Acts 2:31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"That His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption." This too is wondrous. From this it is evident that the Resurrection of Christ was not like the resurrection of other men.

Death held Him, yet did not do what it is naturally accustomed to do. Thus Peter spoke of the sin of the Jews in a veiled way, but added nothing about punishment.

He showed that they put Christ to death, and immediately passed on to the sign of God. Once it is proved that the One slain was righteous and God's friend, the sinner condemns himself more than you could, even if you say nothing about punishment.

Therefore Peter ascribes everything to the Father, so that they might accept his words. Then he brings forward the prophetic expression, "impossible."

The Assumption of the Fullness of Humanity. This and similar things clearly show that God the Word, Christ the Lord, came according to the flesh from the seed of David, and assumed not only a body but also a soul.

Christ truly descends in His soul into Hades in order to help those who needed help. Yet in Hades He is not abandoned by the Father, for by His swift return He receives the body that is to rise.

Then the twelve Apostles come forward to the people. Peter, no longer the former Peter, timid and fearful, but courageous and undaunted, speaks to them.

He says that the extraordinary manifestation now accomplished upon them is the work of the Holy Spirit, whom God once promised to send upon His servants.

He says that Jesus Himself sent this Spirit down upon them, His disciples. This is the same Jesus whom the Jews had recently crucified here, and whom God raised from the dead, glorified, and seated at His right hand.

Therefore Jesus is the Christ. The recent instructions of the Risen One Himself had taught that Christ had to suffer, and only by this path enter into His glory.

"Does David speak in this way of Jesus, and not of himself? Do you wish to know, Israelites?" the Apostle continued, with a renewed feeling of goodwill and love toward them.

"Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you concerning the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. This is known to all. Such a word cannot be counted as disrespect toward our great forefather," the Apostle continued.

"How then," you may think, "did David speak in this way about the resurrection of another, as though about his own?"

"Foreseeing": as a prophet, verse 30, beholding the future. "Concerning the Resurrection of Christ": this is the proper object of David's prophetic contemplation in the indicated place of the psalm.

It was fulfilled exactly, not in David himself, but precisely in Christ Jesus, and precisely in His Resurrection.

The Lord Jesus, having died in the flesh, descended into Hades with His soul. Yet He did not remain there.

After preaching to the spirits there concerning the redemption of all mankind through His death, He again gave life to His flesh. His flesh did not see corruption, and He rose from the dead; cf. 1 Pet 3:18-19.

Cf. Ps 15:10.

Here at last the Apostle applies to Jesus Christ the prophecy concerning the Resurrection and the incorruption of His body. Again he speaks of David as a prophet.

For David, the contemplation of the future is, so to speak, an essential property or attribute. By this the Apostle confirms the immutability of the prophecy in its irrevocable fulfillment.

Thus the Apostle shows the fulfillment of the prophecy in Jesus Christ in two ways. On the one hand, he explains that it cannot apply to David. On the other, he shows its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

One of our preachers presents the Apostle as speaking in this way: "How did David speak of the resurrection of another as of his own? David could speak this way in his own person.