Acts

1:12-14

2. The early church in Jerusalem, 1:12-6:7

i] A church devoted to prayer

Following Christ's ascension, the disciples return to Jerusalem and continue steadfastly in prayer. Luke uses the movement of the disciples back to Jerusalem to the set the scene for the events of Pentecost.

Luke tells us that there were some 120 believers at the time of Christ's death, resurrection and ascension. Of this number, a core group maintained a vigil of prayer in a rented apartment in Jerusalem (presumably "the upper room") as they waited, under Jesus' instructions, for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Luke identifies this core group of Galilean men and women, describing their devotion ("constantly in prayer") and unanimity / harmony (oJmoqumadon "joined together" = of one accord). "Though they are bereft of the Jesus that they had known, they find union together and engage in communal prayer to their God", Fitzmyer.

tote "then" - The next event in a sequence.

tou kaloumenou (kalew) pres. pas. part. "[the hill] called" - [mountain] being called. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "mountain"; "a hill which is called Olivet. The article here is also taken with the noun oroV "mountain / hill", so "the mountain", not "a mountain."

ElaiwroV (wn onoV) gen. "the Mount of Olives" - of olive grove. The genitive may be classified as a predicate genitive where "the olive grove" stands in apposition to the participle "being called" and asserts a fact about the participle, here what the "mountain" is called, cf. Wallace 102. Culy classes it as an object complement, so taking a genitive with its complement "being called." The hill lies opposite Jerusalem, separated by the Kidron valley. The hill has significance in prophecy, cf. Zech.14:4.

econ (ecw) pres. part. "[a Sabbath day's walk] from [the city]" - [which is near Jerusalem] having [a way of a sabbath]. The participle is adjectival epexegetic, explaining the actual distance of the hill from Jerusalem; "which is near Jerusalem, consisting of having a Sabbath's way" ("sabbath", gen. = adj. possessive). To have a Sabbath day on the way is to "walk", as required by the law, no more than 2,000 cubits, ie. 2,000 medium size steps, or about one mile.

Luke provides us with another list of the apostles, now 11 due to the suicide of Judas, cf. Lk.6:14-16. There are some slight changes between this list and the one in Luke's gospel, but the players are the same. Of these eleven, only Peter, James and John get another mention in Acts, and this because Acts traces the movement of the gospel to the ends of the earth at the hand of Paul the apostle.

oJte "when [they arrived]" - when [they entered]. Forming a temporal clause, as NIV.

anebhsan (anabainw) aor. "they went upstairs" - they went up. "They went to the room upstairs where they were staying", Cassirer.

to uJperw/on (on) "[to] room" - [into] the upstairs room. An upper room is a room above the ground flood. In the US, the second floor, but in most English speaking countries, the first floor. this room is traditionally a small room constructed on a flat roof. It is often roughly built and impermanent - just the place for a family bar-b-q.

h\san katamenonteV (katamenw) pres. part. "[where] they were staying" - they were living, staying. The imperfect of the verb to-be and the present participle forms a periphrastic imperfect construction, possibly emphasizing aspect, here the duration of their staying in the upper room. "Which was their headquarters", Barclay.

te "those present were" - This conjunction here serves to set up a list, so the NIV's introduction.

Iakwbou (oV) "[Judas] son of James" - [Judas] of James. This possessive adjectival genitive here doesn't specifically state the family relationship intended, although usually "son of" is meant, BDF #162.4. "Brother of" is possible, cf. Jude 1. This Judas is obviously the "Judas, not Iscariot", of John, and probably the "Thaddeus" mentioned in Matthew and Mark.

ou|toi panteV "they all" - all these ones.

oJmoqumadon adv. "joined together" - of one accord, with one mind / purpose. Expressing unity of purpose; "with one heart all these joined together", NJB.

h\san proskarterounteV (proskarterew) pres. part. "constantly" - were persevering, carrying on. Again the imperfect of the verb to-be with the present participle forms a periphrastic imperfect construction, probably emphasizing aspect, here a constant devotion to prayer. They worked on their prayer life, stuck at it.

th/ proseuch/ (h) "in prayer" - in/with/to the prayer. The dative is probably best classified as adverbial, instrumental, expressing manner / attendant circumstance; "the fellowship regularly met for prayer." "Constantly at prayer", REB.

sun + dat. "along with" - with.

toiV adelfoiV (oV) "[his] brothers" - It seems likely that these are Mary and Joseph's other children, full brothers of Jesus - James, Joses (Joseph), Judas (Jude), and Simon. Clearly James and the other brothers came to believe in Jesus and became full members of the Jerusalem church, with James taking a leadership role. This view is not held by all, with many believers holding to the perpetual virginity of Mary, the mother of our Lord. Those who hold this position argue that the word here means half brother's of Jesus, or even first cousins.

Acts Introduction

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