Acts 1:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He did not simply say, "In place of Judas we choose such and such a man." Rather, to calm the disciples about what had happened, see how he begins his speech. This event had indeed caused them no small perplexity. That is not surprising. If even now many reason about it, what would they naturally have said then? "Men and brethren," he says. If the Lord called them brethren, then such an address was all the more fitting for Peter. Therefore he cries out in this way in the presence of all. Behold the dignity of the Church and its angelic condition. Then no one was separated from the others, neither man nor woman. I would wish the churches to be like this even now. Then no one was concerned with anything worldly. No one was anxious about a house. See how useful temptations are. See what a good thing afflictions are. "It was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold." He constantly consoles them with prophecy. Christ also does this on every occasion. In exactly the same way Peter shows that there is nothing strange in this event, but that it had already been foretold. "It was necessary," he says, "that the Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David." He does not say, "David said," but, "the Spirit through him." Notice already, at the very beginning of the book, what teaching he uses. Do you see that I did not say in vain at the beginning of this work that this book depicts the ordering of the Spirit? "The Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David." See how he claims the prophet as his own and brings forward his name, knowing that it would be useful for them that this saying belonged to David and not to another prophet. "Concerning Judas, who became a guide." Here too note the man's philosophy. He does not revile or dishonor Judas. He does not say that Judas was a wicked man, and the most terrible of wicked men. He simply explains what happened. He does not even call him a betrayer. Rather, as far as possible, he tries to place the blame on others. Yet he does not accuse them strongly either. "Who became," he says, "a guide to those who arrested Jesus." Before indicating the place where this saying of David is found, he recalls the fate that befell Judas. In this way, by what is present, he confirms what is future and shows that Judas had already received punishment. "And the number of persons together was about one hundred twenty," it is said. There were, probably, the seventy disciples whom Christ Himself had chosen, as well as others among the most zealous in faith, such as Joseph and Matthias. There were also many women who followed Him and were always with Him.

In the West this method was not used often, but its use was regarded as entirely acceptable. See Augustine's complex explanation of the 153 fish in Jn 21, Tractate on the Gospel of John 122.7-8.

The number 153 is a tetractus, that is, the sum of the numbers from one to seventeen. Here Bede refers to the Songs of Ascents, Psalms 119-133.

Each of these psalms was spoken on the steps of the stairway leading from the Court of the Women to the Court of the Men in the Jerusalem Temple.

Christians interpreted these psalms as an allegory of the soul's ascent by the ladder of virtues to God; see Cassiodorus, Explanation of the Psalms 119.

The reference is to the number of psalms bearing the superscription "A Song of Ascents" (Ps 119-133).

The Apostle Peter feared that they would remain eleven, "for every sin contains the number eleven, since by doing evil it transgresses the commandments of the Decalogue" (Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job 32.15.27).

Therefore, because all our righteousness is not blameless in itself, the tabernacle in which the ark of the Lord stood was covered above with eleven curtains of goats' hair; see Ex 26:7.

Peter restores the number of the twelve apostles. Through two parts of six, for three times four makes twelve, the grace which they foretold by word is preserved in an eternal number.

Those who were to proclaim to the fourfold world faith in the Holy Trinity thus confirmed the perfection of the work by the mystery of the number. This accords with the Lord's words: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28:19).

According to a higher understanding, the harm inflicted on the Church by unworthy brethren remains, in its chief part, unrepaired to this day.

At the end of the world, the Jewish people who crucified the Lord are believed to be reconciled with the Church. In the same way, as the day of Pentecost drew near, the full number of the apostles was restored.

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.

About one hundred twenty persons: it is unknown whether all the followers of the Lord who believed in Him as the Messiah were present in this assembly. Probably not. One must suppose there were more of them. Perhaps these were only those who lived in Jerusalem and had been witnesses of the Lord's Ascension, having returned from Olivet. The Apostle Paul testifies that after His Resurrection the Lord once appeared to 500 brethren at once (1 Cor 15:6). With this indication of the number, the author of Acts does not seem to intend the total number of all Christ's followers. Rather, he indicates only that in the assembly under discussion there were so many. It is true that the appearance of the Lord mentioned by the Apostle Paul may have occurred in Galilee (Mt 28:16 and following). Those persons may not have been in Jerusalem at this time. The discussion concerns only those who were then in this city. In any case, the number of the Lord's followers was probably considerably greater than the number indicated here. Peter said, and so on: the Apostle Peter's speech embraces two subjects closely connected with one another. These are the falling away of the former Apostle and the necessity of replacing him in the apostolic company with another person. This deep fall of the Lord's Apostle, the betrayer, and his terrible death could awaken such cheerless and heavy thoughts. It could so easily give occasion for scandal that this matter had to be illumined before the community of the Lord's disciples by the clear light of the word of God. At the Mystical Supper the Lord briefly explained this to the Apostles in the light of the word of God (Jn 13:18). The Apostle Peter now explains it to the faithful in greater detail. This event was not accidental. It had to take place. It had been foretold by the prophet David through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "Men and brethren" is a more respectful and solemn expression than the simple and familiar "brethren." "It was necessary that this be fulfilled," and so on: the word of God is immutable, as the word of the immutable God. If in it there is a prophecy concerning the disciple who would betray the Lord, it had necessarily to be fulfilled. This necessity of fulfillment does not abolish man's free self-determination. The very predetermination expressed in prophecy is based on divine foreknowledge of the deeds of human freedom (cf. Rom 9:18). "Which the Holy Spirit foretold in the Scripture": all Scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16), and especially the prophecies contained in it. For, as the Apostle Peter says in his epistle, holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21). "He consoles them with prophecy. Christ also acted this way in every matter. In exactly the same way Peter shows that there is nothing strange in this event, but that it had already been foretold" (Chrysostom). "By the mouth of David" refers to the prophecies of David indicated below in verse 20. But before quoting them literally, the Apostle points to the very fact in which they were fulfilled, with some of its particular but essential circumstances. The Lord Himself testified that David was inspired by the Holy Spirit when writing the Psalms (Mt 22:43). Concerning Judas Iscariot, who became a guide, and so on: this indicates Judas's very fulfillment of his treacherous design, when he brought the band into the garden of Gethsemane and, with a deceitful kiss, pointed out the Lord to them (Jn 18:2 and following, and parallels).

The number of those gathered is even precisely given: 120. If the eleven apostles and the seventy disciples of the Lord are joined to the Theotokos, the women mentioned above, and the brethren of the Lord, then few persons remain unknown among the earliest Church.

Saint John Chrysostom, as also other interpreters, pays special attention to this point. The apostles did not perform such important matters as the election of a new apostle by their own authority and power alone, but with the common participation of the faithful.

He says: "See how Peter does everything with common consent, and orders nothing autocratically or as a ruler."

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

Only those who were in Jerusalem were present here. Evidently they all gathered here with one accord. The Apostle Peter used this occasion to address the common assembly of Christians concerning the election of the twelfth apostle in place of Judas, the betrayer of the Lord.

He was undoubtedly answering the common concern about this matter, which in itself required explanation.

The Apostle Peter's speech before the election of the twelfth apostle is remarkable in many respects. In it he first explains the meaning of Judas's betrayal as a deed that had necessarily to occur.

It had been foretold in Scripture through the God-inspired words of David, which are cited below in verse 20.

Jesus Christ Himself said that, although He had to suffer, woe would be to that man through whom He was betrayed (see Mt 26:24). This betrayal was conscious.

Its guilt was especially aggravated because Judas appeared as the leader of others in the betrayal. He was not a simple participant acting by another's example or from fear of others.

Moreover, he betrayed his divine Teacher treacherously, by making the sign of love. He thereby pointed Him out to those who seized Him secretly, by night, during prayer.

Then everything great and holy was suddenly trampled underfoot in every way. Jesus Christ Himself, being love incarnate, 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 is remarkable: "Men and brethren." It shows how close the apostles were to the rest of the faithful.

According to Saint John Chrysostom, by referring to the prophecy the Apostle Peter "comforted the faithful in a grievous circumstance, as if saying that there is nothing strange in this event, since it had already been foretold."

Jesus Christ Himself bore witness that King David was inspired by the Holy Spirit when writing the Psalms (see Mt 22:43; cf. 2 Pet 1:21; 2 Tim 3:16).