“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth — this verse is the outline and theological center of Acts. Dynamis (power, explosive energy) describes the Spirit's transformative force in witness. The geographic expansion (Jerusalem → Judea → Samaria → ends of earth) traces the book's narrative structure and fulfills OT promises of universal restoration. The apostles are not triumphalists but Spirit-empowered witnesses whose task defines their identity.
Church Fathers on Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8 Then, that they may make no more enquiries, straightway He was received up. Thus, just as on the former occasion He had darkened their minds by awe, and by saying, I know not; here also He does so by being taken up. For great was their eagerness on the subject, and…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a reflection on this verse
No reflections on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!