Acts 1 · The Lantern

The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus began to do and to teach,

Until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up.

"Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments unto the Apostles whom He had chosen. After He had given commandments through the Spirit;" i.e. they were spiritual words that He spake unto them, nothing human; either this is the meaning, or, that it was by the Spirit that He gave them commandments.

The following: Until the day he was taken up; the rest are inserted by way of parenthesis. As for, Having commanded the apostles through the Holy Spirit, either because the commands are spiritual, showing nothing worldly; or, so that the Spirit also may show itself as inherent to itself, that nothing performed by God lacks the sanctifying essence. But what are the commands?

"Having given commandments through the Holy Spirit," that is, having spoken spiritual words to them; there was nothing human in this, because He gave commandments through the Spirit. Just as the Lord Himself, out of humility and in accommodation to His listeners, said: "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God" (Matt.

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God.

The Passover affords a more than usually solemn day for baptism; when, withal, the Lord's passion, in which we are baptized, was completed.

For whose sake did he not appear to all, but only to the apostles? Because it would have seemed like a ghost [φάντασμα] to the many, who did not know the secret of the mystery. For even if the disciples themselves did not believe at first and were disturbed, what was likely to happen to the many?

In order to raise us to hope, he ascended to the heavenly glory which we hope for. But because hope does not arise except from faith in future immortality, therefore he did not ascend immediately, but with an interval of forty days interposed, in which through many signs and proofs he established the true resurrection, by which the mind might be strengthened in faith and lifted…

And eating together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard (saith he) by my mouth.

Now in these diverse activities that Gift is set forth in no uncertain light of which our Lord had spoken to the apostles when He taught them not to depart from Jerusalem; but wait, said He, for the promise of the Father which ye heard from My lips: for John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, which ye shall also receive not many days hence…

Not to depart from Jerusalem, Jesus encouraged them, wishing to establish the account of the resurrection more firmly for them through the miracles, which were done by the request of the crucified one, through the sufferings which they endured at the hands of the Jews, yet they did not depart from the friendship of the crucified and risen one, but rather died for him.

And opening to them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. Why did He command them to do so? Earlier, when they were fearful and trembling, He led them out to Galilee so that they could fearlessly hear what He had to say to them, since they were ready to abandon the work to which they had been called.

For John indeed baptized with water: but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence.

This grace was not in part, but his power was in full perfection; for as he who plunges into the waters and is baptized is encompassed on all sides by the waters, so were they also baptized completely by the Holy Spirit. The water, however, flows round the outside only, but the Spirit baptizes also the soul within, and that completely. And why do you wonder at this?

For John indeed baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Baptisma in Greek is called tinctio in Latin. Wherefore, in some manuscripts we find it interpreted thus: For John indeed dipped with water, but you will be dipped in the Holy Spirit. Here the marvelous harmony of the words of the Lord and his precursor is evident.

Before the sending of the Holy Spirit, there was neither the full gift of the Holy Spirit for confirmation and public confession of the name of Christ, nor the plenary anointing of the mind for departure; therefore Christ only initiated and intimated these two Sacraments, namely confirmation and extreme unction.

They therefore who were come together, asked him, saying: Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?

For they longed for it now, they wished it now; that is, they wished to seize Him, and to make Him king. But the prophets foretold His kingdom according to that wherein He is Christ made man, and has made His faithful ones Christians.

"Wilt Thou at this time," say they, "restore the kingdom to Israel?" They so well knew his mildness, that after His Passion also they ask Him, "Wilt thou restore?" And yet He had before said to them, "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet," nor shall Jerusalem be taken. But now they ask Him about the kingdom, not about the end.

Intending to ask, they come to the Teacher together, so as to influence Him by their number; for they knew that His previous answer, namely: "of that day and hour no one knows" (Matt. 24:36), was such an answer not because of ignorance, but because He was avoiding the question. Therefore they ask again.

But he said to them: It is not for you to know the time or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power:

The apostle says: "The day of the Lord shall so come as a thief in the night. When they shall say, Peace and security, then on them shall come sudden destruction." Also in the Acts of the Apostles: "No one can know the times or the seasons which the Father has placed in His own power."

Now it is very properly that the affliction indeed of blessed Job is told, but the length of time that he was under the affliction is kept back, for we see the tribulation of Holy Church in this life, but know nothing for how long she is here to undergo bruising and delay; and hence it is spoken by the mouth of Truth, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which th…

And yet, even in the meantime a spiritual kingdom will thrust itself forth. In vindicating and protecting this kingdom, God demands their service, as for the rewards, let them be his concern. So they are to give up their desiree to know what they should not know; prepare themselves for events that lie at hand.

But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth.

And when he had said these things, while they looked on, he was raised up: and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Why did He rise in the flesh in which He suffered, unless to show the resurrection of the flesh? And wishing to confirm this, when His disciples did not know whether to believe He had truly risen in the body, and were looking upon Him and doubting, He said to them, "Ye have not yet faith, see that it is I;" and He let them handle Him, and showed them the prints of the nails in…

Indeed, a cloud received the Lord, to demonstrate the equality of honor to the Father. For it is said of the Father: A cloud and darkness are round about Him. (Ps. 97:2) And indeed God who became flesh, having used a cloud as a chariot, for He was the Lord: but Elijah, fire.

Christ was such a Center in His ascension. Hence it is written in Acts: "A cloud took Him out of their sight." Likewise the Christian must rise "from strength to strength," and not stand still at the terminal point of virtue, for by so doing he would cease to be virtuous.

And while they were beholding him going up to heaven, behold two men stood by them in white garments.

After that, Pentecost is a most joyous space for conferring baptisms; wherein, too, the resurrection of the Lord was repeatedly proved among the disciples, and the hope of the advent of the Lord indirectly pointed to, in that, at that time, when He had been received back into the heavens, the angels told the apostles that "He would so come, as He had withal ascended into the he…

Men, appearing as angels because of the vision, speak through the experience, according to the kindred nature of the vision, so that they do not completely astonish those already struck by the uniqueness of the ascension.

Having said, "Why do you stand gazing into heaven?" — they did not allow them to remain any longer in that place and hope to see Him again, but urged them to return at last to Jerusalem for the work of preaching.

Who also said: Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him going into heaven.

Who is it then, that has aroused the Lord, now at God's right hand so unseasonably and with such severity "shake terribly" (as Isaiah expresses it ("that earth," which, I suppose, is as yet unshattered?

Now they saw his nature as limited. For I have heard the words of the Lord, "You shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven," and I acknowledge that what is seen by human eyes is limited, for the unlimited nature is invisible. Furthermore to sit upon a throne of glory and to set the lambs upon the right and the kids upon the left indicates limitation.

"He will come," it says, not "He will be sent." "He will come in the same way," that is, with a body. This is what they desired to hear, and also that He will come again in the days of judgment on a cloud (cf. Matt. 24:30).

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, which is nigh Jerusalem, within a sabbath day's journey.

And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes and Jude the brother of James.

"And when they were come in," it says, "they went up into an upper room, where they were making their abode:" so they then remained in Jerusalem after the Resurrection: "both Peter, and James, and John:" no longer is only the latter together with his brother mentioned, but together with Peter the two: "and Andrew, and Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, and James (the…

He does not compile a list of the disciples in vain: but wishing to show that they had suffered something human, yet had not remained in apostasy. For indeed Peter, who had denied, was absolved from his denial by bitter tears, as is made evident from this, that shortly afterwards the spiritual flock was entrusted to him.

He prudently enumerates the disciples. Since one of them betrayed, another denied, and a third did not believe, he shows that, apart from the betrayer, all were present.

All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

"Blessed," says He, "are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the sons of God." [Matthew 5:9] It behooves the sons of God to be peacemakers, gentle in heart, simple in speech, agreeing in affection, faithfully linked to one another in the bonds of unanimity.

They sought by a swift path, with which it was possible to go a mile on their sabbath, the well-known walls where Mary, the gateway of God, the virgin mother of her Creator, formed by her own son, was sitting at a religious gathering. The second virgin put to flight the woes of Eve's crime; there is no harm done to the sex; she restored what the first took away.

But how does he say, "with Mary the mother of Jesus"? Although the evangelist said that "from that time the disciple… took Her to his own" (John 19:27), this in no way contradicts the foregoing, because if that very disciple was there, then nothing prevented Her from being present as well. Why does he not mention Joseph here?

In those days Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said (now the number of persons together was about an hundred and twenty):

Accordingly, after one of these had been struck off, He commanded the eleven others, on His departure to the Father, to "go and teach all nations, who were to be baptized into the Father, and into the Son, and into the Holy Ghost." [Matt.

Then Peter arose, not James, and as if more zealous, and as one to whom the leadership of the disciples had been entrusted. Moreover James was modest, more suited to speech and quiet, while the others handled affairs. Therefore they yield the seat [καθέδρας] of Jerusalem to him. But see how he acts by common decree in all things, and not from primacy nor by his own authority.

"In those days," that is, in the days before Pentecost, "Peter, standing in the midst of the disciples, said," as the fervent disciple and the one to whom Christ entrusted His flock, and, finally, as the first. But pay attention: he does everything with the common consent and nothing on his own will and authority.

Men, brethren, the scripture must needs be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus:

The Apostle Peter, therefore, after the resurrection of the Lord, and His assumption into the heavens, being desirous of filling up the number of the twelve apostles, and in electing into the place of Judas any substitute who should be chosen by God, thus addressed those who were present: "Men [and] brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost,…

Twelve constellations of the [stellar] choir shine and cast the brilliance of Olympus on the earth. Note what realization this light reveals: The world is divided by the regions of its four sides; a triune faith calls this [world to belief], in whose name [the world] is washed in the font.

Who was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

God is no respecter of persons. Even Saul and Judas had been good at one time. How could someone who was not good have a share in the Savior's ministry? In the plan of God it was decided that we would be considered worthy for the time for which he was chosen.

"Concerning Judas," he says, "which was guide." Here again mark the philosophical temper of the man: how he does not mention him with scorn, nor say, "that wretch," "that miscreant:" but simply states the fact; and does not even say, "who betrayed Him," but does what he can to transfer the guilt to others: nor does he animadvert severely even on these: "Which was guide," he say…

Then he adds "concerning Judas, who was the guide of those who seized Jesus." Notice here too the wisdom of this man — notice how in the narrative he does not insult and does not speak of Judas as despised and most despicable, but simply states what happened; and he does not say that the Jews acquired, but: Judas "acquired the field," and rightly so, because the owner in fairne…

And he indeed hath possessed a field of the reward of iniquity, and being hanged, burst asunder in the midst: and all his bowels gushed out.

And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so that the same field was called in their tongue, Haceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take.

Then after the event, he appositely brings in the Prophet, saying, "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein": this is said of the field and the dwelling: "And his bishopric let another take; that is, his office, his priesthood. So that this, he says, is not my counsel, but His who hath foretold these things.

Let his habitation be desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it, and let another take his office. Indeed, these verses are clear and openly explained by the blessed Peter, because Judas received the deserved punishment for his transgression, and going to his own place, namely infernal hell, he deserted the common habitation of human conversation by an untimely and impiou…

The words "let his habitation be desolate" (see also Ps. 68:26) were said about this land and about the house of Judas, for what could be more desolate than a cemetery, and a public cemetery at that, which is what this land became? And the words: "let another take his office" (see also Ps. 108:8) point to the rank of the priesthood.

Wherefore of these men who have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us,

Beginning from the baptism of John, until the day wherein he was taken up from us, one of these must be made a witness with us of his resurrection.

And they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

He [Justus, surnamed Barsabbas] drank a deadly poison, and yet, by the grace of the Lord, suffered no harm.

They choose two: Joseph, surnamed the Just, and Matthias—a name, as they say, that means "God's small one" in the Hebrew language, and by calling [him, God] confirms him as humble. Oh, how different are human from heavenly judgments! He who was just according to the praise of humankind is surpassed by the merit of a small one.

"And they appointed two." Why not many? So that no great disorder would arise, and besides, the matter concerned only a few. What kind of men were they? Perhaps they were from the number of the Seventy who had been with the twelve apostles, or from other believers, but more fervently believing and more devout than the rest. Such were both Joseph and Matthias.

And praying, they said: Thou, Lord, who knowest the heart of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

Though the imperial power be great, yet consider, O Emperor, how great God is. He sees the hearts of all, He questions the inmost conscience, He knows all things before they happen, He knows the inmost things of your breast. You do not suffer yourselves to be deceived, and do you desire to conceal anything from God?

A lottery takes place to avoid contention and to assure greater certitude and clarity. The source of this rule is the counsel of God. The apostles imply the idea when they say, Lord, who knowest the hearts Thus it is clear that the lot does not happen by chance but by the power of God.

They cry out in prayer to the Knower of Hearts at the fitting time. They do not go on to say "choose," but "show… the one whom You have chosen," knowing that with God all things are determined before human thought.

To take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath by transgression fallen, that he might go to his own place.

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

"And they gave forth their lots" (for the spirit was not yet sent), "and the lot fell upon Matthias: and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles." "And they gave them their lots." For they did not yet consider themselves to be worthy to be informed by some sign.

Since they are not yet perfected, they learn who is worthy by lot and not by miracle. Yet it should not be faulted that it is done by lot. For if the lot had power concerning Jonah when rejected and profane men cast lots, (Jonah 1:7) what then must be thought when they permit the saints to prayer?

Everywhere he calls the election "receiving a lot," showing by this that everything occurs according to God's love for mankind and God's choosing, and reminding them of ancient events, because just as the Levites, so also them God chose for Himself by lot. Why do they prefer election by lot?

Acts1