THE BOOK OF ACTS

OF THE HOLY APOSTLES

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Part One

The Church of Christ from the Jews

(chapters 1-12)

Chapter One

Preface to the Book of Acts

(verses 1-3). The Lord's Instructions and Promises Before the Ascension and His Ascension (verses 4-11). The speech of the holy Apostle Peter about the election of a new apostle in the place of Judas and the election of Matthew (verses 12-26).

Preface to the Book of Acts

(1:1-3)

In the preface, the author refers to a certain Theophilus and in doing so points to his "first book," in which he wrote "all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning." It is quite obvious that here we are talking about our third canonical Gospel, which was written by Luke for the same "venerable Theophilus." St. Luke points to the internal organic connection between his Gospel and this second book, which should serve as a continuation of the first. Of "all things," of course, only relatively, for St. John considers it even impossible to describe everything (John 21:25). "All things" are said here in the sense of "all things that are necessary" in order to be able to become acquainted with the life, work and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and to believe in Him as the Son of God.

"What Jesus did and what he taught from the beginning" – these words would be more correct to translate in Russian: "what Jesus began to do and what Jesus began to teach." The writer wanted to express by this what the Lord had only begun to create and teach in His earthly life, and would continue to do so through the Apostles (whose deeds will be described in the book offered to them) and, of course, through their successors until the end of time (Matthew 28:20).

"Until the day in which He ascended." The Ascension of the Lord is indicated here as a turning point: it is the end of the Gospel and the beginning of the Apostolic history. Up to this moment, the Lord's visible activity on earth took place, and from this moment His invisible activity begins.

"Having given commandments to the Apostles by the Holy Spirit" – the importance of this turning point in the history of the salvation of mankind is that the Lord ascended, leaving to His Disciples a commandment-testament, as an expression of His last will to spread and establish His teaching throughout the world.

"By the Holy Spirit" – the Lord Jesus Christ created everything "by the Holy Spirit", for, in the words of Blessed Theophylact, "where the Son creates, the Spirit cooperates and is co-existent, as one in essence". This testament is not given to everyone, but only to those "whom He has chosen" – He has chosen for this great work.

In order that the Apostles might bear witness to Him in all the world, the Lord revealed Himself to them alive after His sufferings and death, and assured them of the truth of His resurrection, appearing to them for forty days. but he appeared to them many times, and only after forty days did he ascend from them to heaven. During this period He taught them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, presumably the establishment of this Kingdom, or the Church of Christ, on earth, in order to prepare them for the Apostolic activity that lay ahead of them.

The Lord's Instructions and His Ascension

(1:4-12)

The Lord, "having gathered them together, commanded them: do not depart from Jerusalem," which required no small amount of self-denial from the disciples, for they, of course, would not want to remain in this city, hostile to their Teacher and to themselves. But such was the will of God: "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3ff.) — it was precisely where the enmity against God and His Christ reached its highest expression that the abundance of God's grace and begin to spread the gospel throughout the world. With this heavy command to remain in the hostile city, the Lord immediately combined the joyful promise of sending down to the Apostles an all-powerful Protector and Guide from the Almighty Father – the Holy Spirit. Undoubtedly, by "promised of the Father" is meant precisely the Holy Spirit, Whom God the Father promised to send down through the prophets in the Old Testament (e.g., Isaiah 44:3; Joel 3:1).