Objective: To gain an overview of the Acts of the Apostles and understand its origin, purpose and value.
1. The Title of Acts
2. The Author of Acts
3. The Date of the Acts of the Apostles
4. The Purpose of Acts
5. Historical Setting of Acts
6. Theological Contribution of Acts
7. Special Considerations
8. Themes of Luke Continued in Acts
8.1 An emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit
8.2 A concern for outcasts and sinners.
8.3 An emphasis on women.
8.4 The piety of Jesus and His followers.
9. A Summary of the Acts of the Apostles
10.
Introduction to Acts: Acts 1:1-11
10.1 The reality of
His resurrection (1:3a)
10.2 The coming of His kingdom (1:3b)
10.3 The power of His Holy Spirit (1:4-8)
10.4 The assurance of His coming again (1:9-11)
IBS Seminar 1: Acts 1:1-11 An Introduction
We are going on a journey this week. A journey back in history to the first few years of the life of the early church, from its small beginnings in Jerusalem to the day the gospel finally reached the centre of the known world, Rome. We want to examine the Holy Spirit inspired personal and corporate mission methods and strategy and see which of them are applicable to our situation today. The one historical book of the New Testament which traces the development of the early church after the Ascension of Jesus. Standing between the Gospels and the Epistles, the Book of Acts is a bridge between the life of Jesus and the ministry of the apostle Paul. As such, it offers invaluable information about the development of the early church. In this introduction we want to consider the authorship, the purpose, the themes, and an outline of the book of Acts as a whole.
1. The Title
of Acts
The title
of Acts is somewhat misleading, for only a few of the apostles of Jesus are
mentioned in the book. In reality, Acts relates some acts of some of the apostles,
primarily Peter and Paul, and involves a time-span of about 32 years-- from
the Ascension of Jesus (about A. D. 30) to Paul's imprisonment in Rome (about
A. D. 62).
2. The Author
of Acts
The most
significant help in discovering the author of Acts is simply recognizing this
book's relationship to the Gospel of Luke: 1) Both books begin with a greeting
to a man named Theophilus ("friend of God"); 2) Acts' greeting to
Theophilus refers to a previous writing; 3) The end of Luke intentionally overlaps
with the beginning of Acts to provide continuity between the two volumes; 4)
the author's writing style, vocabulary, and attention to specific themes remain
constant throughout both books. Consequently, the reader must assume Acts was
written by the same author as the gospel of Luke. In fact, many Bible readers
believe Luke-Acts is a single work which was divided into two parts as the books
of the New Testament were gathered together. The size of Luke and Acts combined
makes the author of these two books the chief contributor to the New Testament,
having written twenty-five percent of all Scripture from the Christian era.
Taken as a whole, Luke and Acts are a larger work than the combined letters
of Paul.
Once readers assume Luke and Acts come from the same pen, they can begin to look for evidence within these books which points toward the author's identity. How can we tell the person who wrote these books was named Luke?
The first piece of evidence comes in Luke 1:2. There, the writer states he was not an eyewitness to the ministry of Jesus. This fact eliminates any of the eleven disciples as candidates for authorship. Next, the "we" passages in Acts also offer a major, internal clue to the identity of the book's author. During the account of Paul's missionary journeys, the author occasionally changes his style from that of a third person observer to a first person participant. In Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-16; 21:1-18; and 27:1-28:16, the author speaks of "we" and "us" in relationship to Paul's travels. The language implies the author himself traveled with Paul. These "we" sections include the time when Paul was imprisoned at Rome. Scholars have determined Paul wrote Philemon, Colossians, and the Pastoral Epistles during his house arrest in that city. By searching those letters for references to Paul's fellow workers, they compiled a list of companions who could have written Luke and Acts. In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul says, "Only Luke is with me," making him the most likely person to have written Luke-Acts.
Students of the first century church confirm the likelihood of Luke's authorship with what they call the "negative" argument. This negative argument recognizes the early church's tendency to attribute the authorship of New Testament works to recognized apostles and eyewitnesses of the ministry of the Master. We have no reason to assume early Christians would have given credit for the authorship of Luke-Acts to such an insignificant figure as Luke unless they possessed firm evidence the doctor, traveling companion of Paul, did indeed write this important document.
The facts surrounding the authorship of Acts are not merely
intended to bolster the knowledge of persons interested in Bible trivia. Knowing
Luke wrote Acts is crucial for understanding this book. Unless readers see in
Acts the continuation of themes and emphases which Luke began in his Gospel,
they will miss some of the most vital helps available to them for interpreting
Acts. Unless readers see the purpose of Acts as a direct continuation of the
purpose of Luke, they will miss the main thrust of the book.
3. The Date of the Acts of the Apostles
It
is difficult to say when Acts was written. We know only that it follows the
Gospel: "The former account [Gospel of Luke] I made, O Theophilus"
<Acts 1:1>. If the Gospel were written in the early 70's, Acts would have
been composed shortly thereafter. Many scholars date Acts as early as A. D.
62 because it ends abruptly with Paul's imprisonment in Rome.
Luke is a reliable historian, in part because of the sources he used. He was closely associated with many events of Paul's mission, and this results in greater vividness in the latter half of Acts. At three places in <Acts 16:10-17; 20:5--21:18>, (and <27:1-28:16>) the narrative changes to the first person ("we"), indicating that LUKE was personally present. Luke also may have had access to written documents (for example, the decree of the Council of Jerusalem, <Acts 15:23>; or letters from early Christian leaders).
Above all, Luke had the benefit of a wide circle of contacts.
In the Book of Acts he mentions 95 different persons from 32 countries, 54 cities,
and 9 Mediterranean islands. From these he gathered information for the first
part of Acts especially <chaps. 1--12> and for the gospel. Luke, however,
writes selective history, focusing only on the course of the gospel from Jerusalem
to Rome.
4. The Purpose of Acts
Why did Luke write Acts? What purpose was the Spirit leading
him to fulfill? The opening verses of Luke and Acts mention Theophilus as the
recipient of Luke's writings. As mentioned earlier, the name means "friend
of God" and was common among Jews and Greeks in the first century. Many
Bible students think Theophilus was a Roman dignitary sympathetic to the Christian
cause. Perhaps Luke was writing a defense of Christianity for this official
during a time of persecution to show him there was nothing subversive or sinister
about the followers of Jesus. The geographical framework of Acts, the spread
of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, lends credibility to this idea.
In addition to Luke's possible purpose as an interpreter of Christianity to the Roman world, Paul's traveling companion seems to have perceived himself specifically as a recorder of God's saving work. In 1:3 of his Gospel, Luke clearly states he is trying to make "an orderly account" of the events surrounding Jesus' ministry.
The only question which remains is Luke's reason for dividing his record of those events into Luke and Acts as he did. The obvious solution to this question would be that Luke focuses on Jesus Himself while Acts focuses on the followers of Jesus who continued their Master's work. This solution misses one important verse, Acts 1:1, where Luke says to Theophilus: "In my former book ... I wrote about all Jesus began to do and teach..." Luke implied that Jesus continued to do and teach more, and that His story was incomplete where the Gospel ended. In fact, a careful reading of Acts makes it clear that Jesus remained the active, living, focus of Luke's story. In 9:4 (NIV), Jesus spoke directly to Saul and asked, "Why do you persecute me?" Later, in the same chapter, Peter could say directly to Aeneas, "Jesus Christ heals you" (9:34 NIV). In chapter ten, Christ made His will known to Peter concerning a ministry to the Gentiles. These are but three examples of Jesus' vital involvement in the spread of the gospel in Acts.
Therefore, despite the fact Acts begins with the ascension
of Jesus, there is no evidence anyone in the early church perceived Him as "gone"
from their midst. He healed, spoke, and directed the work of His disciples.
Even when they preached, the disciples thought of Jesus as literally present
in their preaching. They asked the listeners of those first sermons, not merely
to believe facts about Jesus, but to encounter through their words the One who
died, rose again, and lives forever. The ascension marked not Christ's departure,
but a change in the way Christ performs His ministry of salvation and grace.
Consequently, Acts is the continuing story of Jesus' work. It simply begins
once He is no longer bound by the limitations of time and space. Acts tells
what happened following the ascension when Jesus started to work through His
new body, which is the church.
5. Historical Setting of Acts
As in the Gospel of Luke, Luke writes to Gentiles. He wants
his audience to know the truthful and triumphant course of the gospel, beginning
in Jesus and continuing in the church <Acts 1:1>.
This is his primary motive for writing the Book of Acts.
In addition, however, Luke defends, where possible, the Christian faith from
suspicion of sedition or superstition. The "Way" <9:2> is not
a secret, subversive cult <26:26>. On the contrary, it is proclaimed in
the city squares for all to hear and judge. This is one reason the many public
speeches were included in Acts. Neither is Christianity politically dangerous.
If Christians are suspected of sedition against Rome, Luke shows that in each
instance where they are brought before Roman authorities they are acquitted
<Acts 16:39; 17:6; 18:12; 19:37; 23:29; 25:25; 26:31>. Luke devotes nearly
one third of Acts <chaps. 21--28> to Paul's imprisonment. He does this
not only to show that the gospel reaches its destination in spite of insurmountable
obstacles, but also to show that Paul and his message are not politically subversive.
6.
Theological Contribution of Acts
The Acts of
the Apostles could justly be entitled, "The Acts of the Holy Spirit,"
for the Spirit is mentioned nearly 60 times in the book. In His parting words,
Jesus reminds the disciples of the promise of the Father <1:4-8>; ten
days later the power of the Spirit descends at Pentecost <2:1-4>. Persons
"from every nation under heaven" <2:5> are enabled by the Holy
Spirit to hear "the wonderful works of God" <2:11>, and so the
Christian church was born.
Pentecost was a reversal of the Tower of Babel where language became confused and nations were separated by misunderstanding <Gen. 11:1-9>. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit gathered persons from every nation into one united fellowship. From Pentecost onward, the Holy Spirit directs the unfolding drama of the growth of the church.
Acts contains portraits of many outstanding Christians of the early church. Barnabas exemplifies generosity <4:36-37>, Stephen forgiveness <7:60>, Philip and Paul obedience <8:26; 26:19>, Cornelius piety <10:2>, and the witness of the early church vibrates with boldness <2:29; 4:13,29,31; 28:31>. Ordinary people are empowered to perform extraordinary feats. A faltering apostle is empowered to address multitudes <2:14> or make a defense before rulers <4:8>. A prayer fellowship is shaken <4:31>; a deacon defends his faith by martyrdom <7:58>. The despised Samaritans receive the Spirit <8:4-8>, as does a Gentile soldier <10:1-48>. A staunch persecutor of the gospel is converted <9:1-19>, and through him the gospel reaches the capital of the world!
Paul reaches Rome in chains. Circumstances, too, may be
adverse: persecutions <8:3-4; 11:19>, famines <11:27-30>, opposition
<13:45>, or violent storms <27:1-44>. Through it all, however, the
Holy Spirit directs the drama so that "all things work together for good"
<Rom. 8:28> to further the cause of Christ.
7. Special Considerations
Nearly one fifth of Acts consists of speeches, primarily
from Peter, Stephen, and Paul. Common to each of the speeches is a basic framework
of gospel proclamation. This proclamation can be outlined as follows:
7.1 The promises of God in the
Old Testament are now fulfilled.
7.2 The Messiah has
come in Jesus of Nazareth.
a. He did good and mighty works by the power of God.
b. He was crucified according to the purpose of God.
c. He was raised from the dead by the power of God.
d. He now reigns by the power of God.
e. He will come again to judge & restore all things in
the purpose of God.
7.3 All who hear should repent
and be baptized.
This outline is our earliest example
of the gospel proclaimed by the early church. It is the "foundation of
the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone"
<Eph. 2:20>, upon which the church is built. In this sense, the Book of
Acts is not yet completed, for each generation is enabled by the Holy Spirit
to add its chapters by proclaiming the "wonderful works of God" <2:11>.
8. Themes of Luke Continued in Acts
Because the story begun in Luke (the saving work of God)
continues in Acts with the same central character (Jesus), one must expect the
central themes of Luke to continue in Acts as well. The Acts of the Apostles
is like a drama with two main characters, Peter and Paul. This drama portrays
the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem-- the city where Jesus was crucified--
to Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire.
What are the themes which express Luke's personal understanding
of the gospel and give his record of Jesus' story his unique touch?
8.1 An emphasis on the work of the Holy
Spirit
Luke began his Gospel with stories about individuals upon
whom the Spirit descended. He described Zechariah, Mary, Simeon, and Anna as
full of the Spirit and, consequently, instruments of God's efforts to save His
people. Acts begins in a similar way: at Pentecost the Holy Spirit engulfed
the entire community of believers who become the vehicles through which the
good news of Jesus was proclaimed in "Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (1:8). Luke's emphasis
on the work of the Spirit is obvious throughout both books.
8.2 A concern for outcasts and sinners
Both in the Gospel which bears his name and in Acts, Luke
showed special sympathy toward persons who fell outside the traditional Jewish
boundaries of acceptability. The shepherds who attended the birth of Christ
would not have been admitted to the Temple or synagogue for worship because
keeping sheep made them "unclean." Yet, the Spirit led Luke to record
the angels' invitation to these men to gather around the manger. In Acts, Luke
fully developed this theme which he began in the first volume of his work. The
Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-40), Cornelius (ch. 10), and the Philippian jailer (16:22-34)
all represent persons rejected by Judaism but accepted and redeemed by Christ.
8.3 An emphasis on women
Women constituted a special group of persons cut off from
the center of Jewish worship. They were not permitted beyond their own court
in the Temple, and in the synagogues they were forced to stand behind a partition
while men read from the Scriptures. A prescribed morning prayer which was popular
during the first century was, "Blessed be God that He did not make me a
Gentile, a slave, or a woman." Luke, however, carefully recorded the importance
of the role of women in the spread of the gospel. He told about the birth of
Jesus from Mary's viewpoint (as opposed to Matthew's version from Joseph's experience).
Luke is also the only Gospel which mentions the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36-38),
the widow at Nain (Luke 7:11-17), and the Galilean women who supported Jesus'
ministry (Luke 8:2). In Acts, Luke specifically drew attention to the conversions
and consequent roles of Lydia (16:11-15,40) and Priscilla (18:18-28). He also
mentioned regularly the conversion of nameless women at various stops on the
missionary journeys of Paul (see 17:4 as one example). Judaism allowed no room
for women leaders, and Jews would not have considered female converts worth
mentioning.
8.4 The piety of Jesus and His followers
All the principal characters of Luke's story demonstrated
great personal devotion to God and tremendous personal discipline in their spiritual
lives. In the Gospel, Mary and Joseph performed all of Judaism's prescribed
rituals associated with childbirth and the dedication of a new infant. Jesus
worshiped in the synagogue "as was his custom" (Luke 4:16), and prayed
regularly. In Acts, the disciples showed the same qualities. The first few chapters
constantly describe the apostles in the Temple praying. Paul's ministry was
punctuated by the same type of spirituality.
9. A Summary of the Acts of the Apostles
Beginning with a brief summary of Jesus' last days on earth
with his disciples, his ascension, and the selection of a replacement for Judas
Iscariot, Luke moves quickly to his subjectthe spread of the gospel and
the growth of the church. Pentecost, highlighted by the filling of the Holy
Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) and Peter's powerful sermon (Acts 2:14-42), was the beginning.
Then the Jerusalem church grew daily through the bold witness of Peter and John
and the love of the believers (Acts 2:43-4:37). The infant church was not without
problems, however, with external opposition (resulting in imprisonment, beatings,
and death) and internal deceit and complaining. Greek-speaking Jewish believers
were appointed to help with the administration of the church to free the apostles
to preach. Stephen and Philip were among the first deacons, and Stephen became
the church's first martyr (Acts 5:1-8:3).
Instead of stopping Christianity, opposition and persecution served as catalysts for its spread because the believers took the message with them wherever they fled (Acts 8:4). Soon there were converts throughout Samaria and even in Ethiopia (Acts 8:5-40).
At this point, Luke introduces us to a bright young Jew, zealous for the law and intent on ridding Judaism of the Jesus heresy. But on the way to Damascus to capture believers, Saul was converted when he was confronted in person by the risen Christ (Acts 9:1-9). Through the ministry of Ananias and the sponsorship of Barnabas, Saul (Paul) was welcomed into the fellowship and then sent to Tarsus for safety (Acts 9:10-30).
Meanwhile, the church continued to thrive throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. Luke recounts Peter's preaching and how Peter healed Aeneas in Lydda and Dorcas in Joppa (Acts 9:31-43). While in Joppa, Peter learned through a vision that he could take the gospel to the "unclean" Gentiles. Peter understood, and he faithfully shared the truth with Cornelius, whose entire household became believers (Acts 10). This was startling news to the Jerusalem church; but when Peter told his story, they praised God for his plan for all people to hear the Good News (Acts 11:1-18). This pushed the church into even wider circles as the message was preached to Greeks in Antioch, where Barnabas went to encourage the believers and find Saul (Acts 11:20-26).
To please the Jewish leaders, Herod joined in the persecution of the Jerusalem church, killing James (John's brother) and imprisoning Peter. But God freed Peter, and Peter walked from prison to a prayer meeting on his behalf at John Mark's house (Acts 12).
Here Luke shifts the focus to Paul's ministry. Commissioned by the Antioch church for a missionary tour (Acts 13:1-3), Paul and Barnabas took the gospel to Cyprus and south Galatia with great success (Acts 13:4-14:28). But the Jewish-Gentile controversy still smoldered, and with so many Gentiles responding to Christ, the controversy threatened to divide the church. So a council met in Jerusalem to rule on the relationship of Gentile Christians to the Old Testament laws. After hearing both sides, James (Jesus' brother and the leader of the Jerusalem church) resolved the issue and sent messengers to the churches with the decision (Acts 15:1-31).
After the council, Paul and Silas preached in Antioch. Then they left for Syria and Cilicia as Barnabas and Mark sailed for Cyprus (Acts 15:36-41). On this second missionary journey, Paul and Silas traveled throughout Macedonia and Achaia, establishing churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, and Ephesus before returning to Antioch (Acts 16:1-18:21). Luke also tells of the ministry of Apollos (Acts 18:24-28).
On Paul's third missionary trip he traveled through Galatia, Phrygia, Macedonia, and Achaia, encouraging and teaching the believers (Acts 19:1-21:9). During this time, he felt compelled to go to Jerusalem; and although he was warned by Agabus and others of impending imprisonment (Acts 21:10-12), he continued his journey in that direction.
While in Jerusalem, Paul was accosted in the temple by an angry mob and taken into protective custody by the Roman commander (Acts 21:17-22:29). Now we see Paul as a prisoner and on trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin (Acts 23:1-9), Governor Felix (Acts 23:23-24:27), and Festus and Agrippa (Acts 25:1-26:32). In each case, Paul gave a strong and clear witness for his Lord.
Because Paul appealed to Caesar, however, he was sent to Rome for the final hearing of his case. But on the way the ship was destroyed in a storm, and the sailors and prisoners had to swim ashore. Even in this circumstance Paul shared his faith (Acts 27:1-28:10). Eventually the journey continued and Paul arrived in Rome, where he was held under house arrest while awaiting trial (Acts 28:11-31).
Luke ends Acts abruptly with the encouraging word that
Paul had freedom in his captivity to talk to visitors and guards: "boldly and
without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus
Christ" (Acts 28:31).
10. Introduction to Acts: Acts 1:1-11
A famous Hollywood producer once said that for a movie to
be successful, it must start with an earthquake and work up to a climax. Luke
certainly didn't follow that formula when he wrote the Book of Acts. Except
for the ascension of Jesus Christ, events recorded in Acts 1 are anything but
dramatic. After all, what is exciting about a business meeting?
Then why record these events? Why didn't Luke just start with the story of Pentecost? For several reasons.
To begin with, Luke was writing volume two of a work that started with what we call the Gospel of Luke (see Luke 1:1-4); and he had to begin with the proper salutation and introduction. We don't know who Theophilus was or even if he was a believer; but Luke's salutation suggests that he may have been an important Roman official (see Acts 23:26; 24:3; 26:25). Likely Theophilus was a Christian or at least a seeker who was carefully studying the Christian faith. His name means "friend of God," and we hope he lived up to his name.
But even more important, Luke had to build a bridge between his Gospel and the Book of Acts (Luke 24:50-53). At the close of his Gospel, he had left the believers in the temple, praising God. Now he had to pick up the story and explain what happened next. Imagine how confused you would be if, in reading your New Testament, you turned the last page of the Gospel of John and discoveredRomans! "How did the church get to Rome?" you would ask yourself; and the answer is found in the Book of Acts.
The Book of Acts is also the account of the work of the Holy Spirit in and through the church. The Gospel of Luke records what Jesus "began both to do and teach" in His human body, and the Book of Acts tells us what Jesus continued to do and teach through His spiritual body, the church. Even today, congregations can learn much about church life and ministry from this book, and this even includes the business meetings!
In this chapter, we see the believers taking care of "unfinished business" and getting ready for Pentecost. What they said and did reveals to us the faith of the church. In what did they really believe?
After His resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for forty days and ministered to His disciples. He had already opened their minds to understand the Old Testament message about Himself (Luke 24:44-48), but there were other lessons they needed to learn before they could launch out in their new ministry. Jesus appeared and disappeared during those forty days, and the believers never knew when He might show up. It was excellent preparation for the church because the days were soon coming when He would no longer be on earth to instruct them personally. We believers today never know when our Lord may return, so our situation is somewhat similar to theirs. The Lord taught them several important lessons during that time of special ministry.
10.1 The reality
of His resurrection (1:3a)
Some of the believers may have had their doubts forty days before (Mark 16:9-14),
but there could be no question now that Jesus had indeed been raised from the
dead. To strengthen their faith, He gave them "many infallible proofs" which
Luke did not explain. We know that when Jesus met His disciples, He invited
them to touch His body, and He even ate before them (Luke 24:38-43). Whatever
proofs He gave, they were convincing. Faith in His resurrection was important
to the church because their own spiritual power depended on it. Also, the message
of the Gospel involves the truth of the Resurrection (Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 15:1-8);
and, if Jesus were dead, the church would be speechless. Finally, the official
Jewish position was that the disciples had stolen Jesus' body from the tomb
(Matt. 28:11-15), and the believers had to be able to refute this as they witnessed
to the nation. These believers were chosen to be special witnesses of Christ's
resurrection, and that was the emphasis in their ministry (Acts 1:22; 2:32;
3:15; 5:30-32). Most of the people in Jerusalem knew that Jesus of Nazareth
had been crucified, but they did not know that He had been raised from the dead.
By their words, their walk, and their mighty works, the believers told the world
that Jesus was alive. This was "the sign of Jonah" that Jesus had promised to
the nation (Matt. 12:38-41)His death, burial, and resurrection.
10.2 The coming
of His kingdom (1:3b)
This refers to the reign of God over the hearts and lives of those who have
trusted Him (see Matt. 6:33; Rom. 14:17; 1 John 3:1-9). When you read the four
Gospels, you discover that the Apostles had a strongly political view of the
kingdom and were especially concerned about their own positions and privileges.
Being loyal Jews, they longed for the defeat of their enemies and the final
establishment of the glorious kingdom under the rule of King Messiah. They did
not realize that there must first be a spiritual change in the hearts of the
people (see Luke 1:67-79). Jesus did not rebuke them when they "kept asking"
about the future Jewish kingdom (Acts 1:7). After all, He had opened their minds
to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:44), so they knew what they were asking.
But God has not revealed His timetable to us and it is futile for us to speculate.
The important thing is not to be curious about the future but to be busy in
the present, sharing the message of God's spiritual kingdom. This is
another emphasis in the Book of Acts (see Acts 8:12; 14:22; 20:25; 28:23, 31).
10.3 The power
of His Holy Spirit (1:4-8)
John the Baptist had announced a future baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11;
Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; and see Acts 11:16), and now that prophecy would
be fulfilled. Jesus had also promised the coming of the Spirit (John 14:16-18,
26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15). It would be an enduement of power for the disciples
so that they would be able to serve the Lord and accomplish His will (Luke 24:49).
John had spoken about "the Holy Spirit and fire," but Jesus said nothing about
fire. Why? Because the "baptism of fire" has to do with future judgment, when
the nation of Israel will go through tribulation (Matt. 3:11-12). The appearing
of "tongues of fire" at Pentecost (Acts 2:3) could not be termed a "baptism.
Acts 1:8 is a key verse. To begin with, it explains that the power of the church
comes from the Holy Spirit and not from man (see Zech. 4:6). God's people experienced
repeated fillings of the Spirit as they faced new opportunities and obstacles
(Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9). Ordinary people were able to do extraordinary
things because the Spirit of God was at work in their lives. The ministry of
the Holy Spirit is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity. "Witness" is a
key word in the Book of Acts and is used twenty-nine times as either a verb
or a noun. A witness is somebody who tells what he has seen and heard (Acts
4:19-20). When you are on the witness stand in court, the judge is not interested
in your ideas or opinions; he only wants to hear what you know. Our English
word martyr comes from the Greek word translated "witness," and many
of God's people have sealed their witness by laying down their lives. We hear
a great deal these days about "soul winning," and the emphasis is a good one.
However, while some of God's people have a calling to evangelism (Eph.
4:11), all of God's people are expected to be witnesses and tell the
lost about the Saviour. Not every Christian can bring a sinner to the place
of faith and decision (though most of us could do better), but every Christian
can bear faithful witness to the Saviour. "A true witness delivereth souls"
(Prov. 14:25).
Acts 1:8 also gives us a general outline of the Book of Acts as it describes the geographical spread of the Gospel: from Jerusalem (Acts 1-7) to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8-9), and then to the Gentiles and to the ends of the earth (Acts 10-28).
No matter where we live, as Christians we should begin our witness at home and then extend it "into all the world." As Dr. Oswald J. Smith used to say, The light that shines the farthest will shine the brightest at home."
10.4 The assurance
of His coming again (1:9-11)
Our Lord's ascension into heaven was an important part of His ministry, for
if He had not returned to the Father, He could not have sent the promised gift
of the Holy Spirit (John 16:5-15). Also, in heaven today, the Saviour is our
interceding High Priest, giving us the grace that we need for life and service
(Heb. 4:14-16). He is also our Advocate before the Father, forgiving us when
we confess our sins (1 John 1:9-2:2). The exalted and glorified Head of the
church is now working with His people on earth and helping them accomplish His
purposes (Mark 16:19-20).
As the believers watched Jesus being taken up to glory, two angels appeared and gently rebuked them. Angels play an important role in the ministry described in Acts, just as they do today, even though we cannot see them (see Acts 5:19-20; 8:26; 10:3-7; 12:7-10, 23; 27:23). The angels are the servants of the saints (Heb. 1:14).
The two messengers gave the believers assurance that Jesus Christ would come again, just as He had been taken from them. This seems to refer to His public "coming in clouds" (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Rev. 1:7) rather than to His coming for His church "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thes. 4:13-18). Regardless of what views different people may take of God's prophetic program, Christians agree that Jesus is coming again and that He can come at any time. This in itself is a great motivation for faithful Christian service (Luke 12:34-48).
An Outline of Acts
I. God Prepared
for Jesus' Mission to Continue (1:1--7:59).
1.1 Jesus' resurrection and ascension prepared
for the Spirit's coming with power (1:1-11).
1.2 The waiting church organized for mission (1:12-26).
1.3 The Spirit empowered God's people for mission
(2:1-4).
1.4 The gospel overcomes ridicule to unify the church
(2:5-47).
1.5 The gospel overcomes imprisonment to add to the
church (3:1--3:4).
1.6 The gospel overcomes tradition and threats, growing
in power and unity (4:5-37)
1.7 The Spirit overcomes Satan's temptations of greed
and pride (5:1-16).
1.8 God overcomes human jealously and fear (5:17-42).
1.9 Spirit-filled leaders help the chuch overcome
disputes and continue to grow (6:1-7).
1.10 False accusers
and persecution cannot halt the church's mission (7:1-60).
2. God Overcomes
Human Barriers to Continue Jesus' Mission (8:1--13:52).
2.1 God overcomes cultural barriers (8:1-40).
2.2 God overcomes organized opposition (9:1-31).
2.3 God overcomes physical barriers (9:32-43).
2.4 God overcomes racial barriers (10:1--11:30).
2.5 God overcomes political persecution (12:1-25).
2.6 God overcomes sorcery (13:1-12).
2.7
God expands the mission to "pagan peoples" (13:13-52).
3. God
Expands Jesus' Mission through Geographical Boundaries (14:1--20:12).
3.1 Persecution helps spread missionary work (14:1-7).
3.2 Missions honors God, and maintains strong ties
with the sending church (14:8-28).
3.3 Missions is based on salvation by grace through
faith without ritual burdens (15:1-35).
3.4 Missionaries can disagree and spread the gospel
(15:36-41).
3.5 God leads missionaries in new paths (16:1-40).
3.6 God can use the jealousy and intellectual argument
to spread His gospel (17:1-34).
3.7 Missionaries preach fearlessly and follow God's
will (18:1-23)
3.8 Missionaries need accurate understanding as well
as zeal and fervor (18:24-28).
3.9 Missionaries lead people to baptism in Jesus'
name (19:1-8).
3.10 God disciplines those seeking personal gain by
false use of Jesus' name (19:9-41).
3.11 Missionaries
visit new churches to strengthen the converts (20:1-12).
4. Human Limits
Cannot Hinder Jesus' Mission (20:13--28:31).
4.1 Missionaries testify of Christ, even in the face of danger
(20:13-24).
4.2 Missionaries train leaders to carry on their work
(20:25-38).
4.3 Missionaries must be willing to die for their
faith (21:1-14).
4.4 Missionaries use every opportunity to share their
personal testimonies (21:15--22:21).
4.5 Missionaries use political rights to gain further
opportunities to witness (22:22 --23:11).
4.6 God protects His missionaries against religious enemies (23:12-35).
4.7 Enemies cannot prove their case against God's
missionaries (24:1--25:27).
4.8 Imprisonment lets missionaries preach forgiveness
(26:1-32).
4.9 God can protect His missionaries against danger
(27:1--28:10).
4.10 God uses fellow Christians to encourage enchained
missionaries (28:11-16).
4.11 Even foreign prisons
cannot keep God's missionaries from preaching (28:17-31).
This seminar draws on material from the Holman Bible Dictionary, the Nelson Bible Dictionary, Unger's Bible Dictionary, the IVP Bible Dictionary and the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.