Acts 1:24

And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, AND THEY PRAYED. If Peter was the speaker here also-as seems probable from the expressions used-the change from the singular to the plural is worthy of notice ("they prayed," not 'he prayed'); showing that, whereas before they were listeners to him, this prayer was the act of the whole assembly, only by one mouth. AND SAID, THOU, LORD, [ Su (G4771) Kurie (G2962)]. 'The word "Lord," placed absolutely, denotes in the New Testament almost universally THE SON' (as Olshausen correctly remarks); and the words, "show whom thou hast chosen," are decisive. For the apostles are just Christ's messengers-it is He that sends them, and of Him it is tha...

24._In praying, they said. _Word for word it is, Having prayed, they said; but there is no obscurity in the sense, because his meaning was to speak as followeth, that they prayed; and yet he doth not reckon up all the words, being content briefly to show the sum. Therefore, although they were both of honest conversation, yea, although they did excel in holiness and other virtues, yet because the integrity of the heart, whereof God is the alone knower and judge, is the chief, the disciples pray that God would bring that to light which was hidden from men. The same ought to be required even at this day in choosing pastors; for howsoever we are not to appoint two for one, yet because we may oftentimes be deceived, and the discerning of spirits cometh of the Lord, we must always pray unto God, that he will show unto us what men he will have to be ministers, that he may direct and govern our...

15-26 The great thing the apostles were to attest to the world, was, Christ's resurrection; for that was the great proof of his being the Messiah, and the foundation of our hope in him. The apostles were ordained, not to wordly dignity and dominion, but to preach Christ, and the power of his resurrection. An appeal was made to God; "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men," which we do not; and better than they know their own. It is fit that God should choose his own servants; and so far as he, by the disposals of his providence, or the gifts of his Spirit, shows whom he was chosen, or what he has chosen for us, we ought to fall in with his will. Let us own his hand in the determining everything which befalls us, especially in those by which any trust may be committed to us....

Verse Acts 1:24. _THOU LORD, WHICH KNOWEST THE HEARTS_] Συ, κυριε, καρδιογνωστα. The word καρδιογνωστης, _the searcher of hearts_, seems to be used here as an _attribute_ of God; he _knows the hearts_, the most _secret purposes, intentions_, and _dispositions_ of all men; and because he is the _knower of hearts_, he knew which of these men he had qualified the best, by _natural_ and _gracious dispositions_ and _powers_, for the important work to which one of them was now to be appointed....

AND THEY PRAYED - As they could not agree on the individual, they invoked the direction of God in their choice - an example which should be followed in every selection of an individual to exercise the duties of the sacred office of the ministry. WHICH KNOWEST THE HEARTS OF ALL MEN - This is often declared to be the special prerogative of God, Jeremiah 17:10, “I, Yahweh, search the heart,” etc.; Psalms 139:1, Psalms 139:23; 1 Chronicles 28:9. Yet this attribute is also expressly ascribed to Jesus Christ,...

EXPOSITION ACTS 1:1 _I made_ for _have I made, _A.V.; _concerning _for _of, _A.V.; _to teach _for _teach, _A.V. THE FORMER TREATISE; literally, _the first _history, narrative, or discourse. The form of the Greek, τὸν μὲν τρῶτον, shows that the writer had in his mind at the time to contrast the _second history_, which he was just beginning, and that naturally τὸν δὲ δεύτερον or τοῦτον δὲ τὸν λόγον, ought both grammatically and logically, to have followed. But the mention of "the apostles whom he had chosen" drew him, as it were, into the stem of his history before he was able to describe it. O THEOPHILUS. The omission of the title "most excellent," given to Theophilus in the Gospel (Luke 1:3

AND THEY PRAYED AND SAID,.... Having proposed the above two persons, and not well knowing which to pitch upon, they being both very agreeable and fit for such service; they chose not to determine the affair without seeking to God for direction; a method to be taken in all cases, and especially in matters of importance: and the substance of their petition, though perhaps not in just the same words, was, THOU, LORD, WHICH KNOWEST THE HEARTS OF ALL MEN; which is a character peculiar to the one only living, and true God; for none knows the hearts of men, but God, who is the Maker of them; and he knows all the thoughts, counsels, and purposes of them, and the good or bad that is in them: SHEW WHETHER OF THESE TWO THOU HAST CHOSEN; being desirous of having their choice directed by the choice God had made, in his eternal mind; and which they desired might be signified and pointed out to them,...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS Part I The Witness to Jerusalem. The Advent of the Spirit and the Formation of the Church. The Offer to Israel and its Rejection. Chapter s 1-7 CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Introduction (Acts 1:1)._ 2. The final words of the risen Lord (Acts 1:4). 3. The ascension (Acts 1:9). 4. The waiting company (Acts 1:12). 5. Matthias chosen in the place of Judas (Acts 1:15). The introductory words prove that Luke is the writer. In the former treatise, Luke had addressed to Theophilus (the Gospel of Luke)

ELECTION OF A TWELFTH APOSTLE.In those days (_cf._ Mark 1:9; a vague expression) Peter comes forward as leader. 1 Corinthians 15:6 * speaks of 500 brethren at once. The first to whom the risen Lord appeared was naturally their leader; though Ac. does not mention this, Lk. does (Luke 24:24). We have here the first example in Ac. of the application of OT passages to Christian things. Two passages from Ps. are applied to Judas, whose place is now to be filled. It is assumed that there is a fixed number of apostles, and that the number is to be kept up. Judas (Acts 1:17) was one of the twelve;...

POWER TO GO ON (Acts 1:1-5)...