The fifth book of the New Testament, the Acts of the apostles, is the most reread book of the Bible across the global church today!

If you haven’t already, check out our intro to the book of Acts!

How to Approach these commentary & studies for yourself? Be sure to READ Acts 1 before continuing.. this is a supplemental resource and not a replacement from meditating on the text yourself! 🙂

As the most read and reread New Testament book, it must be a pretty good section of scripture! Besides the exciting stories, here are a few reasons on why this is the most read parts of scripture:

• Acts is under the historical genre of scripture, made up of 28 chapters, chronologically written in such a way that is extremely tangible for readers.
• It is the only book that contains the unfolding history of the early church.
• When Bible’s are translated into new languages, typically the New Testament is translated first.
• Acts tells the story of how salvation was brought from the Jewish peoples to the Gentiles (non-jews). With majority of the modern day Christian population being Gentiles, we can see how this book would connect strongly to Gentile readers!
• There is just a ton of wild stuff!😂 Miracles, people dropping dead in sin (literally), insane visions, prophecies being fulfilled, tongues, Holy Spirit being unleashed on humanity, martyrdom, and so so so so much more… it’s a wild book to say the least🤣🤣

Well, ready to find out what the glory is all about? Let’s start reading & studying, section by section! Acts 1:

Acts 1:1-5: Picking up where we left off

Acts (book II) picks up after the conclusion of the Gospel of Luke (book I). Luke’s original intended audience was a man name Theophilus. His name literally translates to “God lover.” Symbolizing a prophetic message for not only Theophilus, but for the rest of the believers who would receive the Gospel & Acts messages!

What do we know about the author Luke?

Simply put, not much–but enough! He was highly educated as an operating physician (Colossians 4:14), researcher(Luke 1) as noted in how he collected his data to write Luke and Acts, not an eye witness of the ministry of Christ (yet he spoke with eye witnesses), he was a Gentile (based on his name), he was a good friend and co-worker in the Gospel with Paul (Based on Acts, Col. 4:14, and 2 Tim. 4:11). Concluding Luke to be a reliable and strategic instrument in the work of Christ and the recording of the life and ministry of Christ and the early church.

The Last Mentioned Passage of Christ on Earth After He Resurrected:

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 1:1-5

The Main Instructions + Take aways

• Do not depart from Jerusalem (STAY PUT! STAY TOGETHER!)
• Get ready to receive the Promised Gift from the Heavenly Father (Holy Spirit)
• You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit (fire)
• This will all take place in a few days
• God revealed as the 3 Persons of the Trinity

Christ made sure, after speaking and teaching to His remaining followers for 40 days, to leave them with clear instructions. To wait. To be ready. To know what’s coming next. We see that He was as detailed as He was vague. And to His glory, His followers remained steadfast and obedient in these instructions.

The Father is shown as Sender and Giver, Christ as Savior and Mediator, and Holy Spirit as Promise, Baptizer & Helper.

Christ, as the speaker of this passage, refers to the Father distinct from the Holy Spirit. We see the active role of Christ as mediator for His children. Bringing His followers to the plans and purposes of the Father. Plans that result in the Church receiving the best birthday gift ever: the Holy Spirit (stay tuned for the Church’s birthday in Acts 2: Pentecost!).

Acts 1:6-11: Kingdom Expectations: an Earthly Kingdom Transformed into God’s Kingdom

The key verse of the book is Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

ESV

Main Themes:

• WITNESS: central language is bearing witness, not to build Jesus’ Kingdom here on  Earth but to bear witness of Jesus’ Kingdom in heaven. 
• PROMISE: you will receive POWER 
• Pneumatology (theology of the Holy Spirit) is before Missiology (theology of missions).

Great Commission meets Acts 1:8

Acts 1-7: describes the gospel in Jerusalem. (Jews)

Acts 8-12: speak of the gospel in Judea and Samaria. (Jews to Gentiles)

Acts 13-28 tells of the gospel going to the end of the earth.(Gentiles)

Being Holy Spirit filled is the ONLY way to fulfill the ministry God has given you.

In translation so much of the original meaning of words can be lost- studying the original Hebrew/Greek restores the original intent of the passage and brings even more awe to the Word of God. For example:

“Power” → Greek: “dunamis” 

• Inherent power residing in something to perform miracles
• The power & influence that belongs to wealth
• Power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, or hosts (Ezekiel 37:10)

“Witness” → Greek: “martus”

• A spectator or witness believing in the strength & genuineness of something, so much that they would be willing to undergo death for it
• Missional clarity— God will address our gap between expectation and reality as witnesses

Key points about being a witness:

• God is the one who guides the church’s witness
• Faithful witnesses must be prepared to suffer for their testimony to Christ- persecution is a promise (Acts 5:41-42, 7:54-60)
• The Holy Spirit empowers the witness (Acts 1:8, 2:1-13)
• Effective witness demands unity in the church (Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-37)
• As Christians, we continue the ministry that Christ “began”

So what is the Church’s mission? To be Spirit filled witness’ to the ends of the Earth. 

Acts 1:12-26: Who is going to take Judas’ spot?

• Judas’ betrayal was fulfillment of Prophecy (Ps. 69:25, 109:8)
• The disciples still had the mindset of reining w/Christ and that is why they felt it necessary to fill the 12^th spot. Even those Jesus did not tell them to do so.  
• They casted lots and the lot fell to Matthias! (only time this is done in the NT, not a norm for the Church today)

Keep reading to discover how Jesus fulfilled His promise to the early Church in Acts 2 & side bar into who the Holy Spirit is:

Check out David Guzik’s Bible commentary for more insight on the book of Acts!

Happy Kingdom Building,

Cosette & David