Acts

Francis Martin, Thomas C. Oden, Thomas C. Oden, Francis Martin

• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9780830897476
• Topic: Theologie & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblische Studien

The Acts of the Apostles—or more in keeping with the author's intent, the Acts of the Ascended Lord—is part two of Luke's story of "all that Jesus began to do and teach." In it he recounts the expansion of the church as its witness spread from Jerusalem to all of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. While at least forty early church authors commented on Acts, the works of only three survive in their entirety—John Chrysostom's Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles, Bede the Venerable's Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles and a long Latin epic poem by Arator. In this Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture volume, substantial selections from the first two of these appear with occasional excerpts from Arator alongside many excerpts from the fragments preserved in J. A. Cramer's Catena in Acta SS. Apostolorum. Among the latter we find selections from Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Ephrem the Syrian, Didymus the Blind, Athanasius, Jerome, John Cassian, Augustine, Ambrose, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Theodoret of Cyr, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Cyril of Alexandria, Cassiodorus, and Hilary of Poitiers, some of which are here translated into English for the first time. As readers, we find these early authors transmit life to us because their faith brought them into living and experiential contact with the realities spoken of in the sacred text.

THE ACTS
OF THE APOSTLES

THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
ACTS 1:1-5

OVERVIEW: In the early chapters of the book of Acts, Luke is intent on demonstrating how those who believe in Jesus form the new people of God. This first chapter is meant to be a preparation for Pentecost, the new formative experience that inaugurates the church. Luke first links the present narrative to his preceding volume (Acts 1:1-2) and then, in five steps, records Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:3-5), the discussion about the kingdom and the mission of the apostles (Acts 1:6-8), and Jesus’ departure and enthronement (Acts 1:9-11). He follows this with a description of the disciples obeying Jesus and waiting in prayer (Acts 1:12-14) and the reconstituting of the Twelve with the choice of Matthias (Acts 1:15-26). While the Fathers do not comment at length on the literary approach of Luke, they are sensitive to some of the special functions of this second treatise; for instance, that it narrates the fulfillment of what Christ both did and foretold. They also draw our attention to the rhythm of “doing and saying,” mentioned by Luke. They are alert to the significance of Luke’s remark that Jesus gave them proofs (tekmērioi) of his resurrected reality and are aware that this Lukan account mentions a forty-day period between the resurrection and the ascension not spoken of elsewhere in the Gospels. Finally, they appreciate the fact that Luke mentions the Holy Spirit at the outset of his second book, thus preparing us to see his theology of the church. As Chrysostom observes, Acts tell us what the “other Paraclete” said and did.

1:1 All That Jesus Began to Do and Teach

THE ADVANTAGE OF READING THE SECOND BOOK. CHRYSOSTOM: To many people this book, both its content and its author, is so little known that they are not even aware it exists. I have therefore taken this narrative for my subject, both to initiate those who are ignorant and so that such a treasure shall not remain hidden out of sight. For indeed it will profit us no less than the Gospels themselves, so replete is it with Christian wisdom and sound doctrine, especially in what is said concerning the Holy Spirit. Let us then not pass by it hastily but examine it closely. For here we can see the predictions Christ utters in the Gospels actually come to pass. Truth shines brightly through the facts themselves, and a great change for the better takes place in the disciples now that the Spirit has come upon them. For the words which they heard Christ say—“Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these”1—and the events which he foretold, that they shall be brought before rulers and kings and be scourged in their synagogues, that they shall suffer grievous things and overcome all,2 that the gospel shall be preached in all the world,3 all these came to pass in this book exactly as predicted, and many other things which he told them while he was with them. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1.4

LOVER OF GOD. BEDE: Theophilus means lover of God or beloved of God. Therefore, anyone who is a lover of God may believe that this work was written for him, because the physician Luke wrote it in order that the reader might find health for his soul. Note also that he says, “all that Jesus began to do and teach,” first “do” and then “teach,” because Jesus, establishing the pattern of a good teacher, taught nothing except those things which he did. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1.1.5

TEACHING FIRST BY CONDUCT, THEN WORDS. CHRYSOSTOM: Consider how Christ validated his words through actions. “Learn from me,” he said, “for I am gentle and humble in heart.”6 He taught us to be poor and demonstrated this through action, for “the Son of man,” he says, “has no place to lay his head.”7 Again, he commanded us to love our enemies and taught this lesson on the cross, when he prayed for those who were crucifying him. He said, “If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.”8 He gave not only his tunic but also his blood. He bid also the others to teach in this way. Therefore Paul also said, “as you have an example in us.”9 For nothing is more insipid than a teacher who shows his wisdom only in words, since he is then not a teacher but a hypocrite. For this reason, the apostles first taught by their conduct and then by their words. One may even say that they had no need of words, since their deeds spoke loudly. Even Christ’s passion may be called action, for in his passion Christ performed that great and wonderful act, by which he destroyed death and effected all else that he did for us. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1.10

THE REBUKE OF CONSCIENCE. JEROME: For teaching is put to the blush when a person’s conscience rebukes him; and it is in vain that his tongue preaches poverty or teaches almsgiving if he is rolling in the riches of Croesus11 and if, in spite of his threadbare cloak, he has silken robes at home to save from the moth. LETTER 127.4.12

THE SENSE OF ALL. AUGUSTINE: This statement teaches us that, previous to this, Luke had written one of those four books of the gospel which are held in the loftiest authority in the church. At the same time, when he tells us that he had composed a treatise of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he commissioned the apostles, we are not to take this to mean that he actually has given us a full account in his Gospel of all that Jesus did and said when he lived with his apostles on earth. For that would be contrary to what John affirms when he says that there are also many other things which Jesus did, and if they should all be written down, the world itself could not contain the books.13 And besides, all agree that many things are narrated by the other Evangelists, which Luke himself does not mention in his history. The sense, therefore, is that he wrote a treatise of all these things to the extent that he made a selection out of the whole mass of materials for his narrative and introduced those facts which he judged fit and suitable to fulfill the duty laid upon him. HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 4.8.9.14

PRACTICE BEFORE YOU PREACH. JOHN CASSIAN: Take care then that you do not rush into teaching before doing, and so be reckoned among the number of those of whom the Lord speaks in the Gospel to the disciples, “So practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.”15 CONFERENCE 14.9.16

1:2 The Day Christ Was Taken Up

HIS COMMANDMENT. CHRYSOSTOM: What did he command? “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”17 Great is the praise of the apostles, when they have been entrusted with such a cha...