Acts 1:2

Acts 1:2. Until the day in which he was taken up. The ascension of Jesus is the turning-point at which the gospel history of the work and teaching of Jesus on earth ends, and where the Acts, the story of His work and teaching from His throne in heaven, commences. The abrupt way of referring to the great event is noticeable simply, ‘He was taken up.' There was no need of adding ‘into heaven,' the story of the ascension was so well known in the early Church.

Through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles. Jesus, who was anointed with the Holy Ghost (Luke 4:1; Luke 4:14; Luke 4:18; Matthew 12:28), in the power of the Holy Ghost gave commandment to the apostles to be His witnesses, and to wait in Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high (see Acts 2, The Day of Pentecost). Some commentators would, in spite of the grammatical irregularity which such a construction would involve, refer the operation of the Holy Ghost to which reference is here made, to the choice of the apostles; but the last commandments of Jesus in reference to the sequel of the Acts were in St. Luke's mind a point of great importance, while the choice of the apostles had already fallen within the range of gospel history (Winer, Part iii. sec 61).