Acts 1:5

Baptized with water

(εβαπτισεν υδατ)and with the Holy Ghost

(εν πνευματ βαπτισθησεσθε αγιω). The margin has "in the Holy Ghost" (Spirit, it should be). The American Standard Version renders "in" both with "water" and "Holy Spirit" as do Goodspeed (American Translation) and Mrs. Montgomery (Centenary Translation). John's own words (Matthew 3:11) to which Jesus apparently refers use εν (in) both with water and Spirit. There is a so-called instrumental use of εν where we in English have to say "with" (Revelation 13:10 εν μαχαιρη, like μαχαιρη, Acts 12:2). That is to say εν with the locative presents the act as located in a certain instrument like a sword (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 589f.). But the instrumental case is more common without εν (the locative and instrumental cases having the same form). So it is often a matter of indifference which idiom is used as in John 21:8 we have τω πλοιαριω (locative without εν). They camein

(locative case without εν) the boat. So in John 1:31 εν υδατ βαπτιζων baptizing in water. No distinction therefore can be insisted on here between the construction υδατ and εν πνευματ (both being in the locative case, one without, one with εν). Note unusual position of the verb βαπτισθησεσθε (future passive indicative) between πνευματ and αγιω. This baptism of the Holy Spirit was predicted by John (Matthew 3:11) as the characteristic of the Messiah's work. Now the Messiah himself in his last message before his Ascension proclaims that in a few days the fulfilment of that prophecy will come to pass. The Codex Bezae adds here "which ye are about to receive" and "until the Pentecost" to verse Acts 1:5.Not many days hence

(ου μετα πολλας ταυτας ημερας). A neat Greek idiom difficult to render smoothly into English: "Not after many days these." The litotes (not many=few) is common in Luke (Luke 7:6; Luke 15:13; Acts 17:27; Acts 19:11; Acts 20:12; Acts 21:39; Acts 28:14; Acts 28:2). The predicate use of ταυτας (without article) is to be noted. "These" really means as a starting point, "from these" (Robertson, Grammar, p. 702). It was ten days hence. This idiom occurs several times in Luke (Luke 24:21; Acts 24:21), as elsewhere (John 4:18; 2 Peter 3:1). In Luke 2:12 the copula is easily supplied as it exists in Luke 1:36; Luke 2:2.