“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive — the post-resurrection appearances ground the apostolic witness in bodily, historical reality. The forty days structure echoes Jesus' wilderness temptation (forty days) and Moses' covenant-renewal (forty days on Sinai), suggesting a new era inaugurated by the risen Christ. The many convincing proofs (tekmerion, hard evidence) answer skepticism and establish the historical basis for the resurrection proclamation.
Church Fathers on Acts 1:3
Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments unto the Apostles whom He had chosen. After He had given commandments through the Spirit Acts 1:2; i.e. they were spiritual words that He spoke unto them, nothing human; either this is the meaning, or, that it was by the Spirit that He gave them commandments. Do you observe in what low terms he still speaks of Christ, as in fact Christ had spoken of Himself? But if I by the…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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