This study examines five Old Testament quotations in Acts 1-2 (Psa 69:25; Psa 109:8; Joe 2:28-32; Psa 16:8-11; Psa 110:1) and argues that they form an interconnected interpretive structure rather than a collection of isolated proof texts.
By comparing the Masoretic Text (MT), the Septuagint (LXX), and the NTG²⁸ text of Acts, the study analyzes lexical and grammatical correspondences, citation forms, and discourse arrangement. The quotations predominantly follow the LXX, but their recontextualization occurs not only through verbal alteration but also through selective citation, application to new referents, and narrative placement. Accordingly, not every textual variation should be attributed to Luke’s intentional modification.
The combined citation of Psalms 69:25 and 109:8 in Acts 1:20 interprets Judas’ judgment and the reconstitution of the Twelve. Joel 2:28-32 presents Pentecost as the eschatological fulfillment of God’s promise to pour out the Spirit, notably replacing “after these things” with “in the last days.” Psalm 16:8-11 provides the scriptural basis for Jesus’ resurrection, while Psalm 110:1 supports Peter’s proclamation of Jesus’ exaltation and heavenly enthronement. The Christological significance of κύριος in Psalm 110:1 derives not merely from its repeated use in the LXX but from Peter’s application of the second κύριος to the risen and exalted Jesus.
These quotations form two interrelated movements. Psalms 69 and 109 explain the judgment of the betrayer and the restoration of the apostolic community, whereas Joel 2 and Psalms 16 and 110 connect Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation with the outpouring of the Spirit. Acts 2:32-33 specifically connects Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation with the outpouring of the promised Spirit; it does not by itself connect the two broader movements. Their narrative convergence occurs when Peter, standing with the Eleven after Matthias’ incorporation into the apostolic circle (Act 1:26), publicly interprets Pentecost and proclaims Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation (Act 2:14-36). Thus, the restored apostolic community becomes a Spirit-empowered community of messianic witness.
The five quotations therefore constitute, within Luke’s narrative, an integrated redemptive-historical structure in which the reconstituted apostolic community becomes a Spirit-empowered witness to Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation. Acts 1-2 consequently functions as a programmatic theological introduction that presents the church’s origin as inseparable from the messianic fulfillment of Scripture.