{To whom also} (hois kai). He chose them and then also
manifested himself to these very same men that they might have
personal witness to give. {Shewed himself alive} (parest(8873)en
heauton z(936e)ta). To the disciples the first Sunday evening ( Mr
16:14  Lu 24:36-43  Joh 20:19-25 ), the second Sunday evening
( Joh 20:26-29 ), at the Sea of Tiberias ( Joh 21:1-23 ), on the
mountain in Galilee ( Mt 28:16-20  Mr 16:15-18  1Co 15:6 ), to
the disciples in Jerusalem and Olivet ( Lu 24:44-53  Mr 16-19f.  Ac 1:1-11 ). Luke uses this verb parist(886d)i 13 times in the Acts
both transitively and intransitively. It is rendered by various
English words (present, furnish, provide, assist, commend). The
early disciples including Paul never doubted the fact of the
Resurrection, once they were convinced by personal experience. At
first some doubted like Thomas ( Mr 16:14  Lu 24:41  Joh 20:24f.  Mt 28:17 ). But after that they never wavered in their testimony
to their own experience with the Risen Christ, "whereof we are
witnesses" Peter said ( Ac 3:15 ). They doubted at first, that we
may believe, but at last they risked life itself in defence of
this firm faith. {After his passion} (meta to pathein auton).
Neat Greek idiom, meta with the articular infinitive (second
aorist active of pasch(935c)) and the accusative of general
reference, "after the suffering as to him." For pathein used
absolutely of Christ's suffering see also  Ac 17:3  26:23 . {By
many proofs} (en pollois tekm(8872)iois). Literally, "in many
proofs." Tekm(8872)ion is only here in the N.T., though an old and
common word in ancient Greek and occurring in the _Koin(825f)
(papyri, etc.). The verb 	ekmair(935c), to prove by sure signs, is
from 	ekmar, a sign. Luke does not hesitate to apply the
definite word "proofs" to the evidence for the Resurrection of
Christ after full investigation on the part of this scientific
historian. Aristotle makes a distinction between 	ekm(8872)ion
(proof) and s(886d)eion (sign) as does Galen the medical writer.
{Appearing} (optanomenos). Present middle participle from late
verb optan(935c), late _Koin(825f) verb from root opt(935c) seen in
opsomai, (9370)hth(886e). In LXX, papyri of second century B.C.
(Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_, p. 83). Only here in
the N.T. For optasia for vision see  Ac 26:19  Lu 1:22  24:23 .
{By the space of forty days} (di' h(886d)er(936e) tesserakonta). At
intervals (dia, between) during the forty days, ten appearances
being known to us. Jesus was not with them continually now in
bodily presence. The period of forty days is given here alone.
The Ascension was thus ten days before Pentecost when the Holy
Spirit came. Moses was in the mount forty days ( Ex 24:18 ) and
Jesus fasted forty days ( Mt 4:2 ). In the Gospel of Luke 24 this
separation of forty days between the Resurrection and the
Ascension is not drawn. {The things concerning the Kingdom of
God} (	a peri t(8873) basileias tou theou). This phrase appears 33
times in Luke's Gospel, 15 times in Mark, 4 times in Matthew who
elsewhere has "the kingdom of heaven," once in John, and 6 times
in Acts. No essential distinction is to be drawn between the two
for the Jews often used "heaven" rather than "God" to avoid using
the Tetragrammaton. But it is noticeable how the word kingdom
drops out of Acts. Other words like gospel (euaggelion) take
the place of "kingdom." Jesus was fond of the word "kingdom" and
Luke is fond of the idiom "the things concerning" (	a peri).
Certainly with Jesus the term "kingdom" applies to the present
and the future and covers so much that it is not strange that the
disciples with their notions of a political Messianic kingdom
( Ac 1:6 ) were slow to comprehend the spiritual nature of the
reign of God.