Acts 1
New Catholic Bible
At Jerusalem[a]
From Jesus to the Community of the Lord[b]
Chapter 1
Prologue.[c] 1 In my previous book, Theophilus,[d] I wrote of everything that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day he was taken up, after first giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
The Promise of the Spirit.[e] 3 After his passion Jesus had presented himself alive to them by many proofs. He appeared to them during forty days and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. 4 When they were gathered together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, saying, “Wait there for the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak. 5 For John baptized with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 As they were all gathered together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the dates or the times that the Father has designated by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the farthest ends of the earth.”
The Ascension of Jesus.[f] 9 After he said this, he was lifted up as they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. 10 While he was departing as they gazed upward toward the sky, suddenly two men dressed in white robes stood beside them, 11 and they said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking up into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
12 The First Community Waiting for the Spirit. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, no farther distant than a Sabbath day’s journey.[g] 13 When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All of these were constantly engaged in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.[h]
15 The Choice of Judas’s Successor.[i] In those days, Peter stood up before the assembled brothers, numbering about one hundred and twenty, and said, 16 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit revealed through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and was granted a share in this ministry.
18 “With the money from his traitorous act, this man purchased a plot of land upon which he fell headlong, and he burst open, all of his entrails pouring out. 19 The news about this became known to all the people living in Jerusalem, so that in their own language that plot of land was called ‘Hakeldama,’ which means ‘Field of Blood.’[j] 20 For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
‘May his encampment become deserted,
and may there be no one to dwell in it.’
And again,
‘Let another take over his position.’
21 “Therefore, it is necessary to choose one of the men who have accompanied us during the entire time that the Lord Jesus lived with us, 22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day when he was taken up from us. For he must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23 And so they nominated two candidates: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, saying, “Lord, you know the hearts of everyone. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this apostolic ministry that Judas abandoned to go to his own place.” 26 Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias, who was then added to the eleven apostles.
Footnotes
- Acts 1:1 In the Gospel of Luke, the life of Jesus takes the form of an ascent to Jerusalem, where through him God will decisively intervene in the destiny of humanity. The Book of Acts allows us to be present at the spread of the Gospel from that center to the ends of the earth. The Holy City is very important as the starting point of evangelization.
The experience of the young Christian community becomes exemplary, as in stories of foundations. Thus in chs. 1–7 everything takes place in Jerusalem, while in chs. 8–12 the city serves as the starting point and point of return of the stories. The Church of Jerusalem, then, is the source of Christianity: it is the mother Church and the inspiration for every other Church and for the whole Church. - Acts 1:1 The first two chapters of Acts serve a special purpose. In them we move from the risen Jesus to the community that is founded and established in the midst of the Jewish people—the community that is the starting point of the main routes along which the life of the Church develops. For readers of that period, the language used constantly recalls the great traditions of the Old Testament: the entire plan of God is recapitulated in these passages that in turn establish the perspective for what follows.
- Acts 1:1 One author conceived the third Gospel and the Book of Acts as a single whole; the combination is not the result of chance. The first work tells the story of the actions and teachings of Jesus, “beginning from [John’s] baptism” (see Acts 1:22; 10:37); the second shows us the life and activity of the risen Lord, which is likewise made visible in the deeds and acts of the various communities.
- Acts 1:1 Theophilus: perhaps a rich and distinguished person who has paid for the publication of the work. He is the same person as in Lk 1:3.
- Acts 1:3 This is the important theme that characterizes the period of the Lord’s appearances (the period lasts forty days, between Easter and Pentecost; the number 40, which recurs so often in the Bible, is a symbol of fullness). The story highlights what it means to experience the risen Lord.
It is the Spirit who links the past phase of the life of Jesus with its present phase. This Spirit, often promised by Jesus (Lk 11:13; 24:49), brings to fulfillment all the blessings that the Messiah was to bring (see Joel 4:9; Am 9:11). The day of national restoration is no longer something to be awaited; the decisive moment has already arrived, and the Spirit is beginning to unite the peoples. - Acts 1:9 The Ascension is not the final act, but the beginning of the time to come. The cloud that hides Jesus from the eyes of the disciples recalls the cloud that covered the people in the wilderness, accompanying them night and day on their journey (Ex 40:36-38); it is a sign of God’s presence, of his glory (Lk 9:34f). The risen Jesus reunites earth with heaven, i.e., the world of human beings with the world of God.
- Acts 1:12 Sabbath day’s journey: about two-thirds of a mile.
- Acts 1:14 This is the only place in which the mother of Jesus is mentioned in Acts; the collateral relatives of Jesus, his brethren, will later on have an important place in the Jerusalem community (Acts 12:20; 15:13; 21:18; see note on Mt 12:46).
- Acts 1:15 The ministry (diakonia: service) of the apostle (“one who is sent”) appears from the outset as a solidly established institution, and one that is indispensable for the people of God. The apostles are twelve in number, as though to preside over the twelve tribes, i.e., the true Israel (see Acts 26:7), and it is around them that this community of one hundred and twenty (or ten for each apostle) has formed.
- Acts 1:19 The language spoken is Aramaic.
Atti 1
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
Prologo
1 Nel mio primo libro ho gia trattato, o Teòfilo, di tutto quello che Gesù fece e insegnò dal principio 2 fino al giorno in cui, dopo aver dato istruzioni agli apostoli che si era scelti nello Spirito Santo, egli fu assunto in cielo.
3 Egli si mostrò ad essi vivo, dopo la sua passione, con molte prove, apparendo loro per quaranta giorni e parlando del regno di Dio. 4 Mentre si trovava a tavola con essi, ordinò loro di non allontanarsi da Gerusalemme, ma di attendere che si adempisse la promessa del Padre «quella, disse, che voi avete udito da me: 5 Giovanni ha battezzato con acqua, voi invece sarete battezzati in Spirito Santo, fra non molti giorni».
L'Ascensione
6 Così venutisi a trovare insieme gli domandarono: «Signore, è questo il tempo in cui ricostituirai il regno di Israele?». 7 Ma egli rispose: «Non spetta a voi conoscere i tempi e i momenti che il Padre ha riservato alla sua scelta, 8 ma avrete forza dallo Spirito Santo che scenderà su di voi e mi sarete testimoni a Gerusalemme, in tutta la Giudea e la Samaria e fino agli estremi confini della terra».
9 Detto questo, fu elevato in alto sotto i loro occhi e una nube lo sottrasse al loro sguardo. 10 E poiché essi stavano fissando il cielo mentre egli se n'andava, ecco due uomini in bianche vesti si presentarono a loro e dissero: 11 «Uomini di Galilea, perché state a guardare il cielo? Questo Gesù, che è stato di tra voi assunto fino al cielo, tornerà un giorno allo stesso modo in cui l'avete visto andare in cielo».
I. LA CHIESA DI GERUSALEMME
Il gruppo degli apostoli
12 Allora ritornarono a Gerusalemme dal monte detto degli Ulivi, che è vicino a Gerusalemme quanto il cammino permesso in un sabato. 13 Entrati in città salirono al piano superiore dove abitavano. C'erano Pietro e Giovanni, Giacomo e Andrea, Filippo e Tommaso, Bartolomeo e Matteo, Giacomo di Alfeo e Simone lo Zelòta e Giuda di Giacomo. 14 Tutti questi erano assidui e concordi nella preghiera, insieme con alcune donne e con Maria, la madre di Gesù e con i fratelli di lui.
La sostituzione di Giuda
15 In quei giorni Pietro si alzò in mezzo ai fratelli (il numero delle persone radunate era circa centoventi) e disse: 16 «Fratelli, era necessario che si adempisse ciò che nella Scrittura fu predetto dallo Spirito Santo per bocca di Davide riguardo a Giuda, che fece da guida a quelli che arrestarono Gesù. 17 Egli era stato del nostro numero e aveva avuto in sorte lo stesso nostro ministero. 18 Giuda comprò un pezzo di terra con i proventi del suo delitto e poi precipitando in avanti si squarciò in mezzo e si sparsero fuori tutte le sue viscere. 19 La cosa è divenuta così nota a tutti gli abitanti di Gerusalemme, che quel terreno è stato chiamato nella loro lingua Akeldamà, cioè Campo di sangue. 20 Infatti sta scritto nel libro dei Salmi:
La sua dimora diventi deserta,
e nessuno vi abiti,
il suo incarico lo prenda un altro.
21 Bisogna dunque che tra coloro che ci furono compagni per tutto il tempo in cui il Signore Gesù ha vissuto in mezzo a noi, 22 incominciando dal battesimo di Giovanni fino al giorno in cui è stato di tra noi assunto in cielo, uno divenga, insieme a noi, testimone della sua risurrezione».
23 Ne furono proposti due, Giuseppe detto Barsabba, che era soprannominato Giusto, e Mattia. 24 Allora essi pregarono dicendo: «Tu, Signore, che conosci il cuore di tutti, mostraci quale di questi due hai designato 25 a prendere il posto in questo ministero e apostolato che Giuda ha abbandonato per andarsene al posto da lui scelto». 26 Gettarono quindi le sorti su di loro e la sorte cadde su Mattia, che fu associato agli undici apostoli.
