luke xxii. 39), and therefore there he rolled away the reproach of them by his glorious ascension, and thus showed that his passion and his ascension had the same reference and tendency. Thus would he enter upon his kingdom in the sight of Jerusalem, and of those undutiful ungrateful citizens of his that would not have him to reign over them. It was prophesied of him (Zech. xiv. 4), That his feet should stand upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem, should stand last there; and presently it follows, The mount of Olives shall cleave in two. From the mount of Olives he ascended who is the good olive-tree, whence we receive the unction,Zec 4:12; Rom 11:24. This mount is here said to be near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey from it, that is, a little way; no further than devout people used to walk out on a sabbath evening, after the public worship was over, for meditation. Some reckon it a thousand paces, others two thousand cubits; some seven furlongs, others eight. Bethany indeed was fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem (John xi. 18), but that part of the mount of Olives which was next to Jerusalem, whence Christ began to ride in triumph, was but seven or eight furlongs off. The Chaldee paraphrast on Ruth 1 says, We are commanded to keep the sabbaths and the holy days, so as not to go above two thousand cubits, which they build upon Josh. iii. 4, where, in their march through Jordan, the space between them and the ark was to be two thousand cubits. God had not then thus limited them, but they limited themselves; and thus far it is a rule to us, not to journey on the sabbath any more than in order to the sabbath work; and as far as is necessary to this we are not only allowed, but enjoined, 2 Kings iv. 23.

II. Whither the disciples returned: They came to Jerusalem, according to their Master’s appointment, though there they were in the midst of enemies; but it should seem that though immediately after Christ’s resurrection they were watched, and were in fear of the Jews, yet after it was known that they were gone into Galilee no notice was taken of their return to Jerusalem, nor any further search made for them. God can find out hiding-places for his people in the midst of their enemies, and so influence Saul that he shall not seek for David any more. At Jerusalem they went up into an upper room, and there abode; not that they all lodged and dieted together in one room, but there they assembled every day, and spent time together in religious exercises, in expectation of the descent of the Spirit. Divers conjectures the learned have about this upper room. Some think it was one of the upper rooms in the temple; but it cannot be thought that the chief priests, who had the letting of these rooms, would suffer Christ’s disciples constantly to reside in any of them. It was said indeed, by the same historian, that they were continually in the temple (Luke xxiv. 53), but that was in the courts of the temple, at the hours of prayer, where they could not be hindered from attending; but, it should seem, this upper room was in a private house. Mr. Gregory, of Oxford, is of this opinion, and quotes a Syriac scholiast upon this place, who says that it was the same upper room in which they had eaten the passover; and though that was called anogeon, this hyperoon, both may signify the same. “Whether,” says he, “it was in the house of St. John the evangelist, as Euodius delivered, or that of Mary the mother of John Mark, as others have collected, cannot be certain.” Notes, ch. xiii.

III. Who the disciples were, that kept together. The eleven apostles are here named (v. 13), so is Mary the mother of our Lord (v. 14), and it is the last time that ever any mention is made of her in the scriptures. There were others that are here said to be the brethren of our Lord, his kinsmen according to the flesh; and, to make up the hundred and twenty spoken of (v. 15), we may suppose that all or most of the seventy disciples were with them, that were associates with the apostles, and were employed as evangelists.

IV. How they spent their time: They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. Observe, 1. They prayed, and made supplication. All God’s people are praying people, and give themselves to prayer. It was now a time of trouble and danger with the disciples of Christ; they were as sheep in the midst of wolves; and, Is any afflicted? Let him pray; this will silence cares and fears. They had new work before them, great work, and, before they entered upon it, they were instant in prayer to God for his presence with them in it. Before they were first sent forth Christ spent time in prayer for them, and now they spent time in prayer for themselves. They were waiting for the descent of the Spirit upon them, and therefore abounded thus in prayer. The Spirit descended upon our Saviour when he was praying, Luke iii. 21. Those are in the best frame to receive spiritual blessings that are in a praying frame. Christ had promised now shortly to send the Holy Ghost; now this promise was not to supersede prayer, but to quicken and encourage it. God will be enquired of for promised mercies, and the nearer the performance seems to be the more earnest we should be in prayer for it. 2. They continued in prayer, spent much time in it, more than ordinary, prayed frequently, and were long in prayer. They never missed an hour of prayer; they resolved to persevere herein till the Holy Ghost came, according to the promise, to pray, and not to faint. It is said (Luke xxiv. 53), They were praising and blessing God; here, They continued in prayer and supplication; for as praise for the promise is a decent way of begging for the performance, and praise for former mercy of begging further mercy, so, in seeking to God, we give him the glory of the mercy and grace which we have found in him. 3. They did this with one accord. This intimates that they were together in holy love, and that there was no quarrel nor discord among them; and those who so keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace are best prepared to receive the comforts of the Holy Ghost. It also intimates their worthy concurrence in the supplications that were made; though but one spoke, they all prayed, and if, when two agree to ask, it shall be done for them, much more when many agree in the same petition. See Matt. xviii. 19.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Olivet (). Genitive singular. Vulgate Olivetum. Made like . Here only in the N.T., usually (the Mount of Olives), though some MSS. have Olivet in Luke 19:29; Luke 21:37. Josephus (Ant. VII. 9, 2) has it also and the papyri (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 170).

A sabbath day’s journey off ( ). Luke only says here that Olivet is a Sabbath day’s journey from Jerusalem, not that Jesus was precisely that distance when he ascended. In the Gospel Luke (24:50) states that Jesus led them “over against” ( ) Bethany (about two miles or fifteen furlongs). The top of Olivet is six furlongs or three-fourths of a mile. The Greek idiom here is “having a journey of a Sabbath” after “which is nigh unto Jerusalem” ( ), note the periphrastic construction. Why Luke mentions this item for Gentile readers in this form is not known, unless it was in his Jewish source. See Exod 16:29; Num 35:5; Josh 3:4. But it does not contradict what he says in Lu 24:50, where he does not say that Jesus led them all the way to Bethany.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

A Sabbath – day’s journey [ ] . Lit., having a Sabbath ‘s way. The way conceived as belonging to the mountain; connected with it in reference to the neighborhood of Jerusalem. A Sabbath – day’s journey, according to Jewish tradition, was about three – quarters of a mile. It was the supposed distance between the camp and the tabernacle in the wilderness (Jos 3:4.)

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

Tarrying Ten Days for the Holy Spirit, V. 12-14

1) “Then returned they unto Jerusalem,” (tote hupestrepsan eis lerousalem) “Then they went back (returned) into Jerusalem,” the city proper; The “they” refers to the company of church disciples who had companied with the Lord thru His earthly ministry, beginning from the baptism of John, Act 1:21; Joh 15:26-27.

2) “From the mount called Olivet,” (apo orous tou kaloumenou elaionos) “From the mount that is called (being called or known as) of the olive grove,” adjacent to Jerusalem on the East, over against or leading from Jerusalem to Bethphage and Bethany on the mount called Olivet, leading to Bethany, a little more than a mile east of Jerusalem, Luk 24:50-51.

3) “Which is from Jerusalem,” (ho estin engus lerousalem) “Which is near Jerusalem,” nearly adjoining the city of Jerusalem on the east.

4) “A sabbath day’s journey,” (sabbatou echon hadon) “Being or existing a sabbath day’s journey,” as one may walk by road under the Mosaic Law. This identifies the distance it was east of Jerusalem, out on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus led His disciples, His church, for His ascension back to His Father in heaven. The particular distance was one and two tenths miles as restricted by Mosaic Law, or some say a less distance of only 4,854 feet, or three quarters of a mile (2,000 cubits), Num 35:5.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

12. That he may pass over unto another history, he showeth that the disciples being returned unto Jerusalem, dwelt together in one parlor. For it was the upper part of the house, which used to be let out unto those which did hire houses; (46) for the most commodious places were reserved unto them that were masters of the house, (for their own use.) Wherefore, by this word Luke doth signify that they were driven into a strait room; (47) and yet, notwithstanding, though this commodity were great, yet they did not part asunder. They might have been more commodiously asunder, yet might they not part company before they had received the Spirit. In that he noteth here the distance of place, it bringeth credit unto the history. Unless, peradventure, he meant hereby to declare that they were not terrified with any fear of danger, but that they did all return and kept company together in one house, which was not so large, but that the company being greater than the place could well contain, it might breed some rumor (or noise.) A Sabbath-day’s journey was two miles, and that account doth well agree with the place of Joh 11:18, where he saith, “that Jerusalem was distant from Bethany almost fifteen furlongs;” which containeth about a thousand and nine hundred paces. And the mount Olivet was at the side of Bethany. There was no Sabbath-day’s journey prescribed in the law; for the Lord doth command them simply to rest upon the Sabbath-day in the law. (48) But because the Jews could not easily be ruled, but that they would run abroad about their business upon the Sabbath-day, (as the Lord himself doth complain, “that they did bear burdens out at the gates,”) (Jer 17:24,) therefore, it is to be thought that it was determined by the priests, (49) (to the end they might restrain such enormities,) that no man should travel upon the Sabbath-day above two miles. Although Jerome, in his Answers unto Algasia, doth say that this tradition did come from two Rabbins, namely, from Atriba, and from Simon Heli.

(46) “ Inquilinis,” tenants or lodgers.

(47) “ In angustum locum fuisse constrictos,” were confined to a narrow space.

(48) More properly, For the Lord doth in the law command, etc.

(49) “ Communi sacerdotum concilio,” by the common council of the priests, the Sanhedrim.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

CRITICAL REMARKS

Act. 1:12. A Sabbath days journeyaccording to Josephus six (Ant., XX. viii. 6) or five (Wars, V. ii. 3) furlongsmarked the distance of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem, not of Bethany, which was fifteen furlongs from the city (Joh. 11:18). Luke (Luk. 24:50) does not say the Ascension took place at, but over against () Bethany. Nor does Acts affirm that it occurred at the sixth furlong from the city, but merely that Olivet, the scene of the Ascension, was distant a Sabbath days journey from Jerusalem. The two Statements do not collide. From the latter statement it has been inferred that the Ascension happened on a Sabbath; but Act. 1:3 rather points to a Thursday, the exact date being 28th April, A.D. 29, shortly before midday (Holtzmann).

Act. 1:13. Come in.To the city probably, not the house (Hackett); though Holtzmann considers it was the temple they entered (compare Act. 2:46; Luk. 24:53). Not an but the upper chamber should be read, meaning of the private house where they were abidingmost likely that mentioned in Mar. 14:15; Luk. 22:12.

Act. 1:14. With one accord, or with one mind. Omit supplication and the before women. Last mention in Scripture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose reappearance after the crucifixion (Joh. 19:27) is noteworthy. His brethren were most probably Marys children, though the idea that they were only His kinsmen or relatives is not excluded by the term.

HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS.Act. 1:12-14

The Church in Jerusalem; or, the Ten Days before Pentecost

I. The Churchs meeting place.An upper room in Jerusalem.

1. Humble. Not a splendid cathedral or ornate ecclesiastical edifice; but an apartment in a private house, in the topmost story beneath the flat roof. Compare the meeting-place of the Christians at Troas (Act. 20:8) and Rome (Act. 28:13; Rom. 16:5).

2. Obscure. Not a chamber connected with the temple, as some suppose, but most likely a room belonging to a follower of the Risen Christ, perhaps in the house of the goodman mentioned in Luk. 22:11, or in that of John Marks mother (Act. 12:12).

3. Small. Large for a private house, but in comparison with the buildings afterwards possessed by Christians, contracted and meagre. Yet

4. Sufficient. Capable of holding the entire company of Christs disciples in Jerusalem before Pentecost. And

5. Consecrated. If the goodmans upper room, by the Last Supper there held; if Marys, by the last interview of Christ with the Twelve before His Ascension (Act. 1:4; Act. 1:13).

II. The Churchs Membership.

1. Its number. About a hundred and twenty.

(1) Representing the fruits of Christs ministry in Jerusalem, not throughout the country (see 1Co. 15:6), the five hundred Galilean brethren having not yet come up to the metropolis. Christs ministry, externally judged, had not been eminently successful.

(2) Not a large or powerful band of spiritual soldiers. Indeed, in comparison with Christs army of to-day, extremely diminutive and feeble. Yet

(3) Christ was about to employ them in the magnificent task of reducing the world into subjection to Himself, the weakness of the weapon being more than counterbalanced by the Almightiness of the Arm that was to wield it (1Co. 1:27).

2. Its composition.

(1) Men and women. A distinct advance upon the Church of the Old Testament, in which woman had no place as an individual, but only in and through and as represented by the male head of the family to which she belonged. The exceptional case of Zelophehads daughters (Num. 26:6-7) proved the rule. But now in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female (Gal. 3:28). In the Church of the New Testament woman finds a place in her individual capacity, and enjoys rights and privileges equal with those of her male companion. Nothing more characteristic of Christianity or more demonstrative of her heavenly origin than the change she has effected on the position of woman both in Church and State.

(2) Persons of distinction and people of no name. Individuals of repute, ability, and influence like the Apostles who had been selected by Christ, and had companied with Him from the beginning (Act. 1:21); like the Galilean women who had followed Him with devotion and ministered to Him of their substance (Luk. 8:3); like Mary, the mother of Jesus, and like the brethren of our Lord, of whom one (James) was soon to take his place (if already he had not secured it) as president of the congregation. Happily, however, also men and women of no name or fame, influence or ability, rank or wealth. Christian Churches should never be of one class; but rich and poor, wise and unwise, patrician and plebeian, should meet together in profession of a common faith, in acts of common worship and in service of a common Lord.

3. Its leaders. Leadership not incompatible with equality. Never had the Church such a company of able and trusted guides as when it started on its glorious career.

(1) Males, the Apostles. The first three: Peter, the man of rock (Mat. 16:18; Joh. 1:42) and Apostle of action (Mat. 14:28; Joh. 18:10); John, the beloved disciple (Joh. 21:20) and Apostle of love (1Jn. 3:18; 1Jn. 4:7); and James, his elder brother, who afterwards suffered martyrdom (Act. 12:2), perhaps distinguished by courageous zeal (Luk. 9:54). The next five: Andrew, one of the first to follow Christ, a man of decision (Joh. 1:40); Philip, whom Christ found in the wilderness (Joh. 1:43), representing spiritual aspiration (Joh. 14:8); Thomas, called Didymus, doubtful and anxious (Joh. 20:25), touched with melancholy (Joh. 11:16), yet of ardent devotion (Joh. 20:28); Bartholomew or Nathanael (Joh. 1:45), the soul of guileless simplicity; Matthew, who left all and followed Christ (Mat. 9:9; Luk. 5:28), the man of whole-hearted consecration. The last three: James, the son of Alphus, sometimes called James the Less (Mar. 15:40), though James the Little would be better, of whose character nothing is reported; Simon Zelotes, otherwise named The Canaanite (Mat. 10:4; Mar. 3:18), or the Zealot, perhaps noted for fervour; and Judas, the brother or son of James, styled Lebbus (Mat. 10:2) and Thaddus (Mar. 3:18), presumably from the warmth of his disposition, hence the man of heart. Along with these James, the brother of our Lord, enjoyed the reputation and held the position of a leader (Act. 15:13; Gal. 1:19).

(2) Females, the women already referred to, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James and Joses, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herods steward, Salome, the mother of John and James, and Susanna (Luk. 8:1; Joh. 19:25), and Mary the Mother of Jesus, here mentioned for the last time in Scripture and not assigned that precedence given her by the Church of Rome.

III. The Churchs disposition.Unanimous. Her members were all of one mind. The spirit of discord had not yet revealed itself among them. Their ranks were unbroken through either jealousy or rivalry.

2. Steadfast They persevered in maintaining this becoming and excellent temper. Doubtless it had not then been tried by either prosperity or adversity. Yet was it praiseworthy that they did not themselves grow weary of the monotony of concord.

IV. The Churchs occupation.Waiting for the promise.

1. Praying. Always becoming on the part of Christians (Php. 4:6; 1Th. 5:17), it was specially suited to the circumstances of the Church during the ten days before Pentecost. That the chief theme of their supplications was the heavenly baptism for which they were looking need not be doubted. That, though sure of it, they still prayed for its coming, accorded with a law of the kingdom (Eze. 36:37; Mat. 21:22; Jas. 1:5). That they prayed in a social as distinguished from a private capacity, was grounded on Christs well-known assurance (Mat. 18:19).

2. Working. The duty lying to their hand they did. They proceeded to fill the vacancy in the apostolic college. A hint to Christians to leave no known duty unperformed while waiting for other tasks to be enjoined.

Strong in His faithfulness, praise Him and sing,
Then as He beckons thee,Doe the next thing.

Learn.

1. Not to suppose a splendid, or indeed any, building necessary to constitute a church. 2. Not to despise the day of small things.
3. Not to foster the class spirit in connection with Christian Churches.
4. Not to resent the leadership of those who by superior ability or influence are manifestly called to that office.
5. Not to mar by discord or division the unity of fellowship among believers.
6. Not to think praying can ever be out of place.
7. Not to mistake idleness for waiting.

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS

Act. 1:13. The Upper Room.The upper chamber still forms the distinctive feature of a Syrian house. It is the guest chamber, where the guest is quartered outside the part of the house used by the host and his family in private life. The poor were generally content to leave their terraces uncovered, but the first luxury they indulged in was an upper chamber. The rich Shunamite made one for Elisha (2Ki. 4:3). This was the most convenient part of the house, because it was large compared to the rooms inside, and was entirely independent of the rest of the building. It served for numberless uses. There the corpse was laid before burial (Act. 9:37). It was in an upper chamber Jesus met with His apostles to bid them farewell, to eat the Passover with them for the last time, and to institute the Lords Supper. The ordinary meals He no doubt took, as they are still taken, in the court of the house and in public.Stapfer, Palestine in the Time of Christ, p. 178.

The Four Lists of the Apostles.

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

ACTS.

Peter

Andrew

James

Andrew

John

James

John

James

John

Andrew

John

Andrew

Philip

Bartholomew

Thomas

Matthew

Bartholomew

Matthew

Thomas

Matthew

James (of Alpheus)

Thaddeus

Simon the Zealot

Simon the Cananean

Judas son of James

Judas Iscariot

From a comparison of these lists the following conclusions may be drawn:

1. That Peter was universally recognised as the leader of the apostolic band.
2. That, following him, Andrew, James, and John enjoyed a precedence over the remaining eight.
3. That, after these, the next in rank was Philip, who in all the lists occupies the fifth place.
4. That Bartholomew was another name for Nathanael.
5. That Thomas and Matthew, like Peter and John, Philip and Bartholomew, were probably companions.
6. That Thaddeus and Judas were the same individual.
7. That Judas Iscariot deserved the lowest place in the apostolic brotherhood.

Act. 1:14. The Brethren of Our Lord.

I. Their names.James, Joses, Simon, and Judah (Mat. 13:55). With the exception of the first, all ordinary men, who would probably never have been heard of but for their connection with Christ. The vast majority of this worlds population are names, and nothing more; and even of those who emerge from obscurity it is not always true that they shine in their own lustre. Reflected radiance, or renown at secondhand, is more common than most suppose.

II. Their relation to Jesus.

1. According to some His cousinsi.e., the children of Alpheus and Mary. An opinion in support of which it is usual to advert to:

(1) the customary practice among the Jews of employing the term brother in a loose sense, as equivalent to near kinsman;

(2) the circumstance that Christ, when dying, commended His mother to John (Act. 19:26), which, it is thought, He would hardly have done had she possessed other children besides Himself;

(3) the Scripture statement that Alpheus or Cleopas and Mary had two sons named James and Joses (Mar. 15:40), if not a third called Judas (Act. 1:13); and

(4) the appearance of individuals bearing the names of James, Simon, and Judas in the circle of the apostles, who are not the brethren of our Lord, but the sons of Alpheus (Mat. 10:3; Mar. 3:8). Against this opinion, however, it is urged, and with force,

(1) that they are never styled Christs cousins, but always his brethrena fact remarkable, but not decisive;
(2) that they always appear associated with the mother of Jesus, and not with the wife of Cleopas;

(3) that one cannot be certain whether Mary, the mother of James and Joses, was the sister of our Lords mother (see Joh. 19:25); and

(4) that our Lords brethren were not even among His disciples till towards the close of His ministry (Joh. 7:5), whereas the two sons of Alpheus and Mary were among the apostles from the first.

2. According to others, His half brothersi.e., the sons of Joseph by a former marriage. But this opinion, though not improbable, rests solely on the authority of the Gospel of James

3. According to a third class of interpreters, His whole brothersi.e., children of Mary by her husband Joseph. In favour of this the arguments run

(1) that it is the simplest and most natural hypothesis;
(2) that Our Lords brethren are always spoken of as brothers, not as cousins;
(3) that they are never said to be sons of Joseph, but always represented as brethren of Jesus; and
(4) that they always appear to be under Marys care. (See Whitelaw on The Gospel of St. John, 2:12.)

III. Their changed attitude towards Jesus.

1. The nature of the change. They had become believers, which they were not prior to His crucifixion. Then they refused to accept His Messianic pretensions, though they found it impossible to deny His miracles (Joh. 7:3). Now their doubt was dispelled and their unbelief changed into faith.

2. The cause of the change. This was unquestionably the fact of Our Lords Resurrection, and perhaps in particular His manifestation of Himself to James (1Co. 15:7).

Act. 1:1-14. The Ascending Lord and His Witnesses.The ascension of the Lord Jesus is the one fact which properly belongs both to the story of the Gospels and to the history of the Acts of the Apostles.

I. The preparation of the witnesses.For witnesses must be qualified. You cannot lay hands on any man at random, and ask him to bear testimony even to undisputed facts. He must have seen the things of which he claims to be the witness. And then he must be a man of truthful spirit. These two qualifications for a faithful witness Jesus supplies in the things which He does and says in this last interview with His disciples. By what He did that day before their eyes He gave them knowledge of the final fact which was to complete the circle of their testimony. They had wept by the cross and mourned beside the sepulchre. They had seen Him, heard Him, touched Him risen from the dead, and had been glad when they saw the Lord again. And now they are assembled that the last needed link in the evidence they are to give may be added to make the chain complete. But what He said was needful, too, that they might discharge their office rightly. Not merely must their eyes behold the dying and the rising of the Son of man, but it was quite as essential that their spiritual vision should be illumined. It was for this that the Holy Spirit was needed. His coming is to complete what their outward vision had begun. He will teach all things, and bring all Jesuss sayings to remembrance. He will show things to come. They are to have power; but it shall be power, not to be warriors, but to be witnesses. This is the work of His disciples in every age. For this cause the Master came into the worldto bear witness to the truth. As the Father sent Him into the world, so He sends us. As He equipped the Twelve, so He furnishes us for the work. Instead of the vision of His face we have the fourfold Gospel.

II. The limitation of the witnesses.For, even while they beheld, a cloud received Him out of their sight. There was clear vision for a way, and then an utter mystery. Between Him and the eyes which gazed their love into the heavens came the intercepting cloud. So all our knowledge ends in mystery. Even where a veil is not hung to hide the divine realities from us, the shortness of our vision is as effective to conceal them. The strength and power of the witnessing of the early disciples was in this very thing: that they testified with all boldness up to the limits of their knowledge, and then relapsed into utter silence. It will be well for the later witnesses for Christ to follow more nearly the example of these earlier martyrs. We may with all boldness declare the well-attested facts. But do not let us try to witness to the things which are beyond the cloud, whether it may have been spread by divine wisdom or by human ignorance. Many an earnest witness has lost his power in the world because there was no clear line between the things which he has seen and known and the things which he has only felt and fancied. Nor is it necessary, because a cloud hides that which we long to see, that it should cast a shadow upon us, or darken our horizon. The cloud which underlies the mysteries of heavenly truth is not black with thunderbolts, not scarred with seams of lightning, but edged at least with the silver glory which it hides, and only laden for us with showers of peace and plenty. For it is not the darkness which hides God from us, but the light in which He dwells, which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see. This was the cloud of the transfigurationthe cloud of brightness. Paul, telling the story of his conversion, says, I could not see for the glory of that light. Jesus is the brightness of the Fathers glory and the Light of the World, but it is a light softened and screened for human eyes by the veil of His flesh; so that we now can look and see, and look and live. The cloud is the condescension of divine love to our weak sight. It testifies Gods grace equally with the sunshine.

III. The attitude of the witnesses.They stand gazing after Him up into heavenhow long we do not know; long enough, it is evident, to lead to the rebuke and reassurance which came to them from the lips of the two angels. However full of love or faith their motive may have been, their posture was not approved. It is when they cease their gazing and begin their going that they assume their true relation to the risen Christ. For the return to Jerusalem was their first act of obedience to Him. There He had told them to go, and there to wait, and there to witness first. To testify of Him first where it is hardest and most perilous to do it; back where the people of all tongues will gather soonthey are to speak where their word will reach the greatest number; back where He bids themthat is, more than all beside, that they obey His last command. It is not by peering into the mysteries of Gods unrevealed truth that any disciple gains grace to be a faithful witness. It is far rather by unquestioning obedience to His plain command that we shall come to such further light as He may have to give us. They who are actively engaged in doing His will and work shall be led on with surest step into the mysteries of godliness. They shall have more to witness who witness faithfully to what they know, rather than they who wait and watch for more to tell. Nor did they separate when the Master, who had at first drawn them together, had left them. He had appointed them a common mission. There was to come on them a common gift of power. And so they stayed together during the interval till it should come. And as it is in the way of obedience that we learn the truth, it is in the way of fellowship that we most often receive the richest spiritual gifts. If we would share the gifts which Jesus bestows upon His own, we shall be wise to keep with the other disciples. And then, of course, they prayed; not of necessity only for that which He had promised, and which was to come to them so soon, but quite as much, perhaps, for patience to wait for it, and then for grace to use it for His praise. Obedience, fellowship, and prayer, shall make you strong to be witnesses, martyrs if needs be, unto Him.Monday Club Sermons.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

IN THE UPPER ROOM Act. 1:12-26

Act. 1:12

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh unto Jerusalem, a sabbath days journey off.

Act. 1:13

And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were abiding; both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

Act. 1:14

These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Act. 1:15

And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren, and said (and there was a multitude of persons gathered together, about a hundred and twenty),

Act. 1:16

Brethren, it was needful that the scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus.

Act. 1:17

For he was numbered among us, and received his portion in this ministry.

Act. 1:18

(Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

Act. 1:19

And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.)

Act. 1:20

For it is written in the book of Psalms,

Let his habitation be made desolate,
And let no man dwell therein: and, His office let another take.

Act. 1:21

Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,

Act. 1:22

beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection.

Act. 1:23

And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

Act. 1:24

And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show of these two the one whom thou hast chosen,

Act. 1:25

to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.

Act. 1:26

And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Their return. Act. 1:12

Act. 1:12 Verse twelve is a transition verse linking up the two places designated on the picture on page 22. If you will read Luk. 24:52-53, you will discover that they returned with great joy and that they were continually in the temple blessing God. So, we can say that they spent their time of waiting either in the temple or in the upper room. At least, the events described in the text would have taken place in one of these two places. The position of the mount called Olivet, from which Jesus was taken up, is about seven-eights of a mile east of Jerusalem. This distance is called a sabbath days journey.

18.

What two points do we find in Luk. 24:52-53 that are not mentioned in Act. 1:12?

The prayer meeting. Act. 1:13-14.

Act. 1:13 Can you imagine the feeling of joy that must have surged through their hearts as they walked with eager steps down the slope of the mount of Olives, down into the Kidron Valley and looked up to the heights of the wall of Jerusalem? Never had those walls, which were so familiar to them, appeared as they did on that day, for they now were to enclose that place where the risen Lord had told them to wait.

Oh, that today, as we press on towards that new Jerusalem, we might believe in our hearts that Jesus is as much alive as He was in that day! The same holy confidence and joy can be ours for we have the same evidence; yea, more, upon which to found our convictions that He ever liveth and will keep His promises now even as He did then.

Verse thirteen speaks of the house in which the apostles had been living. There is good reason to believe that this house is the same one described in Luk. 22:7-13. Be that as it may, Luke here tells us who those were that went into that upper chamber. It would be well to learn the names of the twelve apostles if you have not already done so. They are:

Peter and John,
James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas,
Bartholomew and Matthew,
James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon the Zealot,

Judas the son of James.

Add to this list the name of Matthias and you have the twelve.

Act. 1:14 Immediately upon entering the city and the upper room the eleven along with certain women; Mary, the mother of Jesus; and the brethren of Jesus held a prayer meeting. They were in total accord one with another and so continued steadfastly in prayer for some time.

19.

In what two places did the events described in Act. 1:12-26 occur?

20.

How far is a sabbath days journey? How did it come to be called a sabbath days journey?

21.

What comparison can we make today with the event in Act. 1:12?

22.

What do you know of the upper room spoken of in Act. 1:13?

23.

Give from memory the eleven apostles as found in Act. 1:13.

24.

What was the first act upon coming into the city and entering the upper room?

The place of Judas filled. Act. 1:15-26,

Act. 1:15 We must remember that all of the events described in the first chapter took place in the ten days that elapsed from the day of ascension to the day of Pentecost, Notice what is said to have happened in this period: (It is heard quite often that the eleven held a ten-day prayer meeting, They did something besides pray.)

They held a prayer meeting in the upper room, Act. 1:14.

They were continually in the temple blessing God. Luk. 24:52-53.

They transacted the business of filling the office of Jud. 1:15-25.

The place where the filling of the office of Judas occurred is not mentioned in the textbut the text does indicate a lapse of time between the prayer meeting in the upper room and the business of filling the vacancy in the office of the twelve. This indication is found by realizing that in verse fifteen we have a multitude of one hundred and twenty persons gathered, whereas in verse fourteen, we find only the eleven, the women, Mary, and the brethren of Jesus.

It seems to the writer altogether possible, if not probable, that the gathering of the one hundred and twenty persons would have been in the large upper room. Here are the reasons for concluding that the selection of Matthias took place in the upper room and not in the temple or some other place of public assemblage:

The fact that this was the place of residence for the eleven, and since this was a personal or private matter, it would not be reasonable to imagine them carrying out this selection in any public place such as the temple.

The opposition to the work of Christ would prevent or hinder the apostles from transacting this matter in a public gathering. Their knowledge of the situation would make it unwise to do such a thing.

The upper chambers of the city of Jerusalem were such as could accommodate a crowd of one hundred and twenty persons.

Act. 1:16 Notice the content of the sixteenth verseread it. Let us mark the circumstances: The eleven were promised by Jesus that they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit (Act. 1:5), and that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit was come upon them (Act. 1:8). With these promises impressed upon their hearts, they walked into the city to wait for the fulfillment. But here we have them gathered in a formal meeting to carry out a specific work. Isnt it a bit strange? It is, unless we understand that the apostles knew they were going to be baptized in the Holy Spirit according to promise and prophesy and that there should be twelve in the group. Because of this, Peter directed the selection of one to fill this vacancy left by the betrayal of Judas. This truth lends still more force to the thought that only the twelve were baptized in the Holy Spirit.

25.

What three things happened in the 10 days from the ascension to Pentecost?

26.

How do we know there is a lapse of time between the prayer meeting and the filling of the office of Judas?

27.

What reasons do we have for concluding that the filling of the office of the twelve occurred in the upper room?

Act. 1:17-20 Seven hundred years before the angels sang of the advent of the Messiah, that man after Gods own heart wrote these words: Let his habitation be made desolate, and let no man dwell therein and, His office let another take. Little did David know that it would be seven hundred years before these words would find their fulfillment in Judas, the betrayer of the Christ. But the same Spirit that spoke these words to the mind of the Psalmist directed their fulfillment. Peter arises in the midst of the one hundred and twenty brethren to tell of this son of perdition in whom this prophecy finds its consummation. Peter gives five things about Judas in verses sixteen through twentynote them:

Who was guide to them that took Jesus, Act. 1:16 b.

He was numbered among us i.e. he was counted as one of the twelve. Act. 1:17 a.

And received his portion in this ministry i.e., he had as much a part in the ministry to which Jesus called the twelve as any other. Act. 1:17 b.

Obtained a field with the thirty pieces of silver. This was done indirectly through the priests. Although the field was purchased by the priests, it was counted as being purchased by Judas since it was his money that made the transaction. Act. 1:18 a. Cf. Mat. 27:3-8.

He fell headlong into the field from his hanging position and burst asunder in the field. Hence, the name given to the field by those living near there: The Field of Blood.

Act. 1:21-26 In the six remaining verses, we have an account of the actual business at hand. First, Peter very carefully gave the qualifications of the man who could properly occupy the vacancy left by Judas. It would have to be one of those who have companied with us (them) all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us (them), beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us (them). Act. 1:21-22 a. Peter also specifically stated the purpose of this selection. It was so this one could be, along with the eleven, a witness of His resurrection. It is significant to note that even before the day of Pentecost, the apostles took the words of Jesus: Ye shall be my witnesses to mean that they were to be witnesses or proclaimers of His resurrection. Act. 1:21-22. The apostles were to be witnesses in the sense of ambassadors, Cf. 2Co. 5:20.

28.

Show the connection of the selection of one to take the place of Judas and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

29.

Give from memory in your own words the five things concerning Judas mentioned by Peter.

Later we are to read in Act. 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen. . . . A similar incident took place herethe statement of Peter pleased the whole multitude of the one hundred and twenty and they put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

When we know what God said in regard to a certain matter and yet a selection must be made as to how this matter will be executed only prayer can determine Gods will. By asking for His providential leadership His will can be made known. This was the procedure in the case of the eleven. Notice the steps and mark them well as an example for our discovery of Gods will in some matters.

To know that God wants something to be done. In this case it was the filling of the office of the twelve.

To know that now is the time for action. This they knew from the coming day of power, not many days hence.

To have a man (or men) who is (are) qualified to occupy the place of Gods servant. This they had in Barsabbas and Matthias.

To pray an unselfish and dependent prayer for Gods leadership. This was surely the prayer of the eleven as recorded in verses twenty-four and twenty-five. It would be well to look closely into the content of the prayer, demonstrating as it does their utter dependence upon God for His knowledge of who was fitted for this place.

Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show of these two the one whom thou hast chosen.

It is also of interest to find within this prayer a reiteration of a very bluntly stated fact: that Judas fell away from this ministry of apostleship to go to his own place. Being as he was a son of perdition we can have no hesitancy as to what place is here meant.

30.

What were the qualifications given by Peter for the one to take the place of the apostle Judas?

31.

What was the purpose of this selection?

32.

Did the apostles know Gods will in the case at hand? If so, why the prayer?

33.

State in your own words the five steps in finding the Lords will in this situation.

34.

How can we know Gods will today?

35.

How can we know the time for action in the will of God?

Make, then some move on your part in which the providence of God can be manifested. This was the reason for the casting of lots. Otherwise, there would have been, of necessity, some direct operation of the mind of God upon the mind of man, in which, such information would have been given. But since it is not the nature of Jehovah to thus convey knowledge when there is some other more natural method, we find the eleven casting lots. And the lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

The question as to whether Matthias was in truth an apostle should be settled with these words the Holy Spirit spoke through Luke: . . . . and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(12) From the mount called Olivet.As to the name, see Note on Luk. 19:29. The mention of the distance, and the measure of distance employed are, both of them, remarkable, and suggest the thought that St. Lukes reckoning was a different one from that which Christendom has commonly received, and that the forty days expired before the last renewal of our Lords intercourse with His disciples, and that this ended on the following sabbathi.e., eight days before the day of Pentecost. On this supposition we get a reason, otherwise wanting, for this manner of stating the distance. Symbolically, too, there seems a fitness in our Lords entering into His rest, on the great day of rest, which is wanting in our common way of reckoning. On the other hand, it may be noted that it is after St. Lukes manner as in the case of Emmaus (Luk. 24:13) to give distances. The Sabbath days journey was reckoned at 2,000 paces, or about six furlongs.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

12. Mount called Olivet Luke’s language here implies that Theophilus was unfamiliar with the locality.

A sabbath day’s journey About half a furlong less than a mile.

“It would appear from the Talmudics that it was no violation of the sabbath day, while in the desert, to traverse the whole camp, which is believed to have been twelve miles square; nor was it unlawful to walk through a city on that holy day, no matter how extensive it might be. But after the erection of the temple, sabbath locomotion seems to have been greatly circumscribed without the city. No one was permitted to go beyond the limits of the suburbs of the city on that sacred day a distance of one mile and this seems to have regulated a sabbath day’s journey. Some have estimated it as high as two miles, and some, by way of accommodation, as low as seven, or seven and a half furlongs; but there is no just reason to question the correctness of the ordinary estimate. The Jewish mile was composed of one thousand paces of five feet, or one thousand six hundred and sixty-six yards, and was therefore nearly one hundred yards shorter than our mile.” Barclay’s City of the Great King, p. 69.

Why does Luke mention that it was a sabbath day’s journey? Perhaps to identify the locality. But Chrysostom thinks because it was sabbath day, and Alford adds, perhaps in order to obviate the offence taken at its being a longer walk on that day.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh to Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey off.’

The citing of the place where all this had occurred is a testimony to its genuineness. In Luk 24:50 it is at Bethany, which was on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. Luke regularly goes into great pains to ensure that he gives the full detail. Thus the mention of the Mount of Olives here clearly has a purpose. It would not be long before the minds of any knowledgeable readers were turned to Zec 14:4, ‘and His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives’, and they would recognise even more the greatness of the One Whom they served. They would see that His feet had already stood on the Mount Olives from which would come great things.

‘A Sabbath day’s journey off.’ Roughly a kilometre or two thirds of a mile. It was the distance that was allowed to be travelled on the Sabbath without it being considered a journey.

Note On The Sabbath Day’s Journey.

The regulations had become rather complicated. Walking within the city walls did not count as part of the Sabbath Day’s journey as it was seen as ‘home’. Thus it only commenced once the city walls had been reached. But during festival time the tents around the city were seen as forming a wall around the city thus extending the city limits during those times. During those times Bethany would be within a sabbath day’s journey of Jerusalem Furthermore the device had grown up whereby if food was lodged a sabbath’s day journey from the city walls, a person could claim that as his home and go a further two-thirds of a mile, making one and a half miles in all. Thus it was not as restrictive as it might itself at first sound.

End of Note.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Preparation For Pentecost (1:12-26).

In obedience to His command they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives where all this had happened, and entered the upper chamber where they were staying. And from this time on they spent their time in ‘the prayer’, probably mainly in the Temple with a number of other disciples (Luk 24:53), waiting patiently for what Jesus had promised.

‘The prayer’ may signify the prayer that He had taught them Luk 11:2-4, ‘May Your name be sanctified (by the bringing about of Your purposes – Eze 36:23; Eze 38:23), may your Kingly Rule come, give us day by day Tomorrow’s bread (the promised heavenly Bread – Joh 6:35), forgive us our sins, bring us not into temptation’. Or it may signify ‘the meetings for prayer’.

And it was while they prayed that Peter made a bold step of faith. In view of the new initiative that would soon be theirs it was necessary to make up the twelve.

Much discussion has taken place as to whether his action was justified or not. But there are a number of grounds for seeing it as completely valid.

1) Jesus had already given to His Apostles the Holy Spirit so as to aid their discernment and give them special authority, in contrast with the Holy Spirit’s coming on the whole church (Joh 20:22-23; Luk 24:45). They were thus not acting without the Spirit.

2) The decision was one agreed on prayerfully by the whole gathering of ‘about one hundred and twenty’ disciples (Act 1:15).

3) The decision was supported by citing the Scriptures which had helped them to come to this decision (Act 1:16-20). For Luke to have given the details of this must be seen as unlikely unless he considered that the argument was valid.

4) Luke devotes eleven verses of valuable space to describing the details of the incident, and providing the information that supported it. He would surely not have done so if he had not seen it as an important and valid decision, especially as he gives no hint of the kind of disapproval which might have indicated that there was another lesson to be learned from it.

5) Nowhere is this decision ever later criticised.

6) If they were to continue going around preaching in twos as they had been taught to do by Jesus (Mar 6:7; Luk 10:1; and compare Act 3:1) it would be necessary for an even number to be made up.

7) Psychologically it was wise to fill the gap caused by Judas. It made them feel full and complete once again.

Their purpose in making up the twelve would be as a testimony to the fact that their message was for ‘the twelve tribes of Israel’, (we note that Paul himself recognised that he was an Apostle ‘to the Gentiles’ (Gal 2:7-8; Rom 11:13), and therefore not one of ‘the twelve’ – 1Co 15:5). It was an assertion of their confidence that the work which had begun when Jesus appointed them was now to continue. It expressed their certainty that Jesus would fulfil His promise of sending to His people the Holy Spirit. It was a clear declaration of faith.

Furthermore the twelvefold eyewitness to the life, teaching and resurrection of Jesus was clearly seen as important (in those days numbers were seen as highly significant), while the making up of the full number would help them to forget the failure of their former comrade. Paul, of course, while an eyewitness to the resurrection ‘out of due time’ had not received Jesus’ teaching first hand, nor had he witnessed His life from the beginning.

Those who take ultra-literally Jesus’ words in Mat 19:28, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” necessarily query whether there will be a throne for Paul. But there are good grounds for seeing His words as a pictorial representation of the then future authority that the Apostles would have over the church, and not as indicating literal thrones (which spiritual bodies might anyway have difficulty in sitting on). Paul unquestionably also had that kind of throne (his future declared authority) from which many sought to topple him, but it did not need to be one of twelve. He ‘judged’ the Gentiles.

We can compare Jesus’ similar words in Luke, having instituted the Lord’s Table, “I appoint to you a Kingly Rule, as My Father has appointed to Me, that you may eat and drink at My Table under My Kingly Rule and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luk 22:29-30), and this having stressed that they must not seek to sit in seats but to take the lowest place as those who serve (Act 1:25-26). Their thrones were thus not to be thrones of exercising lordship, but of humble service.

Here He is probably signifying what Acts reveals that each Apostle would have a Kingly Rule in humility and lowliness over his new flock under the Kingly Rule of Christ, being able, with them, to eat and drink at His Table, both spiritually as in Joh 6:35 and literally as in 1Co 11:26. Paul would have the same.

The symbolism of the twelve Apostles as the foundation of the new Jerusalem is irrelevant for this purpose. It was never intended to be personalised but to demonstrate that the future would be founded on the work of Christ’s Apostles.

It is also no argument against this to say that Matthias is never again mentioned. Such an argument would exclude a number of other Apostles as well (see below).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Appointment of Matthias Act 1:12-26 gives us the account of the early Church choosing a replacement for Judas Iscariot.

Act 1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

Act 1:12 “Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet” – Comments – The mount of Olivet held its name as far back as King David (2Sa 15:30), through the inter-biblical period (Zec 14:4). John Gill tells us that Jarchi (Rashi), a Jewish scholar, also identifies it as “the hill that is before Jerusalem” in 1Ki 11:7. [113] This is why Mark describes the location as “over against the Temple” (Mar 13:3). It was named for the olive trees that grew on this hill.

[113] John Gill, 1 Kings, in John Gill’s Expositor, in e-Sword, v. 7.7.7 [CD-ROM] (Franklin, Tennessee: e-Sword, 2000-2005), comments on 1 Kings 11:7; The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary, ed. A. J. Rosenberg (New York: The Judaica Press Company, 1963) [on-line]; accessed 13 December 2009; available from http//www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16445/showrashi/true; Internet, comments on 1 Kings 11:7.

2Sa 15:30, “And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.”

Zec 14:4, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

1Ki 11:7, “Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.”

Mar 13:3, “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,”

Act 1:12 “which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey” Comments – According to Jewish tradition, a Sabbath day’s journey was two thousand cubits from any city or town. One place in Scripture used to come up with this distance is Num 35:4-5, in which the Mosaic Law defined the boundaries of city suburbs as two thousand cubits. A cubit was considered to be a midsized stride.

Num 35:4-5, “And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.”

Act 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

Act 1:13 “And when they were come in” Comments – That is, when they entered into Jerusalem.

Act 1:13 “they went up into an upper room” Comments – This upper room is the same place where the disciples partook of the Last Supper with the Lord before His Passion. The story of how they found this place is recorded in Luk 22:7-13. They happened upon it through divine providence under Jesus’ instructions.

Act 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Act 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

Act 1:15 “(the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)” Comments – There were five hundred disciples who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1Co 15:6), but only one hundred and twenty of them, about one fourth of the disciples, took His commandment serious to tarry into Jerusalem until they be endued with power from on high (Luk 24:49).

1Co 15:6, “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once ; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

Luk 24:49, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”

This ratio of response of one fourth corresponds to the Parable of the Sower, where only one fourth of the seeds bore fruit.

Act 1:15 Comments – Jesus told the disciples in verse 4 to “wait,” but not to elect another disciple. Scholars debate if this was the will of God to chose a twelfth apostle.

Act 1:4, “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”

Act 1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

Act 1:16 “which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas” – Comments – In Act 1:20, Peter is going to quote from Psa 69:25 and Psa 109:8 as a quote from David by the Holy Spirit. Act 1:16 reflects David operating in a prophetic office, which office is the underlying theme of the Gospel of Luke. The author is now making a transition into the office of the apostle, which will be emphasized in the book of Acts.

Act 1:17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

Act 1:18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

Act 1:18 Comments – Act 1:18-19 tells us the horrible story of Judas Iscariot’s death by falling headlong and his bowels bursting. We find a parallel account of his death in Mat 27:3-10. However, in this account we are told that he went out and hanged himself. Scholars have some difficulty in reconciling these two different descriptions. The traditional account says that he fell from the place that he hung himself, the rope may have broken, and burst open his bowels upon some rock or protruding object. John Lightfoot suggests that Satan, who dwelt in him, caught him up high, strangling him, and threw him down headlong; so that dashing upon the ground, he burst in the midst, and his guts issued out, and the devil went out in so horrid an exit.” [114] Others suggest he may have died of a suffocating disease that also ruptured his body.

[114] John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae: Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations Upon the Gospels, the Acts, Some Chapters of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and the First Epistle to the Corinthians, vol. 2, ed. Robert Gandell (Oxford: The University Press, 1859), 138.

Act 1:19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

Act 1:19 “insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue” Word Study on “tongue” Strong says the Greek word “tongue” ( ) (G1258) means, “a dialect,” and it comes from the Greek verb ( ) (G1256), which means, “to say thoroughly, i.e. discuss.” The Enhanced Strong says it is used 6 times in the New Testament, being translated in the KJV as “tongue 5, language 1.” From this Greek word we get the English word “dialect.”

Comments – The Greek literally reads, “in their own dialect,” or “in their own native tongue.”

Act 1:18-19 Comments The Potter’s Field – We read the story of the naming of the potter’s field in Mat 27:3-10.

Mat 27:7-8, “And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.”

We read in Gospel of Mark of the woe that Jesus prophesied over Judas.

Mar 14:21, “The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.”

Act 1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

Act 1:20 “Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein” – Comments – This is a quote from Psa 69:25, “Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.”

Act 1:20 “his bishoprick let another take” – Comments – This is a quote from Psa 109:8, “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.”

Act 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Act 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

Act 1:21-22 Comments The Qualifications of Apostleship – Why would this become a qualification for apostleship? They wanted someone who had been with them from the beginning, who was an eye-witness of the accounts in which he was testifying as an apostle. Luke opened his Gospel with a statement that he had gathered eye-witness accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. Such eye-witness accounts are the most credible testimonies.

I remember the early days of moving to Texas to go to seminary. Those first few people I met held a special relationship with me throughout those seminary years. Some of us started out together, and some finished together. This builds a bond that lasts a lifetime. This seems to be a natural part of our make-up. So it was in the early ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those early disciples developed a special bond that would last a lifetime, just as is developed with schoolmates.

Act 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

Act 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

Act 1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

Act 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Act 1:26 Comments – This is the last recorded time in the Holy Scriptures when the righteous Jews, those serving the Lord, would cast lots to determine God’s will. The dispensation of the Law was now ended. The disciples were about to be filled with the Holy Spirit in a few days, and would then realize that the office and ministry of the Holy Spirit was lead and guide the Church. God is often patient with our ignorance as we are learning. Had Peter and the apostles insisted on casting lots after Pentecost, the Lord would have corrected them in some way. In Act 6:1-7 the early Church chose the first seven deacons, not by casting lots, but by looking out for men who were “of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom” (Act 6:3).

This decision to cast lots did not actually benefit the Church. Matthias is referred to in Act 6:2 indirectly as a part of “the twelve.” Otherwise, Matthias’ name is not mentioned anymore in the Scriptures.

Act 6:2, “Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.”

Many scholars believe that the book of Acts is structured so as to show that Paul the apostle was indeed the twelfth apostle. The fact that Acts opens with this story and focuses on the ministry of Paul the apostle from 13-28 implies that Luke sets a basis for why Paul was the twelfth apostle.

It is interesting to note that in the heavenly Jerusalem, there are twelve foundations, each one with the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Rev 21:14, “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

Whose name is written as the twelfth? We may have to wait until we get to heaven to find out?

Scripture Reference – Note:

Pro 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Election of Matthias.

The return to Jerusalem:

v. 12. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath-day’s journey.

v. 13. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas, the brother of James.

v. 14. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.

The ascension of Jesus took place on Mount Olivet, east of Jerusalem, not very far from the town of Bethany, Luk 24:50. its distance from the Jewish capital is a Sabbath-day’s journey, seven and a half stadia (a little over 1,500 yards) There is no contradiction between the accounts concerning the location of the various places and the exact spot where the ascension occurred. The summit of the mountain was approximately seven and one-half stadia from Jerusalem, Bethany was almost twice that distance, and the ascension took place in the Bethany neighborhood, on the southeastern slope of the hill. After the removal of their Lord in such a miraculous manner the disciples returned to Jerusalem. Note how exactly Luke describes the geographical location for his non-Jewish readers. At Jerusalem they were to wait for the great miracle of the outpouring of the Spirit. So they went to their usual meeting-place, to the upper chamber, probably in the house of one of the disciples. The disciples held public meetings In the Temple, Luk 24:53, principally in the interest of mission-work. But for mutual consolation and encouragement they met at the houses of members of the congregation. The names of the chief men and of some of the women of this first congregation are here recorded. Peter is named first, as usual in the gospels; James, the elder, and John, the younger son of Zebedee, are next named. These three head the list as the special intimates of the Lord Then comes Andrew, the brother of Peter: Philip, also of Bethsaida; Thomas, surnamed Didymus; Bartholomew, formerly known as Nathanael; Matthew, the publican, previously known as Levi; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon the Zealot, of Cana; and finally Judas, the brother of James. All of these men had been preserved, though the storm of adversity occasioned by the Passion and death of Christ had struck them with great severity. But they all were now ready at their post, eager to begin their appointed work and waiting only for the promised power from on high, in the sending of the Holy Spirit. The eleven disciples spent the interval between Ascension and Pentecost in the best possible way; they were engaged continually and perseveringly in prayer, and all with one accord, in the same mind. Their prayers were both general and specific, for they deeply felt their weakness and spiritual poverty, and they were anxious to receive the gift of the Spirit, as promised by their Master. Their action is to be commended as an example for the believers of all time, to join both publicly and privately in the earnest prayer for the gift of the Holy Ghost, without whose power and enlightenment we can do nothing. In this service of prayer the apostles were not alone, for there were with them some of the faithful women, probably those that had ministered to the Lord even in Galilee, and later had made the journey to Jerusalem to be present under the cross, witness the burial, and receive the message of the risen Lord. One woman is mentioned by name, Mary, the mother of Christ. She had not returned to Nazareth, since John was faithfully carrying out the request of the crucified Jesus to consider Mary his mother. Mary was undoubtedly regarded with great respect by the apostles, but there is no indication of the idolatrous homage which was later paid to her in various churches. To this small congregation or inner circle now belonged also the brethren (half-brothers, cousins) of the Lord, who are previously mentioned as unbelieving, Joh 7:5. Just when they relinquished their unbelief and accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord is not recorded in the gospels, but they were staunch adherents of Jesus from this time forward. Note: No matter how energetically a person has formerly opposed the Gospel of salvation, all this should be forgotten as soon as he accepts the Gospel-truth. The conviction of faith, in such a case, is usually coupled with the firm intention to work all the more humbly and sincerely for the once despised Master.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Act 1:12. A sabbath day’s journey. That is, about a mile. See the note on Luk 24:50.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Act 1:12 . The ascension took place on the Mount of Olives , which is not only here, but also in Luk 19:29 ; Luk 21:37 , called (see on Luk 19:29 ). Its locality is indicated in Luk 24:50 , not differently from, but more exactly than in our passage (in opposition to de Wette and others); and accordingly there is no necessity for the undemonstrable hypothesis that the Sabbath-day’s journey is to be reckoned from Bethphage (Wieseler, Synop. p. 435). It is not the distance of the place of the ascension, but of the Mount of Olives , on which it occurred, that is meant. Luke here supposes that more precisely defined locality as already known; but if he had had any particular design in naming the Mount of Olives (Baumgarten, p. 28 f.: that he wished to lead their thoughts to the future , according to Eze 11:23 ; Zec 14:6 ), he must have said so, and could least of all presume that Theophilus would understand such a tacit prophetic allusion, especially as the Mount of Olives was already sufficiently known to him from the Gospel, Act 19:29 , Act 21:37 , without any such latent reference.

] having a Sabbath’s way . The way is conceived as something which the mountain has, i.e. which is connected with it in reference to the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. Such is and not with Wetstein and Kuinoel: pro the correct view also in the analogous passages in Kypke, II. p. 8. The more exact determination of . is here given; hence also the explanation of Alberti ( ad Luk 24:13 ) and Kypke, that it expresses the extent of the mountain ( Sabbati constans itinere ), is contrary to the context, and the use of is to be referred to the general idea conjunctum quid cum quo esse (Herm. ad Vig. p. 753).

A , a journey permitted on the Sabbath [100] according to the traditionary maxims, was of the length of 2000 cubits. See on Mat 24:20 . The different statements in Joseph. Antt. xx. 8. 6 (six stadia), and Bell. Jud. v. 2. 3 (five stadia), are to be considered as different estimates of the small distance. Bethany was fifteen stadia from Jerusalem (Joh 11:16 ); see also Robinson, II. p. 309 f.; hence the locality of the ascension is to be sought for beyond the ridge of the mountain on its eastern slope.

[100] According to Schneckenburger, in the Stud. u. Krit. 1855, p. 502, this statement presupposes that the ascension occurred on the Sabbath. But the inference is rash, and without any historical trace.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

B. THE RETURN OF THE APOSTLES TO JERUSALEM; THEIR CONTINUED INTIMATE UNION; THE COMPLETION OF THE APOSTOLIC NUMBER TWELVE, BY THE APPOINTMENT OF MATTHIAS AS AN APOSTLE

CHAPTER Act 1:12-26

Contents:The Apostles, after returning from Mount Olivet, continued with one accord in prayer, with others, Act 1:12-14; Peter proposes the appointment of a witness of the resurrection of Jesus, in the place of the traitor Judas; two persons are chosen; Matthias is numbered with the Eleven

______

12Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from [near] Jerusalem [, being distant] a sabbath days journey. 13And when they were come in, they went up into an [the, ] upper room, where [they then] abode[,] both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother [omitthe brother] of James. 14These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication,8 with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.15And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said (the number of names together were [there was a multitude of persons together,] about a hundred and twenty,) 16[Ye] Men and brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judaswhich was [who became a] guide to them that took Jesus. 17For he was numbered with [among9] us, and had obtained part [assumed the lot] of this ministry [service]18Now this man purchased a field [a piece of ground] with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.19And it was [became] known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as [so that] that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The [omitThe] field of blood. 20For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be [become] desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and, His bishoprick10 let anothertake.11 21Wherefore of these men which [who] have companied with us all the time thatthe Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be [mustone become, ] a witness with us of his resurrection. 23And they appointed [placed] two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which [who] knowest the hearts of all men, shewwhether of these two thou hast chosen, 25That he may take part [receive the lot12] of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell [Judas turnedaside], that he might go to his own place. 26And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Act 1:12. From the mountThis verse distinctly shows that the mount of Olives was the scene of the ascension. The narrator assumes that the reader already possesses a general knowledge of the place where the Lord ascended; when he expressly remarks that the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount, he describes the locality with sufficient precision. A sabbath days journey (2,000 cubits or 4,000 [German] feet [about three-quarters of an English mile.Tr.]) was the extent of a walk allowed on the sabbath by the rabbinic traditions; this approximate measure of the distance of the mount from the city is furnished by Luke simply because Theophilus was not acquainted with the Holy Land from personal observation. His statement, however, refers only to the general distance of the mount, and does not imply that such was the exact distance of the spot whence the Lord ascended. The remark in Lukes Gospel, Luke 24:50, that Jesus led the disciples out of the city , as far as to Bethany, does not contradict the statement in the present passage, as some commentators, de Wette, for instance, have intimated. For that passage in the Gospel does not assert that the ascension had occurred in the immediate vicinity of Bethany, nor does the one before us assert that Jesus, at the moment of the ascension, had been as near as a sabbath days journey to Jerusalem; the former passage merely states that the occurrence had taken place on the way to Bethany, which was situated on the eastern declivity of the mount [at the mount, , Mar 11:1; Luk 19:29.Tr.]; even Strauss conceded that the two passages do not involve a contradiction.As Bethany lay at a distance of fifteen stadia from Jerusalem (Joh 11:18), and as only six stadia are assigned to a sabbath days journey, the precise point from which the Lord ascended, must lie between these two extremes. (Robinson: Palestine, I. 253 f.; 275).

Act 1:13-14. They went up into an [the] upper room.When the apostles returned to the city, they did not disperse, but with one accord continued together, and diligently prepared, with prayer and supplication, for the promised outpouring of the Spirit. For this purpose they went up into the upper room, that is, a chamber in the highest story of a certain house, immediately below the flat roof, where, remote from the tumult of the world, they could devote themselves without disturbance to their holy occupations. It was not a chamber in the temple, as some earlier interpreters have supposed, but was one that belonged to the private residence of an adherent of Jesus; for the statement in Luk 24:53, that, after the ascension, the apostles were continually in the temple, does not necessarily imply that in the present passage the temple is again to be regarded as the locality; still less do the two statements contradict each other, as Strauss and others maintain. The words in the Gospel can only mean, in accordance with all the circumstances of the case, that when all the people visited the temple, namely, at the usual hours of prayer, the apostles invariably came thither also; the present passage informs us that at other intermediate times, they abode in the chamber already described.The names of the eleven apostles are here given in full at the commencement of the narrative, for the purpose of placing those in a prominent position who constituted the central point of the Church of Christ and to whom personally the promise of the Spirit had been given. They remained with one accord together, for in union there is strength. Still, they did not vainly imagine that they possessed any strength of their own; on the contrary, they deeply felt their weakness and poverty, and earnestly prayed for the power of the Holy Ghost which had been promised.They were, moreover, not led by pride of office to draw a line of demarcation between themselves and others, but, on the contrary, cordially united in prayer and supplication with all others who believed on Jesus. And here three groups of believers appear, besides the apostles: (1) The women who had followed Jesus; some of them had attended him from Galilee to Jerusalem, Luk 23:49; among these Mary, the mother of Jesus, is alone expressly named; she is not again mentioned in the New Testament. (2) The brethren of Jesus, who had formerly (Joh 7:5) been, not for, but against him, but who now unquestionably believe on him. It is, moreover, worthy of observation, that the brethren of Jesus are here, on the one hand, plainly distinguished from, the eleven apostles, and, on the other, obviously placed in a certain connection with the mother of Jesus: hence it may be inferred, first, that brothers, in the direct sense of the word, and not cousins of Jesus, are meant, and, secondly, that no one of them was at the same time an apostle. (3) For the other disciples, see Act 1:15.

Act 1:15. a. About a hundred and twenty.Besides the , Act 1:2, the and the , Act 1:14, a larger assemblage of appears before us, consisting of the whole number of those who received Jesus as their Master and Lord, and were willing to yield obedience to him. A meeting was held on one of those days, i.e., during the interval of ten days between the ascension of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit, at which about 120 individuals were present: this number doubtless includes the apostles, the brethren of Jesus, and other disciples; the last, of course, constitute the majority. This statement of the number has been regarded by some writers with suspicion, and been represented as inaccurate and unhistorical (Baur: Paulus, p. 57; Zeller: Apostelgesch, p. 117 f.), on the ground that it is in conflict with Pauls words that Jesus was seen of above five hundred brethren at once. 1Co 15:6. Two considerations, however, show that his words by no means contradict the present passage: (1) Luke does not at all intend to state in the present passage the precise number of all the disciples of Jesus in the whole country, but simply to report the number of those who were present at this meeting, the object of which was to appoint in the company of the apostles a successor to the traitor Judas. (2.) Paul, on the other hand, does not specify, in the passage just mentioned, the place in which the Lord appeared to the 500 disciples. This event may have occurred in Galilee, where the great majority of the disciples of Jesus resided; a comparatively small number dwelt in Jerusalem, in which city even the apostles themselves had remained only in consequence of the express command of the Lord; see Lechlers [the authors] Apost. u. nachapost. Zeitalter. 2 Aufl. p. 275 f.

b. And in those days.Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, addressed them, and made a certain proposition. It is apparent that he is the mouth of the Apostles and their corypheus, as Chrysostom says; and, indeed, he occupies the first place in the list of their names in Act 1:13. Still, he does not himself regard his primacy in such a light as to assume the authority to supply the vacated twelfth apostolate, as if he possessed sovereign power; neither do the apostles believe that even they have, collectively, sufficient authority to fill a vacancy which had occurred in their number, by an act of their own, independently of the action of others. On the contrary, the apostles, in whose name Peter acts, submit this matter, which concerns their office and ministry, to the assembled disciples, in order that they all, as the Church, may deliberate, resolve, and act. Such a course was accordingly adopted; for those who appointed Barsabas and Matthias (Act 1:23), who referred to the two latter in their prayer (ver 24), and who, finally, gave forth their lots (Act 1:26), were, as it appears from the connection, not the apostles exclusively, but all the assembled disciples.How different the conduct of Peter here is from that of his pretended successor in Rome! How readily he concedes liberty of action to the congregation of believers, at a time, moreover, when they had not yet received the gift of the Holy Ghost!

Act 1:16. Concerning Judas.The address of Peter refers to two closely connected subjects: the departure of one apostle, and the necessity of appointing another in his place; he presents both in the light of the word of God. The circumstance that an apostle of the Lord could fall so deeply as to become a guide to them that took Jesus, and that he then died in so shocking a manner, might easily awaken grave doubts in the minds of others, and cause them to stumble. It was, therefore, of great importance that the whole subject should be placed in the proper light. This task Peter performed. He begins with the declaration that the circumstances must needs [] occur; they are not merely accidental, but constitute the fulfilment of prophecies which the Scriptures contain (Act 1:16; Act 1:20). David hadhe continuesspoken prophetically, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, concerning Judas and the desolation of his habitation, and also concerning the appointment of another in his place. In the 109th Psalm, which, in the early ages of Christianity, was called the Iscariotic Psalm, and also in the 69th Psalm, David, the type in the Old Testament of the Redeemer, after certain very painful experiences, pours forth all his feelings: in the course of his complaints he also utters fearful imprecations in reference to those enemies who treated the Anointed of God unmercifully. He says, for instance; Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. Psa 69:25. Let his days be few; and let another take his office. Psa 109:8. And as Jesus was the antitype of the sorely persecuted and devout king, so Judas was the antitype of those earlier enemies of God and his Anointed; in Judas, accordingly, the curse and also those imprecations were necessarily fulfilled. As Peter is fully convinced that these words in the book of Psalms were fulfilled in him who betrayed Jesus, he changes the plural into the singular when he refers to the sense of the language occurring in Psalms 69; he does not, however, intend to assert that David himself had consciously and distinctly referred exclusively to Judas and his apostleship; for he does not say here that David had spoken of Judas, but that the Holy Ghost had spoken prophetically by the mouth of David (Act 1:16) concerning Judas. This fact fully accords with the following view:David expressed his own grief in those Psalms, and referred to his own enemies whom he well knew; but as he was at the same time animated by the Spirit of God, he uttered thoughts and words which would be actually fulfilled in the most perfect manner only in the experience of the Redeemer; hence Peter applies the words specially to the accursed traitor, of whose expulsion from office and horrible end any previous deposition from office would afford only a feeble image.

Act 1:17-20. He was numbered with [among] us.In order to show that the prophecy in Psa 109:8 was really fulfilled in Judas, Peter mentions, in Act 1:17, the circumstance that the traitor had once been a fellow-apostle, without which the words could not be applied to him; and, in Act 1:18, he refers to the property of Judas which had become desolate in consequence of his awful death. He establishes the former declaration by adducing the fact that Judas had actually been enumerated among the Twelve and had obtained the ministry, that is, the apostolate, as the portion belonging to him. When Peter (for it is he who speaks in Act 1:18 ff. and not Luke in his own person) refers, subsequently, to the property of Judas, and then to his death, it cannot be denied that the words are so framed that, without the aid of the parallel passage in Mat 27:5 ff., it would have occurred to no one that Judas had perished by committing suicide (hanged himself), and that the field of blood had been purchased only after his death. The words before us undoubtedly seem rather to convey the idea that Judas had himself purchased that piece of ground, and had afterwards been killed by a violent fall. Nevertheless, no reasons of sufficient weight exist to sustain the assertion that the two passages contradict each other, or to countenance the theory that two positively divergent traditions are here indicated. For it is quite possible that Peter simply expressed himself rhetorically, as if Judas himself had purchased the field, which was, it is true, purchased only after his death, but for which payment was made with the wages of his treachery; and that the manner of his death, as here described, (falling headlong, , he burst asunder, etc.) can be easily reconciled with Matthews statement (suicide, by hanging himself) is well known [by merely supposing what is constantly occurring in such cases, that the rope or branch from which he was suspended broke, and he was violently thrown, etc., (J. A. Alexander, ad. loc.) Tr.].A certain gloom, intended by the speaker, hovers over the expression in Act 1:25, that Judas had gone to his own place; the words can convey no other sense than that Judas had gone to a place of condemnation, where an eternal curse and destruction are found.

Act 1:21-22. Wherefore must one.As it is now established, in consequence of the fulfilment of the prophecies already mentioned, that a vacancy had occurred in the place and office previously assigned to Judas, it is essential that this vacancy should be supplied, and the number Twelve be restored. It was, besides, indispensable that one of those men should be added to the Eleven as a witness of the resurrection of Jesus, who had continually associated with the apostles during the whole period of the Lords intercourse with the disciples, extending from the first appearance of John to the day of the Lords ascension. Peter mentions only one of the qualifications of those who are suited for the apostleship, namely, an uninterrupted association with Jesus and his disciples during the whole period of the Lords ministry. He is here primarily influenced by the consideration that the individual who shall be chosen, must be a witness of Jesus, and should therefore necessarily possess a personal and direct knowledge of the Person and the whole life and work of Jesus, as both an eye-witness and an ear-witness. This qualification, however, to which Peter gives prominence, is not merely of an external nature, as it might, at the first view, seem to be; for the steadfastness of any man who, from the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus to his ascension, had attached himself permanently to the company of the disciples, was undeniably an evidence of his inward state; it proved that such an individual possessed the qualities of fidelity and perseverance so eminently as to justify the act of giving him with confidence a special call to labor in the kingdom of God, as far as that call proceeded from men. The sentiments of one who had adhered to Jesus so long and so faithfully, and had fully attached himself to the disciples, had been subjected to a sufficient trial; it could not be doubted that the guidance and influence of Jesus had imparted to him a treasure of religious experience.

Act 1:23-25. And they appointed.The choice of the twelfth apostle instead of Judas, is partly a human, and partly a divine act; the former was performed by the entire assemblage of about one hundred and twenty believers. They were convinced by the address of Peter, that the place of Judas ought to be supplied by another, and they concurred with him in the opinion that the candidate should have attached himself to Jesus and his disciples from the beginning. In accordance with this view, the assembled believers proceed to action, but confine that action to the nomination of two persons among the whole number of those who were qualified; these two men, who were both present at the time, were then directed to stand forth in the view of all (). The numbertwoproposed by the meeting could create no embarrassment, since the qualification which Peter had mentioned and the meeting had acknowledged as indispensable, could be readily, and, indeed, unerringly recognized. Neither the New Testament nor history furnishes us with any other information whatever respecting the two persons mentioned in Act 1:23, nor does either Matthias, who received the apostolate, or Joseph, the son of Sheba, who was surnamed Justus, afterwards re-appear. [Sheba occurs as a proper name in 2Sa 20:1, and de Wette, with others, thinks it probable that Bar-sabas is formed according to the analogy of Bar-jona, Mat 16:17, or Bar-jesus, Act 13:6, but no etymology that has yet been proposed, has been generally recognized as correct.Tr.]. The conjecture is not well supported that the latter is identical with Joses Barnabas mentioned below in Act 4:36, since Luke does not there allude to the present passage, but rather introduces Barnabas as an individual who had not been previously mentioned.The assembled believers did not regard themselves as authorized to take any additional steps, but submitted the ultimate decision respecting the particular individual to the Lord, because he was to be the Lords apostle. Hence, in the prayer which they offered to the Lord who knoweth the hearts of all men, and which was doubtless also pronounced by Peter as the mouth of the disciples, they besought the Lord to indicate by a sign, which one of the two men He had chosen. Commentators differ in opinion on the point whether this prayer was addressed to God the Father, or to the exalted Lord Jesus. Meyer, who adopts the former view, appeals to Act 15:7 ff., where Peter repeats the term and applies it expressly to God, of whom he also says: , etc.; this passage, however, does not refer to the choice of an apostle. The correctness of the second viewthat the prayer was addressed to Jesusappears from the following considerations; (1) In Act 1:21, Jesus is expressly termed , to which in Act 1:22 refers, whence it. appears that in Act 1:24 is naturally to be referred to Jesus also; (2) As the individual who was to be chosen was designed to be an apostle of Jesus, the choice was obviously to be submitted to Jesus also; (3) As the Lord Jesus himself chose his apostles on earth (Act 1:2, – – * ; comp. Act 1:24, ), so, too, he chose on this occasion Matthias as an apostle by a direct act, although he had ascended to heaven, even as, at a later period, he chose Saul, Act 9:15; Act 9:17. If we, besides, compare the terms occurring in Act 1:17; Act 1:25 respectively [in both the same words, .Tr.], we receive the impression that as Judas had obtained the lot of this ministry by the choice which Jesus made of him, so one of the two disciples now nominated would also receive the lot of this ministry by the special choice of Christ.

Act 1:26. a. They gave forth their lots.The resort to the lot for the purpose of reaching a decision, was in conformity to the usage prevailing under the old covenant. Tablets, on which the names of Joseph and Matthias were written (but not dice, as some have supposed), were employed; these were shaken in the vase or other vessel in which they had been deposited, and the lot which first fell out (). furnished the decision; the best illustrations of the latter will be found in 1 Chronicles 24 ff., and 1Ch 25:8 ff. The lots were annually cast, under the old covenant, upon the two goats, when the day of atonement arrived, Lev 16:8; Moses commanded that the land of Canaan should be divided by lot, Num 34:13; the command was subsequently obeyed, Jos 14:2; Jos 18:2. This assignment of different portions of the territory to the tribes of Israel specially occurred to the apostles as a type: the office of an apostle was, in one sense, the inheritance which a particular individual obtainedthe lot that fell upon him (, Act 1:17; Act 1:26).But the apostles and the assembly of believers did not proceed to cast lots until they had themselves decided conscientiously in accordance with their personal knowledge, as far as any human decision could avail. It was only the final wordthat word which required a previous glance into the heartwhich they besought the Lord to pronounce through the lot. They were the more easily disposed to adopt this course, as the Spirit had not yet been poured out upon them; but after that event, the lot was never again employed. When all these circumstances are considered, no abuse of the lot can be justified or even be extenuated by an appeal to the present case.

b. And the lot fell upon Matthias.It has been asserted by some writers that this whole procedurethe substitution of Matthias as an apostle in place of Judaswas premature and in opposition to the will of God, since Paul had been appointed to take the place of Judas as an apostle, although the call was actually given to him only at a later period. This view has again been advocated quite recently by Stier (Reden der Ap. 1861, I. 15. [Discourses of the Apostles, 2d ed.]), but no valid arguments whatever can be adduced in favor of it. Not the least indication is given at any time that God had signified his disapprobation of this election; for the circumstance that the labors of Matthias are not afterwards mentioned, as little proves that he was not a genuine and true apostle after the heart of God, as the silence observed with respect to the labors of several of the Twelve would prove that they, too, did not possess the true apostolical character. And with regard to Paul, the view referred to above [Paul was, in place of Matthias, or, more accurately, of Judas, the true Twelfth apostle, Stier, loc. cit.Tr.], is certainly erroneous; for Paul himself never claimed, on any occasion, that he was one of the Twelve, while, on the contrary, he makes a plain distinction between them and himself in 1Co 15:5. He cannot, indeed, be enumerated among them, since his call constituted him the Apostle of the Gentiles; he is thus obviously contradistinguished from the Apostles of the Jews (comp. Gal 2:9); he is the Apostle of progress (Lange), while the latter are those who presided at the original founding of the work.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. The fulfilment of the Scriptures is the theme of Peters address; in such a light he views both the events connected with Judas, and also the necessity of supplying the vacancy which the latter made in the company of the apostles. He was doubtless influenced in adopting these views by intimations which he had previously received from Jesus. And his course was strictly correct. For Christ is both the heart of the old covenant, and also the foundation on which it rests; the most holy sentiments which characterized the spiritual life, the confidence in God, and the patient expectation of devout men of the old covenant, really referred to Christ as their great end, although such believers might often themselves be unconscious of this great truth. And, on the other hand, the most painful experiences of the servants of God under the old covenant, and their deeply wounded feelings, when they were misjudged, insulted, and persecuted, were only shadows and preludes of the sufferings of the Redeemer. When David, full of faith in the truth and the righteous retribution of God, denounced the enemies of God and of himself, his words were to be actually fulfilled in the case of the faithless man who betrayed the Lord. Even if David himself was not aware of this fact (which, indeed, Peter does not assert), still the Spirit of Christ which was in him testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ. 1Pe 1:11.

2. Peter recognizes it (Act 1:22) as the great purpose of the vocation of the apostles that they should be witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus; the latter was the decisive act of God. That event attested the Person and crowned the Work of Jesus; it constitutes the foundation of the Christians faith. Not only was it originally the great and pre-eminently glorious fact of the history of redemption in the eyes of the first disciples, but it is still regarded in that light by all believers. What results could the incarnation of God, or the crucifixion of Jesus have produced, without this resurrection from the dead? Comp. 1Co 15:14-19. The resurrection of Jesus still affords a test in our day, whether, in essential points, an individual is in bondage to unbelief, or whether he offers his homage to the true faith. He who cannot prevail on himself to receive the fact of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead in faith, has not yet, even in a general respect, acquired a correct knowledge of the Son of God, for he does not know the living Christ.

3. While Peter demands, on the one hand, that the person who shall be elected, should have been regularly in the company of Jesus like the other disciples, from the baptism of John to the ascension, he assigns, on the other, certain allowable limitations of that personal knowledge of the life of Jesus which it is indispensable that an Apostle should possess. For if the thirty years which Jesus passed in calm retirement, undoubtedly contributed their share to the work of redemption, still, it is in the life, the acts and the sufferings of the Lord during the three years of his ministry that the foundation of our faith in him is to be sought. The fact that the narratives of the Evangelists refer almost exclusively to this period, and introduce only a few incidents belonging to that of the childhood of Jesus, fully agrees with this view.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Act 1:12. a. Then returned they unto Jerusalem.As the Lord proceeded from Tabor, the mount of transfiguration (on which Peter desired to make tabernacles), to the scene of his sufferings and death, so, too, the disciples, after gazing at the open gate of heaven, are directed to return to the hostile city, in which they were first of all to bear witness. And so, too, the Christian must often descend from the holy heights to which he had been carried by his devotional exercises, down to his earthly field of labor and battle. [Lange adduces weighty reasons in the first vol. of the present publication (Mat 17:1) for rejecting the tradition that Tabor was the mount of transfiguration, as Gerok here assumes.Tr.]

b. From the mount called Olivet.Not far from this mount the Redeemer endured his most awful agony of soul; but now he ascends from its summit victoriously to heaven; so near together, too, are the sufferings and the glory of the servants of Christ. Their battle-fields become the scenes of their triumph. (Apost. Past.).Which is from Jerusalem a sabbath days journey.As Mount Olivet was so near that the Jewish traditions permitted the disciples to visit it even on the sabbath, their continued abode in Jerusalem became endurable and even satisfactory. (Williger.).In whatever spot the Christian now dwells, its distance from the mount of Olivet does not exceed a sabbath days journey; let him, therefore, daily go thither in spirit, especially when peaceful sabbatic hours visit him.

Act 1:14. These all continued with one accord, etc.The ten days which intervened between the Ascension and Pentecostbetween the departure of the Lord in the flesh and his return in the Spiritconstituted a memorable period of time; in some of its features it resembled the period which intervened between the death and the resurrection of the Lord. And yet the disciples now assemble under very different and far more happy circumstances. If they are again apparently as sheep having no shepherd, they are not filled with sadness and fear as once they were, neither do they weep for the Lord as for one who is dead. They know now that he lives, that he is enthroned in heaven, and that he is with his people alway, even unto the end of the world. They are again assembled in a secluded spot, but have not again shut the doors for fear of the Jews [Joh 20:19], neither do they tremble and flee as sheep when the wolf is coming. They are assembled together in calm expectation and with holy hopes in their souls; and they remind us of a group of children waiting in a darkened chamber on Christmas-eve, until the expected Christmas gifts shall have been duly arranged in the adjoining apartment. For in truth a season like Advent had now arrived for the disciples, in which they waited with blessed hope for the coming of the Lord in the Spirit.What varied natural gifts, dispositions, gifts of grace, and spiritual tendencies, are represented by the names of these eleven Apostles! And yet the nature of each, however different the one may be from the other, is now sanctified and ennobled by the grace of Him who is able to employ each individual in his service to the praise of his glory. Even opposite features of character among them are beautifully tempered and associated in brotherly love under one Lord, so that they can exclaim: He is the Head, we are his members; He is the light, we are the reflection; He is the Master, we are brethren; He is ours, and we are his!With the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus.How well matured and purified in spirit must Mary be at this period, after the long and varied experience which followed the salutation of the angel! She whose soul was pierced through with a sword, was, nevertheless, blessed among women. [Luk 1:42; Luk 2:35]. With what tender love and devout reverence must not only John, to whom the Lord on the cross had given her as a precious legacy, but also all others, have looked on, and ministered to, this mother of their Lord! And yet, how unassuming the manner is in which she presents herself on this occasion also, when she is mentioned for the last time in the Scriptures! Her name is here the last of all, and not the first of those recorded by Luke; she prays with the others, not for them, as a handmaid of the Lord [Luk 1:38], not as a queen of heaven!And with his brethren.They, too, who had not at first believed in the divine character of Jesus, but had remained far from his kingdom, have now learned to prostrate themselves before the crucified and risen Lord, as Josephs brethren in an earlier age paid homage to their honored and powerful brother.The blessed commemoration: I. The appropriate application of the blessing received; II. The appropriate prayer for further blessings. (Lisco.).

Act 1:15. And in those days Peter stood up.He who had fallen so deeply as even to deny his Lord, has, nevertheless, the courage to speak of the treachery and dreadful end of Judas before all the brethren. For he was conscious that his sins were forgiven, and was influenced by the Lords words: When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.Whenever I look at Peter, my very heart leaps for joy. For although I am a poor sinner, Peter also was a poor sinner; if I should paint a portrait of Peter, I would paint on every hair of his head the words: I believe in the forgiveness of sins. O Peter, if thou hast been saved, I, too, shall be saved. (Luther).

He who daily obtains a clearer view of the multitude and heinousness of his sins, but whose conviction that the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin, at the same time increases in power, will always stand forth like Peter, and avail himself of every occasion on which he can perform any work to the praise of the glorious grace of his Mediator and Redeemer. (Ap. Past.)

Act 1:16-20. Concerning Judas, which was guide, etc.Peter speaks of the grievous sin and horrible death of Judas with the greatest earnestness and candor, but also with devout sorrow and with gentleness. He speaks, too, with earnestness and candor of the treachery and the suicide of his fellow-disciple, who involved himself and his brethren in disgrace by his iniquitous conduct. Not a trace appears here of that unworthy desire which, in such painful cases, sometimes prompts men to conceal the truth and practise deception for the sake of avoiding a loss of honor; not a trace appears of apostolic pride or priestly pride of station, as if no blemish could be permitted to be seen in the character of those who are invested with the sacred office, or as if they were not amenable to civil laws nor pledged to respect public opinion. Peter, on the contrary, refers with a holy earnestness to the divine judgment which had overtaken the wretched man, and shows that even this painful event promoted by its results the honor of the one true God; his punitive justice appears in its majesty, and the prophecies which his word contains, were most remarkably fulfilled; thus the case of Judas enables Peter to give a solemn warning to all succeeding ages respecting the self-deception to which sin conducts. And yet Peter speaks of this son of perdition [Joh 17:12] in gentle tones, and with a sorrow not unmingled with pity. Not a trace appears of those uncharitable judgments which are often pronounced in such casesnot a trace of that haughty, self-exalting spirit with which Christians often look down upon a miserable self-murderer; no other feeling is here revealed save that of holy sorrow for the soul that is lost. Peters language is characterized by moderation both when he speaks of the treachery of Judas (he was guide to them that took Jesus), and when he speaks of his eternal lot (he went to his own place). In such a spirit we should remember our own infirmities, in every case in which others incur guilt, and apply Nathans words to ourselves: Thou art the man!

Act 1:21-22. Wherefore must one, etc.The term must [] here refers not only to the necessity of supplying the vacant place of Judas, but also to the essential qualifications of the persons who shall be nominated. The levity and irreverence of the opinion that it is indeed an advantage when a teacher possesses the qualifications which are demanded in the Scriptures, but that these are not precisely necessary, since he may be an able pastor without acquiring them, are fully exposed by this divine oportet. (Ap. Past.)Which have companied with us all the time, etc.Two qualifications are here indicated: first, a certain measure of Christian knowledge; the individual who is chosen, must possess a direct personal knowledge of Christs Person and walk on earth; secondly, a certain measure of Christian fidelity; he must have faithfully adhered to Jesus during the whole period specified, without having ever gone back [Joh 6:66] or taken offence. Both of these qualifications are still required of those who are appointed to preach the Gospel and feed the flock of Christa living knowledge of the Lord, and sincere devotion to him.

A witness with us of his resurrection.The testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus comprehends every other important topichis death, his life, and his doctrine; for without a statement of these points, the significance of his resurrection cannot be unfolded. And, further, that testimony constitutes the crown and glory of the preaching of Christs name; for while his doctrine is glorious and his life holy, and while his sufferings affect our feelings and his death deeply impresses us, still it was only when his resurrection occurred that he was declared to be the Son of God with power, and the Saviour of the world. [Rom 1:4].

Act 1:23. And they appointed two, etc.Both possessed the qualifications which Peter had particularized; the selection of either for the office would have consequently been judicious. But those really tempt God who nominate incompetent persons under the pretext that God will nevertheless so order the course of events as to lead to the selection of the individual who is acceptable to him. (Ap. Past.).Listen to the unison of the three chords which are struck at this election of a bishop! The sacred office directs that election in self-denying humility; the congregation yields a voluntary obedience and presents two chosen ones to the Lord; He, who is the sole patron of his Church, is entreated to designate the individual whom He has chosen as an offering for the extension of his kingdom. (Leonh. and Sp.).

Act 1:24-25. Prayed, and said, etc.Teachers who have been given in answer to prayer, and whom devout prayer attended when they assumed office, enjoy the divine blessing, when they also themselves continue instant in prayer even to the end. (Ap. Past.).Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts, etc.It is cheering to the heart to survey the intimate personal intercourse which the disciples maintain with the exalted Lord Jesus, unmoved as they are by the circumstance that their eyes no longer behold him. The election of the twelfth Apostle was so ordered as to be the first work which they on earth, and He in heaven, would unitedly perform in the Holy Ghost. (Besser).Thou knowest the hearts of all mena description of our God and Saviour, of which the teacher of religion should never lose sight. We may so labor in the sight of men that our praises shall be loudly proclaimed, but the Lord looketh on the heart. [1Sa 16:7]. (Ap. Past.)

Act 1:26. And they gave forth their lots. The disciples desire that their prayer: Lordshew whether of these two thou hast chosen, should be answered through the medium of the lot. They ask the Lord to reveal to them his will, and, as in the case of the other apostles in Galilee, so, now, to call and choose himself the twelfth apostle in the place of Judas. The employment of the lot, although a familiar practice under the old covenant (as when the land was divided by lot among the twelve tribes. Num 26:55, of which the twelve apostles were designed to be the representatives), is not once repeated in the Scriptures after the day of Pentecost; for, after the fulness of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Church, the latter, in devout obedience, was guided by that Spirit into all truth. Now this truth, even in our day, is still no other than the revealed word of the Old and New Testaments. When we receive the word of God as a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path, we shall not walk in the night and stumble. When we humbly give heed to the leadings of the Lord, and in prayer commit our way to him, he conducts us in the paths of righteousness, and leads us by his Spirit into the land of uprightness. (Leon. and Sp.).

ON THE WHOLE SECTION.Prayer, the weapon of the Church. (Starke).

Judas, an illustration of the deep guilt which an individual may contract, who begins well, but continues to yield obedience to a single sin. (Ibid.).

When may an individual be regarded as well fitted and prepared to assume the sacred office? I. When he faithfully adheres to Jesus and to his disciples; II. When Jesus himself dwells in his heart (Ib.).

The life of man, a journey to his eternal abode; I. There are two ways; II. Let us choose the narrow way! (Ibid).

The manner in which the welfare of the Church was secured at the election of Matthias; I. Whatever office an individual in the Church may receive, two points are of primary importance: Clear views of the divine will, and inviolable fidelity in the imitation of Christ; II. Among Christians, no election without prayer and the divine blessing; III. The lot justifiable as a means of excluding private influences, when both of the persons nominated were in all respects equal.

(Schleiermacher.). That the word of God is our only safe guide in difficult situations of life: I. It teaches us to consider even the most embarrassing relations in which we may be placed, as dispensations of Providence; II. It teaches us to form comprehensive and clear views of those circumstances which may aid us in finding the right way; III. It teaches us to pray in faith, and then submit the ultimate decision to the Lord himself. (Langbein).

The wages of sin, or, The awful death of Judas Iscariot: I. He should have remained Christs disciple; but he betrayed his Master; II. He should have administered a sacred charge; but he purchased the field of blood; III. He should have preached the name of the risen Saviour; but he committed suicide; IV. He should have received the Holy Ghost; but he was lost forever. (Florey).

The choice of Matthias by lot, an evidence of faith: a faith, I. Which even after painful trials confidently awaited the victory of the kingdom of Christ; II. Which fully recognized the lofty purpose and the significance of the apostleship; III. Which, conscious of its own weakness, in all things submitted the decision to the Lord. (Leonh. and Sp.).

The divine election: I. It proceeds from the free grace of God; II. It demands a mind and a walk of which God can approve. (Kapff.).

On looking upward to God, the Searcher of hearts; this practice, I. Humbles the heart; II. Strengthens the heart. (C. Beck: Hom. Rep.).

The disciples of the Lord, waiting for his Spirit: I. They obediently abode in Jerusalem, Act 1:13; II. They remained with one accord together, Act 1:14; III. They prayed, Act 1:14; (Lisco).

The Christian, waiting until the Lord shall be revealed: like the disciples, who abode in Jerusalem, I. He obeys, for he is full of faith: II. He dwells with others in unity, for he is full of love; III. He prays, for he is full of hope. (id.).

That even the apostasy of those who had received a special call to the ministry, cannot retard the progress of the kingdom of God on earth: I. The fact that such individuals at times apostatize, Act 1:15-20; II. The certainty that these occurrences cannot seriously retard the progress of the kingdom of God, Act 1:21-26. (id.).

The devout spirit and the harmony of the first disciples, an example for all ages: I. A devout spirit perpetuates and sanctifies the harmony of brethren: II. That harmony communicates new ardor and elevation to a devout spirit. (Lechler).

By what considerations should we be induced to persevere in prayer? By those derived, I. From our urgent wants; II. From the precious promises of God. (id.)

The sources of Christian energy and boldness, (as illustrated in the case of Peter): I. Deep views of our own sinfulness; II. An experimental knowledge of divine grace and the atonement of Christ, (id.).

Judas and Peter, viewed as monuments of divine justice and grace. (id.).

In what mode shall we judge and speak of the sins and punishments of others?I. With candor and truth; II. With humility and self-examination; III. With grief, flowing from Christian love. (id.).

The gradual advances of sin, illustrated by the history of Judas. (id.).

The love of money, the root of all evil. [1Ti 6:10]. (id.).

The proverb; Ill-gotten, ill-spent. (id.).

The word of God, a light unto our path, [Psa 119:105]: I. It gives us right views of our experience of life; II. It makes known to us alike our general and our special duties.

The necessary qualifications of a teacher of religion: I. Accurate knowledge of the truth which is after godliness [Tit 1:1]; II. Personal communion with Jesus. (id.).

The office of a teacher, viewed as that of a witness.
Genuine prayer; it is, I. Full of reverence and humility, as in the presence of the divine majesty; II. Full of faith and confidence, as a conversation with the friend of our souls.

The lessons taught by the truth that the Lord is the Searcher of hearts: it conducts to, I. Humble self-knowledge; II. Child-like confidence in God. (ibid.).

Judas lost, Matthias chosen; I. Judas lost, (a) not on account of an antemundane divine reprobation, but (b) on account of his own transgression, which necessarily demanded (c) the action of the punitive justice of God; II. Matthias chosen, (a) not on account of any merit of his own (for wherein was he superior to Barsabas?), (b) but by the free grace of God, to which, however, (c) he devoutly subjected his own will and his whole life.

Barsabas the Just, [Justus, Act 1:23], and Matthias the Chosen One, or, My Grace is sufficient for thee! [2Co 12:9].

Matthias, numbered with the apostles, an image of him who assumes the office of the ministry with the divine blessing; three conditions must here be observed: I. The spiritual fitness of the individual, Act 1:21-22 : II. The regular external call, Act 1:23-24; III. The divine confirmation of the act, Act 1:25-26.

[The consultations of Christians: I. The spirit in which they are conducted; a spirit of (a) humble faith (prayer-hope); (b) brotherly love (forbearance); (c) humility (self-denial): (d) earnestness of purpose (deep interest); II. The action in which they result; it is distinguished by (a) a sincere concern for the honor of religion (choice of means); (b) disinterestedness (concern for the temporal and spiritual welfare of others;) (c) zeal; (liberality); (d) perseverance (not discouraged). Tr.]

Footnotes:

[8]Act 1:14.[The reading of the text. rec. , after , is found in C. (second correction), but is omitted in A. B. C. (original) D. E. Cod. Sin., Vulg., and is cancelled by Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Alford.Tr.]

[9]Act 1:17.[Lechlers translation indicates that he, like Alford, rejects of the text. rec., as found in most of the minuscules, and reads , in accordance with the best manuscripts, viz., A. B. C. D. E. Cod. Sin.; and this reading is preferred by nearly all recent critics.Tr.]

[10]Act 1:20.a. [Lechler renders the original, , by Aufseheramt, literally, overseers office; the margin of the English Bible presents the rendering: office (Geneva, 1557), or, charge. This translation strictly conforms to the original in Psa 109:8, , comp. Num 4:16. Peter here designates by the term, according to Meyer, de Wette, etc., the apostolic office.Tr.]

[11]Act 1:20.b. [, of text. rec., with E., is a correction to suit the Sept. (Psa 109:8). (Alf.)Lach., Tisch., Bornemann, and Alf. read , with A. B. C. D. Cod. Sic.Tr.]

[12]Act 1:25.[For , of text. rec., before ., with minuscules, but also Cod. Sin. Lach., Tisch., Born., and Alf. read , with A. B. C. (original) D. Vulg. (locum.)Tr.]

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. (13) And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. (14) These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

It is better to be conceived than expressed, what were the feelings of the Apostles, when hastening back to Jerusalem, from the mount after they had lost sight of Jesus, and the angels had called off their attention to the consideration of what was to follow. But I pray the Reader, not to overlook what is said, of their continuing in prayer. No doubt, the Lord inclined their hearts, to be in this waiting, praying frame, for the mercy they were now so earnestly expecting of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It is always a sure sign, of some coming blessing, whensoever the Lord sets his people a praying for it. Prayer brings the promise, and the God of the promise together. And when any of the praying seed of Jacob can follow up Jacob’s importunity, of wrestling with God, with an earnestness like him; very sure it is, that all the family soon find, as those Apostles did, a promising God is a performing God.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

Ver. 12. From the mount ] Near unto which he had been apprehended, viz. at Bethany, and from whence he had thus triumphantly ascended up on high, leading captivity captive, &c., Eph 4:8 , and making an open show of his conquered enemies as a public spectacle of scorn and derision, , Col 2:15 . In which respect, how well might this mount Olivet have received that name of Nicatorium, a which Alexander the Great gave to a certain Mountain not far from Arbela, as a constant trophy of that famous victory that he there got over Darius, with whom he fought for the empire of the world.

a . Strabo.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

12 .] In so careful a writer (see Luk 1:3 ) there must be some reason why this minute specification of distance should be here inserted, when no such appears in the Gospel. And I believe this will be found, by combining the hint dropped by Chrysostom, , with the declaration in the Gospel ( Luk 24:50 ) that he led them out as far as to Bethany , This latter was ( Joh 11:18 ) fifteen stadia from Jerusalem, which is more than twice the Sabbath-day’s journey (2000 cubits = about six furlongs). Now if the Ascension happened on the Sabbath, it is very possible that offence may have arisen at the statement in the Gospel: and that therefore the Evangelist gives here the more exact notice, that the spot, although forming part of the district of Bethany, was yet on that part of the Mount of Olives which fell within the limits of the Sabbath-day’s journey. This of course must be a mere conjecture; but it will not be impugned by the fact of the Ascension being kept by the Church in after ages on a Thursday. This formed no hindrance to Chrysostom in making the above supposition: although the festival was certainly observed in his time (see Bingham, Orig [7] Eccl. 20:6. There is no mention of it in the Fathers of the first three centuries). Forty days from the Resurrection is an expression which would suit as well the Saturday of the seventh week as the Thursday.

[7] Origen, b. 185, d. 254

The distance of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem is stated by Josephus at five stadia, Antt. xx. 8. 6, at six stadia, B. J. v. 2. 3; different points being taken as the limit. The present church of the Ascension rather exceeds the distance of six stadia from the city.

The use of , – , here (and in reff.) by Luke only is remarkable, especially as the whole passage is so much in his own distinctive style as to preclude the idea of his having transferred a written document.

is not for , but as in . . . , Joh 5:5 , and in reff.; the space or time mentioned being regarded as an attribute of the subject.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Act 1:12 . : frequent in Acts and in St. Luke’s Gospel, but most frequent in St. Matthew; on its use see Grimm-Thayer, and Blass, Gramm. des N. G. , p. 270. : a word characteristic of Luke both in his Gospel and in Acts, occurring in the former over twenty times, in the latter ten or eleven times. Only in three places elsewhere, not at all in the Gospels, but see Mar 14:40 (Moulton and Geden, sub v. ); Friedrich, ubi supra , p. 8. On the Ascension see additional note at end of chapter. . : ubi captus et vinctus fuerat . Wetstein. Although St. Matthew and St. Mark both speak of the Mount of Olives they do not say . (neither is the formula found in Joh 8:1 ). It is therefore probable that St. Luke speaks as he does as one who was a stranger to Jerusalem, or, as writing to one who was so. Blass, ubi supra , pp. 32, 84, contends that ought to give place to , which he also reads in Luk 19:29 ; Luk 21:37 (W.H [102] , and in Luk 19:37 ; Luk 22:39 , , in each case as genitive of ), the former word being found only here and in Josephus, Ant. , vii., 9, 2. But it is found in all the MSS. in this passage, although falso . cum ct. , says Blass. Blass would thus get rid of the difficulty of regarding as if used in Luk 19:29 ; Luk 21:37 as an indeclinable noun, whilst here he would exchange its genitive for . Deisstmann, however, is not inclined to set aside the consensus of authoritities for , and he regards in the two passages above as a lax use of the nominative case. As the genitive of it would correspond to the Latin Olivetum (so Vulgate), an olive-orchard; cf. and in N.T., the termination in derivative nouns indicating a place set with trees of the kind designated by the primitive. for instances cf. Grimm-Thayer, sub , but see on the other hand Deissmann, Neue Bibelstudien , p. 36 ff. With regard to the parallel between our verse and Josephus, Ant. , vii., 9, 2, it is evident that even if St. Luke had read Josephus he was not dependent upon him, for he says here . just as in his Gospel he had written ., probably giving one or more popular names by which the place was known; Glol, Galaterbrief , p. 65 (see also on the word W.H [103] , ii., Appendix, p. 165; Plummer, St. Luke , p. 445; and Winer-Schmiedel, p. 93). , not : the distance is represented as something which the mountain has, Meyer-Wendt; cf. Luk 24:13 . There is no real discrepancy between this and the statement of St. Luke’s Gospel that our Lord led His disciples , Luk 24:50 , a village which was more than double a sabbath day’s journey, fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem. But if the words in St. Luke, l. c. , mean “over against Bethany,” (so Feine, Eine vorkanonische Uberlieferung des Lucas , p. 79, and Nsgen, Apostelgeschichte , p. 80; see also Rendall, Acts , p. 171 Blass omits and reads only and remarks neque vero est ; cf. also Belser, Theologische Quartalschrift , i., 79 (1895)), the difficulty is surmounted, for St. Luke does not fix the exact spot of the Ascension, and he elsewhere uses the Mount of Olives, Luk 21:37 , as the equivalent of the Bethany of Matthew (Act 21:17 ) and Mark (Act 11:1 ). Nor is it likely that our Lord would lead His disciples into a village for the event of His Ascension. It should be remembered that Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. , says that “the Ascension was from the place where that tract of the Mount of Olives ceased to be called Bethphage and began to be called Bethany”. The recent attempt of Rud. Hoffmann to refer the Ascension to a “Galilee” in the Mount of Olives rests upon a tradition which cannot be regarded as reliable (see Galila auf dem Oelberg , Leipzig, 1896), although he can quote Resch as in agreement with him, p. 14. On Hoffmann’s pamphlet see also Expositor (5th series), p. 119 (1897), and Theologisches Literaturblatt , No. 27 (1897). This mention of the distance is quite characteristic of St. Luke; it may also have been introduced here for the benefit of his Gentile readers; Page, Acts, in loco , and cf. Ramsay’s remarks, Was Christ born at Bethlehem? pp. 55, 56.

[102] Westcott and Hort’s The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

[103] Westcott and Hort’s The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Acts

THE ASCENSION

Act 1:1 – Act 1:14 .

The Ascension is twice narrated by Luke. The life begun by the supernatural birth ends with the supernatural Ascension, which sets the seal of Heaven on Christ’s claims and work. Therefore the Gospel ends with it. But it is also the starting-point of the Christ’s heavenly activity, of which the growth of His Church, as recorded in the Acts, is the issue. Therefore the Book of the Acts of the Apostles begins with it.

The keynote of the ‘treatise’ lies in the first words, which describe the Gospel as the record of what ‘Jesus began to do and teach,’ Luke would have gone on to say that this second book of his contained the story of what Jesus went on to do and teach after He was ‘taken up,’ if he had been strictly accurate, or had carried out his first intention, as shown by the mould of his introductory sentence; but he is swept on into the full stream of his narrative, and we have to infer the contrast between his two volumes from his statement of the contents of his first.

The book, then, is misnamed Acts of the Apostles, both because the greater number of the Apostles do nothing in it, and because, in accordance with the hint of the first verse, Christ Himself is the doer of all, as comes out distinctly in many places where the critical events of the Church’s progress and extension are attributed to ‘the Lord.’ In one aspect, Christ’s work on earth was finished on the Cross; in another, that finished work is but the beginning both of His doing and teaching. Therefore we are not to regard His teaching while on earth as the completion of Christian revelation. To set aside the Epistles on the plea that the Gospels contain Christ’s own teaching, while the Epistles are only Paul’s or John’s, is to misconceive the relation between the earthly and the heavenly activity of Jesus.

The statement of the theme of the book is followed by a brief summary of the events between the Resurrection and Ascension. Luke had spoken of these in the end of his Gospel, but given no note of time, and run together the events of the day of the Resurrection and of the following weeks, so that it might appear, as has been actually contended that he meant, that the Ascension took place on the very day of Resurrection. The fact that in this place he gives more detailed statements, and tells how long elapsed between the Resurrection Sunday and the Ascension, might have taught hasty critics that an author need not be ignorant of what he does not mention, and that a detailed account does not contradict a summary one,-truths which do not seem very recondite, but have often been forgotten by very learned commentators.

Three points are signalised as occupying the forty days: commandments were given, Christ’s actual living presence was demonstrated by sight, touch, hearing, etc., and instructions concerning the kingdom were imparted. The old blessed closeness and continuity of companionship had ceased. Our Lord’s appearances were now occasional. He came to the disciples, they knew not whence; He withdrew from them, they knew not whither. Apparently a sacred awe restrained them from seeking to detain Him or to follow Him. Their hearts would be full of strangely mingled feelings, and they were being taught by gentle degrees to do without Him. Not only a divine decorum, but a most gracious tenderness, dictated the alternation of presence and absence during these days.

The instructions then given are again referred to in Luke’s Gospel, and are there represented as principally directed to opening their minds ‘that they might understand the Scriptures.’ The main thing about the kingdom which they had then to learn, was that it was founded on the death of Christ, who had fulfilled all the Old Testament predictions. Much remained untaught, which after years were to bring to clear knowledge; but from the illumination shed during these fruitful days flowed the remarkable vigour and confidence of the Apostolic appeal to the prophets, in the first conflicts of the Church with the rulers. Christ is the King of the kingdom, and His Cross is His throne,-these truths being grasped revolutionised the Apostles’ conceptions. They are as needful for us.

From Act 1:4 onwards the last interview seems to be narrated. Probably it began in the city, and ended on the slopes of Olivet. There was a solemn summoning together of the Eleven, which is twice referred to Act 1:4 , Act 1:6. What awe of expectancy would rest on the group as they gathered round Him, perhaps half suspecting that it was for the last time! His words would change the suspicion into certainty, for He proceeded to tell them what they were not to do and to do, when left alone. The tone of leave-taking is unmistakable.

The prohibition against leaving Jerusalem implies that they would have done so if left to themselves; and it would have been small wonder if they had been eager to hurry back to quiet Galilee, their home, and to shake from their feet the dust of the city where their Lord had been slain. Truly they would feel like sheep in the midst of wolves when He had gone, and Pharisees and priests and Roman officers ringed them round. No wonder if, like a shepherdless flock, they had broken and scattered! But the theocratic importance of Jerusalem, and the fact that nowhere else could the Apostles secure such an audience for their witness, made their ‘beginning at Jerusalem’ necessary. So they were to crush their natural longing to get back to Galilee, and to stay in their dangerous position. We have all to ask, not where we should be most at ease, but where we shall be most efficient as witnesses for Christ, and to remember that very often the presence of adversaries makes the door ‘great and effectual.’

These eleven poor men were not left by their Master with a hard task and no help. He bade them ‘wait’ for the promised Holy Spirit, the coming of whom they had heard from Him when in the upper room He spoke to them of ‘the Comforter.’ They were too feeble to act alone, and silence and retirement were all that He enjoined till they had been plunged into the fiery baptism which should quicken, strengthen, and transform them.

The order in which promise and command occur here shows how graciously Jesus considered the Apostles’ weakness. Not a word does He say of their task of witnessing, till He has filled their hearts with the promise of the Spirit. He shows them the armour of power in which they are to be clothed, before He points them to the battlefield. Waiting times are not wasted times. Over-eagerness to rush into work, especially into conspicuous and perilous work, is sure to end in defeat. Till we feel the power coming into us, we had better be still.

The promise of this great gift, the nature of which they but dimly knew, set the Apostles’ expectations on tiptoe, and they seem to have thought that their reception of it was in some way the herald of the establishment of the Messianic kingdom. So it was, but in a very different fashion from their dream. They had not learned so much from the forty days’ instructions concerning the kingdom as to be free from their old Jewish notions, which colour their question, ‘Wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?’ They believed that Jesus could establish His kingdom when He would. They were right, and also wrong,-right, for He is King; wrong, for its establishment is not to be effected by a single act of power, but by the slow process of preaching the gospel.

Our Lord does not deal with their misconceptions which could only be cured by time and events; but He lays down great principles, which we need as much as the Eleven did. The ‘times and seasons,’ the long stretches of days, and the critical epoch-making moments, are known to God only; our business is, not to speculate curiously about these, but to do the plain duty which is incumbent on the Church at all times. The perpetual office of Christ’s people to be His witnesses, their equipment for that function namely, the power of the Holy Spirit coming on them, and the sphere of their work namely, in ever-widening circles, Jerusalem, Samaria, and the whole world, are laid down, not for the first hearers only, but for all ages and for each individual, in these last words of the Lord as He stood on Olivet, ready to depart.

The calm simplicity of the account of the Ascension is remarkable. So great an event told in such few, unimpassioned words! Luke’s Gospel gives the further detail that it was in the act of blessing with uplifted hands that our Lord was parted from the Eleven. Two expressions are here used to describe the Ascension, one of which ‘was taken up’ implies that He was passive, the other of which ‘He went’ implies that He was active. Both are true. As in the accounts of the Resurrection He is sometimes said to have been raised, and sometimes to have risen, so here. The Father took the Son back to the glory, the Son left the world and went to the Father. No chariot of fire, no whirlwind, was needed to lift Him to the throne. Elijah was carried by such agency into a sphere new to him; Jesus ascended up where He was before.

No other mode of departure from earth would have corresponded to His voluntary, supernatural birth. He carried manhood up to the throne of God. The cloud which received Him while yet He was well within sight of the gazers was probably that same bright cloud, the symbol of the Divine Presence, which of old dwelt between the cherubim. His entrance into it visibly symbolised the permanent participation, then begun, of His glorified manhood in the divine glory.

Most true to human nature is that continued gaze upwards after He had passed into the hiding brightness of the glory-cloud. How many of us know what it is to look long at the spot on the horizon where the last glint of sunshine struck the sails of the ship that bore dear ones away from us! It was fitting that angels, who had heralded His birth and watched His grave, should proclaim His Second Coming to earth.

It was gracious that, in the moment of keenest sense of desolation and loss, the great hope of reunion should be poured into the hearts of the Apostles. Nothing can be more distinct and assured than the terms of that angel message. It gives for the faith and hope of all ages the assurance that He will come; that He who comes will be the very Jesus who went; that His coming will be, like His departure, visible, corporeal, local. He will bring again all His tenderness, all His brother’s heart, all His divine power, and will gather His servants to Himself.

No wonder that, with such hopes flowing over the top of their sorrow, like oil on troubled waters, the little group went back to the upper room, hallowed by memories of the Last Supper, and there waited in prayer and supplication during the ten days which elapsed till Pentecost. So should we use the interval between any promise and its fulfilment. Patient expectation, believing prayer, harmonious association with our brethren, will prepare us for receiving the gift of the Spirit, and will help to equip us as witnesses for Jesus.

Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act 1:12-14

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Act 1:12 “returned” Luk 24:52 adds “with great joy.”

“mount called Olivet” This seems to contradict Luk 24:50 (i.e., Bethany); however, compare Luk 19:29; Luk 21:37 with Mar 11:11-12; Mar 14:3. The ridge known as the Mt. of Olives was a 2.5 mile ridge about 300-400 feet above Jerusalem that ran from Bethany opposite the Kidron Valley, across from the Temple. It is mentioned in OT eschatological prophecy (cf. Zec 14:4). Jesus had met the disciples there many times to pray and possibly camp out.

“a Sabbath day’s journey away” The distance a Jew could travel on the Sabbath was set by the rabbis (cf. Exo 16:29; Num 35:5). It was a distance of about 2,000 cubits (or steps), which the rabbis set as the maximum one could walk on the Sabbath and not break the Mosaic law.

Act 1:13 “the upper room” This was probably the same site as the Last Supper (cf. Luk 22:12; Mar 14:14-15). Tradition says it was the upper level (2nd or 3rd floor) of the home of John Mark (cf. Act 12:12), who wrote the memories of Peter into the Gospel of Mark. It must have been a large room to accommodate 120 persons.

“they” This is one of four lists of the Apostles (cf. Mat 10:2-4; Mar 3:16-19; and Luk 6:14-16). The lists are not identical. The names and order change. However, they are always the same persons named in four groups of three. Peter is always first and Judas is always last. These three groups of four may have been for the purpose of allowing these men to return home periodically to check on and provide for their families. See Special Topic following.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE APOSTLES’ NAMES

“Peter” Most Jews of Galilee had both a Jewish name (e.g., Simon or Simeon [BDB 1035, cf. Gen 29:33], meaning “hearing”) and a Greek name (which is never given). Jesus nicknames him “rock.” In Greek it is petros and in Aramaic it is cephas (cf. Joh 1:42; Mat 16:16).

“Andrew” The Greek term means “manly.” From Joh 1:29-42 we learn that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and that he introduced his brother Peter to Jesus.

“Philip” The Greek term means “fond of horses.” His call is elaborated in Joh 1:43-51.

“Thomas” The Hebrew term means “twin” or Didymus (cf. Joh 11:16; Joh 20:24; Joh 21:2).

“Bartholomew” The term means “Son of Ptolemy.” He may be the Nathanael (“gift of God,” BDB 681 and 41) of the Gospel of John (cf. Joh 1:45-49; Joh 21:20).

“Matthew” Possibly related to the Hebrew name Mattenai, means “gift of YHWH” (BDB 683). This is another designation for Levi (cf. Mar 2:14; Luk 5:27).

“James” This is the Hebrew name “Jacob” (BDB 784, cf. Gen 25:26) There are two men named James in the list of the Twelve. One is the brother of John (cf. Mar 3:17) and part of the inner circle (i.e., Peter, James, and John). This one is known as James the less.

“Simon the Zealot” The Greek text of Mark has “Cananean” (also Mat 10:4). Mark, whose Gospel was written to Romans, may not have wanted to use the politically “hot-button” word “zealot,” which referred to a Jewish anti-Roman guerrilla movement. Luke does call him by this term (cf. Luk 6:15 and Act 1:13). The term “Cananean” may have several derivatives.

1. of the area of Galilee known as Cana

2. from the OT use of Canaanite as merchant

3. from a general designation as a native of Canaan.

If Luke’s designation is right, then “zealot” is from the Aramaic term for “enthusiast” (cf. Luk 6:15; Act 1:17). Jesus’ chosen twelve disciples were from several different and competing groups. Simon was a member of a nationalistic group which advocated the violent overthrow of Roman authority. Normally this Simon and Levi (i.e., Matthew the tax collector) would not have been in the same room with each other.

“Thaddaeus” He was also called “Lebbeus” (“man of heart,” cf. Mat 10:3) or “Judas” (cf. Luk 6:16; Joh 14:22; Act 1:13). Thaddaeus means “beloved child” (lit. “from the breast”).

“Judas Iscariot” There are two Simons, two Jameses, and two Judases. “Iscariot” has two possible derivations: (1) man of Kerioth in Judah (cf. Jos 15:23) or (2) “dagger man” or assassin, which would mean he also was a zealot, like Simon.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ISCARIOT

Act 1:14 “these all with one mind” This term is a compound of “this same” (homo) and “emotion of the mind” (thumos). It was not a prerequisite as much as it was the atmosphere of anticipation. This attitude is mentioned again and again in Acts (i.e., of believers, cf. Act 1:14; Act 2:46; Act 4:24; Act 5:12; Act 15:25; and of others in Act 7:57; Act 8:6; Act 12:20; Act 18:12; Act 19:29).

NASB”continually devoting”

NKJV”continued”

NRSV”constantly devoting”

TEV”gathered frequently”

NJB”joined constantly”

This term (pros and kaptere) means to be intent or persistent or intently engaged. Luke uses it often (cf. Act 1:14; Act 2:42; Act 2:46; Act 6:4; Act 8:13; Act 10:7). It is a periphrastic present active participle.

“with the women” There was a group of women who traveled with and provided for and cared for Jesus and the Apostles (cf. Mat 27:55-56; Mar 15:40-41; Luk 8:2-3; Luk 23:49; and Joh 19:25). See Special Topic following.

SPECIAL TOPIC: WOMEN WHO TRAVELED WITH JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES

“His brothers” We know the names of several of Jesus’ half-brothers: Jude, James (see Special Topic at Act 12:17), and Simon (cf. Mat 13:55; Mar 6:3 and Luk 2:7). They were once unbelievers (cf. Joh 7:5), but now part of the inner group of disciples. For an interesting brief discussion of the historical development of the doctrine of the “perpetual virginity” of Mary, see F. F. Bruce, New International Commentary, Acts, p. 44, footnote 47.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Olivet. Only here in N.T., but found often in the Papyri. The usual expression is the “Mount of Olives”.

from = near.

a sabbath day’s journey. See App-51.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

12.] In so careful a writer (see Luk 1:3) there must be some reason why this minute specification of distance should be here inserted, when no such appears in the Gospel. And I believe this will be found, by combining the hint dropped by Chrysostom,- ,-with the declaration in the Gospel (Luk 24:50) that he led them out as far as to Bethany, This latter was (Joh 11:18) fifteen stadia from Jerusalem, which is more than twice the Sabbath-days journey (2000 cubits = about six furlongs). Now if the Ascension happened on the Sabbath, it is very possible that offence may have arisen at the statement in the Gospel: and that therefore the Evangelist gives here the more exact notice, that the spot, although forming part of the district of Bethany, was yet on that part of the Mount of Olives which fell within the limits of the Sabbath-days journey. This of course must be a mere conjecture; but it will not be impugned by the fact of the Ascension being kept by the Church in after ages on a Thursday. This formed no hindrance to Chrysostom in making the above supposition: although the festival was certainly observed in his time (see Bingham, Orig[7] Eccl. 20:6. There is no mention of it in the Fathers of the first three centuries). Forty days from the Resurrection is an expression which would suit as well the Saturday of the seventh week as the Thursday.

[7] Origen, b. 185, d. 254

The distance of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem is stated by Josephus at five stadia, Antt. xx. 8. 6,-at six stadia, B. J. v. 2. 3; different points being taken as the limit. The present church of the Ascension rather exceeds the distance of six stadia from the city.

The use of , -, here (and in reff.) by Luke only is remarkable, especially as the whole passage is so much in his own distinctive style as to preclude the idea of his having transferred a written document.

is not for , but as in . . . , Joh 5:5, and in reff.; the space or time mentioned being regarded as an attribute of the subject.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Act 1:12. , of Olives) where His agony had taken place.-, near to) five furlongs.- , a Sabbath days journey) As far as a Jew was permitted to journey on the Sabbath day, without fatigue; i.e. as much as two thousand cubits (ells). Chrysostom infers from this, that it was on the Sabbath day that they returned to the city: I am more inclined to think that the exact spot in the whole Mount of Olives, which was that from which the Ascension took place, is marked by this distance from the city.[2]

[2] Lightf. on Luk 24:50, and here, states that the reason why the limit of the Sabbath journey was 2000 cubits beyond the walls of the city or ones house was, because the innermost tents of the Israelitish camp in the wilderness were that distance from the tabernacle, Jos 3:4. See Num 35:4-5. Epiphanius (Hr. 66, 82) makes the Sabbath journey six Greek stadia or three-fourths of a Roman mile. So Josephus, B. J. v. 2, 3, makes the Mount of Olives six stadia from Jerusalem; and this is here, Act 1:12, called a Sabbath days journey. In Antiq. Act 20:8; Act 20:6, Jos. makes it five stadia. Probably it was about five or six, which is below the estimate of 2000 cubits.-E. and T.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Act 1:12-14

WAITING FOR THE PROMISE

Act 1:12-14

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem-The usual name in the Bible for this mountain is mount of Olives, and is used eleven times in the New Testament. (Mat 21:1; Mar 13:3; Luk 22:39; Joh 8:1.) Olivet is the Greek word here meaning olive orchard or olive yard. This mountain was nigh unto Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives is on the east of Jerusa-lem, and must be passed by those who go from Jerusalem to Bethany ; hence, Lukes expression, He led them out until they were over against Bethany. (Luk 24:50.) No one knows the exact spot on the Mount of Olives from which Jesus ascended; it was a sabbath days journey off. Different parts of the Mount of Olives were, of course, more or less distant from Jerusalem. A sabbath days journey was about two thousand yards, or about three- quarters of a mile from the city wall. Luke says here that the Mount of Olives was a Sabbath days journey from Jerusalem, not that Jesus was precisely that distance when he ascended. Bethany was on one side of the Mount of Olives, at the foot of the mountain, on the east side, about fifteen furlongs off (Joh 11:18), or nearly two miles from Jerusalem, and the ascension was over against Bethany. (Luk 24:50.)

13 And when they were come in,-When the apostles came into the city of Jerusalem from the ascension, they went up into the upper chamber. Some claim that this upper chamber was the same room that was occupied by Jesus when he ate the passover, which is described both by Mark and Luke as a large upper room. (Mar 14:15; Luk 22:12.) This was in a private house, as is indicated in Luk 22:11; and not in the temple, as is indicated in Luk 24:53. The upper chamber is a phrase which suggests a well-known place, and this is as definite as we can make it. In this room the eleven were abiding, not in the sense of dwelling, but of sojourning; they were waiting for the promise of the Father. Here we have a list of the apostles; this is the fourth record or list of these names found in the New Testament.

The lists of the apostles in the New Testament are as follows

Mat 10:2-4 Peter Andrew James John Philip Bartholomew Thomas Matthew James of Alphaeus Thaddaeus Simon the Zealot Judas IscariotMar 3:16-19 Peter James John Andrew Philip Bartholomew Matthew Thomas James of Alphaeus Thaddaeus Simon the Zealot Judas IscariotLuk 6:14-16 Peter Andrew James John Philip Bartholomew Matthew Thomas James of Alphaeus Simon the Zealot Judas of James Judas IscariotAct 1:13 Peter John James Andrew Philip Thomas Bartholomew Matthew James of Alphaeus Simon the Zealot Judas of James (Matthias)

The list of apostles is grouped by fours into three groups; Peter heads all the lists as leader; Philip heads the list of the second group in all four of the lists; and James of Alphaeus heads the list of the last group in all four of the lists. Luke varies his roll in his gospel and Acts; Andrew follows Peter in the gospel, and in Acts he is the fourth; while John is the fourth in the gospel and second in Acts. Luke changes the order in the second group, but the arrangement is the same in the third group. Peter, James, and John are the only apostles whose names are mentioned again in the Acts; they are mentioned here at the beginning of the history of the church. When the roll is called by Luke in Acts the name of Judas Iscariot is omitted.

14 These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer,-The disciple company consists of four separately mentioned classes of persons: (1) the eleven apostles; (2) certain devout women, including Mary the mother of Jesus; (3) the brethren of Jesus, James, Joses (Joseph), Simon, and Judas (Mat 13:55; Mar 6:3); (4) the other disciples of Jesus. The Greek word for one accord, homothumadon, means more than being together in one outward society; it means concord or oneness of mind and of spirit. They were together in one place because they had one purpose, and were of oneness of soul. They continued stedfastly in prayer; that is, they let nothing interfere with their prayers. They had been told to wait for the fulfillment of the promise, and that it would not be many days, so they spent their time in prayer. This was the best preparation that they could make for the great event of the descent of the Holy Spirit. This is the last mention that we have of Mary the mother of Jesus; the New Testament leaves her on her knees in prayer waiting, with the others, for the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

3. FAITHFUL BUT FALLIBLE LEADERS

Act 1:12-26

Act 1:12-26 covers a brief waiting period (about one week) between the ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The things that are recorded here were written by Luke, by divine inspiration, for our learning and admonition. If we are wise, we will lay them to heart.

First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST FULFILLED EVERY PROPHECY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES RELATING TO HIS INCARNATION, LIFE, EARTHLY MINISTRY, CRUCIFIXION, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION (Act 1:12). When Luke tells us that the disciples returned from the mount called Olivet to Jerusalem, he is, almost casually, telling us that Christ stood upon Mt. Olivet when he ascended to heaven, just like the prophet Zechariah said he would (Zec 14:4; Eze 11:23). The mount had been divided in two parts by a great earthquake in the days of Uzziah. Our Lord ascended from that part of it which was near Bethany (Luk 24:50). It was there that he began his sufferings (Luk 22:39). It was most fitting therefore that he should cast off the reproach of his sufferings there by his glorious ascension.

Second, THE PATH OF BLESSEDNESS AND USEFULNESS IS THE PATH OF OBEDIENCE (Act 1:12-14). The disciples returned to Jerusalem because the Lord commanded them to do so (Act 1:4). There their enemies awaited them. There they were most likely to suffer and be persecuted. But the Lord’s commandment was clear. So they returned (Pro 3:5-6). There in a large upper room, they met together in prayer, united in heart, waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit. Much needed to be done. They had a message to proclaim. Sinners were perishing. But the Lord had commanded them to wait. So they waited. They were waiting upon the Lord, waiting for God to move, waiting for God to come upon them, waiting for God to open the door before them (Psa. 27:15; Psa 62:5-7; Chron. Act 15:13). We must obey his Word and wait for his direction. In all things, the point of our responsibility is the commandment of God. We must obey him. Obeying his Word, the disciples were filled with the Spirit and greatly used of God for much good.

Thirdly, EVEN THE BEST OF MEN ARE ONLY MEN AT BEST (Act 1:15-26). So long as we are in this world we will be prone to error and sin. We stray in many ways and err in many things. Even true, faithful servants of God are weak, fallible men of flesh and blood. This is manifest in the fact that Peter led the disciples to choose an apostle God had not chosen.

Without question, Peter was a faithful man. He had the heart of a true pastor. On other occasions he acted rashly from bad motives, but not here. His motives were good. He wanted what was best for the glory of God, the people of God, and the gospel of God. The sin of Judas had made a vacancy in the apostolic office. Twelve apostles were originally chosen and ordained. As there were twelve tribes in Israel, descended from the twelve patriarchs, so there were twelve apostles. They are the twelve stars which make up the church’s crown (Rev 12:1). For them, twelve thrones were reserved (Mat 19:28). Peter read Psa 69:25 and concluded that it was the responsibility of the church to fill the vacancy left by Judas’ apostasy. His error was an error of judgment, not of motive or principle.

He humbly recognized the sovereignty of God in all that had happened (Act 1:16). He understood that the death of Christ was the work of God for the redemption of his people (Act 2:23; Act 4:27-28). He realized that God had sovereignly overruled the evil deeds of Judas to accomplish his own eternal purpose (Psa 41:9).

Peter sorrowfully remembered the fall of his former friend and companion (Act 1:17-19). He said no more about the subject than was necessary. Though he and Judas had been close friends, he bowed to the will of God and honored the judgment of God upon his friend. Peter knew that the only difference between him and Judas was the grace of God (1Co 4:7).

He reverenced and honored the Word of God (Act 1:20). Peter sincerely wanted to obey the Scriptures. He thought he was doing what God would have him do. He was motivated by an earnest desire for the glory of God. With genuine reverence, he sought the will of God (Act 1:21-25).

Peter should have sought the Lord before he appointed Justus and Matthias. Never say to God, “Lord, I am going to do this or that, you choose which you want me to do.” Rather, go to God and say, “What will you have me to do?”

When the lots were cast, Peter led the church to ordain an apostle God had not chosen (Act 1:26). It was true, the Lord’s intention was for his church to have twelve apostles, twelve and only twelve. David’s prophecy must be fulfilled. Another apostle must take Judas’ place. But, like the others, he must be personally chosen and ordained to the office by Christ himself. The Lord had not chosen Justus or Matthias for this office. He had chosen Paul (1Co 15:8).

How could Peter have made such a mistake? He sought to determine the will of God by casting lots. Like David, he made the mistake of seeking to determine the will of God by seeking the will of the people (1Ch 13:1-4). He tried to accomplish the will and work of God by the wisdom and energy of the flesh! As a result, Matthias was chosen to do what God had not gifted him to do. So far as we know, he never preached a sermon or wrote an epistle. We can only speculate about what became of him. But his name is never mentioned again. Where God ordained twelve apostles there was neither room nor need for thirteen!

Still, Peter was God’s appointed leader for that early church. In spite of his many errors, faults, and falls, Peter was God’s man, and the people of God rightfully submitted to his rule as their pastor (Heb 13:7; Heb 13:17). Though he was a fallible man, he was a faithful man. He preached the gospel of Christ, sought the will of God, lived for the glory of God, and served the people of God. Blessed is that congregation who has been given such a pastor after God’s own heart (Jer 3:15). Faithful pastors do sin. Faithful pastors do err in judgment. Faithful pastors do even err in doctrine. Faithful pastors do make mistakes. Faithful pastors need the prayers and the love of God’s people (1Th 5:12-13; 1Th 5:25; Heb 13:18).

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

journey

About 4854 feet.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

from: Zec 14:4, Mat 21:1, Mat 24:3, Mat 26:30, Luk 21:37, Luk 24:52

a sabbath: Luk 24:50, Joh 11:18

Reciprocal: Deu 11:29 – General 2Sa 15:30 – the ascent 1Ki 11:7 – the hill Mat 24:20 – neither Mar 11:1 – at the Luk 19:29 – Bethany

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

In Luke’s Gospel record, he merely states (chapter 24:52) that the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy. In our present verse he states from where they made the journey, namely, from the mount called Olivet, which is the same as the Mount of Olives, a distance from Jerusalem of a sabbath day’s journey, or about three-quarters of a mile. The law of

Moses has nothing to say about “a sab-bath day’s journey,” but that was a tradition of the Jews, based on a strained interpretation of Exo 16:29 and Jos 3:4. Neither Jesus nor the inspired writers endorsed the tradition, but on account of its common use, the term came to have a secular meaning as to distance.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Return of the Disciples to Jerusalem, 12-14.

Act 1:12. From the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath days journey. Our Lord (Luk 24:50) had led out His disciples from the city as far as Bethany, had blessed them and ascended into heaven; but Bethany was about twice a Sabbath days journey from Jerusalem. This discrepancy is, however, only apparent; for the suburb of Jerusalem called Bethphage, which lay between the city and Bethany, was legally counted as part of Jerusalem. So the distance for the Sabbath days journey would be reckoned from the point where the suburb Bethphage ended, to the spot on the Mount of Olives in the Bethany district where the ascension took place (see a long and exhaustive note of Wordsworth on The Place of the Ascension).

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Subdivision 2. (Act 1:12-26.)

Matthias added to the Eleven Apostles.

We have now the inroad that Satan has made upon their ranks repaired, and Matthias substituted for Judas in the number of the twelve apostles. Dreadful was the apostasy of one in such a position: and it could not be permitted that men should have the least apparent cause to blaspheme on this account; it must be shown that sin in its extremest manifestation had not yet exceeded the bounds ordained by God for it; -that in its worst uprising He was Master still.

1. They return from the mount of Olives to Jerusalem: Olivet is their spring of power; Jerusalem the sphere of their ministry: they break no sabbath-rest by journeying between the two. Olivet is their Gilgal, for their new conquest of the land; but they are a small company for so great a work, and realize their weakness. Gathering in the upper room where the eleven are staying, they continue with one accord in prayer, waiting for the fulfilment of the promise made. This conscious weakness is a main element of strength. The work being so entirely beyond them, they are delivered from the necessity of calculating their own resources, and are left to the unobstructed view of God as their sole argument and their sufficient resource.

Mary the mother of Jesus is seen here for the last time in Scripture. She takes her place simply with the rest, humbled, no doubt, rather than exalted by God’s grace towards her. What a grief it would have been to her to have known the place in which an apostate church would set her in the time to come! She is neither prayed to, nor even leads in prayer, but remains as in the beginning “the handmaid of the Lord,” and with this passes out of the history. In the doctrine of the epistles she has no place, and is never mentioned. Blessed and honored she is, and always will be; by none so dishonored as by those who would force her into a place impossible for a creature, that of a Pagan goddess rather than a Christian saint.

2. We see now the authority of Scripture over these disciples of the Lord Jesus, in which they are true followers of their Master. We have traced His ways in the Gospels, and know how fully the principle that “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God doth man live” was acted upon by Him. Scripture that “cannot be broken” had for Him, therefore, all the authority of unalterable truth. “But how, then should Scripture be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” He gives as a convincing reason for not taking Himself out of the hands of those who came to seize Him. On the Cross, “that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He saith, I thirst.” Twice over He speaks of the course and end of Judas as needful “that Scripture might be fulfilled.” Peter, therefore, does but follow his Lord, when now, standing up amongst the brethren, he declares that “it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became guide to those who took Jesus.” How blessed to realize the control of the Word of God in the darkest events, as in those most evidently displaying the signs of His handiwork! How dark they would be, if we had not in this way the assurance of His perfect oversight of every circumstance! But the Cross is, above all, this assurance, as the speaker here will presently point out to us. What a blaze of prophetic light is concentrated upon it! and how the worst evil the world ever saw is there gloriously overruled to be the greatest good! And what is true of this is true of every evil that has stained man’s history: “He maketh the wrath of man to praise Him; and the remainder of wrath He will restrain.”

So, then, with Judas, whose terrible descent is spoken of here, from his reception of the lot of his apostleship to his suicide in the field of blood, which he had purchased with the price of his iniquity. The apparently discordant accounts as to this purchase have been reconciled in a manner well-known and probable enough. Begun by the traitor, we have only to suppose it closed by the leaders of the people; Judas returning to it to hang himself in his despair, as Matthew relates; the judgment of God ensuing, as related here. That the character of the purchase-money should combine with the horror of his death to give its name of Aceldama to the potter’s field, is in no wise difficult to understand.

Peter in his quotation connects two psalms (Psa 69:25; Psa 109:8); the first fulfilled in the judgment at which his own hands had doubly wrought, the second as defining the duty which now pressed upon them. The office which he has shamed and cast aside is not to be left vacant to bear witness of the enemy’s victory. All has been provided for, -all has been specified beforehand in the prescient wisdom of God, which cannot be taken by surprise or overmatched by Satan’s subtlety or power. Nay, the Word is shown by his apparent success only the more fully master in all circumstances. It lies with them now to see filled up their broken ranks, -not by the appointment of a fresh apostle, for which plainly they have no authority, but by choosing out from among themselves those who had the necessary qualifications for one who was to be a witness of that wondrous life which had shone out among men, and then referring to the Lord Himself to determine which of these was according to His mind.

3. Scripture had settled for them what His mind was as to the place being filled; for the determining of the individual there was the lot, used so often in Israel for a matter like this. They had even the scripture for this, that. if “the lot is cast into the lap, the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (Pro 16:33). They had no reason to doubt, therefore, that they would have His guidance in acting on such an assurance; the Spirit had not yet come; and this, which some have taken to cast doubt upon the issue, and to dispute Matthias, right to the apostleship, they had no ground for believing to be a cause for delay when Scripture was thus clear. They acted in obedience, not in self-confidence; we never find their act disputed afterwards, and we have surely no right to dispute it now. It would be a totally different thing to imitate their conduct, now that the Spirit of God is come.

It is true that we have nothing of Matthias afterwards; but the same could be said of most of the apostles; nor of the fancied substitution of Paul for him at a later time have we any proof whatever. We have no reason for believing Matthias to have been other than his name imports, “the gift of the Lord” to them, according to their faith; and it is a happy thing to see faith acting in them in such simplicity and confidence, the word of God being its justification as always, -in this case before the Spirit has come. When He comes, it will not be to render us less subject to the Word, but on the contrary, to give us the fulness of it, even of the Old Testament; and the new dispensation which is now being introduced, with all its higher blessing, will confirm the old.

Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary

The apostles having seen our Saviour thus gloriously ascended into heaven from Mount Olivet, they return to Jerusalem; which is called a sabbath-day’s journey that is, about two miles. Eight furlongs make a mile, and Bethany, in which was the Mount of Olivet, was from Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs, Joh 11:18. This was the common walk which the Jews used on the sabbath-day, but rather for meditation than recreation’s sakes. The apostles thus returned, assemble together at Jerusalem, where they lay the foundation of the first gospel-church.

And here observe, 1. How the names of all the eleven apostles are repeated, and distinctly set down, to shew, that although they had fallen from their profession, and forsaken Christ, yet they had recoverd themselves by repentance, and were risen again; and upon their recovery, were continued by Christ in their former office and dignity. O the mighty power of a sincere repentance, to reinstate us in the favour and friendship of an offended God!

Observe, 2. How the sight of Christ’s ascension had established and confirmed the apostles faith: they now adore and worship him, and assemble together to perform their joint devotions to him. True, they looked upon him as a person sent from God, a great prophet, and the Son of David; but his Deity being evinced, and now made evident to them by his resurrection form the grave, and ascension into heaven, they now worshipped him as the Son of God. Luk 24:52

Observe, 3. The place where this Christian congregation did assemble; In an upper room; that is, says Dr. Hammond, in one of the chambers belonging to the temple; in the large upper room, say others, where Christ had lately eaten the passover with his disciples; it was no doubt the most convenient place they could find for that solemnity; an upper room being remote from noise and company, and capacious enough to receive this primo-primitive church, consisting of an hundred and twenty persons.

It teaches us, That all advantages, with respect to time and place, and other circumstances, for the better performance of holy duties, ought to be made use of and improved by us.

Observe, 4. The persons who were the first constituting members of this new constituted church; together with the apostles, mention is made of women in general, and of the Virgin Mary in particular; where we may remark, That this is the first and last time that the scripture makes mention of her after Christ’s death. None of the Evangelists record one word of our Lord’s appearing once to her, during his forty days stay and continuance upon earth after his resurrection.

Doubtless, the Spirit of God in the holy scriptures, by speaking so sparingly of her life, and nothing at all of her death, took care that all those fabulous reprots of her assumption, which have since arisen, should find no footsteps in the word of God. God dealeth with her, as with Moses, of whose sepulchre no man knoweth unto this day, lest it should be abused to idolatry.

The learned Dr. Lightfoot is of opinion, that she continued, under the care of the beloved disciple, unto whom Christ committed her for some time, and at last was taken away by martyrdom, according to Simeon’s prophecy. A sword shall pierce through thine own soul also. Luk 2:35 Which prophecy, he thinks, pointed at the manner of her death: But notwithstanding the silence of the scriptures, the church of Rome confidently affirms, that the Virgin lived sixty-three years, and that all the apostles were at her funeral, except St. Thomas, who desiring afterward to see her holy corpse, the sepulchre being opened the third day, the body was gone, being assumed and taken up into heaven.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Praying in Jerusalem

In full accord with the Lord’s instructions, those who had seen Jesus ascend went into the city of Jerusalem and assembled in an upper room. In his previous writing to Theophilus, Luke had said their return to the city was a joyful one. He also reported that they “were continually in the temple praising and blessing God” ( Luk 24:52-53 ). Clearly, the time of sorrow following the crucifixion was over and the apostles realized the events they had witnessed were reason for rejoicing. The eleven, Mary, the Lord’s mother, his half-brothers and some other unidentified disciples were constantly found in prayer as they awaited the promise of the Holy Spirit ( Act 1:12-14 ).

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Act 1:12. Then returned they unto Jerusalem According to their Masters appointment, having first worshipped him, Luk 24:52. Here they were in the midst of enemies; but it seems, though immediately after Christs resurrection they were watched, and were in fear of the Jews, yet after it was known that they were gone into Galilee, no notice was taken of their return to the city, nor any further search made for them. In Jerusalem they employed themselves in a daily course of public and private devotion, rejoicing in what they had seen and heard, and firmly believing some extraordinary event was at hand, whereby they should be more fully qualified for the great work assigned them; which, whatever the hazard of it might be, they were firmly determined to undertake and prosecute.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

12. At the rebuke of the angel, the disciples withdrew their longing gaze from the cloud into which Jesus had entered, and cheered by the promise of his return, (12) “Then they returned into Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which was near Jerusalem, distant a Sabbath-day’s journey.” The ascension took place near Bethany, which was nearly two miles from Jerusalem, and on the further side of Mount Olivet. It was the nearer side of the Mount, which was distant a Sabbath-day’s journey, or seven-eighths of a mile. We learn, from Luke’s former narrative, that they returned to Jerusalem “with great joy.” Their sorrow at parting from the Lord was turned into joy at the hope of seeing him again.

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

THE UPPER CHAMBER

12, 13. The walled city of Jerusalem is a quadrangle about twice as long from east to west as wide from north to south. The population is now estimated at fifty thousand, the city without the wall containing the same, though occupying a much larger territory and growing rapidly, as the space within the wall is all densely filled up, crammed and crowded. The walled city stands on a great mountainous table-land, the four prominences of which are Mount Zion, in the southwest; Mount Moriah, in the southeast; Mount Bazetha, in the northeast, and Mount Akra, in the northwest. Jerusalem is by nature the most impregnably fortified city on the globe, the Almighty with His own hand having prepared the site, high up on those great mountains, environed by the deep mountain gorges, designated the valleys of Gihon, Hinnom, Jehoshaphat, and Kidron, completely encompassing the city (really constituting one continuous abyss on all sides except the north). Hence invading armies in all ages have been utterly unable to approach the city except from the north. As it is the city of the Heavenly King, all the kings of the earth in all ages, conscious of the rivalry between this fallen world and heaven, have always held a grudge against Jerusalem and done their utmost to destroy it. Therefore Jerusalem has stood seventeen sieges and been destroyed seven times. After the Romans destroyed it, A. D. 73, the emperors, who were loyal worshipers of Jupiter, Apollo, Venus, Minerva, Diana and other Roman gods, and implacable enemies both to the Jewish and Christian religion, did their utmost to exterminate not only the existence but even the memory of Jerusalem from the annals of the world. Hence the Emperor Adrian in the second century dropped the very name Jerusalem, founded a Roman colony on the site, and named it Elia Capitolina, thus obliterating the very memory of Gods holy city. Two hundred years rolled away with no city on the earth called Jerusalem. When the Emperor Constantine, A. D. 325, was converted to Christianity, he and his queenly mother Helena went to Jerusalem and undertook its restoration, restoring the name and doing their utmost to identify the hallowed spots so dear and sacred to every Christian heart. Mount Olivet, east of Jerusalem, across the valleys of Jehoshaphat and Kidron, is the highest in all that region, being two hundred feet higher than Zion, Moriah, Bazenta and Akra on which Jerusalem stands. The city is so densely built as to disqualify the explorer from seeing much of it while within the walls. From the summit of Mount Olivet we enjoy a most capacious and satisfactory view of the whole city. When our Savior ascended into heaven from the summit of this mountain, pursuant to His emphatic mandate, positively prohibiting the disciples from their long cherished privilege of the worlds evangelization till they received the Pentecostal enduement of the Holy Ghost and fire, they returned to Jerusalem, a Sabbath days journey; i. e., three quarters of a mile.

Entering through the east wall, they travel on through the whole length of the city to that favorite upper chamber on Mt. Zion, in the southwest corner of the city, which memories had already hallowed, because Jesus had there so frequently edified them in His wonderful Bible-school. In this upper chamber not only the twelve apostles, but one hundred and eight disciples, male and female, assembled. Among them, the mother of Jesus and His brothers.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Act 1:12-14. The Community at Jerusalem.The scene of the Ascension was not mentioned before; we hear of it now. Luk 24:50 puts it at Bethany which is (Joh 11:18) fifteen stades (about 1 miles) from Jerusalem; the Mount of Olives (here expressed in one word Elaion, hence, EV properly, Olivet), is less than half that distance. (For the tradition that the Messiah was to appear first on the Mount of Olives, see Eze 11:23, Zec 14:4, and cf. Mar 11:1-10*.) The account is written for people unacquainted with Jerusalem.

Act 1:13. The upper chamber is probably in a private house; the believers could not be abiding in the Temple. The religious life of the little community is described in phrases which repeatedly occur: with one accordthere is complete unanimity among themthey continue steadfastly in prayer; they are directed to one object and know how it is to be secured; only so could the little band prevail who were responsible for the new truth. The women may be the wives of the apostles; D adds and the children, which would point in this direction. Mary, mother of Jesus, was last heard of in Luk 8:19 (but cf. Joh 19:25-27), and His brothers also. Of them James is heard of afterwards (Gal 1:19).

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath {h} day’s journey.

(h) About two miles.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

4. Jesus’ appointment of a twelfth apostle 1:12-26

Peter perceived the importance of asking God to identify Judas’ successor in view of the ministry that Jesus had said the Twelve would have in the future. He led the disciples in obtaining the Lord Jesus’ guidance in this important matter (cf. Act 1:21; Act 1:24). From his viewpoint, the Lord could have returned very soon to restore the kingdom to Israel (Act 1:6), so the Twelve had to be ready for their ministry of judging the twelve tribes of Israel when He did.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

The disciples’ spiritual preparation 1:12-14

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

The disciples returned to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit. The short trip from where Jesus ascended on Mt. Olivet to the upper room was only a Sabbath day’s journey away (about 2,000 cubits, two-thirds of a mile, one kilometer; cf. Exo 16:29; Num 35:5). [Note: Mishnah Sotah 5:3.] This upper room may not have been the same one in which the disciples had observed the first Lord’s Supper with Jesus (Luk 22:12). Different Greek words describe the places. It may have been the place where He had appeared to them following His resurrection (Luk 24:32; Luk 24:36; Joh 20:19; Joh 20:26), but this too is unclear. The definite article "the" with "upper room" in the Greek text (to hyperoon) and the emphatic position of this phrase may suggest that Luke meant to identify a special upper room that the reader would know about from a previous reference to it. One writer suggested that this upper room, as well as the ones mentioned in Act 9:37; Act 9:39, and Act 20:8, may have been part of a synagogue. [Note: Rainer Riesner, "Synagogues in Jerusalem," in The Book of Acts in Its First Century Setting; Vol. 4: The Book of Acts in Its Palestinian Setting, p. 206.] The repetition of the apostles’ names recalls Jesus’ previous appointment of them as apostles (cf. Luk 6:13-16). [Note: See Margaret H. Williams, "Palestinian Jewish Personal Names in Acts," in ibid., pp. 79-113.] This list, however, omits Judas Iscariot and sets the stage for the selection of his replacement.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

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