ACTS

Study of Acts Chapter One

• Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 

This book of the bible is written by Luke and the former treatise he is referring to is the book of Luke. Luke 1:3 is a good reference. Treatise is a doctrine, narrative or report. Luke endeavored to give an account of life and all that Jesus taught until the day He went back to the Father.

According to Josephus, there were two men named Theophilus that were high priests.

• Acts 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 

Jesus' sacrifice for sins and commission on earth was finished. Before He returned to His Father, He gave commandments to His apostles. Notice that even Jesus spoke through the Holy Spirit. All things He taught was by the Holy Spirit so that we can do the same once we are empowered by the same Holy Spirit that was in Jesus. After Jesus ascended He sent the Holy Spirit to individuals making up what we call the church or called out ones. They were to carry on the spreading of the gospel to the entire earth by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is promised to all who believe in Jesus and keep His word.

Now spreading the gospel was up to them, the disciples, apostles and believers in that day as well as we that exist in this day and age. Through the Holy Spirit the gospel is to be preached and taught to the whole world. They were not to start without this power from God. Notice we the called out ones, the church, are to preach and teach, God does the rest. The gospel is never forced on anyone. All who hear can accept or reject. They have a choice that can't be forced by others. There is no way we can force someone to be "Born again by the Spirit of God." It is supernatural from God when we receive Jesus into our lives. 

The gospel cannot fully be preached without the power to convict of sin and change the life of the hearer. The power we need to receive is the Holy Spirit. This is a necessity and if we leave out this part of the gospel, we rob ourselves and the church as a whole the power to change lives and spread the gospel. 

The Holy Spirit is our teacher, our comforter, our guide and is the spirit of truth. Without that power within believers, we have to depend on men and their interpretations which can be wrong at times. We need the written word as a guide to keep us from believing wrong spirits and getting off track. The Holy Spirit along with the written word, and the preaching and teaching of other believers, keeps us from serious error. Also without the presence of the Holy Spirit it is impossible to have perfect love and true unity. He keeps us from false unity based on compromise and fake love based on the world's view of love.  

• Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 

The passion refers to the sufferings of Jesus while He was dying for our sins. Jesus stayed with them 40 days to prepare them for continuing the work of the kingdom of God. He didn't just leave without giving them instructions even though He knew He was sending them the Holy Spirit in just a few days after He left.  

• Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 
• 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 

They were to be baptized with the Holy Ghost before leaving to preach the gospel.

• Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 

This is one reason why Jesus could not just be resurrected and leave. He had to get it across to them that restoring the kingdom to Israel was not the main issue of why He came the first time. I think Israel today has problems with the real reason Jesus came. Jesus came first to die for sins and usher in the way of salvation. Without this part none of us would be worthy to enter into any eternal kingdom. The first reason for His coming had to be accomplished before He could set up the everlasting kingdom and restore Israel.

The sin problem had to be taken care of first in all of us, not just Israel. Sin will not enter eternity. We have to receive Jesus to take that stuff out of us and make us worthy to enter the kingdom of God forever. To believe in this and receive Jesus into our lives, we are covered with His righteousness. We don't have any on our own. We will probably stumble and even sin but when we ask God to forgive us and trust in Jesus, he forgives. We become a new creature in Christ. Even if we mess up, we get back up, repent and keep on trusting in Jesus. Like a toddler learning to walk. If they fall down, they get right back up and keep going.

The Old Testament prophesies of this restoration of the kingdom but if one studies it closely, especially Isaiah 53, we shall see that something else had to be accomplished. We have to repent of sin and be born again by the Holy Spirit before we can enter into the kingdom of God. We shall see this more as we study Acts.

• Acts 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 
• 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

Jesus was telling them that the gospel first had to be preached to the entire world before any kingdom is set up in the natural. He had to get their mind set to change from outward things to the inward change in the soul of man. Jesus didn't just want to save Israelis, He wanted to save any and all who would receive Him.

We still have trouble with this today. Many are working toward world peace, many are helping the poor and needy and we should be; don't misunderstand here, that is part of the gospel. God commands us to care for the poor. That though is not the gospel in itself. We can feed the hungry, work for world peace and do all kinds of good things but if we neglect to tell the world that all have sinned, all need to repent of sin, and receive Jesus into their lives. then we have missed the most important reason that Jesus came - To save those that are lost and separated from God. Faith in Jesus and receiving His Holy spirit will reverse the curse sin brought upon all the human race that happened when Adam and Eve, our first parents, listened to the voice of Saten and ate of the forbiden fruit that God said not to eat of it or they would die. Death entered the whole human race after that. The soul and spirit do not die. That is the part of us that needs saved from sin so that we will be resurrected with a new body than can never die.

Also the above words of Jesus does not mean that we neglect to teach bible prophecy as some have mistakenly taught. If we were not to study bible prophecy like Daniel and Revelation, then God would not have had men write those things for us to read. Chapter one of Revelation makes it clear that we are to read and keep the words written within Revelation and are blessed for doing so. Bible prophecy is very important. 

• Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

Jesus was just warning them not to be concerned with setting up the kingdom and overcoming the Roman armies at that time. It was time to spread the gospel and still is. Jesus will set up the earthly kingdom when it is time. We are to preach about the heavenly kingdom and being born again by God's spirit which is bringing us into the kingdom by the Holy Spirit. The 2nd coming of Jesus will set up the visible kingdom.   

• Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 
• 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 
• 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 

God still had to remind us to not stand in one place waiting for the Lord to reappear but get on with spreading the gospel so that others can be saved. We must look for Him in our innermost being. He will come that same way He left. That is something to look forward to. Meanwhile, occupy until He comes. Be faithful.

• Acts 1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. 
• 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 
• 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. 

This is where many of us fall short in this modern busy age. We go about running here and there and do not pray. If we want to see results, see souls saved, lives changed and have God's presence among us, we have to be people of prayer. There is too much in the world to distract us and hinder us. We cannot make it alone. We need to pray and constantly stay in the will of God. This is not to earn salvation but to keep us strong in the Lord so that we can spread this salvation to the whole world. 

Notice also that women were included. I wouldn't be surprised if children were there also.

• Acts 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) 
• 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 
• 17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. 
• 18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 
• 19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. 
• 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. 

This is fulfilled prophecy that was given in the Psalms:

• Psalms 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. 
• 22 Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. 
• 23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. 
• 24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. 
• 25 Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. 

What happens in the New Testament fulfills the writings in the Old Testament. It is exciting to study and see these things.

• Psalms 109:8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office. 

Here we see prophecy of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. His thirst is foretold and the fact that they tried to give Him vinegar to drink. The prophecy of their habitation being desolate occurred in 70 AD when the nation of Israel was no more and they were scattered all over the face of the earth. Psalm 109 speaks of Judas that another would take his place as one of the 12 apostles. 

• Acts 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 
• 22 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. 
• 23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 

We had to have witnesses because we cannot take the word of one person. There have been too many religions started by just one man. We must avoid following one particular person. A church is the be a body of believers. All of us should be taking part in the Lord's work. We do need leaders called of God to direct but they are not to be Lords and masters. Jesus appointed 12 to start with. Later we will read of the early church appointing 7 to minister. There should not be clergy and laity. We should all be one in Jesus Christ doing what God calls us to do. Yet we see the tendency of mankind wanting to exalt one above another. Jesus even washed His own disciple's feet to show that we are not to be Lords and masters over one another in the Lord. 

I do understand that one needs to be in charge to have order. Not all are called to preach. We do need church government and discipline or else any fly by night nut could come in and take over.  However, we are not to exalt one so high that we look to him or her as absolute authority without any accountability. They can make mistakes and even sin. They also need the prayers of those that work with them for they have great responsibility.

• Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 
• 25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 
• 26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 

This was a correct beginning. They did not trust themselves to vote for the new apostle. They sought the help of God for this purpose. DC

Act 2