Act 1:13-26 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 1:13-26: 1:13-26 While the apostles waited for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (1:4-5 ), the whole company of 120 disciples in Jerusalem engaged in earnest prayer (1:13-14 ) and then appointed an apostle to replace Judas Iscariot (1:15-26 ). 1:13 All eleven of the remaining apostles were present (cp. Matt 10:2-4 ; Mark 3:16-19 ; Luke 6:13-16 ). Judas Iscariot is omitted from this list on account of his betrayal and death (Acts 1:18-19 ).

Summary for Acts 1:13-26: 1:13-26 ^a While the apostles waited for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (1:4-5 ^b), the whole company of 120 disciples in Jerusalem engaged in earnest prayer (1:13-14 ^c) and then appointed an apostle to replace Judas Iscariot (1:15-26 ^d). 1:13 ^e All eleven of the remaining apostles were present (cp. Matt 10:2-4 ^f; Mark 3:16-19 ^g; Luke 6:13-16 ^h). Judas Iscariot is omitted from this list on account of his betrayal and death (Acts 1:18-19 ⁱ).
1:14 ^j The first disciples were united in worship, fellowship, and prayer (see also 2:42 ^k, 46-47 ^l; 4:24-31 ^m; 5:12 ⁿ; 12:5 ^o; 13:1-3 ^p). The faithful women who had been witnesses of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection were present (Luke 23:49 ^q, 54-56 ^r; 24:1-10 ^s, 22 ^t).

• The brothers of Jesus had not believed in him during his ministry (John 7:3-5 ^u; cp. Matt 12:46-49 ^v), but became his disciples after his resurrection.
Summary for Acts 1:16-17: 1:16-17 ^w the Scriptures had to be fulfilled: See 1:20 ^x.
Summary for Acts 1:18-19: 1:18-19 ^y Matthew’s account (Matt 27:3-10 ^z) is somewhat different; the two can be harmonized by considering the priests’ purchase of the “Field of Blood” as acting in Judas’s name. In addition, Judas may have committed suicide by hanging, but he subsequently fell headfirst and his body split open, perhaps when the rope broke.
Summary for Acts 1:20-21: 1:20-21 ^aa ‘Let someone else take his position’: It was imperative that a replacement be found for Judas so that his position as the twelfth apostle would not remain empty. The new people of God, like Israel, were to have twelve designated and appointed leaders (see Matt 19:28 ^ab; Luke 22:29-30 ^ac).
Summary for Acts 1:21-22: 1:21-22 ^ad To qualify for nomination as an apostle, a man had to have been with the other apostles the entire time of Jesus’ public ministry, from the time he was baptized by John until his ascension.
Summary for Acts 1:23-26: 1:23-26 ^ae With prayer (1:14 ^af, 24 ^ag) and humble dependence on God to reveal his will, the apostles cast lots, using an established method of finding God’s will (see Lev 16:8 ^ah; Num 27:21 ^ai; Deut 33:8 ^aj; Josh 14:2 ^ak; 18:3-10 ^al; Prov 16:33 ^am). Matthias was selected to replace Judas. After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit guided Jesus’ followers through dreams, visions, and prophecies instead of through lots (cp. Acts 2:17-18 ^an; 13:2 ^ao; 16:7-10 ^ap).

• you know every heart: See also 1 Sam 16:6-7 ^aq; 1 Kgs 8:39 ^ar; 1 Chr 28:9 ^as; 2 Chr 6:30 ^at; Pss 7:9 ^au; 44:21 ^av; Jer 11:20 ^aw; John 2:24-25 ^ax; Rev 2:23 ^ay.

Thematic note: Baptism
Baptism was an important element of the Christian faith from the very beginning (Acts 2:38 ^az). The words “baptism” and “baptize” were already used in Judaism to refer to a religious rite for cleansing. The law of Moses established the use of water to cleanse people from ceremonial defilement (Num 19:14-19 ^ba). Later, Gentile converts to Judaism from pagan religions were admitted to Judaism only after fulfilling certain obligations, which included the study of the Torah, circumcision, and a ritual bath to wash away the impurities of their Gentile background. This ritual cleansing was often done in special baths created for purification, called mikvahs. Mikvahs were located at many synagogues, and the Temple in Jerusalem had a large number of mikvahs, which suggests that those who approached for worship would ritually bathe.
John preached “that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven” (Luke 3:3 ^bb). John’s baptism was an aspect of his role in preparing people’s hearts to receive the Messiah (Luke 3:4-6 ^bc), and those who had received his baptism and repented of their sins were those who were prepared for Jesus’ message (Luke 7:29-30 ^bd).
After his resurrection, Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize new converts (Matt 28:19 ^be). Christian baptism is understood as dying and rising with Christ, signifying the death of the old life and the beginning of the new (Rom 6:1-4 ^bf; Col 2:12 ^bg) and also signifying a Christian’s spiritual union with Christ (Gal 3:27 ^bh) and with his church. Baptism thus became the rite of initiation in the Christian community. For this reason, many interpreters see baptism as the Christian equivalent of circumcision, the rite that initiated membership into the nation of Israel under the old covenant (see Col 2:11-12 ^bi). Whatever the connection with OT circumcision, baptism signifies a changed heart and a clean conscience that come from God’s forgiveness (1 Pet 3:21 ^bj; cp. Deut 10:16 ^bk; 30:6 ^bl; Jer 4:4 ^bm; Rom 2:28-29 ^bn; Phil 3:3 ^bo).
As a ritual cleansing, Christian baptism signifies both forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38 ^bp; 10:43 ^bq; 13:38 ^br; 26:17-18 ^bs) and the reception of the Holy Spirit (2:38 ^bt; 9:17-18 ^bu; 10:47-48 ^bv; 11:15-17 ^bw; 19:5-7 ^bx; Luke 3:16 ^by). Many interpreters see baptism as the outward confirmation of the inward “seal” of the Spirit, whose presence is a “guarantee” of the eternal inheritance that awaits God’s faithful people (2 Cor 1:21-22 ^bz; Eph 1:13-14 ^ca; 4:30 ^cb; Titus 3:5 ^cc).

Passages for Further Study
Matt 3:6-16 ^cd; 21:25 ^ce; 28:19 ^cf; Mark 1:4-9 ^cg; 10:38-39 ^ch; 11:30 ^ci; 16:16 ^cj; Luke 3:3-22 ^ck; 7:29-30 ^cl; 12:50 ^cm; 20:4 ^cn; John 1:25-36 ^co; 3:22-23 ^cp, 26 ^cq; 4:1-2 ^cr; 10:40 ^cs; Acts 1:5 ^ct, 22 ^cu; 2:38 ^cv, 41 ^cw; 8:12-13 ^cx, 16-17 ^cy, 36-38 ^cz; 9:18 ^da; 10:37 ^db, 47-48 ^dc; 11:16 ^dd; 13:24 ^de; 16:15 ^df, 33 ^dg; 18:8 ^dh, 25 ^di; 19:1-7 ^dj; 22:16 ^dk; Rom 6:3-4 ^dl; 1 Cor 1:13-17 ^dm; 10:2 ^dn; 12:13 ^do; 15:29 ^dp; Gal 3:27 ^dq; Eph 4:5 ^dr; Col 2:12 ^ds; Heb 6:2 ^dt; 1 Pet 3:21 ^du; 1 Jn 5:6 ^dv