Year of the Bible
Acts of the Apostles 1
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Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 1:
Acts of the Apostles begins with a summary of a “first book” (vs. 1-3) and dedication similar to Lk 1:1-4, which is why we conclude that this book is also written by St. Luke, the same human author as the Gospel bearing his name. St. Luke picks up where he left off in the Gospel, with the Ascension of Jesus, where the Eleven are still eagerly anticipating an imminent earthly victory of Israel (vs. 6). Jesus repeats his teaching on the end times (vs. 7) and points in a different direction as to what will happen to and through his followers (vs. 8). Verse 8 will function like a thesis statement that unfolds throughout Acts of the Apostles in ways as surprising to us as God’s plans likely were to Jesus’ earliest followers!
The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 1:
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying a with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, 5 for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The Ascension of Jesus
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, be hold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away; 13 and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one ac cord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry. 18 (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the in habitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘Let his habitation become desolate,
and let there be no one to live in it’;
and
‘His office let another take.’ 21 So one of the men who have ac companied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us— one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “Lord, you know the hearts of all men, show which one of
these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth". Pray today for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, where are you calling me to witness to your truth, beauty and goodness today?
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 Escribí el primer libro, Teófilo, sobre
todo lo que Jesús comenzó a hacer y enseñar
2 hasta el día en que, después de haber
dado instrucciones por el Espíritu Santo
a los apóstoles que él había elegido, fue
elevado al cielo.
3 También después de su Pasión, él
se presentó vivo ante ellos con muchas
pruebas: se les apareció durante cuarenta
días y les habló de lo referente al Reino
de Dios. 4 Mientras estaba a la mesa con
ellos les mandó no ausentarse de Jerusalén,
sino esperar la promesa del Padre:
–La que oísteis de mis labios: 5 que
Juan bautizó con agua; vosotros, en
cambio, seréis bautizados en el Espíritu
Santo dentro de pocos días.
6 Los que estaban reunidos allí le hicieron
esta pregunta:
–Señor, ¿es ahora cuando vas a restaurar
el Reino de Israel?
7 Él les contestó:
–No es cosa vuestra conocer los
tiempos o momentos que el Padre ha
fijado con su poder, 8 sino que recibiréis
la fuerza del Espíritu Santo, que
descenderá sobre vosotros, y seréis mis
testigos en Jerusalén, en toda Judea y
Samaría, y hasta los confines de la tierra.
9 Y después de decir esto, mientras
ellos lo observaban, se elevó, y una nube
lo ocultó a sus ojos. 10 Estaban mirando
atentamente al cielo mientras él se iba,
cuando se presentaron ante ellos dos
hombres con vestiduras blancas 11 que
dijeron:
–Hombres de Galilea, ¿qué hacéis
mirando al cielo? Este mismo Jesús, que
de entre vosotros ha sido elevado al cielo,
vendrá de igual manera a como le
habéis visto subir al cielo.
Entonces regresaron a Jerusalén desde
el monte llamado de los Olivos, que
está cerca de Jerusalén a la distancia de un
camino permitido el sábado.
13 Y cuando llegaron subieron al Cenáculo
donde vivían Pedro, Juan, Santiago
y Andrés, Felipe y Tomás, Bartolomé
y Mateo, Santiago de Alfeo y Simón
el Zelotes, y Judas el de Santiago. 14 Todos
ellos perseveraban unánimes en la oración,
junto con algunas mujeres y con
María, la madre de Jesús, y sus hermanos.
15 En aquellos días Pedro, puesto de
pie en medio de los hermanos –se habían
reunido allí unas ciento veinte personas–,
dijo:
16 –Hermanos, era preciso que se
cumpliera la Escritura que el Espíritu
Santo predijo por boca de David acerca
de Judas, que fue guía de los que prendieron
a Jesús, 17 pues se contaba entre
nosotros y se le había hecho partícipe
de este ministerio. 18 Adquirió un campo
con el precio de su pecado, cayó de
cabeza, reventó por la mitad y se desparramaron
todas sus entrañas. 19 Y el
hecho fue conocido por todos los habitantes
de Jerusalén, de modo que aquel
campo se llamó en su lengua Hacéldama,
es decir, «Campo de sangre». 20 Pues
está escrito en el libro de los Salmos:
Que su morada quede desierta
y no haya quien habite en ella.
Y que su cargo lo ocupe otro.
21 »Es necesario, por tanto, que de
los hombres que nos han acompañado
todo el tiempo que el Señor Jesús vivió
con nosotros, 22 empezando desde el
bautismo de Juan hasta el día en que fue
elevado de entre nosotros, uno de ellos
sea constituido con nosotros testigo de
su resurrección.
23 Presentaron a dos: a José, llamado
Barsabás, por sobrenombre Justo, y
a Matías. 24 Y oraron así:
–Tú, Señor, que conoces el corazón
de todos, muestra a cuál de estos dos
has elegido 25 para ocupar el puesto en
este ministerio y apostolado, del que desertó
Judas para ir a su destino.
26 Echaron suertes y la suerte recayó
sobre Matías, que fue agregado a los
once apóstoles.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).