Acts 1:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In his speech, the Apostle Peter first proves from Holy Scripture that Judas's falling away from Christ did not contradict the plan of God's divine economy for man's salvation. It was not an event accomplished against the will of the almighty God, who fulfills His eternal decisions concerning men.

On the contrary, it was foreseen and foretold by God. Therefore it stood within the same providence of God, which directs everything, even human resistance and impiety, toward the good end of man's salvation.

In David's Psalms the apostle finds a prediction concerning Judas, his deed, and his punishment (v. 16).

It is remarkable that the Most Holy Mother of Christ was then abiding with the faithful (v. 14). Although she surpassed every creature both in spiritual perfection and in natural closeness to her divine Son, she did not receive apostleship.

This means that ministries in the Church are not always received by the most perfect people. The degree of ministry does not always coincide with the degree of holiness, or even with closeness to the Lord.

Nor did she take upon herself the distribution of ministries, such as apostleship. Their distributor remains the same Lord, who is continually with His Church (v. 24; cf. Mt 28:20).

Let every prudent person judge whether the Stundist society bears any likeness to all this. In it everyone wants to be equal, and everyone considers himself entitled to number himself among teachers of the faith whenever he wishes.

For his wickedness he was deprived of his high dignity and "went to his own place." His place had to be taken by someone else. This was considered necessary because Christ Himself had chosen twelve apostles, according to the sacred number of the tribes of Israel.

The Apostle Peter attended to this. He addressed the assembly with a speech in which he also set forth the very conditions of apostleship.

The number of those gathered is even precisely determined: one hundred and twenty. If to the eleven apostles and the seventy disciples of the Lord one adds the Theotokos, the women named above, and the Lord's brethren, then few persons from the first Church remain unknown.

Saint John Chrysostom, as also other interpreters, pays special attention here to the fact that the apostles did not perform such important acts, as the election of a new apostle, by their own authority and power alone.

They did them with the common participation of the faithful. He says: "See how Peter does everything with common consent and arranges nothing autocratically or as a ruler."

As for the five hundred brethren to whom the risen Jesus Christ appeared, of whom the holy Apostle Paul speaks (see 1 Cor. 15:6), evidently the greater part of them remained in Galilee (see Mt. 28:16).

Here were only those who were in Jerusalem. Evidently all of them were gathered there with one accord.

The Apostle Peter used this occasion to offer to this common assembly of Christians his word about electing the twelfth apostle in place of Judas, the betrayer of the Lord.

Undoubtedly he was answering the common concern about this matter, which itself required clarification.

The speech of the Apostle Peter before the election of the twelfth apostle is remarkable in many respects.

In it he first clarifies the meaning of Judas's betrayal as a deed that necessarily had to occur, and as one foretold in Scripture through the divinely inspired words of David, which are cited later in verse 20.

Jesus Christ Himself also said that although He had to suffer, nevertheless woe to that man through whom He is betrayed (see Mt. 26:24).

This was because the betrayal was conscious, and its guilt was especially increased by the fact that Judas was the guide of others in the act of betrayal, not a simple participant acting by another's example or through fear of others.

More than this, he betrayed his Divine Teacher treacherously, through the sign of love, showing Him to those who took Him secretly, at night, during prayer.

Then everything great and holy was suddenly trampled down in every way. Thus Jesus Christ Himself, being incarnate love, said that they had come to take Him with clubs, as against a robber (see Mt. 26:55).

The apostle's address to the Christians, "men and brethren," is noteworthy. It shows how close the apostles were to the other believers.

According to Saint John Chrysostom's explanation, by referring to prophecy the Apostle Peter "comforted the faithful in a difficult circumstance, as though saying that there is nothing strange in this event, for it had already been foretold."

The inspiration of King David by the Holy Spirit in writing the psalms was witnessed by Jesus Christ Himself (see Mt. 22:43; cf. 2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16).

"Men and brethren": thus Peter began his speech to those assembled. He called them brethren because, as believers in the name of Christ, they had become children of God by the grace of regeneration (Jn. 1:12-13), and therefore brethren among themselves.

"This Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus."

Judas betrayed Christ to His enemies, brought to Gethsemane those sent under his leadership to seize Christ, and by this betrayal excluded himself from the company of the twelve apostles.

He deprived himself of apostolic dignity. Grave was the crime of Judas, who rejected Christ and did not value his lofty position among His disciples.

Yet it was not accidental. This had to happen by God's permission, which had been foretold by the mouth of David.

This prophecy had to be fulfilled. It is immutable, because it was spoken by the Holy Spirit Himself through the mouth of David.

But before citing the words of this prophecy, Peter, in the next three verses, pauses to recall the destruction of Judas.