Acts 1:4

“He orders them to await the promise of the Father, which has been heard from his mouth. Certainly, the discourse even now is concerned with the promise of his Father. Consequently, the manifestation of the Spirit is through the effects which these powers produce. [Awaiting the promise of the Father,] the gift of the Spirit is not hidden where there is the word of wisdom and where the words of life are heard. The effects of the powers produced by the Spirit are not fully manifest where there is the [rational] perception of the divine knowledge in order that we may not be like the animals, unaware of the author of our life through our ignorance of God, nor even through our faith in God in order that we may not be outside the gospel of God by not believing the gospel of God. The Spirit is not manifested only through the gift of healing in order that by the cure of infirmities we may render testimony to the grace of him who has granted these gifts; or through the performance of miracles in order that the power of God may be recognized in what we are doing; or through prophecy in order that through our knowledge of the doctrine it may be known that we have been taught by God; or through the distinguishing of spirits in order that we may perceive whether anyone speaks through a holy or an evil spirit; or through the various kinds of languages in order that the sermons in these languages may be offered as a sign of the Holy Spirit who has been given; or in the interpretation of the languages in order that the faith of the hearers might not be endangered through ignorance, since the interpreter of a language makes it intelligible for those who are not familiar with the language. Rather it is through all the diversities of these gifts that the effects of the Spirit are poured out for the profit of everyone.”

“"He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father." First, He led them out to Galilee, afraid and trembling, in order that they might listen to His words in security. Afterwards, when they had heard, and had passed forty days with Him, "He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem." Wherefore? Just as when soldiers are to charge a multitude, no one thinks of letting them issue forth until they have armed themselves, or as horses are not suffered to start from the barriers until they have got their charioteer; so Christ did not suffer these to appear in the field before the descent of the Spirit, that they might not be in a condition to be easily defeated and taken captive by the many. Nor was this the only reason, but also there were many in Jerusalem who should believe. And then again that it might not be said, that leaving their own acquaintance, they had gone to make a parade among strangers, therefore among those very men who had put Christ to death do they exhibit the proofs of His Resurrection, among those who had crucified and buried Him, in the very town in which the iniquitous deed had been perpetrated; thereby stopping the mouths of all foreign objectors. For when those even who had crucified Him appear as believers, clearly this proved both the fact of the crucifixion and the iniquity of the deed, and afforded a mighty evidence of the Resurrection. Furthermore, lest the Apostles should say, How shall it be possible for us to live among wicked and bloody men, they so many in number, we so few and contemptible, observe how He does away their fear and distress, by these words, "But wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard of Me." You will say, When had they heard this? When He said, "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you." And again, "I will pray the Father, and He shall send you another Comforter, that He may abide with you."”

“But why did the Holy Ghost come to them, not while Christ was present, nor even immediately after his departure, but, whereas Christ ascended on the fortieth day, the Spirit descended "when the day of Pentecost," that is, the fiftieth, "was fully come?" And how was it, if the Spirit had not yet come, that He said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost?" In order to render them capable and meet for the reception of Him. For if Daniel fainted at the sight of an Angel, much more would these when about to receive so great a grace. Either this then is to be said, or else that Christ spoke of what was to come, as if come already; as when He said, "Tread ye upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the devil." But why had the Holy Ghost not yet come? It was fit that they should first be brought to have a longing desire for that event, and so receive the grace. For this reason Christ Himself departed, and then the Spirit descended. For had He Himself been there, they would not have expected the Spirit so earnestly as they did. On this account neither did He come immediately after Christ's Ascension, but after eight or nine days. It is the same with us also; for our desires towards God are then most raised, when we stand in need. Accordingly, John chose that time to send his disciples to Christ when they were likely to feel their need of Jesus, during his own imprisonment. Besides, it was fit that our nature should be seen in heaven, and that the reconciliation should be perfected, and then the Spirit should come, and the joy should be unalloyed. For, if the Spirit being already come, Christ had then departed, and the Spirit remained; the consolation would not have been so great as it was. For in fact they clung to Him, and could not bear to part with Him; wherefore also to comfort them He said, "It is expedient for you that I go away." On this account He also waits during those intermediate days, that they might first despond for awhile, and be made, as I said, to feel their need of Him, and then reap a full and unalloyed delight. But if the Spirit were inferior to the Son, the consolation would not have been adequate; and how could He have said, "It is expedient for you?" For this reason the greater matters of teaching were reserved for the Spirit, that the disciples might not imagine Him inferior.”

“Consider also how necessary He made it for them to abide in Jerusalem, by promising that the Spirit should be granted them. For lest they should again flee away after His Ascension, by this expectation, as by a bond, He keeps them to that spot. But having said, "Wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard of Me," He then adds, "For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." For now indeed He gives them to see the difference there was betwixt Him and John, plainly, and not as heretofore in obscure hints; for in fact He had spoken very obscurely, when He said, "Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he:" but now He says plainly, "John baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." And he no longer uses the testimony, but merely adverts to the person of John, reminding the disciples of what he had said, and shows them that they are now become greater than John; seeing they too are to baptize with the Spirit. Again, He did not say, I baptize you with the Holy Ghost, but, "Ye shall be baptized:" teaching us humility. For this was plain enough from the testimony of John, that it was Christ Himself Who should baptize: "He it is that shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire;" wherefore also He made mention of John. The Gospels, then, are a history of what Christ did and said; but the Acts, of what that "other Comforter" said and did. Not but that the Spirit did many things in the Gospels also; even as Christ here in the Acts still works in men as He did in the Gospels; only then the Spirit wrought through the Temple, now through the Apostles: then, He came into the Virgin's womb, and fashioned the Temple; now, into Apostolic souls: then in the likeness of a dove; now, in the likeness of fire. And wherefore? Showing there the gentleness of the Lord, but here His taking vengeance also, He now puts them in mind of the judgment likewise. For, when need was to forgive, need was there of much gentleness; but now we have obtained the gift, it is henceforth a time for judgment and examination. But why does Christ say, "Ye shall be baptized," when in fact there was no water in the upper room? Because the more essential part of Baptism is the Spirit, through Whom indeed the water has its operation; in the same manner our Lord also is said to be anointed, not that He had ever been anointed with oil, but because He had received the Spirit. Besides, we do in fact find them receiving a baptism with water and a baptism with the Spirit, and these at different moments. In our case both take place under one act, but then they were divided. For in the beginning they were baptized by John; since, if harlots and publicans went to that baptism, much rather would they who thereafter were to be baptized by the Holy Ghost.”

“Then, that the Apostles might not say, that they were always having it held out to them in promises (for indeed Christ had already discoursed much to them concerning the Spirit, that they should not imagine It to be an impersonal Energy or Operation), that they might not say this, then, He adds, "not many days hence." And He did not explain when, that they might always watch: but, that it would soon take place, He told them, that they might not faint; yet the exact time He refrained from adding, that they might always be vigilant. Nor does He assure them by this alone; I mean, by the shortness of the time, but withal by saying, "The promise which ye have heard of Me." For this is not, saith He, the only time I have told you, but already I have promised what I shall certainly perform. What wonder then that He does not signify the day of the final consummation, when this day which was so near He did not choose to reveal? And with good reason; to the end they may be ever wakeful, and in a state of expectation and earnest heed.”

“And opening to them the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. Why did He command them to do so? Earlier, when they were fearful and trembling, He led them out to Galilee so that they could fearlessly hear what He had to say to them, since they were ready to abandon the work to which they had been called. Now, when they had listened and spent forty days together, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. Why was this? Because just as no one allows soldiers who must attack a great opposing force to go out against it before they have had time to arm themselves, and just as no one would agree to release horses before the charioteer has mounted, so too the Lord does not permit the apostles to appear at the contest before the descent of the Holy Spirit, lest the vast majority overpower and capture them. Moreover, the Lord does not permit them to depart from Jerusalem not only for this reason, but also because many here too were destined to believe, and thirdly, so that no one might say that, having left their own people, they went off to seek glory among strangers. Therefore they spread the undeniable proofs of the Resurrection among those very people who killed the Lord, who crucified and buried Him, and in that very city where they had the audacity to commit such lawlessness. When did they hear this command? When He said to them: "It is better for you that I go; for if I do not go, the Comforter will not come to you" (John 16:7); and again: "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter" (John 14:16). But why did the Comforter not come while He was still present, nor immediately after His departure, but eight or nine days later, that is, at the time when the day of Pentecost arrived? Furthermore, how is it that when the Holy Spirit had not yet descended, He said: "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22)? To this it must be said that He spoke thus in order to arouse in them the desire, readiness, and capacity to receive the Holy Spirit, and they received Him when He descended; or He spoke of what was yet to be as though it already existed and was present, just as when He spoke of the ability to "tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19). However, it should also be said that the gifts of the Spirit are various and manifold: there is the gift of purification and perfection, the gift of sanctification and sanctifying power, the gift of tongues and prophecy, the gift of miracles and interpretation, and a multitude of other gifts. So, given the distinction and diversity of the gifts of the Spirit, nothing any longer prevented the apostles from receiving the grace of the Spirit in various ways. But the full communication of the Spirit to them, which made the apostles perfect and capable of perfecting others, was at Pentecost, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues and entirely filled them with His power. The Lord departed, and then the Holy Spirit came, and He came at Pentecost and not immediately, so that they would be filled with longing and only then receive the grace. And if the Holy Spirit had come while the Son was still present, and then the Son had departed while the Spirit remained, there would not have been as much consolation for them, because they were very reluctant to part from their Teacher. Therefore He ascends and the Spirit comes not immediately, so that after some despondency He might awaken in the disciples a desire and awareness of the necessity of the promise given to them, and so that at the time of the descent they would experience pure and complete joy. Moreover, it was fitting that our flesh should first appear in the heavens and that the fullest reconciliation should be accomplished, and only then should the Holy Spirit descend. Know, then, what obligation to remain in Jerusalem the Lord placed upon them through the given promise. So that after the Ascension they would not scatter again, He holds them all there by this expectation, as if by certain bonds, and by the promise of more advantageous hopes disposes them toward a stronger desire for those hopes, even though they were unknown. But no one would err in saying that even then they received a certain power and grace of the Spirit — not such as to raise the dead, but they received the power to forgive sins. Therefore He also added: "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John 20:23), showing by this what kind of power exactly He was granting them. At that time He clothed them with precisely this power; but after forty days He grants them the power to work miracles; therefore He also says: "ye shall receive power" (Acts 1:8), and so forth.”

“Not to depart from Jerusalem, Jesus encouraged them, wishing to establish the account of the resurrection more firmly for them through the miracles, which were done by the request of the crucified one, through the sufferings which they endured at the hands of the Jews, yet they did not depart from the friendship of the crucified and risen one, but rather died for him. For if they had immediately separated from Jerusalem, and nothing followed from them, the resurrection would have been suspicious. Likewise, many were about to trust there. At the same time, it was necessary to wait for them, so that some would not say that, having left their associates, they came to boast among strangers. And also, not yet having been armored with the power of the Spirit, they would become useless against the entanglements of their opponents.”

“The promise of the Father. And where did the Father promise this? We say, then, that either through omission, from the preposition "from," the expression must be understood so that it means, to wait for the promise from the Father, which I made to you of the Holy Spirit; or also that, as he himself says, what I have heard from the Father, these things I proclaim to you. And the promise of the Holy Spirit, although it came through Him, was also from the Father. And if you seek the Spirit from Him, Joel guarantees the word to be trusted, saying, "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." (Joel 2:28)”

“When did they hear? When he said: It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you (Jn. 16:7); and again: I will ask the Father, and He will send you another Advocate (Jn. 14:16). But if the Spirit had not yet come, how could he say, "Receive the Holy Spirit"? (Jn. 20:22) Either because he said this, making them receptive and suitable for receiving the Spirit; and they received it when he descended; or because he spoke of the future as if it were already present; or because the giving of the Spirit is both purifying and perfecting. Therefore, the perfecting and completing descent of the Spirit upon the apostles, so as to perfect others as well, occurred at the time of Pentecost; it did not come while he was present; for if he had departed and it remained, the comfort would not have been so great; for they held on to it very firmly and inseparably. But the Spirit did not descend immediately, but after about eight or nine days, so that, having been somewhat discouraged, and having come to desire and need the promise, they might receive the joy at the presence pure and complete. Otherwise, it was necessary for our nature to appear in heaven, and for the reconciliations to be completed, and then for the Spirit to come. Consider, so that after the ascension they might not flee again, how this expectation holds them all there like a certain bond. [CHRYSOSTOM]”