(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. Verbs with an asterisk (*) are in the Greek perfect tense.)
Luke’s Preface
- The first account I authored, O Theophilus, was indeed about all that Jesus began to both do and teachfn“teach” is literally “to teach”
- until that day He was taken up, after having given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He chose,
- to whom He demonstrated Himself to be living after His suffering by many irrefutable proofs, throughout His forty days appearing to them and speaking things about the kingdom of God.
The Ascension
- And having assembled them together, He instructed them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, saying: “What you heard from Me,
- “because John indeed baptized you with water, but you yourselves will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days after these days.”
- Therefore, the men assembled were asking Him, saying: “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
- And He said to them: “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father appointed by His own authority.
- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses of Me in both Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the ends of the earth.”
- And having said these things, He was lifted into the air with them watching, and a cloud received Him, hiding Him from their sight.
- And as they were gazing into the sky with Him departing, also behold, two men in white clothes had stood beside them,
- men who also said: “Men,fn“men” this Greek refers to males only. Galileans, why have you been standing here looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way that you watched Him departing into heaven.”
- Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called “Olivet”, which is near Jerusalem, afn“a” is literally “having a “ Sabbath day’s journeyfn“a Sabbath day’s journey” this was the distance that Rabbinic law allowed a faithful Jew to travel on a Sabbath. The number was 2000 cubits (3000 feet), or about 0.57 miles (0.91km). They based this number on the distance required between the people and the Ark of the Covenant in Joshua 3:4, and also on the distance of the pasture land around a city in Numbers 35:5 distant.
- And when they entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying, both 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.
Replacing Judas
- All these men were constantly persevering in prayer in one accord with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
- And having stood up in the midst of the brothers (the number of the names added together was about 120)fnThis parenthetical statement is literally: “and the multitude of both the same names added together was about 120″ Peter said in these days:
- “Men,fn“men” this Greek word refers to males only, never females. Many translations remove this Greek word from their translation so that it doesn’t appear in English, even though it is present in every major version of the Greek New Testament. brothers, it was necessary for the scripture to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke previously through David’s mouth about Judas, the man who became a guide to the men who arrested Jesus,
- because he was numbered among us, and a divinely cast lot gavefn“a divinely cast lot gave” is one word in Greek. It refers to the process of “casting lots”, which is similar in concept – though not necessarily in methodology – to the modern practice of drawing straws. In the Old Testament before the Holy Spirit came, they would often cast lots, trusting that God would make the lot fall to the correct person. This verse records the last time it was done by God’s followers, probably because the Holy Spirit came shortly afterward. him a part of this ministry.
- (Therefore, this man indeed purchased a field with the reward from his unrighteousness. And having fallen headfirst, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines poured out.
- And it became known to all the men inhabiting Jerusalem, so that the field came to be called “Hakeldamach” in their tongue, which is translated “Field of Blood”.)
- “For it’s *written in the book of Psalms: “Let his residence become desolate, and let there not be a man dwelling in it.”fnPsalm 69:25 and: “Let another man take his office.”fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 109:8
- “Therefore, it’s necessary that from the men who accompanied us during the whole time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us
- ” — beginning from the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us — it’s necessary for one of these men to become a witness of His resurrection with us.”
- And they nominatedfn“nominated” is more literally “bid to stand by” (Thayer’s) with the idea that you tell them to step forward for consideration. two men; Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.
- And having prayed, they said: “Lord, you are a knower of all hearts; show us which one of these two men you chose
- “to receive a place in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas defected to leave for his own place.”
- And they gave lots to them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
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