Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 1:2

"until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen:" — Acts 1:2 (ASV)

Through a certain awkwardness in the Greek of this verse, Luke highlights four important introductory matters in approximately the same order in which he sets them out in his first two chapters and according to his priorities throughout Acts. Luke gives first place to Jesus’ mandate to witness. The instructions he has in mind are undoubtedly those already set out in Lk 24:48–49 as the climax of Jesus’ earthly teaching (quoted in slightly revised form in Ac 1:4–5 and developed in 1:6–8 as the theme of Acts). This mandate to witness was given to the apostles, who acted through the power of the Holy Spirit, whose coming was a direct result of our Lord’s ascension.