Chapter 1 Acts 1
Introduction (vv. 1-5)
1 Dear Theophilus: a
In my first book b I wrote about all the things that Jesus did and taught from the time he began his work c 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before he was taken up, he gave instructions by the power of the Holy Spirit to the men he had chosen as his apostles. d 3 For forty days e after his death he appeared to them many times f in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive. They saw him, and he talked with them about the Kingdom of God. g 4 And when they came together, he gave them this order: “Do not leave Jerusalem, h but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father prom- ised. i 5 John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” j
Interesting Stuff:
a ‘Theophilus’ means ‘one who loves God’ or ‘dear to God’. He was probably a Roman official or at least someone of wealth and power because in Luke’s first book, the Gospel of Luke, he was called by the title ‘Your Excellency’ (Lk 1:3). Both the book of Acts and the Gospel of Luke were dedicated to Theophilus (refer to ‘Themes and Purposes’, p. vi). Such dedications were common among the writings of that time.
b Luke is referring to the Gospel of Luke. It would appear that the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were intended by Luke to be two parts of a single book. It was common in the ancient world for a single work to consist of several parts or ‘books’ in this way, and for the author to provide a brief introduction to each.
c While Luke tells us clearly his purpose in writing the Gospel of Luke (Lk 1:4), he does not do so where the writing of Acts is
concerned. He seems to imply that here he will write about what Jesus continued to do and to teach after his ascension, i.e., his going up to heaven. This, as shall be seen later throughout this book, was accomplished through the apostles by the power of the Holy Spirit.
d The term ‘apostles’ comes from the Greek word apostolos which means ‘one who is sent forth’. Luke restricts the term ‘apostles’ to the 12 men whom Jesus had chosen at the early stage of his ministry (Lk 6:13-16) except that Judas Iscariot was later replaced by Matthias (v. 26). The apostles were thus men who were with Jesus during his ministry and who were witnesses to his resurrection.
e ‘Forty’ is the most frequently used round number in the Bible. It was used more as a rounded rather than an exact figure. A sense of completeness or maturity is attached to the number (see also chap 7, note k).
f Jesus appeared in the following ways:
i) Walked with the two disciples to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-32)
ii) Met with Peter (Lk 24:34)
iii) Showed disciples his hands and feet and ate in their presence (Lk 24:36-49)
iv) Showed himself to Thomas (Jn 20:26-29)
v) Met Peter and his disciples at the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21)
g This theme of ‘the Kingdom of God’ is a common one in the OT and NT. It refers primarily to the sovereign or kingly rule of God in human life and in human history. In the OT times, God’s kingship was specially manifested or revealed on earth in the nation of Israel. With the fall of the kingdom of Israel, the Jews came to believe that God’s kingship would be revealed on earth in its fullness at a later date. This was thus the expectation of the Jews during Jesus’ time. They were waiting for a new kingdom of Israel to rise up.
However, in the Gospels the Kingdom of God is presented as having come in the person and ministry of Jesus. It was thus the main theme of Jesus’ preaching and teaching ministry. And it
continued to be the theme of the witness of his apostles, and later the early church. Now, however, it included the saving events of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
h Jerusalem is the most important city in the history of God’s acts by which redemption has been accomplished. It was the royal city, the city of David. Here the Temple was erected, and here, during period of the kingdom of Israel, sacrifices were legitimately offered. This was the city of the prophets, as well as the kings of David’s line. And here occurred the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, David’s greatest Son.
It is situated 23 km (14 miles) west of the Dead Sea at an elevation of 797 m (2,550 ft) above sea level.
i Jerusalem was to be the intended site for the giving of the promised Holy Spirit as told to them by Jesus (Lk 24:49). The place where Jesus was rejected was to be the place where fresh witness to him would be given.
j Jesus’ promise was strengthened by a reminder of the testimony of John the Baptist (Lk 3:16). To baptise literally means to immerse a person in water or to completely cover him with it, usually as a means of cleansing. When the term is applied to the Spirit, it appears to refer to the outpouring of the Spirit by God upon His people (cf. 2:17).
Questions:
- To whom was this book dedicated (v. 1)?
2. What had the author written about in his first book (vv. 1-2)?
3. Describe all that Jesus did before he was taken up to heaven (vv. 2-3).
4. What instructions did Jesus give his apostles when they all came together (vv. 4-5)?
Summary of Section:
- Luke begins his book by addressing Theophilus.
- He mentions that in his first book he had written about all the things Jesus did and taught from the time he began his work until the day he was taken up to heaven.
- Before Jesus was taken up, he gave instructions by the power of the Holy Spirit to the men he had chosen as his apostles.
- For 40 days after his death, Jesus appeared to his apostles many times in ways that proved without a doubt that he was alive. He also taught them about the Kingdom of God.
- Later when they came together, he instructed them not to leave Jerusalem. They were to wait for the gift promised by his Father that he had told them about. John had baptised with water but in a few days’ time, they would be baptised by the Holy Spirit.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were intended by Luke to be regarded as Part 1 and Part 2 of one single work. The two books were meant to emphasise the two stages of Jesus’ ministry. The Gospel tells what Jesus began to do and teach until he was taken up to heaven. In Acts, Luke writes about what Jesus continued to do and teach after his ascension through the apostles by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Luke dedicates his book to Theo- philus who was probably a Christian to help him and others like him to have a reliable account of the begin- nings of Christianity.
- Before ending his personal ministry on earth, Jesus deliberately made provision for its continuation, still on earth (through the apostles) but from heaven (through the Holy Spirit). Because the apostles occupied a unique position, they were also uniquely equipped:
i) Jesus chose them (v. 2)
ii) Jesus showed himself to them (v. 3) – one of the qualifications of being an apostle was being with Jesus until he ascended to heaven (1:21-22)
iii) Jesus commissioned them to preach and teach in his name (v. 3)
iv) Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit (vv. 4-5) - Jesus’ promise of the Father’s gift of the Holy Spirit was strengthened by a reminder of the testimony of John the Baptist who prophesied the coming of Jesus who would baptise with the Spirit (Lk 3:16). To baptise literally means to immerse a person in water or to flood with water, usually as a means of cleansing. When the term is applied to the Holy Spirit, it appears to refer to the pouring out of the Spirit from on high by God, bringing power, wisdom, joy and all the fullness of life promised by God to the one who believes in Him.
Jesus Is Taken Up to Heaven (vv. 6-11)
6 When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?” k
7 Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. l 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea m and Samaria, n and to the ends of the earth.” o 9 After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud p hid him from their sight.
10 They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white q suddenly stood beside them 11 and said, “Galileans, r why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”
Interesting Stuff:
k The apostles still nursed the hope of seeing the Kingdom of God come about through Israel being restored as an independent nation. So hearing their Master speak of the coming gift of the Spirit, the sign of the new age, they asked if this would be the occasion when Israel would finally rule over itself.
l Jesus’ answer did not take the form of a direct ‘No’. However, whatever the purposes of God for the nation of Israel, they were not to be the concern of the messengers of Christ. Their role was to proclaim the Good News of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ when the Holy Spirit was given to them. Instead of political power, they would be given a heavenly power.
m Judea refers to the southernmost province in Palestine where Jerusalem was located.
n Samaria was the region in Palestine located between Galilee in the north and Judea in the south.
o The scope of their task was worldwide. It begins with Jerusalem as the point of origin, and moves outwards to Judea (the region in which Jerusalem was located) and Samaria (the region to the north of Judea) and then to the rest of the world. The concept of ‘witness’ is so important in the book of Acts (the word appears some 39 times in various forms in Acts) that everything else comes secondary to it.
p The cloud most likely symbolises the shekinah, the visible manifestation or revelation of the glory and presence of God (Ex 24:15-17). Such a cloud covered Mt. Sinai as Moses went up to meet God; it also enveloped Jesus and his three disciples on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured as a visible sign of God’s presence (Lk 9:34-35). Something similar is presented here. Jesus was enveloped by the shekinah cloud, the visible manifestation of God’s glory and presence.
q Luke intends his readers to understand these men to be angelic messengers, like the two men who appeared to the women at the empty tomb of Jesus (Lk 24:4). In both instances, the fact that there were two suggests that they were to be seen as witnesses. This is because under Jewish law, there needs to be at least two persons present in order for their testimony to be considered valid or legal. In the Gospel of Luke, they bore witness to Jesus’ resurrection. Here they were bearing witness to Jesus’ ascension (rising to heaven) and his parousia, i.e., his coming again in power and glory.
r All the Twelve were from Galilee except Judas, and he was no longer present. Judas was thought to be from Judea.
Questions:
- What did the apostles ask Jesus when they met together with him (v. 6)?
2. What did Jesus say in reply to them (v. 7)?
3. According to Jesus, what would happen to the apostles when the Holy Spirit came upon them and what would they do as a result (v. 8)?
4. What happened to Jesus after he said all those things to them (v. 9)?
5. Who appeared as the apostles had their eyes fixed on the sky (v. 10)? What did they say to the apostles (v. 11)?
6. To what future event in the history of the church do these words refer?
7. On which mountain did this meeting of Jesus and his apostles take place (v. 12)?
Summary of Section:
- When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him whether he would give the Kingdom back to Israel at this time.
- Jesus told them that the times and occasions were set by his Father’s own authority and it was not for them to know when they would take place.
- He said, however, that they were to be concerned with sharing the Good News that the Kingdom of God had come in Jesus Christ. They would be filled with power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they would then be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
- After saying this, Jesus was taken up to heaven as they watched him. A cloud hid him from their sight.
- They were still looking at the sky when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
- They addressed them as Galileans and asked why they were standing there looking at the sky. They told the apostles that this Jesus who was taken from them into heaven would come back in the same way.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- It appears that Jesus’ two main topics of conversation between his resurrection and his ascension were the Kingdom of God and the Spirit of God. The question the apostles asked of whether God was going to restore His Kingdom showed that they still misunderstood the nature of the Kingdom. Jesus thus had to correct their mistaken ideas of the nature of the Kingdom.
- His answer was twofold. Firstly, the time of this event remained God’s secret. Secondly, although they were not to know the times or dates, what they should know was that they would receive power so that between the Spirit’s coming and Jesus’ return- ing, they were to be his witnesses in ever-widening circles, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
- When the Spirit came in power, the long promised reign of God, which had begun in the coming of Jesus, would begin to spread. It would be a spiritual, not a physical kingdom, set up in the lives of people by the Holy Spirit. It would be international in its membership, including Gentiles as well as Jews, and it would be gradual in its expansion, beginning in Jerusalem and spreading to the rest of the world.
- But before the Spirit could come, the Son must go. Luke is the only Gospel writer who describes the ascension of Jesus as a visible event. A critical part of the story is the presence of the two angels. In his Gospel, Luke records the ministry of angels at several crucial moments – the birth of Jesus, his temptation, at the garden of Gethsemane, at his tomb pro- claiming his resurrection to the women.
- The angels had three things to remind the apostles about Jesus’ ascension. Firstly, that Jesus would come back again but that their gazing up into the sky would not bring him back. They were to let him go for he would return in his own good time, visible and glorious.
- Secondly, they implied that the apos- tles were to obey Jesus and go back to Jerusalem and wait for his promise to be fulfilled.
- Thirdly, the angels also implied that until Jesus comes again, the apostles must get on with their witness, for that was their charge from Jesus. The promise of the parousia, the return of Jesus, would be the hope the apostles were to cling onto as they moved out into the world to be Jesus’ witnesses.
The Apostles Return to Jerusalem (vv. 12-14)
12 Then the apostles went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, s which is about half a mile away from the city. t 13 They entered the city and went up u to the room where they were staying: v Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Patriot, w and Judas son of James. 14 They gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women x and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers. y
Interesting Stuff:
s The Mount of Olives is a ridge a little more than 1.6 km long (1 mile), which lies directly east of Jerusalem and rises to a height of some 824 m (2,700 ft). Its summit commands a magnificent view of Jerusalem and especially of the Temple. In Lk 24:50, Jesus was said to have led his disciples to Bethany which was on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. The ascension of Jesus thus took place on the eastern slope of the mount between Jerusalem and Bethany.
t Some versions have ‘a Sabbath’s day journey’ from the city. A Sabbath’s day journey is a Jewish expression and is calculated (based on several OT passages like Ex 16:29 and Nu 35:4-5) to be around 1 km long. A faithful Jew was not to travel further than that on the Sabbath.
u Upper rooms in Palestinian cities were usually the choicest rooms because they were above the noise of the crowded streets and beyond the prying eyes of passersby. For the wealthy, the upper room was the living room. Sometimes upper rooms were rented out. Often they served as places of assembly, study, and prayer. It is thought that this could have been the room where Jesus and his disciples kept the Passover just before his crucifixion. Perhaps it was also the room where he appeared to some of them after he rose from the dead.
v Luke had already listed the names of the Twelve in his Gospel (Lk 6:14-16). Now he lists them again, but without Judas Iscariot, thus pointing out the incompleteness of the apostolic band, and setting the stage for the selection of another to fill Judas’ place. The total number of 12 was important because it corresponds to the 12 tribes of Israel. This was important if early Christianity was to present itself to the Jewish nation as the climax of Israel’s hope and the true people of Israel’s Messiah.
Of the apostles listed here, only Peter, James and John are mentioned again in Acts.
w Some versions translate it as ‘Simon the Zealot’. The Zealots were the freedom fighters, revolutionaries who were dedicated to the overthrow of the Roman government.
x These women were Jesus’ disciples, some of whom had been ministered to by Jesus (Lk 8:2-3) and others who had followed him from Galilee (Lk 23:49). Most likely, some of them fell into both categories.
y Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him during his ministry (see Jn 7:5). However, after his resurrection, they played a prominent role among his followers, especially his brother James. The names of his brothers were James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. (Mk 6:3; Mt 13:55).
Questions:
- Relate what took place on the Mount of Olives (vv. 6-11).
2. Why did the apostles return to Jerusalem (vv. 4, 8)?
Where did they go as they returned to the city (v. 13)?
3. How many apostles were there (v. 13)?
Name them.
4. Who else were there with the apostles (v. 14)?
What did they gather frequently to do with the apostles (v. 14)?
Summary of Section:
- The apostles went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
- They entered the city and went up to the room where they were staying.
- There were eleven apostles altogether: Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Patriot, and Judas son of James.
- The apostles gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women disciples of Jesus, Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- The story of the ascension is com- pleted with the account of how the apostles obeyed Jesus and returned to Jerusalem to wait for the promised Holy Spirit
- It is only now that Luke mentions where the ascension had taken place – on the Mount of Olives.
- The eleven apostles had in their company the women who had gone up to Jerusalem from Galilee with Jesus and his followers (Lk 8:2-3; 23:55). One special woman there was Mary the mother of Jesus.
- Jesus’ brothers are also mentioned here. They did not believe in Jesus during his ministry (Jn 7:5) but after his resurrection, they figured promi- nently among his followers. Their change in attitude might have result- ed from the resurrection appearance to his brother James (see 1 Cor 15:7), who later occupied a position of lead- ership in the Jerusalem church.
- Luke describes the group as ‘joining together constantly in prayer’. The word ‘together’ implies togetherness in the sense of being of one mind and purpose. The word ‘constantly’ has the understanding of being persever- ing in prayer. We thus get the picture of a whole group of believers, men and women, who gathered with one heart and mind to pray perseveringly for God to fulfil His promise.
Judas Is Replaced as Apostle (vv. 15-26)
15 A few days later there was a meeting of the believers, z about a hundred and twenty a’ in all, and Peter stood up to speak. 16 “My brothers,” he said, “the scrip- ture had to come true in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, b’ made a prediction about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 Judas was a member of our group, for he had been chosen to have a part in our work.”
(18 With the money that Judas got for his evil act he bought a field, where he fell to his death; he burst open and all his insides spilled out. 19 All the people living in Jerusalem heard about it, and so in their own language they call that field Akeldama, c’ which means “Field of Blood.”) d’
20 “For it written in the book of Psalms,
‘May his house become empty;
may no one live in it.’ e’
It is also written,
‘May someone else take his place of service.’ f’
21-22 “So then, someone must join us as a witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. g’ He must be one of the men who were in our group during the whole time that the Lord Jesus travelled about with us, beginning from the time John preached his message of baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us to heaven.”
23 So they proposed two men: Joseph, who was called Barsabbas h’ (also known as Justus), and Matthias.
24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know the thoughts of everyone, so show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to serve as an apostle in the place of Judas, who left to go to the place where he belongs.” 26 Then they drew lots i’ to choose between the two men, and the one chosen was Matthias, who was added to the group of eleven apostles.
Interesting Stuff:
z The term used for ‘believers’ here is the word for ‘brothers’. Luke frequently uses the word ‘brothers’ for Christian believers in his book.
a’ In Jewish law, a minimum of 120 Jewish men was required to establish a community with its own council. Luke’s point is that there were enough disciples to form a new community.
b’ Because Jesus was the Messiah from David’s line, many of the experiences of David as written in the psalms were understood as prophetically applicable to Jesus. Therefore what was said of the enemies of David as the Lord’s anointed, would be interpreted as the enemies of Jesus. Thus it was not difficult to find quotes from the OT texts, especially the Psalms, which pointed to Judas. Peter affirmed that the real author was the Holy Spirit who spoke through David in his psalms.
c’ This was an Aramaic term. It was probably used by the people who knew what happened and that the field was bought with ‘blood money’, the money Judas had received for betraying
Jesus, for killing an innocent man (Mt 27:4).
d’ The wording of these two verses indicates that these were not part of Peter’s speech. Luke digresses to inform his readers about what happened to Judas. The account here differs from that told in Mt 27:3-10. Some possibilities have been suggested to harmonise the two accounts:
i) The field had been bought by the chief priests in Judas’ name with the 30 silver coins.
ii) Judas hanged himself but when the body finally fell down because of decay or because someone cut it down, the body was so decomposed that it broke in the middle and all the inside organs fell out.
iii) Luke was describing Judas’ suicide in gory details to stress the awfulness of Judas’ situation.
e’ This is quoted from Ps 69:25. It is a prayer that the dwelling place of the psalmist’s enemies may be deserted. Psalm 69 was applied in various ways by the early church to Jesus Christ as the Righteous Sufferer and the Servant of the Lord.
f’ This is taken from Ps 109:8. Here the psalmist was praying that a certain enemy may die before his time and be replaced in his responsible position by someone else. Both these passages were put together to suggest that Judas had left an empty position that had to be filled.
g’ Two qualifications were set forth for the choice of someone to replace Judas: (i) He must have been with Jesus and his apostles from the time of John the Baptist’s ministry till the day of Jesus’ ascension (ii) He must be a witness to the resurrection like the other apostles.
h’ Barsabbas means ‘son of the Sabbath’. It may have been given him because he was born on the Sabbath. Like many other Jews, he also bore a Gentile name ‘Justus’.
i’ The casting of lots was a device used to allow God to make His choice (Pr 16:33). It was common in Israel (see 1 Ch 26:13-16; Ne 11:1; Lk 1:9) and the ancient world. It is thought that marked objects like stones or sticks were the objects used.
Questions:
When did Peter stand up to speak (v. 15)?
2. Why did Peter quote the two psalms of David to his listeners (vv. 16-17, 20-21)? Who was the psalmist referring to and what had that person done (vv. 16-17, 20)? What did that person do after that (vv. 18-19)?
3. Why was it necessary to select someone to replace him?
4. What qualifications were required for this role of apostle (vv. 21-22)?
5. Who were the two men whose names were proposed (v. 23)?
6. What did the believers do after that (vv. 24-25)?
What method did they use to choose the new apostle (v. 26)?
7. What was the name of the man who was chosen (v. 26)?
Summary of Section:
- A few days later, there was a meeting of about 120 believers.
- Peter stood up and told the brothers that the Scriptures had to come true in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, predicted about Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.
- Judas had been a member of their group but he had chosen to guide those who came to arrest Jesus.
- He used the money he got from his evil act to buy a field. There he fell to his death. He burst open and all his insides spilled out.
- All the people in Jerusalem heard about it and they called that field Akeldama, which means ‘Field of Blood’.
- He quoted from two psalms concerning Judas’ death and his place being taken by someone else.
- Therefore to fulfil Scripture, Peter said that someone must join the apostles as a witness to the resurrection of Jesus.
- The person must have been in their group during the whole time Jesus travelled about with them, beginning from the time John preached his message of baptism until the day Jesus was taken up to heaven.
- So the believers proposed two names: Joseph, who was called Barsabbas, and Matthias.
- Then they prayed asking the Lord to show them which of the two he had chosen to serve as an apostle in Judas’ place.
- They drew lots to choose between the two men.
- Matthias was chosen and added to the group of eleven.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Peter took the lead to fill the vacancy among the apostles caused by the death of Judas Iscariot. The total of 12 was significant because it corre- sponded to the number of the tribes of Israel. If the early church was to be accepted as having direct continuity with, and being the fulfilment of OT Israel, then the number of its founders must remain at 12.
- Another reason why Scripture had to be fulfilled was because Judas belonged to the number of the Twelve and had his appointed share in the task of ministry set up by Jesus. A successor had to be chosen so that the number of witnesses would be complete. However, the qualification was that the person must be a witness to Jesus’ resurrection and had to be from the group of people who had been with Jesus throughout his ministry.
- Although the apostles put forward two names, the real choice was left to the Lord, since apostleship is not a humanly ordained office. They prayed and used the casting of lots to allow Jesus to make his choice.
- The task of apostleship is described as a ‘ministry’ (other versions trans- late ‘apostolic ministry’ for verse 25). The Greek word for this is ‘service’, originally service at a meal table. This word is used to refer to Christian work or service of all kinds, taking its pattern from Jesus who came not to be served but to serve (Mk 10:45).
- The stage was now set for the day of Pentecost. The apostles had received Jesus’ charge and seen his ascen- sion. The apostolic team was com- plete again, ready to be his chosen witnesses. Only one thing was miss- ing: the Spirit had not yet come to fill the place left vacant by Jesus. The 120 were now waiting in Jerusalem, persevering in prayer with one heart and mind, poised and ready to fulfil Jesus’ command just as soon as he fulfilled his promise.
Copyright © 2020, Pristine World Sdn Bhd.
All rights reserved.