Acts Chapter 1

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

 1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach   2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

            

1. What instructions?

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49

.2. Where can we find the Father’s promise of power on high in the Old Testament and New Testament?

I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28-29

Till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, Isaiah 32:15

I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. John 14:16-17

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13

.3.  What are Apostles?

Apostle, (Greek apostolos; one sent forth, a messenger), one chosen and sent with a special commission as the fully authorized representative of the sender.

Barnaba (Acts 14:14.),,Timothy and Silas (1 Thessalonians 1:1)., Andronicus and Junio ( Romans 16:7)., Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25,) ,James the brother of Jesus (Gal.1:19)

.4. Does God choose people, what about freewill?

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; Jer. 1:5

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. Deut 7:6

But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. 2 Chron 6:6

For many are called, but few are chosen. Matt 22:14

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— Eph 1:4-5

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Romans 9:17-18

.3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.   4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.   5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

.5. What would be a convincing proof?

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.  John 21:12-14

Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. Mark 16:14

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Matt 28:16-17

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:27

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me 1 Cor 15:3-8

 .6.   Why did they have to wait?

Pentecost celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, Shavuot is traditionally a joyous time of giving thanks and presenting offerings for the new grain of the summer wheat harvest in Israel.

The celebration is also tied to the giving of the Ten Commandments and thus bears the name Matin Torah or “giving of the Law.” Jews believe that it was exactly at this time that God gave the Torah to the people through  Moses on Mount Sinai.

7. “baptized with the Holy Spirit”?

All believers share the reality of being baptized by the Spirit. What does it do? It makes us part of the body of Christ, the Church. When did it happen? If every believer has been baptized in the Spirit, then it must happen at the moment you accept Christ and become a Christian. The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation.

 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

.8. What kingdom are they referring to?

 Notice they use the word restore.

The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. 21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life……….. For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree. 26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses. ……29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than any other man, …….Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. 1 Kings 4:20-34

“That’s what we’re talk’in about.”

Genesis 35:11-12 restates certain promises God had earlier made to Abraham. God here reiterates His promise to Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 17:5-6, that he would be a father of kings. God also tells Jacob that from him would descend not only a nation, but also a whole company of nations. Solomon’s “empire” was based more on its economic strength than on any military adventurism

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7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”

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9. Isn’t this a rather rude answer to their question?

Their misconceptions consisted in the expectation that Christ would re-establish the earthly kingdom of Israel, and restore it to its ancient glory, under its own personal reign. In his reply, the Savior does not undertake to correct this misconception, but leaves it as a part of that work of enlightenment yet to be effected by the Holy Spirit.

The answer was not as rude as it might appear in our translation. Basically what he was saying was that “restoring the Kingdom is not the correct question, because the Kingdom is more that an earthly one and the beginning will not begin until the Holy Spirit comes’. I guess it’s like “don’t get the cart before the horse”, you’re getting way ahead of the schedule.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come. Mark 13:32-33 (NIV)

. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

 10. What kind of power?

δυναμιν  dunamis. Latent explosive power. It is the word we get dynamite from. A miracle working power.  A power that is not outwardly obvious but is such that it gives the possessor the ability to achieve the purpose it was designed for. Peter could walk past sick people and his shadow would heal them.

.11. How was the Holy Spirit viewed in the Old Testament?

245 times Spirit is used in the Old Testament only 3 times the title Holy Spirit. Usually the spirit is referred to as The Spirit of God or The spirit of the Lord. I don’t think the Holy Spirit was understood as a person of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit comes on you? How does that work?

And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. Num 11:25 (KJV)

But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.   Judges 6:34 (KJV)

 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:17 (KJV)

 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

 12. Where did He go? Where is Heaven?

 “third heaven” and “paradise”

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know–God knows. 3 And I know that this man–whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows– 4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. 2 Cor 12:2-4 (NIV)

Since God is spirit, “heaven” cannot signify a place remote from us which He inhabits. The Greek gods were thought of as spending most of their time far away from earth in sort of a celestial equivalent of the Bahamas, but the God of the Bible is not like this. He is always near us when we call on Him (James 4:8) and we are encouraged to “draw near” to Him (Hebrews 10:1, 22). Granted, the “heaven” where saints and angels dwell has to be thought of as a sort of locality, because saints and angels, as God’s creatures, exist in space and time. But when the Creator is said to be “in heaven,” the thought is that He exists on a different plane from us, rather than in a different place. http://gotquestions.org/ 261,983 Bible Questions Answered!

Quantum Physics is an area some would suggest is an intersection between the natural world and the spiritual.

 13. Who were those two guys?

Angels are messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of מלאך (mal’akh) in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh);

An angel from the Lord, and  the Angel of the LORD

Angel  is used 211 times  in the NIV. 73 times The angel of the Lord is referred to.

Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning–there were all the dead bodies! 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. Isaiah 37:36-37

12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” Dan 10:12-14

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 (NKJV)

 This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

 14.  Where will Jesus return to?

I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; ……. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south…………..The Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him……………. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. Zech 14:1-9 (NIV)

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus– 17 he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.” 18 (With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the book of Psalms,“‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’.21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

15.  Should Peter have performed this election of a new apostle?

Here is Simon Peter speaking up again. Note that this is before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. This man needs the filling of the Holy Spirit — and so do you and I. There is always a question about what happened here. Should Simon Peter have held this election to choose a man to take the place of Judas? I don’t think so.  J. Vernon McGee

I agree with Dr. McGee, I think this is Peter being Peter and again doing and saying something stupid. I believe that in His own time, the Lord Jesus Himself appointed one to take the place of Judas Iscariot. We don’t hear another word about Matthias — nothing is recorded of his ministry. I think the Holy Spirit ignored Matthias. It is my conviction that the man the Lord chose was Paul. Listen to Paul as he writes to the Galatian believers: “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)” (Gal. 1:1). Paul is saying that he was chosen by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. How did He do it? Through the Holy Spirit whom He had sent into the world. The ministry of Paul certainly justifies the fact that he was the one to take Judas’ place. Of course I realize that the majority of good Bible commentators disagree with me, but I am just passing on to you my own conviction.—JVM  Some believe that the method used to determine who would take the place of Judas was the practice of using the Urim and the Thummim. These were two stones which were worn inside the breastplate of the high priest. I think one was an affirmative answer and one a negative answer. The high priest would ask God a yes or no answer and then reach into the pouch in the breastplate and pull out a stone. He then would make a decisions based on God’s answer. Sort of like flipping a coin.

ESVN……………..….ESV Study Bible Notes

MSBN……………….MacArthur NASB Study   Notes

NIVSN……………….NIV Study Notes.

JVM ………………….J Vernon McGee’s Commentary

BN ……………………Barnes Notes

WBC………….…….Wycliffe Bible Commentary

CN ……….…………..Constables Notes

IC……………….…….Ironside Commentary

NET…………….…….Net Bible Study Notes.

JFB……………………Jamieson Fausset  Brown Commentary

VWS………………….Vincent Word Studies

CMM………………..Commentary on Matthew and Mark

BDB……………..….Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)

Darby……………….John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT

Johnson……………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament

NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary:  Matthew and Mark.

EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures

CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary

SBC…………………..Sermon Bible Commentary

K&D…………………Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT

EBC……………….…Expositors Bible Commentary

CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College

GC……………………Guzik Commentary

RD…………………..Robert  Deffinbaugh

NSB …………………The Nelson Study Bible

MHC…………………Matthew Henry Commentary

CSTTB………Chuck Smith Through The Bible

BBC…………….Bridgeway Bible commentary

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