Acts 1:2

Letters to the Faithful - Acts 1:2

Berean Standard Bible

until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.

King James Bible

Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Greek Text:

ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου οὓς ἐξελέξατο ἀνελήμφθη.

Transliteration:

Achri hēs hēmeras enteilamenos tois apostolois dia Pneumatos Hagiou hous exelexato anelēmphthē.

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until the day He was taken up to heaven

This phrase refers to the ascension of Jesus Christ, which is a pivotal event in Christian theology. The ascension marks the conclusion of Jesus' earthly ministry and His return to the Father. It is recorded in more detail in Acts 1:9-11. The ascension fulfills the prophecy found in Psalm 110:1, where the Messiah is invited to sit at the right hand of God. This event took place on the Mount of Olives, a significant location in biblical history, situated east of Jerusalem. The ascension signifies Jesus' exaltation and the completion of His redemptive work, paving the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit

The instructions given by Jesus were not merely human commands but were imparted through the Holy Spirit, emphasizing the divine authority and guidance behind them. This highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in the early church and in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit is seen as the source of wisdom and revelation, as mentioned in John 14:26, where Jesus promises that the Spirit will teach and remind the apostles of everything He has said. The instructions likely included the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and the command to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5).

to the apostles He had chosen

The apostles were specifically chosen by Jesus to be His witnesses and to carry on His mission after His ascension. This selection underscores the concept of divine election and purpose. The apostles, originally twelve in number, represent the new Israel, paralleling the twelve tribes of Israel. Their role was foundational for the establishment of the church, as seen in Ephesians 2:20, where they are described as part of the church's foundation, with Christ as the cornerstone. The choosing of the apostles also reflects Jesus' intentional preparation of leaders who would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.

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In the sacred words of Acts 1:2, "Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen," we behold the testimony of Luke, the beloved physician, who, under the inspiration of the Spirit, opens the chronicle of the early church with a vision of Christ’s final earthly ministry. This verse, a bridge between the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, draws our gaze to the risen Lord, who, having triumphed over death, tarries with His chosen ones, imparting commandments through the Holy Ghost before His ascension into glory. Herein lies a profound revelation of the Savior’s authority, the Spirit’s power, and the apostolic mission, woven together in the tapestry of God’s redemptive plan.

The phrase "until the day in which he was taken up" marks the culmination of Christ’s earthly sojourn, pointing to the moment of His ascension, when He was lifted from the Mount of Olives into the heavens (Acts 1:9). This was no mere departure but a divine exaltation, fulfilling the prophecy of the Son of Man who must be lifted up (John 3:14) and ascend to the Father (John 20:17). The ascension is the capstone of His redemptive work, where the crucified and risen Lord takes His place at the right hand of God, reigning as King and Intercessor. Yet, before that glorious day, He lingered forty days with His disciples (Acts 1:3), appearing in His resurrected body, not as a specter but as the living One who conquered death, to confirm their faith and prepare them for the mission ahead.

That He "through the Holy Ghost had given commandments" unveils the intimate union between the risen Christ and the Spirit of God. Even in His glorified state, the Lord Jesus works in harmony with the Holy Ghost, the same Spirit who anointed Him at His baptism (Luke 3:22) and empowered His earthly ministry. These commandments, delivered through the Spirit’s inspiration, are no mere instructions but the authoritative mandates of the King, equipping the apostles for their task of bearing witness to His resurrection. They include the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19–20) and the charge to wait for the Spirit’s outpouring (Acts 1:4–5), which would clothe them with power from on high. The Spirit’s role here is not incidental but central, for it is through His divine agency that Christ speaks, ensuring that His words carry the weight of eternal truth and the power to transform.

The apostles, described as those "whom he had chosen," stand as the recipients of this sacred charge, handpicked by the Lord Himself. Their election recalls the night when Jesus, after prayer, called His twelve to be with Him and to be sent forth (Mark 3:14). Though one, Judas, fell away, the remaining apostles, soon to be restored to twelve with Matthias (Acts 1:26), are the foundation stones of the church, chosen not for their merit but by divine grace. Their calling is a testament to Christ’s sovereign will, which seeks out the weak to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). Through them, the gospel will go forth from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, fulfilling the promise that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

This verse, in its brevity, encapsulates the transition from Christ’s earthly ministry to the church’s mission, a hinge upon which the history of redemption turns. It proclaims the continuity of God’s work, where the risen Lord, through the Spirit, empowers His chosen ones to carry forward the message of salvation. It echoes the prophecy of Joel, soon to be fulfilled at Pentecost, that God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28). It points forward to the day when the apostles, filled with the Holy Ghost, will proclaim the name of Jesus with boldness, turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6).

For the faithful, this verse is a call to marvel at the risen Christ, who, even in His ascension, remains active through the Spirit, guiding His church. It bids us heed the commandments given to the apostles, for they are ours as well—to go, to witness, to proclaim the gospel. It summons us to trust in the Spirit’s power, who equips us as He equipped those first chosen ones. Let us, then, with hearts aflame, join the chorus of the redeemed, proclaiming the Lord who was taken up, yet abides with us through the Holy Ghost, to build His church and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Blessed be His name, who reigns forever and empowers His people for His glory.

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To all who have received the faith once delivered to the saints, to the children of the promise, and to the household of God scattered throughout every nation, grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. I write to you in the name of Him who was dead and is alive again, who ascended far above all heavens that He might fill all things, and who shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

Let every heart consider with reverence the final acts and words of our Lord Jesus Christ before He was taken up from among us. For in the days following His suffering and resurrection, He appeared to His chosen apostles with many convincing proofs, showing Himself alive and speaking to them of the kingdom of God. And before He was received into heaven, He gave them instruction through the Holy Spirit — not from the lips of man, nor by the wisdom of this age, but by the breath of God which proceeds from the Father and from the Son, who is Himself the Truth and the Life.

He who had taught with authority on the hills of Galilee, who had opened the Scriptures on the road to Emmaus, who had breathed peace upon His fearful disciples, did not depart without preparing them for the mission ahead. He charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father — that they should be baptized not only with water, but with power from on high. And this command was not given in uncertainty, but in full knowledge of the Father’s plan and of the Spirit’s coming. For the Lord had chosen them for such a time and such a task, to be His witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

O believers, let not this word be far from you, nor thought of as belonging only to those who first heard it. For the same Spirit by which the Lord instructed them now dwells in all who are in Christ. The same power that raised Him from the dead and lifted Him into glory is at work in you who believe. And the same call to bear witness — in word, in deed, in life, and in suffering — remains upon the Church until He returns.

Let us therefore remember that the Lord did not ascend in silence or in haste, but in deliberate purpose and divine authority. He left us not as orphans, but as sons and daughters equipped by the Spirit. He gave instruction that we should not live as those who wait idly, but as those who labor faithfully. He reminded us that times and seasons are in the Father’s hand, but our calling is in ours: to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His name, to baptize and to teach, to love one another as He has loved us, and to pray continually for the coming of His kingdom.

He chose apostles, yes — but through them He chose us also, and through their testimony we have come to believe. Their obedience became our inheritance, and their witness became the foundation upon which we now stand. What they received, they handed down; and what we have received, we must not bury but multiply. For the command of the Lord is not a relic of history, but a living word. And if He spoke through the Holy Spirit then, shall He not speak by that same Spirit now? If He sent them with power, shall He leave us powerless?

Beloved, we must not be distracted by the noise of this world, nor dismayed by its resistance, for our Lord has already overcome it. We must not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up. Let us then walk in the Spirit, speak the truth in love, serve in humility, and abound in hope. Let our lives be a witness that Christ is risen and reigning. Let our joy be rooted in the knowledge that He has gone to prepare a place for us, and that He will return to receive us unto Himself.

And until that day, let us not forget the charge He gave through the Spirit before He was taken up. Let us remember that we are not our own, but have been bought with a price. Let us not seek to build our own kingdoms, but to extend His, not to make a name for ourselves, but to magnify His name in all the earth. Let the flame kindled in the upper room be found burning still in every heart that calls Him Lord.

Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good for doing His will, working in you that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Stand firm in the faith. Be steadfast and immovable. Await His coming in hope. And may the words He spoke before He ascended dwell richly within you, guiding you in all things until the day of His return.

Amen

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O Sovereign Lord, Almighty and Everlasting God, we come before You with reverence and humility, giving glory to Your holy name, which is exalted above every name in heaven and on earth. You alone are worthy of worship, for You have created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created. You have spoken by the prophets, fulfilled Your word in Your Son, and through Him have made known the mystery of salvation to the ends of the earth.

We bless You, O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your right hand in glory. You did not leave His soul among the dead, nor did His body see decay, but You lifted Him up in triumph and gave Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We thank You, O Lord, for the days between the resurrection and the ascension, when Your Son, full of grace and truth, appeared to His chosen apostles with many convincing proofs, speaking to them of the kingdom of God and preparing them for the work You had appointed. We praise You that He did not ascend without purpose or without promise, but instructed His servants through the Holy Spirit, granting them wisdom from above and power from on high, that they might bear witness to His name throughout the nations.

O Righteous Father, we acknowledge that the instructions given through the Spirit were not only for that first generation, but for all who would believe through their testimony. You have made us partakers of their inheritance and called us into the same mission. As they were chosen and commissioned, so we are called to serve, to proclaim, to love, and to endure. As they waited upon Your promise, so we seek the fullness of Your Spirit to walk in obedience and to bear fruit in every good work.

Gracious God, grant us the same heart of devotion that was in those early days when Your people continued together in prayer and expectation. Teach us to wait upon You with faith, to listen for the voice of the Spirit, and to act with courage when You send us. Let not our hearts grow cold, nor our ears dull, nor our hands idle, but stir up within us the flame of the calling You have given, that we may honor the words of Christ, spoken before He was taken up.

Holy and eternal Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, teach us as You taught them. Sanctify us by the truth. Empower us to bear witness to Jesus in every place — not only in word, but in deed, not only in moments of clarity, but in seasons of trial. Let our lives testify that Christ is risen, that Christ reigns, and that Christ shall return. Cause the truth of His instruction to shape our minds, strengthen our resolve, and sanctify our hearts.

And now, O Lord, we pray for the Church, bought with the blood of Christ and sealed with Your Spirit. Unite us in love, fill us with hope, and guide us in truth. Where there is confusion, bring clarity; where there is weakness, bring strength; where there is fear, bring boldness. As Christ ascended in the sight of His apostles, let our eyes be ever lifted to Him. As they were told, “This same Jesus shall return,” so let our hearts be steadfast, watching and ready, faithful in the field until the day of His appearing.

Let the words He spoke through the Spirit dwell in us richly. Let them guide our footsteps, instruct our churches, and shape our witness. Let us not turn aside to the right or to the left, nor grow weary in the path You have set before us. Let the remembrance of His final words before His ascension give us confidence that we do not walk alone, for the Comforter has come, and Christ is with us even to the end of the age.

Blessed be the Lord who ascended on high, who led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Blessed be the Spirit who reveals truth, strengthens the saints, and glorifies the Son. Blessed be the Father who has set all things under His feet and appointed Him heir of all things. To You, O triune God, be glory and dominion, majesty and power, now and forevermore.

Amen.