Acts 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. The Preparation for the Christian Mission
Chapter 1[a]
The Promise of the Spirit. 1 In the first book,(A) Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught 2 until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.(B) 3 He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days[b] and speaking about the kingdom of God.(C) 4 While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father[c] about which you have heard me speak;(D) 5 for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.”(E)
The Ascension of Jesus. 6 When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going[d] to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 [e]He answered them,(F) “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. 8 [f]But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you,(G) and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.(H) 10 While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.(I) 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”(J) 12 (K)Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.
The First Community in Jerusalem. 13 When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.(L)
The Choice of Judas’s Successor. 15 During those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). He said, 16 “My brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled which the holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.(M) 17 He was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this ministry. 18 (N)He bought a parcel of land with the wages of his iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out.[g] 19 This became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem, so that the parcel of land was called in their language ‘Akeldama,’ that is, Field of Blood. 20 For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
‘Let his encampment become desolate,
and may no one dwell in it.’
And:
‘May another take his office.’(O)
21 Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.”(P) 23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” 26 [h](Q)Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.
Footnotes
- 1:1–26 This introductory material (Acts 1:1–2) connects Acts with the Gospel of Luke, shows that the apostles were instructed by the risen Jesus (Acts 1:3–5), points out that the parousia or second coming in glory of Jesus will occur as certainly as his ascension occurred (Acts 1:6–11), and lists the members of the Twelve, stressing their role as a body of divinely mandated witnesses to his life, teaching, and resurrection (Acts 1:12–26).
- 1:3 Appearing to them during forty days: Luke considered especially sacred the interval in which the appearances and instructions of the risen Jesus occurred and expressed it therefore in terms of the sacred number forty (cf. Dt 8:2). In his gospel, however, Luke connects the ascension of Jesus with the resurrection by describing the ascension on Easter Sunday evening (Lk 24:50–53). What should probably be understood as one event (resurrection, glorification, ascension, sending of the Spirit—the paschal mystery) has been historicized by Luke when he writes of a visible ascension of Jesus after forty days and the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost. For Luke, the ascension marks the end of the appearances of Jesus except for the extraordinary appearance to Paul. With regard to Luke’s understanding of salvation history, the ascension also marks the end of the time of Jesus (Lk 24:50–53) and signals the beginning of the time of the church.
- 1:4 The promise of the Father: the holy Spirit, as is clear from the next verse. This gift of the Spirit was first promised in Jesus’ final instructions to his chosen witnesses in Luke’s gospel (Lk 24:49) and formed part of the continuing instructions of the risen Jesus on the kingdom of God, of which Luke speaks in Acts 1:3.
- 1:6 The question of the disciples implies that in believing Jesus to be the Christ (see note on Lk 2:11) they had expected him to be a political leader who would restore self-rule to Israel during his historical ministry. When this had not taken place, they ask if it is to take place at this time, the period of the church.
- 1:7 This verse echoes the tradition that the precise time of the parousia is not revealed to human beings; cf. Mk 13:32; 1 Thes 5:1–3.
- 1:8 Just as Jerusalem was the city of destiny in the Gospel of Luke (the place where salvation was accomplished), so here at the beginning of Acts, Jerusalem occupies a central position. It is the starting point for the mission of the Christian disciples to “the ends of the earth,” the place where the apostles were situated and the doctrinal focal point in the early days of the community (Acts 15:2, 6). The ends of the earth: for Luke, this means Rome.
- 1:18 Luke records a popular tradition about the death of Judas that differs from the one in Mt 27:5, according to which Judas hanged himself. Here, although the text is not certain, Judas is depicted as purchasing a piece of property with the betrayal money and being killed on it in a fall.
- 1:26 The need to replace Judas was probably dictated by the symbolism of the number twelve, recalling the twelve tribes of Israel. This symbolism also indicates that for Luke (see Lk 22:30) the Christian church is a reconstituted Israel.
Acts 1
Lexham English Bible
The Preface
1 I produced the former account, O Theophilus, about all that[a] Jesus began to do and to teach, 2 until the day he was taken up, after he[b] had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, 3 to whom he also presented himself alive after he suffered, with many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking the things about the kingdom of God. 4 And while he[c] was with[d] them,[e] he commanded them, “Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what was promised by the Father, which you heard about from me. 5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”[f]
The Ascension
6 So when[g] they had come together, they began asking[h] him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 But he said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when[i] the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest part of the earth.” 9 And after he[j] had said these things, while[k] they were watching, he was taken up, and a cloud received him from their sight. 10 And as they were staring into the sky while[l] he was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood by them 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee,[m] why do you stand there looking[n] into the sky? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven like this will come back in the same way you saw him departing into heaven!”
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain that is called Olive Grove[o] which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.[p] 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying—Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James. 14 All these were busily engaged with one mind in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with[q] his brothers.
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (and it was a crowd of persons of about one hundred twenty at the same place) and[r] said, 16 “Men and brothers, it was necessary that the scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit proclaimed beforehand through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus, 17 because he was counted among us and received a share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field for the wages of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines spilled out. 19 And it became known to all who live in Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own language[s] “Akeldama,” that is, “Field of Blood.”) 20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘Let his residence become deserted,
and let there be no one to live in it,’[t]
and,
‘Let another person take his position.’[u]
21 Therefore it is necessary for one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us—one of these men must become a witness of his resurrection together with us.” 23 And they proposed two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was called Justus) and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and[v] said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show clearly which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to depart to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to serve[w] with the eleven apostles.
Footnotes
- Acts 1:1 Literally “of what”
- Acts 1:2 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had given orders”) which is understood as temporal
- Acts 1:4 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was with”) which is understood as temporal
- Acts 1:4 Or “was assembling with,” or “was sharing a meal with”
- Acts 1:4 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Acts 1:5 Literally “not many days after these”
- Acts 1:6 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had come together”) which is understood as temporal
- Acts 1:6 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began asking”)
- Acts 1:8 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“has come”)
- Acts 1:9 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had said”) which is understood as temporal
- Acts 1:9 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“were watching”)
- Acts 1:10 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was departing”)
- Acts 1:11 Literally “Galileans”
- Acts 1:11 Some manuscripts have “gazing”
- Acts 1:12 This is a variation of the name “Mount of Olives”
- Acts 1:12 Literally “having a journey of a Sabbath”
- Acts 1:14 Some manuscripts omit “with”
- Acts 1:15 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stood up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Acts 1:19 That is, Aramaic
- Acts 1:20 A quotation from Ps 69:25
- Acts 1:20 A quotation from Ps 109:8
- Acts 1:24 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“prayed”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Acts 1:26 The words “to serve” are not in the Greek text, but are implied
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software