Acts 1:2

Verse

until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.

American Standard Version (1901)

until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Bible in Basic English

Till the day when he was taken up to heaven after he had given his orders, through the Holy Spirit, to the Apostles of whom he had made selection:

Douay-Rheims 1899

Until the day on which, giving commandments by the Holy Ghost to the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up.

Free Bible Version

until the day he was taken up to heaven. This was after he'd given instructions through the Holy Spirit to his chosen apostles.

Geneva Bible 1599

Vntill the day that hee was taken vp, after that hee through the holy Ghost, had giuen commandements vnto the Apostles, whome hee had chosen:

King James (Authorized) Version

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:

Plain English Version

He kept on doing those things, and the Holy Spirit helped him tell his special workers the things they had to do. After that, God took Jesus up to heaven.

Translation for Translators

until the day on which he was taken {God took him} up to heaven. Before he went to heaven, saying what the Holy Spirit told him, he told the apostles whom he had chosen the things that he wanted them to know.

Unlocked Literal Bible

until the day that he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Noah Webster Bible

Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen:

World English Bible

until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Young's Literal Translation

till the day in which, having given command, through the Holy Spirit, to the apostles whom he did choose out, he was taken up,

Context

Prologue

¹In my first book, O Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach,²until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.³After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Sermons

God Hath Spoken - Part 7

T. Austin-Sparks

Summary

This verse highlights the importance of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to His disciples, providing them with many convincing proofs of His resurrection. It underscores the significance of Jesus' physical presence after His death, reinforcing the reality of His victory over death. These encounters served to strengthen the faith of the disciples and prepare them for the task of spreading the Gospel. The verse sets the stage for the upcoming events in the book of Acts, showing how Jesus' resurrection was a pivotal moment in the establishment of the early church.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

After that he, through the Holy Ghost, etc. - This clause has been variously translated: the simple meaning seems to be this - that Christ communicated the Holy Spirit to his disciples, after his resurrection, as he had not done before. In Luk 24:45, it is said that he opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures; and in Joh 20:22, that he breathed on them, and said, receive ye the Holy Ghost. Previously to this, we may suppose that the disciples were only on particular occasions made partakers of the Holy Spirit; but from this time it is probable that they had a measure of this supernatural light and power constantly resident in them. By this they were not only able to proclaim the truth, but to discern the meaning of all the Old Testament Scriptures which referred to Christ; and to appoint whatever rites or ordinances were necessary for the establishment of his Church. There were many things which the apostles said, did, and decreed, for which they had no verbal instructions from our Lord, at least, none that are recorded in the Gospels; we may therefore conclude that these were suggested to them by that Holy Spirit which now became resident in them, and that it is to this that St. Luke refers in this verse, After that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles.

John Gill Bible Commentary

Until the day in which he was taken up,.... That is, into heaven. The historian suggests, that his former treatise took in the main and principal things Jesus did and taught, until such time that he ascended to heaven: after that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles, whom he had chosen: our Lord having chosen twelve of his own free grace and goodness, and not according to their worth and merit, to be his apostles, a little before his ascension to heaven, gave them more express and explicit commands and orders where they should go, into all the world, to all nations; and what they should preach, the whole Gospel, salvation by faith in him, and particularly repentance and remission of sins; and what ordinances they should require believers to attend to; and how they themselves should conduct and behave in their work: the phrase, "through the Holy Ghost", may either be read in connection with "had given commandments", as the Vulgate and Arabic versions read, and as we do; and the sense be, that these commands which Christ gave to his apostles, were not merely his orders, as man, but were what the Holy Ghost was equally concerned in with him, and were from him as God, and so carried a divine authority with them; and at the same time that he gave them to them, he breathed into them the Holy Ghost, whereby they had a more clear view of his doctrines and ordinances, and were more qualified to minister them; and besides, had an intimation given them, that they might expect still greater gifts of the Holy Ghost: or it may be read with the latter clause, "whom he had chosen"; as in the Syriac and Ethiopic versions; and then the meaning is, that just before his being taken up to heaven, he gave some special orders and directions to his apostles, whom he had chosen to that office through the Holy Ghost, and not through human affection in him, or according to any desert of theirs; but as under the influence of the Holy Spirit, with which, as man, he was anointed without measure; and whose gifts and graces he communicated to his disciples, to fit them for the service to which they were appointed: or with the apostles; they being sent by the Holy Ghost, as well as by Christ.