Acts 1:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen

NIV: Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen

NASB: And they prayed and said, 'You, Lord, who know the hearts of all people, show which one of these two You have chosen

CSB: Then they prayed, "You, Lord, know everyone’s hearts; show which of these two you have chosen

NLT: Then they all prayed, 'O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen

KJV: And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

NKJV: And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen

The 120 followers of Jesus have been praying for days. Peter has given direction that they need to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot so the apostles number twelve again. After listing the qualification, two men are proposed: Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias (Acts 1:12–23).

Now the group prays again. God promises that if we pray for wisdom, He will give it to us (James 1:5). God knows the hearts of people where we only see on the surface (1 Samuel 16:7; Mark 2:8, 10:17–31; John 2:23–25). God knows who will make the best apostle because He already determined what work each man would do (Ephesians 2:10). Praying for potential leaders becomes a valued tradition in the church for roles like evangelists (Acts 13:2) and church elders (Acts 14:23). Even Jesus prayed before He picked out the Twelve (Luke 6:12–13).

Literally, the verse says, "You, Lord, heart-knower of all…" "Heart-knower" is from the unique Greek word kardiognōstēs. God is the only being whose identity and character include the knowledge and understanding of our thoughts, feelings, desires, and intentions. As such, only He can know whether Joseph or Matthias is the right man to replace Judas and take his responsibilities (Acts 1:20). The only other place "heart-knower" is used is in Acts 15:8 when Peter affirms that when it comes to inherent righteousness, Jews are no different than Gentiles.

Acts 1:12–26 records what happens when the Jesus-followers pray. Jesus has ascended (Acts 1:9). The Holy Spirit is coming (Acts 1:5). The apostles don't really know what these things mean, but they know where to start. They join the other Jesus-followers in Jerusalem and start praying. The next order of business is to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16, 47–50) and then hanged himself (Matthew 27:3–10). The remaining eleven apostles don't know this yet, but their third task will literally be to change the world.

Acts 1 sets the stage for the establishment of the church and the spread of the gospel. Jesus is alive but if the Holy Spirit is to come Jesus must ascend into heaven (John 16:7). The disciples obey His last instructions and wait in Jerusalem. Peter uses Old Testament Scripture to show the group of about 120 they must choose a disciple to replace Judas. The man must have been with them from Jesus' baptism to His ascension. Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias are put forward and, in the last use of the lots found in the Bible, Matthias is chosen.

Acts 1 is the second letter Luke wrote for Theophilus. In it, he narrates the transition between Jesus' ministry as described in the Gospel of Luke and the development and spread of the church. The disciples have received a temporary indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 20:22), and Jesus has spent forty days reassuring His faithful followers (Acts 1:3), appearing to over five hundred in that short time (1 Corinthians 15:6). Now, the disciples complete some administrative-like tasks before the Holy Spirit can begin the ministry of the church on Pentecost (Acts 2).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.