Church Fathers Commentary Luke 24:45-49

"Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures; and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high." — Luke 24:45-49 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: After presenting Himself to be seen with their eyes and handled with their hands, and after bringing the Scriptures of the Law to their minds, He then opened their understanding so that they could comprehend what was read.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Otherwise, how would their agitated and perplexed minds have learned the mystery of Christ? But He taught them with His words, for it follows: And said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer—that is, by the wood of the cross.

The Venerable Bede: But Christ would have lost the fruit of His Passion if He had not been the Truth of the resurrection. Therefore, it is said, And to rise from the dead. After commending to them the truth of His body, He then commends the unity of the Church, adding, And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations.

Eusebius of Caesarea: For it was said, Ask of me, and I will give you the heathen for your inheritance. But it was necessary that those converted from the Gentiles be purged from a certain stain and defilement through His power, since they were corrupted by the evil of devil worship and had only recently turned from an abominable and unchaste life.

Therefore, He says that it is necessary for repentance to be preached first, and then remission of sins, to all nations. For to those who first showed repentance for their sins, He granted pardon for their transgression by His saving grace—the very ones for whom He also endured death.

Theophylact of Ohrid: When He says, Repentance and remission of sins, He also refers to baptism, in which the pardon of our wickedness follows the removal of our past sins. But how are we to understand that baptism is performed in the name of Christ alone, when in another place He commands it to be in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? First, we say it does not mean that baptism is administered in Christ’s name alone. Rather, it means a person is baptized with the baptism of Christ—that is, spiritually, not in a Jewish manner, nor with the baptism of John which was for repentance only, but for participation in the blessed Spirit. In the same way, Christ also manifested the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove when He was baptized in the Jordan.

Furthermore, you must understand that baptism in Christ’s name is baptism into His death. For just as He rose again on the third day after His death, so we are also dipped three times in the water and fittingly brought out again, receiving by this a pledge of the Spirit's immortality. The name "Christ" also contains in itself the Father as the Anointer, the Spirit as the Anointing, and the Son as the Anointed—that is, in His human nature.

It was fitting that the human race should no longer be divided into Jews and Gentiles. Therefore, so that He might unite all people into one, He commanded that their preaching should begin at Jerusalem but be completed among the Gentiles. Hence it follows, Beginning at Jerusalem.

The Venerable Bede: This was not only because the oracles of God were entrusted to them, and theirs is the adoption and the glory, but also so that the Gentiles, entangled in various errors, might be especially invited to hope by this sign of divine mercy, seeing that pardon is granted even to those who crucified the Son of God.

St. John Chrysostom: Furthermore, lest anyone should say that they abandoned their acquaintances and went to show themselves to strangers (as if boasting with a kind of pomp), the signs of the resurrection were therefore displayed first among the very murderers themselves, in the same city where the frantic outrage burst forth. For where the crucifiers themselves are seen to believe, the resurrection is most powerfully demonstrated.

Eusebius of Caesarea: If the things Christ foretold are already being fulfilled, and His word is perceived by a seeing faith to be living and effective throughout the whole world, then it is time for people not to be unbelieving toward Him who spoke that word. For it is necessary that He live a divine life, whose living works are shown to be in harmony with His words.

These things have indeed been fulfilled through the ministry of the apostles. Hence, He adds, But you are witnesses of these things—that is, of My death and resurrection.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Afterward, lest they should be troubled by the thought, "How can we, as private individuals, give our testimony to the Jews and Gentiles who killed you?" He adds, And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, which He had indeed promised through the prophet Joel: I will pour my Spirit upon all flesh.

St. John Chrysostom: Just as a general does not permit his soldiers, who are about to face a large enemy force, to go out until they are armed, so the Lord does not permit His disciples to go forth to the conflict before the descent of the Spirit. And so He adds, But tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until you are clothed with power from on high.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This is not human but heavenly power. He did not say, "until you receive," but until you are clothed with, showing the complete protection of spiritual armor.

The Venerable Bede: But concerning this power, that is, the Holy Spirit, the angel also says to Mary, And the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. And the Lord Himself says elsewhere, For I know that virtue has gone out of me.

St. John Chrysostom: But why did the Spirit not come while Christ was present, or immediately upon His departure? Because it was fitting that they should first become desirous of this grace, and only then receive it. For we are most awakened to God when difficulties press upon us. In the meantime, it was necessary for our human nature to appear in heaven and for the covenants to be completed. Only then could the Spirit come and pure joys be experienced.

Notice also the necessity He imposed upon them to be in Jerusalem, by promising that the Spirit would be given to them there. Lest they should flee away again after His resurrection, He kept them all together with this expectation, as if with a chain. But He says, until you are clothed from on high. He did not specify the time, so that they would be constantly watchful. Why, then, should we be surprised that He does not reveal our own last day to us, when He would not even make known this day, which was so near at hand?

St. Gregory the Great: A warning, then, should be given to those who are hindered by age or immaturity from the office of preaching, but are nonetheless driven by rashness. Lest, by hastily taking upon themselves such a responsible office, they should cut themselves off from the path of future improvement.

For the Truth Himself, who could have instantly strengthened whomever He wished, chose instead to give an example for those who follow, so that imperfect people would not presume to preach. After fully instructing the disciples about the power of preaching, He commanded them to remain in the city until they were clothed with power from on high.

We "remain in a city" when we keep ourselves securely within the gates of our own minds, so that we do not wander beyond them by our speech. Only when we are perfectly clothed with divine power may we then, as it were, go out beyond ourselves to instruct others.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But let us consider how, according to John, the disciples received the Holy Spirit, while here in Luke they are ordered to stay in the city until they are clothed with power from on high. Does this mean He breathed the Holy Spirit into the eleven because they were more perfect, and promised to give it to the rest afterward? Or did He, to the same people, breathe the Spirit in one place and promise it in another?

There does not seem to be any contradiction, since there are different kinds of graces. Therefore, He breathed one operation of the Spirit into them in John's account and promised another one here. In John, the grace of remitting sins was given, which seems more specific. It is breathed into them by Christ so that you may believe the Holy Spirit is of Christ and from God, for God alone forgives sins. Luke, however, describes the outpouring of the grace of speaking in tongues.

St. John Chrysostom: Alternatively, when He said, Receive the Holy Spirit, He might have been making them fit to receive it, or He was indicating as present that which was still to come.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, the Lord gave the Holy Spirit twice after His resurrection: once on earth, for the love of our neighbor, and again from heaven, for the love of God.