Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 1:14

"These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." — Acts 1:14 (ASV)

In addition to the Eleven, also present in the upper room were “the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” They fill out the nucleus of the early church and in some way are to be included in the apostolic witness. The women Luke refers to are undoubtedly those mentioned in Lk 8:2–3; 23:49; 23:55–24:10, who followed Jesus throughout his ministry—even to his death— and contributed out of their personal incomes to support him and his followers. This mention of women fully accords with Luke’s attitude toward women as portrayed in his gospel and the consciousness within the church of the implications of the Gospel proclamation.

The reference here to “Mary the mother of Jesus” continues Luke’s interest in Mary begun in Lk 1, though this is the last occasion where she is recorded as being involved in the redemptive history of the NT. The reference to Jesus’ “brothers” is particularly interesting because during his ministry they thought him to be “out of his mind” (Mark 3:21–35), perhaps even demon possessed, and because Jn 7:2–10 presupposes their disbelief. Paul, however, recounts an appearance of the risen Christ to James (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:7), and we may infer that Joses (or Joseph), Judas (or Jude), and Simon (cf. Matthew 13:55–56; Mark 6:3) likewise came to believe in Jesus and attached themselves to the congregation of early Christians. These all are depicted as being assiduous in prayer (cf. Acts 2:42; 6:4). There must also have been others who were at various times assembled with these people, for 1:15 speaks of the total number of believers at the selection of Matthias as being “about a hundred and twenty.”