29.12.2013
Matthew Henry
Interpretation of the books of the New Testament. Acts of the Holy Apostles
CHAPTER 1
The inspired writer begins his story about the acts of the apostles and:
I. In a brief summary he recalls the third Gospel, or the history of the life of Christ, and dedicates this book, like the first, to his friend Theophilus, v. 12.
II. Briefly sets forth the circumstances which prove the resurrection of Christ, relating His meetings with His disciples, and conveying the instructions which He taught them during the forty days of His sojourn on earth, v. 3-5.
III. Describes in detail the ascension of Christ into heaven, the conversation of the disciples with Him before His ascension and the conversation with them of the angels after Him, v. 6-11.
IV. Gives general idea about the origin of the Church and its state in the period from the ascension of Christ to the outpouring of the Spirit, art. 12-14.
V. Tells in detail the filling of a vacancy which arose in the sacred college of the apostles after the death of Judas, in whose place Matthias was chosen, v. 15-26.
Verses 1-5
In these verses:
I. Theophilus, and with him we, are reminded of the Holy Annunciation from Luke, which it would be useful to skim before beginning to study this book, so as not only to pay attention to the fact that it begins where the first one ends from the two books mentioned, but also to see in the acts of the apostles, as in water face to face, the acts of their Teacher, the acts of His grace.
1. The patron of Luke, to whom this book is dedicated (it would probably be better to call him a disciple of Luke, for the writer, starting with such a dedication, intends to instruct and guide him rather than seek encouragement or protection from him), is a certain Theophilus, st. . 1. In the written dedication prefaced by the Gospel, this man is called the venerable Theophilus; here Luke simply calls him Theophilus. It’s not that he lost his dignity or his dignity diminished, became less glorious, but most likely Theophilus by that time had already left the place he previously occupied, whatever it was, a place that required such a form of address. Another possible reason This could be that, having entered his mature years, he began to treat such honorary titles with great disdain, or Luke, who now maintains a shorter relationship with Theophilus, could feel freer when addressing him. In ancient times, the dedication of books to private individuals was, in general, a common practice among both Christian and pagan writers. Dedication of some books Holy Scripture should be understood as an instruction to consider them intended for everyone personally, for everything that was written before was written for our instruction.
2. His Gospel is called here the first book that he wrote and which he did not let out of sight, now working on his second book, since the author’s intention was to continue and confirm ton prwton lovgon - that previous word. The written gospel is as true as the oral gospel; Moreover, today there is not a single tradition that can be trusted, except those that are confirmed in Scripture. He had written the first book, and was now empowered from above to begin writing the second, for Christians must hasten to perfection, Heb. 6:1. And therefore, their mentors should encourage them, teach the people knowledge (Eccl. 12:9) and not consider that past labors, no matter how useful they may be, free them from future labors; moreover, they should find in their former labors a motive and encouragement for future labors, imitating in this Luke, who laid the foundation in the first book and intends to build upon it in the second. So, let one not replace the other; Let new sermons and new books not force us to forget the old ones, but remind us and help us use them with greater benefit.
3. His Gospel told of all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning; Three other evangelists wrote about the same thing. Please note:
(1) Christ did and taught. He taught the doctrine, confirming it with miracles, testifying that He was a Teacher come from God, John. 3:2. Good and merciful, He taught and explained with the help of His works in order to leave us an example, also testifying of Him as a Teacher who came from God, for it is said: by their fruits you will know them. The excellent ministers are usually those who do and teach, those whose life itself is a constant preaching.
(2) He did and taught from the beginning. He laid the foundation for all the works and teachings of the Church. His apostles were to continue and fulfill what He had begun, to do the same and teach the same. Christ appointed the apostles and left them alone, instructing them to go further, but He also sent them His Spirit, who was to invest them with strength so that they would do and teach. This is the consolation for all who strive to continue the work of the gospel, that at the beginning of this work stood Christ Himself. So great a salvation was first preached by the Lord, Heb. 2:3.
(3) The four evangelists, and Luke in particular, relate all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning; Moreover, they convey not all specific details (the world cannot contain them), but all the main points, citing illustrative examples of everything in such multitude and variety that on the basis of them one can judge everything else. We have the beginning of His teaching (Matt. 4:17) and the beginning of His miracles, John. 2:11. By conveying and explaining all the sayings and deeds of Christ without going into detail, Luke gives a general idea of them.
4. The Gospel story ends with the day on which He ascended, v. 2. On that day Christ left this world and no longer appeared in it in bodily form. The Holy Gospel from Mark ends with the words: And so the Lord... ascended into heaven... (Mark 16:19); we find the same thing in Luke, Luke. 24:51. Christ did and taught before last day, into which He ascended for another work assigned to Him in the interior behind the veil.
II. The truth of the resurrection of Christ is affirmed and verified, v. 3. This part of what was told in the first book was so significant that it had to be repeated at every opportunity. The sure proof of the resurrection of Christ was that He revealed Himself to the living apostles; the risen Christ appeared to them alive, and they saw Him. These were faithful people, and you can rely on their word; but they too could have been deceived, because this sometimes happens even to those who act from the best intentions. However, the apostles were not deceived, for:
1. This was true evidence, TEKMpioig - clear indications that He was alive (He met and talked, ate and drank with them), and that it was Himself and not someone else, as He repeatedly showed they had scars on His hands and feet and sides, which was the most indisputable proof of all available or required.
2. These true proofs were many, and they were often repeated: He appeared to them for forty days and, not always dwelling with them, but often appearing to them, step by step completely satisfied them with this, which freed them from all sorrow caused by Him. ascension. Already exalted and glorified, Christ did not leave the earth for forty days, so that during this time he could strengthen the faith of his disciples and comfort their hearts. This became proof of His exceptional condescension and compassion for the believers, a model that completely certifies that we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with us in our weaknesses.
III. IN general outline the commands that Christ, now leaving His disciples, gave to them are recalled. Now they could accommodate them better than before, since He breathed on them and opened their minds to understanding.
1. He instructed them in the work they were to do: He gave commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen.
Note: Christ's election always involves a commission from Him. Those chosen by Christ to serve as apostles believed that He would exalt them, but instead He gives them commands. ...When he set out on his journey... he gave authority to his servants, and to each his own work... (Mk. 13:34), giving commands by the Holy Spirit, - the Spirit with which He Himself was filled as a Mediator and which He breathed into them. He gave them the Holy Spirit and left them commandments; and, as the Comforter was to be a Teacher, it was incumbent upon Him to remind them of all that Christ had spoken to them. He gives commands to the Apostles by the Holy Spirit; This is how these words must be understood. The very fact that they received the Holy Spirit became the basis that legitimized their authority, John. 20:22. He did not ascend until He gave them commands and then completed His work.
2. By speaking to them of the Kingdom of God, He instructs them in the doctrine which they should proclaim. He already spoke to them in general terms about this Kingdom and about the time of its establishment on earth (see the parable of the Savior in Mark. 13); here He teaches them more about the nature of it as the Kingdom of grace in this world and the Kingdom of glory in the other world and explains to them this covenant - the great charter granted by the supreme power, by which this Kingdom is established. He tells them about the Kingdom of God for this purpose:
(1.) To prepare them to receive the Holy Ghost and pass through future trials. Christ secretly instructs them in what they must publicly proclaim to the world; they will find that the same Spirit of truth, having appeared, will instruct them in the same things.
(2) So that this would be a proof (one of many) of the resurrection of Christ. In this situation, everything happens like this: the disciples to whom He showed Himself alive recognized Him not only by what was revealed to them, but also by what He said. No one except Christ was able to speak so clearly and completely about the Kingdom of God. He did not entertain them with conversations about politics and culture, philosophy and physics, but commanded them pure doctrine and instructed them in the Kingdom of grace, which was closer to them and most of all worried them and those to whom they were sent.
IV. Gathering the disciples for a conversation on a famous mountain in Galilee, apparently the same one to which before His death He commanded them to go (for they, as it is written, came together to be present at His ascension, v. 6), Christ especially assures them that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit, and therefore commands them to wait, v. 4, 5. Though they are now assembled in Galilee by His command, let them not think of remaining there forever; they will still need to return to Jerusalem and never leave there. Please note:
1. He commands them to wait. This command was supposed to revive their hopes for something great, and they already had reason to expect something very great from the glorified Redeemer.
(1) They must wait for the appointed time, which will arrive in a few days. By faith, those who trust in the promised mercies must be patient and wait for the moment when these mercies will appear in time, at the appointed time. If the time has drawn near, as it has now approached, then in that case one must wait with concentration, like Daniel, for its coming, Dan. 9:3.
(2) They must wait at a designated place, and that place is Jerusalem. It was there that the Spirit was to be poured out for the first time, for Christ was to be anointed King over Zion, the holy mountain; for the word of the Lord was to go out from Jerusalem - a church was to be formed here, from which other churches were subsequently to separate. Here Christ was put to shame, and therefore here this honor had to be given to Him. Such favor was shown to Jerusalem in order to instruct us in how we should forgive our enemies and persecutors. It was very dangerous for the apostles to remain in Jerusalem, but being in Galilee was not so scary; but, having found peace in God and tirelessly fulfilling one's duties, one can live without fear. Now the apostles had to begin public service, and for this they needed to dare to speak openly. Jerusalem was the best candlestick for the candles that were to be installed in it.
2. He assures them that their wait will not be in vain.
(1.) The blessing prepared for them will come, and they will find it worth waiting for. ...You... will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, that is:
“The Holy Spirit will be poured out on you more abundantly than ever before.” The Holy Spirit had already been breathed upon them (John 20:22), and they had already realized the benefit of it; now they were to accept His benefits, gifts and consolations to a greater extent: they would be baptized by them. These words seem to contain an allusion to the Old Testament promises of the outpouring of the Spirit, Joel. 2:28; Is. 44:3; 32:15.
“The Holy Spirit will wash and cleanse you,” like the water with which priests were baptized and purified before being ordained for the priesthood. “Water was a sign for the priests; for you it will be what it pointed to. You will be sanctified by the truth as the Spirit leads you step by step in its paths, and your conscience will be cleansed by the testimony of the Spirit, so that you can serve as an apostle to the Living God.”
“Through this, you will trust the Teacher and His guidance more than before, like Israel, who was baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and cleave to Christ so that you will never leave Him, as you once left, fearful of suffering.”
(2) Concerning the Holy Spirit He says to them:
As a gift promised from the Father, which they heard from Him and in which they could therefore trust.
First, the Spirit was given according to a promise, and this promise was as great for that time as the promise of the Messiah was before for its time (Luke 1:72) and as the promise of eternal life is now, 1 John. 2:25. If temporal blessings come from Providence, God imparts Spirit and blessings according to promise, Gal. 3:18. The Spirit of God is given not as the human spirit is given and as it is formed within a person due to natural causes (Zech. 12:1), but according to the word of God:
1. That this gift might be more appreciated, Christ made the promise of the Spirit an inheritance to His Church.
2. So that the promise of the Spirit would be even more unchangeable and so that the heirs of the promise would be convinced of the immutability of God's determination about it.
3. That the gift of the Holy Spirit should be a gift of grace, a gift of special grace, and should be received by faith, according to this promise, and in hope thereof. Just as Christ is received by faith, so the Spirit is received by faith.
Secondly, this promise was a promise from the Father:
1. Father Christ. Christ, as the Mediator, did not take his eyes off God, His Father, being jealous of His intentions and accepting them from the beginning as His own.
2. Our Father, who, having adopted us as sons, will certainly give us the Spirit of adoption as sons, Gal. 4:5, 6. He will give us the Spirit, since He is the Father of lights, the Father of spirits and the Father of mercies - all this means receiving what is promised from the Father.
Thirdly, the apostles heard about this promise of the Father many times from Christ, especially in His farewell sermon, which He preached to the circle of disciples shortly before His death. In it He assured them again and again that the Comforter would come. What we have heard from Jesus Christ confirms God's promise and encourages us to trust in him, for in him are all the promises of God "yes" and "amen." "You have heard this from Me - I will keep My word."
As the gift foretold by John the Baptist, for now Christ causes them to look to him, v. 5. “You have heard this prophecy not from Me alone, but also from John. Directing you to Me, John said: ... I baptize you with water... but He who comes after me... will baptize you with the Holy Spirit... (Matthew 3:11).” The great honor that Christ gives to John is not only that He quotes his words, but also that He will soon give the disciples the great gift of the Spirit, so that the prophecy of John will be fulfilled in them. Thus He confirms the word of His servants, His messengers, Isa. 44:26. However, Christ is able to do more than all His servants. For such, to administer the means of grace is an honorable right, but to give the Spirit of grace is the exclusive right of Christ. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit; He will guide you by His Spirit and cause His Spirit to make intercession for you, which is superior to the prayers of the best ministers who preach among us.
(3) How the apostles received the promised, predicted and expected gift of the Holy Spirit, we will read in the next chapter, where this promise will find a perfect fulfillment. The fulfillment of this promise must come, and we do not expect otherwise, for it is said here that it will come a few days after this. Christ does not indicate a specific day, because they had to be ready to accept this gift on any day. If in other places of Scripture we speak about the gift of the Holy Spirit given to ordinary believers, then here we speak about the Holy Spirit, Who endowed with unusual power the first evangelists and founders of the Church and Who gave them the ability, without any distortion, to teach the teachings of Christ with testimonies confirming it to their generation and to write down it for future generations. Therefore, because of this promise, as well as its fulfillment, we entrust to New Testament their hopes, accepting it as inspired Scripture.
Verses 6-11
In Jerusalem, through His Angel, Christ appointed a meeting for the disciples in Galilee, and, conversely, in Galilee, He appointed a meeting for them on that day in Jerusalem. Thus He tested their obedience and found it immediate and effective: they came together, as Christ commanded them, to become witnesses of His ascension, the story of which is precisely recorded in these verses. Please note:
I. What the disciples ask Christ during this meeting. They came together to Him; The disciples all appeared and, having talked in advance and agreed among themselves nemine contradicente - unanimously, they asked Him, the lord of the house, the question: “Are you at this time, Lord, restoring the kingdom to Israel?” The question is ambiguous, because it can be understood in two ways:
1. “Undoubtedly, You will restore the kingdom, but not for the current rulers of Israel - the high priests and elders who put You to death, who, in fulfillment of this evil intent, slavishly handed over the kingdom to Caesar and became, in essence, his subjects. Will You really hand over the reins of government to those who hated and persecuted You and us along with You? It’s impossible for You to do this.” However, a more accurate interpretation of this question would be:
2. “Surely now You will restore the kingdom to the Jewish people if they submit to You as King.” The following two premises of this question were incorrect:
(1.) Their strong hope in the event itself. They thought that Christ would restore the kingdom to Israel, in other words, make the Jewish people as great and prominent among the nations as they were in the days of David and Solomon, Asa and Jehoshaphat; that, being the Reconciler, He would restore the scepter to Judas and restore the lawgiver from his loins. However, Christ did not come to restore, that is, restore, the earthly kingdom to Israel, but to erect His own Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven. Look:
Just as people, including merciful ones, tend to mistake the Church’s prosperity for its external greatness and strength, as if it is impossible for Israel to become glorious until its kingdom is restored, nor for Christ’s disciples to become glorified until they become sovereign men. Meanwhile, we are called to bear our cross in this world, and we must expect the Kingdom in another world.
How inclined we are to retain within ourselves what was once learned by us, and how difficult it is to overcome the prejudices instilled by our upbringing! The disciples, who with their mother’s milk had absorbed the concept of the Messiah as an earthly king, least of all thought about His Kingdom as a spiritual phenomenon.
How naturally we show partiality towards our own people. The disciples believed that God would not have another kingdom on earth unless he first restored the kingdom to Israel. Meanwhile, all the kingdoms of the world will submit to Christ and glorify Him, regardless of what is destined for Israel - to perish or to win.
How apt we are to err in the interpretation of Scripture—to take literally what is expressed in figurative language, and interpret the Word of God according to our own understandings, when, on the contrary, our own understandings should be constructed in accordance with the requirements of Scripture. But, thank God, when the Spirit is poured out from above, we will get rid of our errors, just as the apostles soon got rid of their errors.
(2) Questions about the time and timing of this event. “Lord, will You not do this at this time? Isn’t that why You gathered us to discuss what is necessary to restore the Kingdom of Israel? Indeed, one cannot think of a more convenient set of circumstances for holding such a council.” But they were wrong in that:
They began to show interest in the secret, which the Teacher had never inclined them to explore and which he had never allowed them to explore.
They wanted to quickly find themselves in a kingdom where everyone dreamed of getting their considerable share and looked forward to learning God's intentions for themselves. Christ testified to the disciples that they would sit on thrones (Luke 22:30), and, behold, nothing is sweet to them, but just give them the throne, and immediately, because they are impatient; but he who believes in Him will not be put to shame, for he is convinced that God's time is the best time.
II. How Christ reproaches them for this, answering them in a rather harsh form, just as shortly before he answered Peter: “...what is that to you?..” when he asked about John (v. 7): “Not yours.” it’s a matter of knowing the times or seasons...” He has nothing against their hopes for the restoration of the kingdom, because,
First, the Holy Spirit, who will soon be poured out, will correct their erroneous ideas, after which they will cease to think about the earthly kingdom. And because,
Secondly, there is still a sense in hoping for the establishment of a spiritual, evangelical Kingdom on earth, and the apostles’ erroneous understanding of this promise does not deprive it of its power. However, this is why Christ reproaches them for the question of time.
1. They shouldn't know him. “It’s not your business to know this, and therefore it’s not your business to ask.”
(1) Christ now parted with them, parted in love, and yet uttered this reproach in order to warn the Church at all times not to stumble over the stone that proved fatal to our first parents - the stone of passionate attraction to forbidden knowledge - and not to intrude on the invisible, hidden by the Lord. Nescire velle quae magister maximus docere non vult, erudita inscitia est - It is foolish to strive to know beyond what is written, and wise to be content with knowledge that does not exceed what is written.
(2) Christ had already imparted to the disciples much knowledge that exceeded the knowledge of other people (it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God...), and promised them His Spirit, which was to teach them even more. Now, so that they do not become proud of the abundance of revelations, He makes them understand: there is something about which it is not their business to know. If we think about how much a person does not know, we will understand how little reason he has to be proud of his knowledge.
(3) Before His death and after His resurrection, Christ instructed the disciples in all that was necessary for the performance of their duties; now He wants them to be content with these lessons, for this knowledge is enough for a Christian, and empty curiosity is a bad inclination that should be mortified, not appeased.
(4) Christ himself testified to the disciples about the Kingdom of God and promised that the Spirit would tell them the future, John. 16:13. He also gave them the signs of the times, which it was their duty to observe, and it would be a sin to overlook them, Matt. 24:33; 16:3. But at the same time, they do not need to desire or strive to know all the details of future events or their exact timing. It is good for us to remain in the darkness of ignorance, having no idea of times or seasons (as Dr. Hammond understands this passage), of the future of the Church, as well as of our own future, of all time periods and of the last time, and also about the era of which we are contemporaries.
Prudens futuri temporis exitum Caliginosa nocte premit Deus
The darkness of the impenetrable night was sent by the ever-wise Jupiter, And what is coming and what will be is Hidden from mortal eyes. (Horace).
As for the seasons, it is known that summer always comes after winter, although it is impossible to accurately predict which day will be fine and which cloudy. So it is with our affairs in this world: so that we do not remain careless in the favorable summer, it is said that the winter of our anxiety will come; and so that this winter we do not lose hope and do not give in to despair, assurance has been given that summer will come. However, we cannot say what this or that day will bring, so we must submit and endure it without complaint, no matter how it may seem to us.
2. The knowledge of these matters belongs to God, for He alone has the exclusive power of omniscience. The Father placed this knowledge in His power, this knowledge is hidden in Him. No one except the Father can reveal future times and seasons. All His works have been known to God from eternity, known to Him, and not to us, ch. 15:18. It is in His and only His power to proclaim from the beginning what will happen in the end; in this very thing He reveals Himself as God, Isa. 46:10. “Sometimes God revealed times and seasons to the Old Testament prophets (for example, they knew that the Egyptian captivity of Israel would last four hundred years, and the Babylonian captivity - seventy), but He does not consider it necessary to reveal to you times and seasons, in particular the time when Jerusalem will fall into desolation , although you are absolutely sure of the immutability of this event. He, however, did not say that he would not let you learn more about times and periods than you already know about them.” Later, God gave such knowledge to His servant John; “but to give or not to give is in His power, since He does as He pleases.” So, all the New Testament prophecies concerning times and seasons seem so vague and difficult to understand that when turning to them we should not forget the words of Christ that it is not our business to know times and seasons. Buxtorf cites one Talmudic saying about the time of the appearance of the Messiah: Rumpatur spiritus eorum qui supputant tempora - Let him who calculates time be destroyed!
III. He entrusts them with the task and, vested with authority, assures them that they can go out and achieve the goal set before them. “It is not your business to know times or seasons, for knowing this will not serve you well. However, know this with certainty” (v. 8), “that you will receive power from on high when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will not receive it in vain, for you will be witnesses to Me, witnesses of My glory. And your certificate will not remain in vain, for it will be accepted here in Jerusalem, and throughout the Holy Land, and even to the ends of the earth” (v. 8). If Christ uses us for the sake of His glory in our time, then let this alone satisfy us and we will not confuse ourselves with questions about future times and dates. Here Christ teaches them that:
1. Their cause will gain honor and glory. ...And you will be my witnesses...
(1.) They will proclaim Him as King and proclaim to the world the truths on which His kingdom and dominion rest. They are to preach His gospel openly and holy to the world.
(2) They will attest and confirm their testimony, not under oath, as ordinary witnesses, but with the help of God's seal of miracles and supernatural gifts: And you will suffer for Me, or: And you will be My martyrs (as it is said in some manuscripts), as about the truth They testified to the Gospel through their torment and even death.
2. They have enough strength for this. They did not have their own strength for this, they also lacked wisdom and courage. By their nature, they are the foolish and weak things of the world: they did not dare to speak out in defense of Christ at His trial, and they could not do it. But you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit who has come upon you (this is how this text can be understood). “You will be inspired and motivated by a spirit greater than yourself. You will have the power to preach the Gospel, the power to confirm it with the Old Testament Scriptures” (which they, filled with the Holy Spirit, did to everyone’s amazement, chapter 18:28), “and to support it with miracles and enduring suffering.”
Note, Those who testify of Christ will find power for the work appointed them by the Lord; those whom the Lord attracts to His service He will prepare for it and support in it.
3. Their influence will be great and undivided. “You will be witnesses of Christ and continue His work”:
(1.) "In Jerusalem you will begin with it, and many people will accept your testimony, and those who do not accept it will remain without excuse."
(2) “And your light from here will shine over all Judea, where your labors have hitherto remained without result.”
(3) “Then you will continue your work in Samaria, although before you were forbidden to preach in the cities of Samaria.”
(4) “As you testify for Christ, you will go to the ends of the earth and become a blessing to the whole world.”
IV. Having given these commands, He leaves them, v. 9. Having said this, having said everything that He wanted, He blessed them (for this see Luke 24:50), and while the disciples were intensely looking at Christ blessing them, He gradually rose up in their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of sight their. We see before us a picture of the ascension of Christ: He ascended into heaven not in a whirlwind, just as Elijah was lifted up on a chariot of fire and horses of fire, but by making his own efforts, just as He rose from the tomb after the resurrection, since from that moment He had already been V spiritual body. All saints at the resurrection will acquire the same bodies that Christ had, spiritual, resurrected in power and incorruptibility. Please note:
1. The Ascension of Christ began in full view of His disciples, in their eyes. They did not see Christ rise from the tomb, because they later had the opportunity to see Him risen, which later became sufficient consolation for them. But they saw Him ascending to heaven, and, fixing their gaze on Him, they looked so intently and intently and with such spiritual delight that they could not be deceived. Apparently, for greater consolation of the disciples, He ascended to the mountain heights slowly, with due dignity.
2. He became invisible to them, hiding in a cloud - in a dark cloud, for God said that He was pleased to dwell in darkness, or in a light cloud, which was supposed to emphasize the splendor of His glorified body. If a bright cloud overshadowed Christ at the moment of His transfiguration, then we can assume that this cloud was also bright, Matt. 17:5. Perhaps the cloud took Him at the moment when He reached that level in the atmosphere where clouds are mainly formed. In addition, we are talking here not about one of those layered clouds that are usually observed, but about a cloud that had dimensions sufficient to enclose Him within itself. Behold, He made the clouds His chariot, Ps. 103:3. God formerly often descended in the cloud, but now He ascended in it. Dr. Hammond believes that the angels who received Him are here called the clouds that took Him, since the appearance of angels is usually described as the descent of a cloud, cf. Ref. 25:22 and Lev. 16:2. Clouds represent a means of communication between the upper and lower worlds; steam rising from the ground forms clouds at the top, which then fall from the sky to the ground in the form of dew. Therefore, in accordance with this, He who is the mediator between God and people ascends in the cloud: through Him, mercies from God descend on us, and our prayers ascend to God. So, the moment came when people saw Christ for the last time. Many eyewitnesses did not take their eyes off Him until finally the cloud received Him. Those who want to know what happened to Him next will find in Scripture (Dan. 7:13) the following words: ... like the Son of Man walked with the clouds of heaven, came to the Ancient of Days, and was brought up to Him in the clouds.
V. Christ disappeared from the sight of the disciples, but they continued to look to heaven, v. 10. This went on longer than necessary and went beyond the bounds of decency. Why?
1. Perhaps they cherished the hope of the speedy return of Christ for the purpose of restoring the kingdom of Israel and could not believe that they were parting with Him forever; for they still felt the need of direct communication with Christ, although He taught them that it was better for them that He should go. Or they looked after Him with the thought of whether He would return, just as the sons of the prophets looked after Elijah, 2 Kings. 2:16.
2. Now, after the ascension of the Lord, the disciples, perhaps, hoped to notice some changes in the visible sphere of heaven, when the sun was ashamed and the moon reddened (Isa. 24:23), which were now eclipsed by the radiance of His glory, or, what is more likely, when these earthly luminaries show signs of joy and triumph. Perhaps the disciples were determined to see the glory of the invisible heavens opening to receive Christ. After all, He taught that they would see heaven open, John. 1:51. In that case, why don't they see him like this right now?
VI. Two angels appeared to the disciples to convey a timely message from the Lord. A host of angels was ready to receive the Savior, now making his sacred entry into heavenly Jerusalem, and one can assume that these two messengers of God did not really want to be here on earth. Nevertheless, showing concern for the Church on earth, Christ sends two angels from among those who came to meet Him to the disciples. It is they who appear before them in the guise of two men in white clothes, bright and shining, for are not the angels commanded, according to the rules of their service, to serve Christ in order to serve His servants? And now we hear the word that these heavenly messengers had to tell the disciples:
1. It was supposed to curb their curiosity. Men of Galilee! Why are you standing and looking at the sky? The angels address them with the words men of Galilee, reminding them of the rock from which they were hewn. Christ showed them great honor by appointing them as His messengers on earth, but they should remember that they are, in essence, the most ordinary people, earthly vessels, simple Galileans, who are looked upon with contempt in society. So the angels say: “Why do you stand here like rude and uncouth Galileans, looking up at heaven? What else do you want to see? You have already seen everything for which you were brought here, what else are you looking for? Why are you standing and looking with frozen eyes, as if dumbfounded and mad?” The disciples of Christ should not be amazed or confused, for they have the right direction to walk and the right foundation to build on.
2. Their word was supposed to strengthen their faith in the second coming of Christ. The Master often told them about this, and these angels were sent to them in due time to remind them of this promise. “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, where you are still looking in the hope that He will return to you, has not gone away forever, since a day has been appointed on which He will come in the same way as you saw Him going into heaven, however You should not expect His arrival before the appointed time.”
(1) “None other than this Jesus will return, clothed in a glorious body. This Jesus, who came once to put away sin by His sacrifice, will not appear a second time to take away sin” (Heb. 9:26, 28). “He who once appeared in humiliation to be judged will later come in glory to judge. This Jesus, who has given you charge of your work, will return to call you to account, and to know how you have justified His trust; It is He who will return, and not someone else in His place” (Job 19:27).
(2) “He will come in the same way. He ascended in a cloud and accompanied by angels; and behold, He will appear in the clouds, and with Him ten thousand angels! He ascended with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet" (Ps. 47:6) "and will descend from heaven with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God" (1 Thess. 4:16). “The clouds and the air took Him out of your sight, and where He went, you cannot now follow Him, but later you will be able to, when you are caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” When we begin to be carried away by unimportant things, then let the consideration of the second coming of the Lord awaken us to life; when we begin to feel trembling, let the thought of Him console and support us.
Verses 12-14
It says here:
I. Whence Christ ascended. From the mountain called Olivet (v. 12), stand part of it, where at that time the village of Bethany was located, Luke. 24:50. The sufferings of the Lord began on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39), so it was there that He removed their reproaches by His glorious ascension, pointing out that the sufferings of the Lord and His glorious ascension had the same purpose, for they served one and the same. the same goal. Thus He took possession of His Kingdom in full view of all Jerusalem, including those of its rebellious and ungrateful inhabitants who did not want His dominion over themselves. It was He who the prophet had in mind (Zech. 14:4) when he predicted that His feet would stand on that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem, would ultimately stand in this very place, and further asserted that the Mount of Olives would split in two . From the mountain called Olivet Christ ascended, that good olive tree through which we receive the anointing with oil, Zech. 4:12; Rome. 11:24. As it is said here, the Mount of Olives is located near Jerusalem, within the distance of the Sabbath journey, that is, very close, no further than the path that the pious Jews, indulging in thoughts about heavenly things, took at the end of the Sabbath day. This path is estimated by some to be a thousand steps, by others - by two thousand cubits, by others - by seven, or even eight stages. In reality, Bethany was near Jerusalem, fifteen furlongs from it (John 11:18), but that part of Olivet, closer to Jerusalem, from where Christ began His triumphal entry into the capital, was at a distance of seven or eight furlongs from the city. In the Chaldean retelling of Rufus. 1 says: And we were commanded to keep the Sabbath and holy days, so as not to walk more than two thousand cubits, which agrees with Is. N. 3:4, where it is said that the distance between the people and the ark during the crossing of the Jordan should be up to two thousand cubits. Therefore, it was not God who set these limits for the Jews, but they themselves. For us, the Jewish tradition of not walking more distances on the Sabbath than is necessary for the Sabbath work is not a law; and if there is a need to travel a greater distance for Sabbath work, then we are not only allowed to do this, but even commanded, 2 Kings. 4:23.
II. Where did the students return? Fulfilling the will of the Teacher, they came to Jerusalem, although their enemies were waiting for them here. After the resurrection of Christ, the disciples were under surveillance and fearful of the Jews, but with the news of their removal to Galilee, their return to Jerusalem apparently went unnoticed, and no further investigation was taken against them. Even in the midst of enemies, God will find refuge for His people and will influence Saul so that he will no longer be on the lookout for David. In Jerusalem, the disciples went up to the upper room, where they stayed. We are not talking here about the place where the disciples lived and ate, since in this room they gathered every day to glorify God and await the descent of the Spirit. As for the upper room itself, the opinions of scientists are divided. Some believe that we are talking about a room on the top floor of the temple, but this hypothesis is hardly correct for the simple reason that the high priests (namely, they had all the premises of the temple at their disposal) would hardly have come to terms with the constant presence of Christ’s disciples in any of them . And indeed, the same historian notes that they were always in the temple (Luke 24:53), but here he says that the disciples remained in the courts of the house of the Lord during the hours of prayer, for no one would dare to forbid them to go to the temple ; so, most likely, this upper room was located in one of the private properties. This opinion is held by Gregory of Oxford, who quotes in connection with this passage of Scripture one scholar of Aramaic literature, who claims that it refers to the very upper room in which they ate the Passover; and, although that room, dvdymov, was on the first floor, and this one, unspioov, was on the second, both words can mean the same room. “It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question,” he writes, “whether this upper room was in the house of the Evangelist John, as Euodius testifies,” or in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, as other scholars are inclined to believe (cf. his Notes, chapter 13).
III. Which students stuck together? Next follow the names of the eleven apostles (v. 13), along with them Mary, the mother of the Lord (v. 14), who, by the way, is mentioned here for the last time in Scripture. There are also people there who are called the brothers of the Lord, relatives to Him according to the flesh. To form a full idea of the one hundred and twenty here mentioned (v. 16), it may be assumed that all, or nearly all, of the seventy disciples who were among the rest were with the apostles and engaged in the preaching of the gospel.
IV. How they prayed together. ...They were all with one accord in prayer and supplication... Note:
1. They prayed and pleaded. The people of God are a people who pray, a people who remain in prayer. Now the time had come for the disciples of Christ to worry and worry; now they were like sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves. But isn’t it written: Does anyone suffer? let him pray? Prayer can calm worries and fears. The disciples have a new task ahead of them, a great work, and before starting it, they show constancy in prayer to God so that their work will be accomplished before the face of the Lord. Before sending his disciples to preach for the first time, Christ prayed a lot for them, and now the disciples are in fellowship, praying for each other. They wait for the descent of the Spirit and therefore pray unceasingly. The Spirit came upon the Savior as He prayed, Luke. 3:21. The prayerful mood of the soul is the best way receiving spiritual blessings. Christ promised the disciples that He would soon send the Holy Spirit to them; however, this promise did not cancel prayer; on the contrary, it made it more lively and quick. God desires that He be asked for the promised mercies, and the closer the fulfillment of what is asked seems to be, the more earnestly one should offer one’s prayers to Him.
2. They were in prayer, in other words, they devoted a lot of time to prayer, they prayed at least more than usual, they prayed often, and their prayer lasted a long time. The disciples never missed prayer hours; They agreed to pray persistently until the Holy Spirit came, remembering the parable that one should always pray and not lose heart. In one place it is written (Luke 24:53) that they continued... glorifying and blessing God; and here it is said that they continued in prayer and supplication. For just as to glorify God for a given promise is to ask in a fitting manner for the fulfillment of the promise, and to glorify Him for previous mercies is to pray for the fulfillment of subsequent ones, so to seek God and turn to Him is to glorify Him for the mercy and favor that are in Him. .
3. The disciples pleaded with God with one accord. These words show that all the disciples were united in holy love, that there were no quarrels or strife between them; and those who maintain this unity of spirit in the bond of peace are best prepared to receive the consolation of the Holy Spirit. These words also testify to their most worthy agreement in the offered prayer. Although only one of those present spoke, nevertheless everyone prayed, for if two agree to ask, it will be done for them, especially if many are in agreement. See also Matt. 18:19.
Verses 15-26
Judas's sin led not only to his personal shame and death, but also to the vacancy of a place in the college of the apostles. Twelve apostles were chosen, appointed according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve patriarchs; these were the twelve stars which formed the crown of the Church (Rev. 12:1), and twelve thrones were appointed for them, Matt. 19:28. When the apostles were disciples, there were twelve of them, but now there are only eleven of them left; when will the students the time will come turn into mentors, everyone will have a reason to investigate, they say, what happened to the twelfth, and thereby be reminded of the scandalous incident that occurred within their community. That is why the apostles labored to fill the vacated space even before the descent of the Spirit, as described in the following verses. It is likely that our Lord Jesus left certain instructions on this subject, among other things, when he taught about the kingdom of God. Please note:
I. Participants of the meeting.
1. There were about one hundred and twenty people gathered. Some believe that this number included only males, separately from females. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that the eleven Apostles, the seventy disciples, and thirty-nine others, mostly Christ's kinsmen, countrymen, and others, made up the said number one hundred and twenty, so that the assembly was a kind of council, synod or council of ministers, something like a presbytery, or a permanent council of elders (ch. 4:23), to which no outsider dared to pester, ch. 5:13. According to the same researcher, the disciples gathered together until the persecution that fell upon them after the execution of Stephen scattered everyone, with the exception of the apostles, ch. 8:1. However, this scholar believes that by that time the number of believers in Jerusalem, not counting the one hundred and twenty mentioned, reached hundreds, if not thousands, of souls. Indeed, we read that many believed in Him, but for the sake of the Pharisees they did not confess. That is why I cannot agree with the opinion expressed before me that they united in various communities to preach the word and perform other types of ministries: this simply could not have taken place until the time of the descent of the Spirit and mass repentance described in the next chapter. This is how the Church was born; these one hundred and twenty were the mustard seed from which the tree grew, and the leaven that raised the whole dough.
2. The word was held by Peter, who was and still remained the first among the disciples. This indication of Peter’s zeal and zeal is made here in order to draw our attention to the fact that by this time he had already regained all his previous positions that he had lost as a result of his renunciation of the Teacher, and that he, the chosen apostle of the circumcision, appears in the course of the narrative as the first a plan in that part of sacred history in which the Jewish theme is the main one; in the same way, when sacred history subsequently proceeds to describe the conversion of the Gentiles, it will limit itself to the narrative of Paul.
II. Peter's proposal for the election of a new apostle. He stood in the midst of the disciples, v. 15. Peter did not sit as if he were a legislator or having supremacy over the rest, but stood up as a man who wanted to make a proposal and honor his brothers by standing. Let's look at his speech.
1. Peter informs, and in great detail, about the place vacated after the death of Judas and, as befits one upon whom Christ breathed, turns to the fulfillment of this Scripture. And here is the subject of his reasoning:
(1.) The power which was given to Judas, v. 17. “He was numbered among us and received the lot of this ministry, which was also entrusted to us.”
Note: In this world many are counted among the saints, but how many will remain among the saints on the day of separating the precious from the worthless? What is the use of being considered a disciple of Christ, but not having the spirit and nature of Christ? That Judas should have a part in this service only aggravates his sin and ruin; however, the same thing awaits those who prophesied in the name of Christ, while remaining workers of unrighteousness.
(2) The crime that Judas committed, although he had the honor of being a disciple of Christ. Judas was the leader of those who took Jesus, since he not only showed the enemies the place where Christ was (they could have found Him without the personal presence of the traitor), but also openly acted (he was so shameless) at the head of the detachment that captured Jesus. He led them to that very place and, as if filled with pride from such an honor, commanded: “... He is the one, take Him.”
Note: The most notorious sinners are the leaders in sinful deeds, and the worst of these leaders are those who, by the duty of their service, are obliged to serve as guides for the friends of Christ, but serve as guides for His enemies.
(3) The death of Judas as a consequence of this sin. Realizing that the high priests want to kill Christ and the disciples, Judas decides to save his life and commits betrayal, but does not rest on this, because he also wants to enrich himself through this, hoping that the bribe received for betrayal was only deposit. However, listen to what came of it.
Judas squandered this bribe rather shamefully, v. 18. He purchased the land for thirty pieces of silver, which were precisely that unrighteous bribe. He did not acquire this land himself, others did it for him, using an unjust bribe to purchase it, and here the historian subtly ironizes about the evil intent of Judas, who wanted to get rich from such a deal. He decided to buy land for himself, which Gehazi also wanted to do for silver obtained from Naaman fraudulently (see 2 Kings 5:26), but this land becomes a burial place for wanderers; Did this make Judas and those like him feel better?
Even more shamefully, he ruined his life. In Matt. 27:5 says that he went out in despair and hanged himself (this word has no other meaning). There is an addition here (similar to those that later historians add to the testimony of earlier historians) that, having hanged himself, or hanged himself, from grief and horror, he fell down, that is, fell on his face (according to Dr. Hammond, Dr. Hammond), and partly from the swelling, partly from the force of the fall, his belly split, and so that all his insides fell out. If, during the expulsion of the demon from the boy, he cast him down and began to beat him, and only then came out, almost killing him (see Mark. 9:26; Luke 9:42), then it is not surprising that, disposing of Judas as his property, the demon threw him to the ground so that he tore him apart. Due to the suffocation reported by Matthew, Judas swelled until he burst, as Peter speaks of. And he burst with a great noise (according to Dr. Edwards, Dr. Edwards), which could not but be heard in the neighborhood, so that all this became known (v. 19): ... and all his entrails fell out... Luke describes this event as a doctor who knows a lot about the structure of the middle and lower womb. Traitors are gutted, and this is only part of the retribution against them. The inside that is contrary to the Lord Jesus will be torn apart. It is possible that Christ foretold the fate of Judas when he spoke of the evil servant and that he would be cut to pieces, Matt. 24:51.
(4) The news of Judas's suicide became public. ...And this became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem... The whole city, as if this news had been published in the newspapers, repeated about God's amazing judgment on the one who betrayed his Teacher, v. 19. The message was discussed not only by the disciples, it was on everyone’s lips, and no one doubted its authenticity. ...And this became known..., that is, everyone knew that what happened to Judas really took place. It would seem that this terrible event should have prompted to repentance those who took one or another part in putting Christ to death, and now learned about the fate of Judas, who was the first to have a hand in this crime and thus served bad example. But, alas, people became bitter. As for those who were destined to soften, they were able to be moved by the word of God and the Spirit working through it. The fame of this case with Judas is confirmed by the fact that the field acquired with the money he earned received the name Akeldama, that is, “land of blood,” for it was acquired at the price of blood, which perpetuated the dishonor of both the seller of this innocent, precious blood and its buyers. . Let's see what they will say when the Lord calls them to account for this blood.
(5.) The fulfillment in this of the Scriptures, in which all things were so clearly foretold that were to be fulfilled, v. 16. One should not be surprised and stumbling that one of the twelve ended his life in this way, for David predicted not only the crime of Judas (Christ drew attention to this, saying: “...he who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me” , see John 13:18 and Psalm 40:10), but also:
That retribution will befall him, Ps. 68:26. Let their dwelling be empty... This Psalm is messianic. Not more than three verses before the text quoted, David mentions that he will be given gall and vinegar, so that the subsequent prophecies about the defeat of David's enemies should be attributed to all the enemies of Christ, and in particular to Judas. It is possible that he had some kind of dwelling in Jerusalem, in which no one dared to settle, which is why it subsequently fell into desolation. This prophecy predicts the fate of a lawless man, and the words of Bildad testify to the same thing: His hope will be driven out of his tent, and this will bring him down to the king of horrors. They will settle (in English, death will settle. - Translator's note.) in his tent, because it is no longer his; His dwelling will be strewn with brimstone, Job. 18:14, 15.
That another will take his place. Dignity (English rank of bishop. - Translator's note.), or his ministry (this is the meaning of this word), let another accept him, Ps. 108:8. In quoting this verse of Scripture, Peter makes a very pertinent addition to the statement that follows.
Note: No office (whether government officials or clergy) instituted by God should be thought ill of, despite all the iniquities of the occupants of this office or the shameful punishment for them. Will God allow the failure of at least one of His plans, the abolition of at least one of His commissions, the collapse of at least one of His enterprises due to the retreat of those who did not justify the trust placed in them? Human unbelief will not render God's promises in vain. Judas hanged himself, but his position remained. It is said about his dwelling that there will be no one living in it and he will not leave an heir in it; however, nothing similar is said about the office of Judas, for he should not have been left without a successor. The same is true of the ministers of the Church as of other believers: if some branches are broken off, others are grafted in their place, Rom. 11:17. The work of Christ will never stop because His witnesses are insufficient.
2. Peter's proposal for choosing another apostle, v. 21, 22. Notice here:
(1) Qualifications to be met by a future apostle. Peter says that he must be one of those seventy who were with us, constantly accompanying us all the time that the Lord Jesus stayed and spoke with us, preaching and working miracles for three and a half years, beginning from the baptism of John, from the beginning of the gospel of Christ until the day on which He ascended from us. Those who have shown themselves diligent, faithful, and constant in the performance of their duty in the lower rank, are more worthy than all others to be given a higher rank; those who have shown themselves faithful in small things will be entrusted with greater things. Only a person who is well acquainted with the teachings and deeds of Christ from beginning to end can become His minister, preacher of His Gospel and leader of His Church. An apostle could only become one who accompanied the other apostles, and constantly, who maintained close communication with them, and did not just visit their company from time to time.
(2.) The work which was to be done by the apostle who filled the vacated place. It is said that he was to be a witness with us of His resurrection. It follows that the other disciples were also with the eleven at the time when Christ appeared to them, otherwise they could not possibly have been witnesses with them, the same full-fledged witnesses of the resurrection of Christ as they were. The most important thing that the apostles had to assure the world was the resurrection of Christ, for it is His resurrection that is the greatest confirmation of His anointing and the solid foundation of our trust in Him. Please note: the apostles were appointed not to seek earthly glory and gain dominance for themselves, but to preach Christ and the power of His resurrection.
III. Nomination of candidates to fill the apostolic office of Judas.
1. Two candidates were put forward for the vacant place, two known and constant companions of Christ, blameless and pure in heart, v. 23. ...And they appointed two... Not eleven took responsibility for nominating candidates, but one hundred and twenty, for Peter said one hundred and twenty, not eleven. The names of the candidates were Joseph and Matthias. It should be noted that the Scriptures nowhere except this place say anything about these disciples, unless we consider Joseph here mentioned to be the same person as Jesus, called Empty, reported by Paul, Col. 4:11. It was known about him that he was one of the circumcision, that he was born a Jew, that he was Paul’s fellow worker for the Kingdom of God, who was his delight. If this is exactly the case, then it is remarkable that, although this Justus did not become an apostle, he still did not abandon his ministry and was very useful in small things, for are all apostles? are all prophets? They express the opinion that the mentioned Joseph is Josiah (Mk. 6:3), the brother of James the lesser (Mk. 15:40), who was nicknamed Josiah the righteous, just as Jacob the lesser was nicknamed Jacob the righteous. This Josiah is confused by some with another Josiah spoken of in Acts. 4:36. But that Josiah was from Cyprus, and this one was from Galilee; and it seems that in order to distinguish them, the one was given the nickname Barnabas, which means son of consolation, and the other Barsabas, which means son of vow. Joseph and Matthias were both worthy of being elected to the apostolic ministry, but those gathered were unable to choose one of them as the most suitable, but they all agreed among themselves that one of them would take the vacant position. Without nominating themselves and not fighting for the place of apostle, they humbly sat and were nominated as candidates.
2. The congregation prayerfully appeals to God that He would point not to one of the seventy, since none of the latter, in the opinion of everyone, could compete with Joseph and Matthias, but to one of these two, v. 24, 25.
(1) They turn to God, who tests hearts: “You, Lord, know the hearts of all, You know what is unknown to us, and You know people better than they know themselves.”
Note, When it became necessary to choose an apostle, the choice was to be made according to the heart, disposition, and inclinations of the candidate. Jesus knew everything about people and, nevertheless, having wise and holy intentions, he chose Judas as one of His disciples. While we pray for the welfare of the Church and her servants, we are consoled by the fact that God, to whom we pray, knows the hearts of all, and holds them not only before His eyes, but also in His hand, and can direct them to those paths that He deems pleasing Himself, and if these people turn out to be not so before Him, then He can force them to serve His purposes by putting a different spirit into them.
(2) They want to know which of the two God will show them. “Lord, show us so that we can be sure.” The question of choosing God's servants must be left to God; and if He, in one way or another, whether by providence or by the gifts of the Spirit, indicates whom He has chosen or what intentions He has for us, then we are obliged to agree with Him in everything.
(3) They are ready, as a brother, to accept the one whom God points out to them, for none of them harbored a plan to rise above others, but they all wanted God’s chosen one to accept the lot of this ministry and apostleship, to join them in this ministry and shared with them the glory of the apostleship, from which Judas fell away, leaving and betraying the Teacher. He fell from the place of the apostle, whom he turned out to be unworthy, in order to go to his place as a traitor - the most suitable place for him; he went not just to the gallows, but to the underworld - that’s where his place was.
Note: those who betray Christ, falling away from glorious fellowship with Him, doom themselves to inevitable destruction. It is said about Balaam (Num. 24:25) that he went back to his place, that is, as one Jewish rabbi teaches, he went to the underworld. Dr. Whitby, referring to the words of Ignatius, testifies that everyone is assigned iSiog Tonog - a proper place, to each his own, that is, God will reward everyone according to his deeds. Our Savior predicted that Judas had his place prepared, and it would be better for this man not to have been born (Matthew 26:24): his grief will be such that it can no longer be worse. Judas was a hypocrite, and hell is the most suitable place for his kind; other condemned sinners suffer the same fate, Matt. 24:51.
(4.) Doubts were decided by lot (v. 26), which is an appeal to God and (if cast with due decorum and in accordance with all the requirements of the law, preceded by the prayer of faith) a legal way of deciding those questions that cannot be decided by any other way; For the lot is cast upon the earth, but the whole decision thereof is of the Lord, Prov. 16:33. Matthias was not appointed an apostle, like the elders, by the laying on of hands, for he was chosen by the lot that fell according to the will of God. Therefore, he had to be baptized and put into ministry by the Holy Spirit, as happened to everyone a few days later. Thus the number of apostles was replenished; later, after the martyrdom of James, one of the twelve, Paul would become an apostle.
This book is called “The Acts of the Apostles” because it contains the acts of all the apostles together. And the person who narrates these acts is the Evangelist Luke, who also wrote this book. Being an Antiochian by birth and a doctor by profession, he accompanied the other apostles, especially Paul, and writes about what he knows quite thoroughly. This book also tells how the Lord ascended to heaven at the appearance of angels; further tells about the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and on everyone present then, as well as the election of Matthias instead of Judas the traitor, the election of seven deacons, the conversion of Paul and what he suffered. In addition, he tells about the miracles the apostles performed with the help of prayer and faith in Christ; and about Paul's journey to Rome. So Luke sets out the acts of the apostles and the miracles performed by them. The miracles he describes are as follows:
1) Peter and John heal in the name of the Lord a man lame from birth, who was sitting at the door called red.
2) Peter exposes Ananias and his wife Sapphira for withholding part of what they promised to God, and they immediately died.
3) Peter restores the paralytic Aeneas.
4) Peter in Joppa resurrects the deceased Dorcas with prayer.
5) Peter sees a vessel coming down from heaven filled with animals of every kind.
6) Peter’s shadow, falling on the weak, heals them.
7) Peter, held prisoner in prison, is released by an angel, so that the guards do not see this; and Herod, eaten by worms, gives up the ghost.
8) Stephen performs signs and wonders.
9) Philip in Samaria casts out many spirits and heals the lame and paralytic.
10) Paul, approaching Damascus, sees the apparition and immediately becomes a preacher of the Gospel.
11) The same Philip meets a eunuch reading on the way and baptizes him.
12) Paul in Lystra, in the name of the Lord, heals a man lame from birth.
13) Paul is called by vision to Macedonia.
14) Paul in Philippi heals a young woman possessed by an inquisitive spirit.
15) Paul and Silas are imprisoned and their feet are secured in stocks; but in the middle of the night an earthquake occurs and their bonds fall away.
16) Ubrists from the body of Paul were placed on the weak and possessed, and they were healed.
17) Paul in Troas resurrects Eutychus, who fell from the window and died, saying: his soul is in him.
18) Paul in Cyprus condemns the sorcerer Elymas, and this sorcerer becomes blind.
19) Paul and all those with him on the ship are overtaken by a fourteen-day storm on their way to Rome. And when everyone expected death, the Lord, appearing to Paul, said: for your sake I will give them life; and everyone was saved.
20) When Paul got off the ship, he was stung by a viper, and everyone thought that he would die. And since he remained unharmed, they considered him to be God.
21) Paul, by laying on of hands, heals the father of the chief Poplius, who was suffering from dysentery, on the island; He treats many other patients.
Travels of St. Paul the Apostle
Paul began his journey from Damascus and came to Jerusalem; from here he went to Tarsus, and from Tarsus to Antioch, and then again to Jerusalem, and again for the second time to Antioch; from here, having been assigned together with Barnabas to the work of the apostle, he arrived in Seleucia, then in Cyprus, where he began to be called Paul; then went to Perga, then to Pisidian Antioch, then to Iconium, then to Lystra, Derbe and Lycaonia, then to Pamphylia, then again to Perga, then to Attalia, then again for the third time to Syrian Antioch, then again for the third time to Jerusalem regarding the issue of circumcision, then again for the fourth time to Antioch, then again a second time to Derbe and Lystra, then to Phrygia and the country of Galatia, then to Mysia, then to Troas and from there to Naples, then to Philippi, a Macedonian city; then, having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, he came to Thessalonica, then to Beria, then to Athens, then to Corinth, then to Ephesus, then to Caesarea, then a second time to Pisidian Antioch, then to the country of Galatia and Phrygia, then again to the second time to Ephesus; then, having passed through Macedonia, he again arrived at Philippi for the second time and from Philippi again to Troas, where he resurrected the fallen Eutychus; then he arrived in Asson, then in Mytilene; then he landed on the shore opposite Khiy; then he arrived in Samos and from there to Miletus, where he called the Ephesian elders and talked with them; then he went to Con (Koos), then to Rhodes, from here to Patara, then to Tire, then to Ptolemais, and from here to Caesarea; from where he returned to Jerusalem again for the fourth time. From Jerusalem he was sent to Caesarea, and finally, having been sent as a prisoner to Rome, he thus arrived from Caesarea to Sidon, then to Myra in Lycia, then to Cnidus, and from here, after many hardships, he arrived on the island on which he was stung by an echidna, then to Syracuse, then to Rigia Calabria, then to Potioli, and from here he came to Rome on foot. Here, at the Appian marketplace and three innkeepers, believers met him. Having thus arrived in Rome, he taught here for a sufficient time, and finally, in Rome itself, he accepted martyrdom after the good deed he fought here. The Romans erected a beautiful building and basilica on his remains, annually celebrating his memory on the third day before the Kalends of July. And before this blessed man gave a lot of advice regarding honesty of life and virtue, and also gave a lot of practical instructions; moreover, what is especially important, in his fourteen messages he set out all the rules of human life.
Main Subjects of the Book of Acts
About the teaching of Christ after the resurrection, about the appearance of His disciples and the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit to them, about the form and image of the Ascension of the Lord and about His glorious second coming.
Peter's speech to his disciples about the death and rejection of Judas the traitor.
About the divine descent of the Holy Spirit on believers on the day of Pentecost.
About the healing in the name of Christ of a man lame from birth; The edification made by Peter on this occasion is favorable, exhorting and conducive to salvation.
On the unanimous and complete communion of believers.
About how the apostles imprisoned in prison were brought out of it at night by an angel of God, commanding them to preach Jesus without restraint.
On the election and ordination of seven deacons.
Revolt and slander of the Jews against Stephen; his speech is about God's covenant with Abraham and about the twelve patriarchs.
About the persecution of the Church and the death of Stephen.
About the sorcerer Simon, who believed and was baptized with many others.
That the gift of the Holy Spirit is not given for money and not to hypocrites, but to those who believe according to their faith.
That God favors salvation for good and faithful people is clear from the example of the eunuch.
About the Divine calling of Paul from heaven to the work of the apostleship of Christ.
About the paralytic Aeneas, healed in Lydda by Peter.
About how an angel appeared to Cornelius, and how again there was a proclamation from heaven to Peter.
How Peter, condemned by the apostles for associating with the uncircumcised, tells them in order everything that happened, and how at the same time he sends Barnabas to the brethren who were in Antioch.
The prophecy of Agave about the famine that was going to happen throughout the entire universe, and the help provided to the believing Antiochian brethren in Judea.
Murder of the Apostle James; here about the punishment of the guards and about the bitter and disastrous death of the wicked Herod.
About Barnabas and Saul, sent by the Divine Spirit to Cyprus, and about what they did in the name of Christ with the sorcerer Elimas.
Paul's rich edification in Christ, based on the law and the prophets, with a historical and evangelical character.
About how, preaching Christ in Iconium, the apostles were expelled from there, after many believed.
About the healing by the apostles in Lystra of a man lame from birth; as a result of which they were accepted by the inhabitants for the gods who had descended to them; Paul is stoned.
That we should not circumcise converted pagans; reasoning and decree of the apostles.
About the instruction of Timothy and the revelation to Paul to go to Macedonia.
About the disturbance that occurred in Thessalonica as a result of the (evangelical) sermon, and about the flight of Paul to Beria and from here to Athens.
About the inscription on the altar in Athens and about the wise preaching of Paul.
About Aquila and Priscilla, about the quick faith of the Corinthians and about the foreknowledge of God's favor towards them; which was communicated to Paul by revelation.
About the baptism of those who believed in Ephesus, about the communication of the gift of the Holy Spirit to them, through the prayer of Paul, and about the healings performed by Paul.
About the death and calling to life of Eutychus through the prayer of Paul in Troas; Pastoral exhortation to the elders of Ephesus.
The prophecy of Agabus about what will happen to Paul in Jerusalem.
James exhorts Paul not to forbid Jews to be circumcised.
About the indignation aroused in Jerusalem against Paul and how the captain took him away from the hands of the crowd.
About what Paul suffered when he appeared before the Sanhedrin, what he said and what he did.
About the fetters that the Jews plotted against Paul, and about their denunciation of him to Lysias.
On the accusation of Paul by Tertillus before the hegemon and on his acquittal.
About Felix Fist's successor and the latter's mode of action. Arrival of Agrippa and Vernicias and communication of information about Paul to them.
Filled with very many and very great dangers cruise Paul to Rome.
How Paul arrived in Rome from Miletus.
About Paul's conversation with the Jews who were in Rome.
Our Holy Father John Chrysostom forewarning to the Acts of the Holy Apostles
Many people, and not just anyone, know neither the book itself nor the person who compiled and wrote it. Therefore, I considered it necessary to undertake this interpretation, with the goal of both teaching those who do not know and not allowing such a treasure to be unknown and hidden under a bushel; because no less than the Gospels themselves, the penetration of such wisdom and such right teaching, and especially that accomplished by the Holy Spirit, can bring us benefit. So, let us not ignore this book; on the contrary, let us study it with all possible care; because in it one can see those prophecies of Christ that are contained in the Gospels actually being fulfilled; in it one can also see the truth shining in the very deeds, and a great change for the better in the disciples, brought about by the Holy Spirit; in it one can find dogmas that would not be so clearly understood by anyone if it were not for this book; without it, the essence of our salvation would remain hidden and some of the dogmas of the teaching and the rules of life would remain unknown.
But most of the content of this book consists of the acts of the Apostle Paul, who labored more than anyone else. The reason for this was that the writer of this book, blessed Luke, was a disciple of Paul. His love for his teacher is evident from many other things, but especially from the fact that he was constantly with his teacher and constantly followed him; while Demas and Hermogenes left him, one went to Galatia, the other to Dalmatia. Listen to what Paul himself says about Luke: “Luke is one with me”(2 Tim. 4:10); and sending a letter to the Corinthians, he says about him: “his praise is in the gospel in all the churches”(2 Cor. 8:18); also when he says: “He appeared to Cephas, also to the one and ten, according to the gospel, and partook of it”(1 Cor. 15:1,5), meaning his gospel; so that no one will sin if this work of Luke (the book of Acts) is attributed to Him; saying: to Him, I mean Christ.
If anyone says: why did Luke, being with Paul until the end of his life, not describe everything?, then we will answer that this was enough for the zealous, that he always focused on what was especially needed, and that the primary concern of the apostles was not in writing books, since they conveyed much without writing. But everything contained in this book is worthy of surprise, especially the adaptability of the apostles, which the Holy Spirit instilled in them, preparing them for the work of housebuilding. Therefore, while talking so much about Christ, they spoke little about His divinity, but more about His incarnation, His suffering, resurrection and ascension. For the object they aimed at was to make their hearers believe that He had risen and ascended into heaven. Just as Christ himself tried most of all to prove that He came from the Father, so Paul tried most of all to prove that Christ was resurrected, ascended, departed to the Father and came from Him. For if before the Jews did not believe that He came from the Father, then the whole teaching of Christ seemed much more incredible to them after the legend of His resurrection and Ascension into heaven was added to it. Therefore, Paul imperceptibly, little by little, brings them to an understanding of more sublime truths; and in Athens Paul even calls Christ simply a man, without adding anything more, and this is not without purpose: because if Christ himself, when He spoke of his equality with the Father, was often attempted to be stoned and was called for this a blasphemer of God, then with difficulty could have accepted this teaching from the fishermen and, moreover, after His crucifixion on the cross.
And what can we say about the Jews, when the disciples of Christ themselves, listening to the teaching about more sublime subjects, were confused and tempted? That's why Christ said: “The imam said many things to you, but you cannot wear them now”(John 16:12). If they could not wear it, they who had been with Him for so much time, who were initiated into so many mysteries and saw so many miracles, then how did the pagans, having abandoned altars, idols, sacrifices, cats and crocodiles (because that this was the pagan religion) and from other unholy rituals, could they suddenly accept an exalted word about Christian dogmas? How did the Jews, who read and heard daily the following saying from the law: Hear to Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is one(Deut. 6:4), and isn't there any other way for me?(Deut. 32:39), and at the same time they saw Christ crucified on the cross, and most importantly, they crucified Him and laid Him in the tomb, and did not see His resurrection - how are these people, hearing that this very man is God and equal to the Father , could not be embarrassed and not fall away completely and, moreover, faster and easier than everyone else? Therefore, the apostles gradually and imperceptibly prepare them and show great skill in adapting; and they themselves receive more abundant grace of the Spirit and in the name of Christ they perform greater miracles than those performed by Christ himself, in order in one and another way to raise them prostrate on the earth, and awaken in them faith in the word of the resurrection. And therefore this book is primarily proof of the resurrection; because by believing in the resurrection everything else was conveniently perceived. And anyone who has thoroughly studied this book will say that this is primarily its content and its whole purpose. Let us first listen to the very beginning of it.
Introduction.
Among the New Testament Scriptures, the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles ranks absolutely special place. It creates the necessary “backdrop” for most of the letters of the Apostle Paul. It presents a coherent account of Paul's apostolic activity. How much “poorer” would we be without the book of the Acts of the Apostles! After all, even if we have it, we are faced with certain difficulties when reading Paul’s epistles; how much more there would be if not for this book. Today Christianity draws from it the main information concerning the life of the early Church.
The book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles never ceases to inspire Christians of all times. The zeal, faith, joy, fidelity and obedience of the first saints reflected in it serve as an example to all believers. It is absolutely necessary for followers of Jesus Christ to study and delve into this book to the best of their ability.
In the book we find many amazing parallels in the description of what was done by the apostles Peter and Paul.
Miracles performed by the apostles Peter and Paul:
Peter
- 3:1-11 Healing a man lame from birth
- 5:15-16 Those overshadowed by Peter's shadow are healed
- 5:17 Jealousy on the part of the Jews
- 8:9-24 The story of Simon the Magus
- 9:33-35 Healing of Aeneas
- 9:36-41 Resurrection of Tabitha
Paul
- 14:8-18 Healing a man lame from birth
- 19:11-12 Healing power Pavel's scarves and aprons
- 13:45 Envy on the part of the Jews
- 13:6-11 The story of Elymas the Magus
- 20:9-12 Resurrection of Eutychus
Perhaps Luke was thus defending the authenticity of Paul's apostleship; in terms of his spiritual strength and the authority given to him, Paul, of course, was not inferior to Peter. In this same connection, probably, Luke returns three times to the story of Paul’s conversion (chapters 9,22,26). However, despite the striking parallels in the description of the ministry of Peter and Paul, the “justification” of the latter’s apostleship was hardly main goal books. There is too much material in it that is not consistent with this purpose. For example, the appointment of the Seven in chapter 6 or detailed description shipwreck in chapter 27.
Most theologians recognize that the book of the Acts of the Apostles reflects the universal nature of Christianity. But was the main goal of the person who wrote it to prove this? Luke shows us how the Good News reaches the Samaritans, the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, the Gentiles in Antioch, the poor and the rich, the educated and the uneducated, women and men, and those in high positions as well as those in the lowest rungs of society. Perhaps it is precisely with the aim of emphasizing the universal nature of Christianity that a special place is given in the book to the description of the Council of Jerusalem (Chapter 15). But again, a number of things do not fit into the framework of this explanation - for example, the election of Matthias in chapter 1 and the already mentioned election of the Seven in chapter 6.
So what was the main purpose of the Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles? F. Bruce, who takes an “apologetic” point of view, states: “Luke is essentially one of the first apologists of Christianity. In particular, this apologetics is addressed to secular authorities, with the aim of convincing them of the law-abiding nature of Christianity, and here Luke is undoubtedly a pioneer.”
In fact, much in the book of Luke supports the idea that it was written to protect Christians from the Roman authorities. It should be emphasized that the persecution of Christians described in the Acts of the Apostles, with the exception of two cases (which took place in Philippi - Chapter 16) and in Ephesus (Chapter 19), is always of religious origin, and their initiators are Jews.
Yet the apologetic concept can be challenged. The continuity between the book of the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of Luke is obvious. It's like two parts of one book. It is worth at least reading the first verse of the book of the Acts of the Apostles to be convinced of this. But the Gospel of Luke does not fit into apologetic literature in any way.
Perhaps, after all, the author of the book of the Acts of the Apostles set himself a primarily historical task, and this is the point of view today greatest number supporters. Luke's purpose was to show the "advancement" of the Good News from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria "and even to the ends of the earth" (1-8).
William Barclay, one of the researchers of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, writes: “Luke’s task was to show the spread of Christianity, to show how this religion, which arose in a remote corner of Palestine, reached Rome in less than 30 years.” This is so, and this is precisely the “secret” of the transition from the Jewish to the non-Jewish character of Christian ministry, the transition from Peter to Paul.
With this approach, it also becomes clear why the laconic historical prologue in Acts. 1:1 echoes Luke. 1:1-4. After all, the first verses of the Gospel of Luke sound like an introduction written by a historian. Just like Herodotus, Thucydides or Polybius. Therefore, both books of Luke are historical in nature.
But was Luke only a historiographer? No, since the book of the Acts of the Apostles is undoubtedly also a theological work in which the eschatological motif is especially clearly heard. It opens with a question of an eschatological nature (1:16), and, concluding it, Luke again resorts to eschatological terminology ("The Kingdom of God" in 28:31). (“Eschatology” is the doctrine of the ultimate destinies of the world and man. - Ed.)
The Acts of the Apostles emphasizes the idea of God's omnipotence: despite various forms of stubborn resistance, the Word of God spreads throughout the earth, and people respond to it. Christianity is gaining strength, and nothing can stop it. So the purpose of the second book of Luke can be defined as follows: to explain, together with his first book, the progressive and divinely directed process of spreading the message of the Kingdom from Jews to Gentiles, from Jerusalem to Rome.
If the roots of Christianity are to be found in the Old Testament and in Judaism, then how did this religion acquire a universal character? We find the answer to this question in the Gospel of Luke. In the same spirit, answering the same question, the narrative in the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles develops.
In both of these books, the mentioned eschatological theme runs through the “red thread”. The expression “Kingdom of God,” full of mystical and prophetic meaning, is found in the Gospel of Luke 32 times, and in Acts - 7 times, not counting the indirect reference to the Kingdom in 1:6 (1:3; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23,31). Images, references and allusions of an eschatological nature are scattered throughout the book of the Acts of the Apostles (1:11; 2:19-21,34-35; 3:19-25; 6:14; 10:42; 13:23-26 , 32-33; 15:15-18; 17:3,7,31; 20:24-25,32; 21:28; 23:6; 24:15-17,21,25; 26:6-8 ,18; 28:20).
The proposed understanding does not exclude a number of comments and assumptions expressed above. Yes, Peter and Paul are the main historical characters in the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles; Peter, who ministered to the circumcised, and Paul, who ministered to the uncircumcised. Yes, the universality of the Gospel is emphasized by Luke in both of his books.
About the sources to which Luke may have resorted. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Luke probably used a variety of sources. And the first of them, of course, is his personal experience. This is evident from the pronouns “we, us”, which appear repeatedly in 16:10-17 and in 20:5 - 28:31. The second “source” for Luke was Paul, in whose company he spent a lot of time. Undoubtedly, the apostle told his to the good doctor"And about his conversion and about all the difficulties of his ministry. Finally, Luke undoubtedly gleaned some information from other witnesses with whom he had the opportunity to communicate (20:4-5; 21:15-19).
In Acts. 21:18-19. Jacob is mentioned as one of those whom Luke met. And from him he could learn reliable information that formed the basis of the first chapters of the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Note that these chapters betray their “Aramaic origin.” Further, while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea for two years (24:27), Luke had ample time to undertake a thorough research work in Palestine (Luke 1:2-3). This is how Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, created the book of the Acts of the Apostles.
Time to write.
Apparently, the book was written before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70. Otherwise, such a significant event would have been reflected on its pages. Especially in one of its main themes: God, turning His face away from the Jews who rejected Jesus Christ, turns it to the pagans.
It is unlikely that Luke would not have mentioned the death of Paul, which according to tradition is dated to 66-68. according to R.H., if the book had not been written before.
Note that the persecution of Christians under Nero, which began after the Roman fire in 64 AD, is not mentioned in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.
So, theologians usually accept the year 60-62 as the date of writing the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. according to R.H. They consider Rome, or Rome and Caesarea, to be the place of its writing. The book was written on the eve of Paul's liberation or immediately after it.
The plan of comments on this book proposed below is based on two key texts moments in it. The first is the key verse in Acts. 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The second key point can be considered Luke's messages scattered throughout the book about the growth and strengthening of the Church (2:47; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:30-31). Due to the fact that Luke does not always specify where exactly the “growth” took place (2:41; 4:31; 5:42; 8:25,40, etc.), theologians have made various assumptions about this .
The Plan proposed below is built on the clearly traced interdependence of these two factors - the key verse (Acts 1:8) and seven clearly localized messages about the growth of the Church.
Outline of the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles:
I. Witness in Jerusalem (1:1 - 6:7)
A. The Chosen in Waiting (Chapters 1-2)
1. Introduction (1:1-5)
2. The apostles wait in Jerusalem (1:6-26)
3. The Beginning of the Church (Chapter 2)
First message of success: “And the Lord added daily those who were being saved to the church” (2:47)
B. Growth of the church in Jerusalem (3:1 - 6:7)
1. Opposition to the church (3:1 - 4:31)
2. Punishment carried out in the church (4:32 - 5:11)
3. Prosperity of the church (5:12-42)
4. Resolving administrative issues (6:1-7)
Second success message: “And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem” (6:7)
II. Testimony throughout Judea and Samaria (6:8 - 9:31)
A. Martyrdom of Stephen (6:8 - 8:1a)
1. Arrest of Stefan (6:8 - 7:1)
2. Stephen's speech to the Sanhedrin (7:2-53)
3. "Attack" on Stefan (7:54 - 8:1a)
B. Philip's Ministry (8:1b-40)
1. In Samaria (8:1b-25)
2. Philip's ministry to the Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-40)
C. Mission of Saul (9:1-31)
1. Conversion of Saul (9:1-19a)
2. The beginning of conflicts with the Jews (9:19b-31)
Third Success Message: “The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria... being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord... being encouraged by the Holy Spirit, multiplied" (9:31)
III. Testimony "to the ends of the earth" (9:32 - 28:31)
A. The Church reaches Antioch (9:32 - 12:24)
1. Peter prepares for the universal proclamation of the Gospel (9:32 - 10:48)
2. The Apostles prepare for the universal proclamation of the Gospel (11:1-18)
3. Preparing the Yantiochian church to proclaim the Gospel to “the whole world” (11:19-30)
4. Persecution of the church in Jerusalem (12:1-24)
Fourth Success Message: “The Word of God grew and spread” (12:24)
B. The emergence of churches in Asia Minor (12:25 - 16:5)
1. Barnabas' selfless service to Saul (12:25 - 13:3)
(First Missionary Journey, chapters 13-14)
2. Missionary tour of Asia Minor (13:4 - 14:28)
3. Council of Jerusalem (15:1-35)
4. Establishment of churches in Asia Minor (15:36 - 16:5)
(Second missionary journey, 15:36 - 18:22)
Fifth Success Message: “And the churches were established” by faith and increased in number daily (16:5)
B. The emergence of churches on the coast of the Aegean Sea (16:6 - 19:20)
1. Urge to go to Macedonia (16:6-10)
2. Conflict situations in Macedonia (16:11 - 17:15)
3. Missionary campaign in Achaia (17:16 - 18:18)
4. Completion of the second missionary journey (18:19-22)
5. “Conquest” of Ephesus by missionaries (18:23 - 19:20)
(Third Missionary Journey, 18:23 - 21:16)
Sixth Success Message: “With such power the word of the Lord increased and became powerful” (19:20)
G. Paul strives to Rome (19:21 - 28:31)
1. Completion of the third missionary journey (19:21 - 21:16)
2. Paul's imprisonment in Jerusalem (21:17 - 23:32)
3. Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea (23:33 - 26:32)
4. Paul's imprisonment in Rome (chapters 27-28)
Seventh Success Message: “Paul…received all those who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ” (28:30-31).
Acts of the Holy Apostles- the next New Testament book of historical content after the Holy Gospels, which in terms of its importance deserves to take first place after them. “This book,” says St. Chrysostom, “can bring us no less benefit than the Gospel itself: it is so filled with wisdom, such purity of dogmas and such an abundance of miracles, especially those performed by the Holy Spirit. Here one can see the fulfillment in practice of those prophecies that Christ proclaims in the Gospels - the truth shining in the very events, and the great change for the better in the disciples, accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Christ said to the disciples: “He who believes in Me, the works that I do will he also do, and greater works than these will he do” (John 14:12), and predicted to them that they would be led to rulers and kings, that they would be beaten in the synagogues (Matt. 10:17-18) that they will suffer the most severe torment and triumph over all, and that the Gospel will be preached throughout the world (Matt. 24:14). All this, as well as many other things that He said when addressing his disciples, seems to be fulfilled in this book with all accuracy... The events of the book of Acts are a direct continuation of the events of the Gospel, beginning with how these end (the ascension of the Lord into heaven ), and revealing the subsequent history of the Church of Christ until the imprisonment of the one who worked the most among the Apostles - Paul. Noting the special nature of the presentation and selection of events, St. Chrysostom calls the present book containing primarily evidence of the resurrection of Christ, since it was easy for those who believed in this to accept everything else. He sees this as the “main goal” of the book.
Writer book of Acts - St. Evangelist Luke, according to his own instructions about this (Acts 1:1-2; cf. Luke 1:1, etc.). – This indication, quite strong in itself, is confirmed by external evidence of the ancient Christian church (testimonies of St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen and many others), and internal signs, which all together makes the complete and unconditional reliability of the De-Writer’s tales down to the smallest particulars and details beyond any doubt.
Time and place of writing the book- are not exactly determinable. Since the book concludes with an indication of the two-year preaching activity of the Apostle Paul in prison in Rome (Acts 28:30-31), but there is no mention of either the Apostle’s death or liberation, it should be thought that in any case it written before the martyrdom of the Apostle (in 63 - 64 AD) and precisely in Rome(as Blessed Jerome believes), although the latter is not indisputable. It is possible that during his travels with the Apostle Paul, St. Luke kept notes of everything that was most noteworthy, and only then did he bring these notes into order and the integrity of a special book - “Acts.”
Having set out to present the most important events of the Church of Christ from the Ascension of the Lord to his last contemporary days, St. Luke's book covers a period of about 30 years. Since the supreme Apostle Peter worked especially hard during the spread of the faith of Christ in Jerusalem and during its initial transition to the pagans, and the supreme Apostle Paul worked especially hard during the spread in the pagan world, the book of Acts accordingly represents two main parts. The first (I - XII chapters) tells mainly about the apostolic activity of Peter and about the church of the Jews. In the second - (XIII-XXVIII chapters), about the activities of Paul and about the church of the pagans.
Under the name Acts Several more books of one or another Apostle were separately known in ancient times, but all of them were rejected by the Church as spurious, containing unreliable apostolic teaching, and even as unhelpful and harmful.
Interpretation of the Acts of the Holy Apostles and Council messages holy apostles James, Peter, John, Jude
With the blessing of Metropolitan of Tashkent and Central Asia VLADIMIR
Published by: Blagovestnik, Commentary on the Acts of the Holy Apostles and on the Council Epistles of the Holy Apostles James, Peter, John and Jude Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria. SPb., 19 11.
Interpretation of the Acts of the Holy Apostles,
an abbreviated selection from the interpretations of St. John Chrysostom and some other fathers
Introduction
This book is called “The Acts of the Holy Apostles” because it contains the acts of all the apostles. And the person who narrates these acts is the Evangelist Luke, who also wrote this book. Being an Antiochian by birth and a doctor by profession, he accompanied the other apostles, especially Paul, and writes about what he knows quite thoroughly. This book also tells how the Lord ascended to heaven at the appearance of the Angels; further tells about the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and on everyone present then, as well as the election of Matthias instead of Judas the traitor, the election of seven deacons, the conversion of Paul and what he endured. In addition, it tells about the miracles the apostles performed with the help of prayer and faith in Christ and about Paul’s journey to Rome. So, Luke sets out the acts of the apostles and the miracles performed by them. The miracles he describes are as follows:
1) Peter and John heal in the name of the Lord a man lame from birth, who was sitting at the door called Red. 2) Peter exposes Ananias and his wife Sapphira for withholding part of what they promised to God, and they immediately died. 3) Peter raises the weakened Aeneas to his feet. 4) Peter in Joppa resurrects the dead Tabitha with prayer. 5) Peter sees a vessel coming down from heaven filled with animals of every kind. 6) Peter’s shadow, falling on the weak, heals them. 7) Peter, held prisoner in prison, is freed by an Angel, so that the guards do not see this, and Herod, eaten by worms, gives up the ghost. 8) Stephen performs signs and wonders. 9) Philip in Samaria casts out many spirits and heals the lame and paralytic. 10) Paul, approaching Damascus, sees the apparition and immediately becomes a preacher of the Gospel. 11) The same Philip meets a eunuch reading on the way and baptizes him. 12) Paul in Lystra, in the name of the Lord, heals a man lame from birth. 13) Paul is called by vision to Macedonia. 14) Paul in Philippi heals a woman (youth) possessed by an inquisitive spirit. 15) Paul and Silas are imprisoned and their feet are placed in stocks; but in the middle of the night an earthquake occurs and their bonds fall away. 16) Ubrists - aprons - from the body of Paul were placed on the weak and possessed, and they were healed. 17) Paul in Troas resurrects Eutychus, who fell from a window and died, saying: His soul is in him (Acts 20:10). 18) Paul in Cyprus condemns the sorcerer Elymas, and this sorcerer becomes blind. 19) Paul and all those with him on the ship are overtaken by a fourteen-day storm on their way to Rome. And when everyone expected death, an angel appeared to Paul and said: Behold, God has given you all those who sail with you (Acts 27:24) - and everyone was saved. 20) When Paul got off the ship, he was stung by a viper, and everyone thought that he would die. And since he remained unharmed, they considered him to be God. 21) Paul, by laying on of hands, heals the father of the chief Poplius, who was suffering from dysentery, on the island; He also treats many other patients.
Travels of Saint Paul the Apostle
Paul began his journey from Damascus and came to Jerusalem; from here he went to Tara, and from Tarsus to Antioch and then again to Jerusalem, and again, for the second time, to Antioch; from here, having been assigned together with Barnabas to the work of the apostleship, he arrived in Seleucia, then to Cyprus, where he began to be called Paul; Then he went to Perga, then to Pisidian Antioch, to Iconium, to Lystra, to Derbe and Lycaonia, then to Pamphylia, then again to Perga, then to Attalia, then again, for the third time, to Syrian Antioch, for the third time - to Jerusalem regarding circumcision, then again, for the fourth time, he arrived in Antioch, then again, a second time, to Derbe and Lystra, then to Phrygia and the country of Galatia, then to Mysia, then to Troas and from there to Naples, then - to Philippi, a city of Macedon; then, having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, he came to Thessalonica, then to Beria, to Athens, to Corinth, to Ephesus, to Caesarea, then, for the second time, to Antioch of Pisidia, then to the country of Galatia and to Phrygia, then again, in the second time, to Ephesus; then, having passed through Macedonia, again, for the second time, he arrived at Philippi and from Philippi - again to Troas, where he resurrected the fallen Eutychus.
Then he arrived in Asson, then in Mytilene; then he landed on the shore opposite Khiy; then he arrived in Samos and from there to Melitus, where he called the Ephesian elders and talked with them; then he went to Con (Koos), then to Rhodes, from here to Patara, then to Tyre, to Ptolemais and from here to Caesarea, from where again, for the fourth time, he returned to Jerusalem.
From Jerusalem he was sent to Caesarea and, finally, being sent as a prisoner to Rome, he thus arrived from Caesarea to Sidon, then to Myra in Lycia, then to Cnidus and from here, after many hardships, arrived on the island on which he was stung by an echidna ; then he headed to Syracuse, then to Rigia Calabria, then to Potioli, and from here he walked to Rome. Here, at the Appian marketplace and three taverns, the believers met him. Arriving in this way in Rome, he taught here for a sufficient time and, finally, in Rome itself he suffered martyrdom after the good deed that he labored here. The Romans erected a beautiful building and basilica on his remains, annually celebrating his feast day on the third day before the Kalends of July.
And before this blessed man gave a lot of advice regarding honesty of life and virtue, and also gave a lot of practical instructions; moreover, what is especially important, in his fourteen messages he set out all the rules of human life.
Main Subjects of the Book of Acts
About the teaching of Christ after the resurrection, about the appearance of His disciples and the promise to them of the gift of the Holy Spirit, about the form and image of the Ascension of the Lord and about His glorious second coming.
Peter's speech to his disciples about the death and rejection of Judas the traitor.
About the Divine descent of the Holy Spirit on believers on the day of Pentecost.
About the healing in the name of Christ of a man lame from birth; The favorable, admonishing and salvation-disposing edification made by Peter on this occasion.
On the unanimous and complete communion of believers.
About how the apostles imprisoned in prison were brought out of it at night by the Angel of God, commanding them to preach Jesus without restraint.
On the election and ordination of seven deacons.
Revolt and slander of the Jews against Stephen; his speech is about God's covenant with Abraham and about the twelve patriarchs.
About the persecution of the Church and the death of Stephen.
About the sorcerer Simon, who believed and was baptized with many others.
That the gift of the Holy Spirit is not given for money and not to hypocrites, but to believers according to their faith.
That God favors salvation for good and faithful people, as can be seen from the example of the eunuch.
About the Divine calling of Paul from heaven to the work of the apostleship of Christ.
About the paralytic Aeneas, healed in Lydda by Peter.
About how an angel appeared to Cornelius and how again there was a proclamation from heaven to Peter.
How Peter, condemned by the apostles for associating with the uncircumcised, tells them in order everything that happened, and how at the same time he sends Barnabas to the brethren who were in Antioch.
The prophecy of Agave about the famine that was going to happen throughout the entire universe, and the help provided by the Antiochian believing brethren in Judea.
Murder of the Apostle James; here about the punishment of the guards and about the bitter and disastrous death of the wicked Herod.
About Barnabas and Saul, sent by the Divine Spirit to Cyprus, and about what they did in the name of Christ with the sorcerer Elimas.
Pavlov's rich teaching about Christ based on the law and the prophets, with historical and evangelical characteristics.
About how, preaching Christ in Iconium, the apostles were expelled from there after many believed.
About the healing by the apostles in Lystra of a man lame from birth; as a result of which they were accepted by the inhabitants for the gods who had descended to them; Paul is stoned.
That we should not circumcise converted pagans; reasoning and decree of the apostles.
About the instruction of Timothy and the revelation to Paul to go to Macedonia.
About the disturbance that occurred in Thessalonica as a result of the gospel preaching, and about the flight of Paul to Beria and from there to Athens.
About the inscription on the altar in Athens and about the wise preaching of Paul.
About Aquila and Priscilla, about the quick faith of the Corinthians and about the foreknowledge of God's favor towards them, which was communicated to Paul through revelation.
About the baptism of those who believed in Ephesus, about the communication of the gift of the Holy Spirit to them through the prayer of Paul and about the healings performed by Paul.
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