Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

ACTS 1:22KJV
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Acts 1:22 (KJV)

What does Acts 1:22 mean?

Acts 1:22 says that whoever is chosen to replace Judas as an apostle must have been with Jesus and the other disciples from the time of John’s baptism until the day Jesus was taken up, so that this person can serve as a witness to Jesus’s resurrection. The verse sets a clear requirement for apostleship: firsthand experience of Jesus’s ministry and resurrection.

Peter is speaking to the gathered believers after Jesus’s ascension, explaining the qualifications needed for someone to join the remaining eleven apostles. The group is preparing to select a new apostle, and Peter stresses that the person must have been present throughout Jesus’s public ministry, starting with John the Baptist’s work and ending with Jesus’s ascension, to be a credible witness to the resurrection.

The Greek behind Acts 1:22

  • The word "witness" (μαρτυς, martys) means someone who testifies from personal experience. Here, it highlights that the new apostle must be able to speak from direct knowledge about Jesus’s resurrection, not just secondhand reports.
  • The phrase "must one be ordained" (δεῖ γενέσθαι, dei genesthai) carries the sense of necessity—it is not optional but required that the replacement apostle meets these criteria. This stresses the seriousness and importance of the selection process.
  • The word "resurrection" (ἀνάστασις, anastasis) specifically refers to Jesus rising from the dead, which is the central event the apostles are to testify about. The emphasis is on the eyewitness nature of their testimony.

Why Acts 1:22 matters

  • Acts 1:22 clarifies that the apostles were not just spiritual leaders but also eyewitnesses to Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, which set them apart from later church leaders.
  • The verse shows the early church’s careful approach to leadership, emphasizing continuity and credibility in their witness to Jesus.
  • By tying apostleship to firsthand experience, Acts 1:22 helps explain why only a limited group could be called apostles in this foundational sense, shaping how the early church understood authority and testimony.

Where else these words appear

“up” Greek G353 · used in 13 verses

  • Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
  • Acts 10:16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
  • Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

“baptism” Greek G908 · used in 22 verses

  • Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
  • Mark 11:30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
  • Acts 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

“witness” Greek G3144 · used in 34 verses

  • Matthew 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
  • Acts 10:41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
  • 1 Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

“resurrection” Greek G386 · used in 40 verses

  • Matthew 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
  • John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
  • Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: