Acts 10:39Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“And we are witnesses of all things which He did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem.” He says, both you and we are witnesses.

“And finally they killed Him, hanging Him on a tree.” Here he speaks of the Passion of Christ. Then, when he had proved that He was sent from God, he says that He was put to death, so that you may not think anything unworthy of Him.

Do you see how they never hid the Cross, but mentioned also the manner of the Crucifixion among the rest? “They killed Him,” he says, “hanging Him on a tree.”

“Whom they also killed, hanging Him on a tree.” Again he speaks of His humiliation. After showing that He was sent by God, the Apostle Peter says that He was also killed.

So that you may not consider anything unseemly, notice that they never hide the teaching of the Cross. Along with the rest, they also set forth the manner of His death. “Whom they also killed,” he says, “hanging Him on a tree.”

“And we are witnesses of all things,” and so forth. See the note on Acts 1:8 and the parallels.

As eyewitnesses, they are entirely reliable witnesses. Therefore Cornelius and those gathered with him can, without any doubt, believe one of these faithful witnesses, who is now preaching to them.

“They killed Him, hanging Him on a tree.” See the note on Acts 3:15; Acts 5:30 and the parallels.

Communicating the teaching about Christ historically, the Apostle Peter also speaks of the witnesses of the especially great events he proclaims.

He speaks of all that Christ did in Judea and Jerusalem, ending with His death on the Cross.

He speaks separately of Christ’s Resurrection and of the testimony to it. Here he draws attention to the fact that His appearances after the Resurrection were before those chosen beforehand by God.

These appearances were evident to the same degree as ordinary eating and drinking. They ate and drank with Him.

Therefore there can be no shadow of doubt that His appearances were not phantasmal.

Of course, these evident proofs of the reality of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection and His appearance after rising from the dead are not offered without purpose.