Acts 1 - Concise Bible - Commentary

Acts 1

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

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:

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:

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.

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

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 Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

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.

The Church in Jerusalem

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 Alphæus, 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.

Peter's Speech

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.

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.

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.

Acts 1

FROM RESURRECTION TO PENTECOST

Following our plan in the preceding books, we waive the consideration of the human authorship of the Acts and other questions of Biblical introduction and enter at once on the text. It is assumed from verses one and two compared with the opening verses of the third gospel, that “Luke, the beloved physician” (Col 4:14), was the author chosen by the Holy Spirit. It is also assumed from verse two, that it is not so much the acts of the apostles he here records, as the acts of Jesus Christ through the apostles in the power of the Holy Spirit.

These two verses constitute the first division of our lesson. The second includes verses 3-11, being an outline of the events from the resurrection to the ascension. The features to note are (1) the evidence of Christ’s bodily resurrection (Act 1:3), accentuated by His mingling with the disciples for six weeks; (2) the teachings “pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Act 1:4-8); (3) the Ascension (Act 1:9); and (4) the promise of His return (Act 1:10-11).

Under point two above, our Lord taught three things: first, the distinction between receiving the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Act 1:4-5); secondly, the distinction between the church of Christ and the kingdom of Israel (Act 1:6-7); and thirdly, the distinction between the evangelization and the conversion of the world (Act 1:8).

As to the first of these three things, these disciples had previously received the Holy Spirit in regeneration or else they were not His disciples at all (to say nothing of the specific experience in Joh 20:22), yet they were to be “baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.” As to the second of the things, the kingdom of Israel promised in the Old Testament, and of which so much has been said in previous lessons, was not immediately to be set up, the church of Christ was to take its place for the time being, but that did not mean that the promise concerning it had failed. It was coming on the earth, but “the times” and the “seasons” were in the Father’s keeping. Witnessing unto Christ was left for the disciples in the meantime, but nothing was said about waiting for the conversion of the world before that witness could have accomplished its purpose. As to the Ascension, the probability is that the “cloud” was not the vaporous material of which we are cognizant, but the Shekinah Glory which overshadowed Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. The testimony of the angels to his return shows that it will be a personal in the sense of a visible appearing.

The remainder of the chapter requires but little explanation. The “upper room” (Act 1:13) may have been the same as that in Joh 20:19. Observe the presence of Mary and the brethren of Jesus (Act 1:14) with the others, and in no position of superiority whatever. The “scripture” Peter refers to (Act 1:20) is Psa 69:25; Psa 109:8. That he should have been so intelligent and positive in his position is probably explained by such post-resurrection teaching of Jesus as Luk 24:27; Luk 24:46, and verse 3 of this same chapter. There is no contradiction between Act 1:18 and Mat 27:5, as doubtless the rope broke by which the traitor hanged himself. Notice the qualifications for an apostle (Act 1:21). The “lot” was legitimate at that time, as the disciples were still on Old Testament ground (Pro 16:33), but for us to use it would not be equally so, as we have the complete Word of God and the Holy Spirit to lead us into the meaning of it.

QUESTIONS

1. Who was the human author of this book?

2. How does the text lead to that conclusion?

3. What four things are included in the second division of this lesson?

4. What three things did Jesus teach pertaining to the Kingdom of God?

5. What “cloud” may that have been in which our Lord ascended?

6. What is the testimony of the angels as to the character of His Second Coming?

7. What explains Peter’s intelligent leadership in the choice of Matthias?