Fathers

Acts 1

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The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

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What the Fathers say

Acts 1:11

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

But wherefore does not Christ Himself tell them these things, instead of the Angels? He had beforehand told them all things; "What if ye shall see the Son of Man going up where He was before?" (John vi. 62). "Shall thus come," say they. If any therefore desires to see Christ; if any grieves that he has not seen Him: having this heard, let him show forth an admirable life, and certainly he shall see Him, and shall not be disappointed. …

Homily on Acts 2 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

"He will come," it says, not "He will be sent." "He will come in the same way," that is, with a body. This is what they desired to hear, and also that He will come again in the days of judgment on a cloud (cf. Matt. 24:30). The Evangelist calls the Angels "men," presenting the event in the form in which it appeared to sight, since the Angels had indeed taken on the appearance of men so as not to frighten them. Two men appeared because "by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established" (Matt. 18:16).

Commentary on Acts ↗

Oecumenius

So that the disciples might not be disturbed, and as the teacher had departed, and his body was being taken from them, they would not thereby become hopeless of the expectation of him, and for this reason be scattered elsewhere by faint-heartedness and fear; for this cause the angels present themselves, declaring to them his ascent into heaven, and the abiding and salvation of the body that had been taken up, by which they say: This Jesus will therefore come again. And by saying, Why do you stand? …

Commentary on Acts ↗

Western Saints

Jerome

[Daniel 7:13-14] "And behold, there came One with the clouds of heaven like unto the Son of man." He who was described in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar as a rock cut without hands, which also grew to be a large mountain, and which smashed the earthenware, the iron, the bronze, the silver, and the gold is now introduced as the very person of the Son of man, so as to indicate in the case of the Son of God how He took upon Himself human flesh; according to the statement which we read in the Acts of the Apostles: "Ye men of Galilee, why …

St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER SEVEN ↗

Bede

He will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. That is, he will come to judge in the same form and substance of the flesh in which he came to be judged. To whom certainly immortality was given, but nature was not taken away. Whose divine glory, which once appeared on the mountain to the three disciples, will be seen by all the saints when the judgment is complete, when the impious will be taken away so that they do not see the glory of God.

Commentary on Acts ↗