Acts Commentary (Hardback)

Chapter One

Acts 1:1-26

Luke did not begin his gospel with the birth of Christ. He saved that for a bit later, in what ultimately became chapter 2. The Gospel of Luke begins with introductory material that foreshadows the Bethlehem event. Likewise, Luke chose not to begin Acts, his second volume, with the birth of the church, that is, the coming of the third member of the Trinity-the Holy Spirit. Acts, like Luke's gospel, begins with material that sets up the reader for the big event which follows-in this case, Pentecost.

1. THE PREFACE CONTAINING THE PROMISE 1:1-11

Volume 1 of Luke's set deals with roughly the first third of the first century; the second volume describes events which occurred in the next thirty years. The last verses of the Gospel and the first verses of Acts cover the same events. Why did Luke include this overlap? Luke wanted both books to help his readers look back to previous events and to underline the importance of future events.

You have probably watched a television miniseries. The first minutes of the second and subsequent episodes give a synopsis of how the story has developed to that point. This overlap both helps viewers to remember what has happened and prepares them to watch the story further unfold. Luke wished to accomplish the same goals. People picking up his second volume would need to know they were moving into the middle of a story.

What are the key factors in the overlapping material? The central unifying factor is Jesus. Luke summarizes the first twenty-one chapters of his gospel with less than a verse (see Acts 1:1). But in those words, notice the word began: The Gospel recounted all that Jesus began to do and to teach (my emphasis). With that key word, Luke states the central tie between the two books. What Jesus had begun (the Gospels), He would now continue (Acts). The church may have called this book "The Acts of the Apostles," but Luke saw it as a record of what Jesus continued to do and to teach. The church today may still be finishing the record of what Jesus continues to do and teach.

In the opening verses of Acts, Luke gives specific examples of Jesus' previous actions, highlighting His death and resurrection. These events not only climaxed the Gospel account, but served as the center of the early church preaching which Luke includes in Acts (see, for example, Acts 2:23-24; 3:15). Everything in the Gospels moves toward that holy weekend. Everything in Acts builds on Calvary and the empty tomb. In the Gospels, everything Jesus did helped to move Him toward Jerusalem. In Acts, Jesus, through the church, moved out from Jerusalem.

Luke also highlights the overlap between the Gospel and the early church in the continuity of Jesus' teaching. Notice how the last words Jesus spoke in the Gospel (see Luke 24:45-49) parallel the first words Jesus spoke in Acts (see Acts 1:4-5, 8): "You should stay in Jerusalem. You will receive power from God. You will be witnesses. Through you, the nations will hear the good news."

Why does Luke include this repetition? To tie the two books together. The same Jesus who was the central figure before His own death remained the central figure after His resurrection.

At the beginning of Acts, Luke mentions one more key concept that ties the two books together: the kingdom of God (1:3). Luke was the only Evangelist (a special name for the four writers of the Gospels) who included the story of Jesus walking with two disciples to Emmaus the first Easter evening. To Cleopas and his friend Jesus "explained ... what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). During those next forty days, Jesus likely gave that same seminar, and more, to larger groups of His disciples. His topic? The Old Testament predictions of the coming of the Messiah, and the kingdom of God that He would bring.

Now, of course, God had been King of His world from the moment He created it. Even after the Fall, God remained ultimately in charge. But God inspired His prophets with visions of a coming day when a man sent especially from God would enable the world to return to its original splendor. This "Day of the Lord" would bring peace between nations, between people and the environment, and, underlying all this harmony, between God and humanity. While God had always retained His rule, the Old Testament prophets helped God's people to anticipate a day when a much larger number would recognize God as King and would freely submit to Him.

Jesus, in His inaugural preaching, had announced that the Kingdom had come (see Mark 1:15; also Luke 4:14, 18, 21). Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus continued to explain the implications of that statement, particularly to His disciples. The disciples were slow to grasp Jesus' teaching. We can partially excuse their misunderstanding. They, along with the Jews of the previous centuries, had interpreted the teaching of the prophets to mean that the end times, the Day of the Lord, would come in a single moment. Despite having the best teacher the world has ever seen, the disciples were slow to take in the fact that God had at least a two-stage plan for the coming of the Kingdom. (In Jesus, the Kingdom had come in reality; not until His second coming would it arrive in totality.)

Even after those last forty days, with Jesus continuing to explain the Kingdom to them, the disciples still asked Jesus, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6). What were they saying? "If you really are the Messiah, then you have to do what we have always been told the Messiah would do: He's going to bring the end of time as we know it; He's going to put Israel back on top of the other nations. This is your chance. You have defeated death. Now finish the job."

They likely wanted Jesus to disclose His power once and for all to the whole world. It's also likely that they wanted Him to offer them positions on the King's council. During Jesus' ministry, at least James and John had sought this reward (see Mark 10:35-40). The disciples likely wanted power for themselves.

Jesus responded to the apostles' question with a classic: "Well, there's good news and bad news." The good news was that Jesus did offer them power. The bad news? What Jesus promised was not exactly that for which they were hoping: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you (Acts 1:8a). With these words, Jesus tried one last time to help His followers to understand the Kingdom. The Kingdom had come, although it did not bring an obvious change to Israel's political situation. The Kingdom brought a new form of life to all people from Judea ... to the ends of the earth (1:8), no matter what their politics.

With the Great Commission, Luke subtly shifts the focus. Although he is still in the introductory overlap between his gospel and Acts, he turns the perspective of the reader from the past to the future (see Acts 1:8 for a summary of all that follows).

Who would receive the power of the Holy Spirit? Ordinary people-the same ones who in that very minute had misunderstood the clear teaching of the best teacher-would receive the Holy Spirit and His power. Those who receive the Holy Spirit also receive power. The two are not separate gifts. Those who possess true spiritual power are those who have received the Holy Spirit.

What would they do with that power? They would be witnesses. Those who are witnesses need not be clever or articulate. Witnesses merely describe what they have seen and heard.

Where would they be witnesses? To whom? They would be witnesses there in Judea, to people like themselves; in Samaria, to people who were quite different, and whom the Jews generally saw as unacceptable; and to the ends of the earth, to people who were far from the disciples in every way.

What faith Jesus displayed as He foresaw a small group of 120 acting as witnesses to the world! This same Jesus compared God's kingdom to a small seed which, when planted, would become a large tree (see Luke 13:18-19).

As Luke finishes the introduction to the book of Acts, he takes his readers beyond the ministry of the apostles and beyond the ends of the earth. Through his retelling of the Ascension story (another component of the overlap between Luke's gospel and Acts; see Luke 24:50-53), Luke, for a moment, offers a vision of the end of time and the world that exists outside time. Jesus left His disciples, who would soon receive the power and care of the Spirit, to return to His Father's right hand. (Evangelicals often do not pay adequate attention to the Ascension. This event proves that Jesus not only had risen again, but would not die a second time. He is Lord. He is therefore worthy of our worship.) The Ascension left the disciples feeling bereft; perhaps they still felt disappointed that the Kingdom had not come as they felt sure it would. God was gracious; He sent them angels to encourage them and to remind them that the One who had just left them in the clouds would return in the clouds to end all time. Although the end had not yet come, they should not give up. The angels invited the Eleven (and us) to believe that the kingdom of God had truly invaded this world. Likewise, they help us to anticipate the day when the kingdom of God will replace the kingdoms of this world.

The Spirit has come. Through His presence, we experience the power of God. We remain ordinary people, but we have access to extraordinary resources.

Jesus will come. This knowledge gives us perspective. The world in which we live remains a fallen world, but we can see that nothing will prevent the coming of the new world.

We chuckle at the disciples. How could they be so greedy, wanting earthly power as the King's henchmen? How could they be so impatient, wanting Jesus to put all the pieces together at once? How could they be so foolish, staring into the sky as if Jesus had merely zipped up to heaven for a coffee break with the Father before quickly returning to them?

These three questions elicit three answers. First, let any one of us who, in his or her relationship with God, has never been greedy, impatient or misunderstanding, throw the first stone. Second, the disciples had not yet received the Spirit; watch for the changes that occurred in these disciples after that great event. Third, they may not have been all that Jesus had hoped for, but they did obediently head back to Jerusalem and prepare themselves for what was coming.

2. SETTING UP SHOP 1:12-26

In his account, Luke could have moved directly from the Mount of Olives (see Acts 1:6-11) to the day of Pentecost (2:1). Had he done so, the reader would have lost nothing essential to the story. The events recorded in 1:12-26 don't appear to document any great movement forward. These paragraphs' primary event is the selection of Matthias as the replacement for Judas. But, after his elevation to the apostleship, Matthias (not to mention the rejected candidate, Joseph Barsabbas) disappears from the narrative. What is Luke's purpose in including these paragraphs? While the disciples here may not have done anything outstanding, it's hard to fault what they did, and nearly impossible to complain about the motivation behind their action.

They returned to Jerusalem ... (1:12). No, that's not extraordinary. So they walked a few miles back to their base. Note, however, that they were doing exactly what Jesus had commanded (see 1:4).

In the city ... they went upstairs to the room where they were staying (1:13a). Luke could be referring to any second-story room in the city, but the odds seem good that they returned to the same house (possibly the house of John Mark's mother; see 12:12) where they had met with Jesus on the night of His arrest, the same room where Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection. The room would have had wonderful memories for them. There, in a familiar place, it would have been easier to maintain the habits of interaction with God and each other that they had formed when Jesus was there with them.

They stayed together as a group. Waiting for the Spirit to come must have been hard enough ("How long will we have to wait? How will we know when He comes? What exactly will happen?"), even with all of the group together to encourage each other. If they had broken up, and each had returned to his own separate quarters, their patience would have worn down more quickly. "When the day of Pentecost came, they were [still] all together in one place" (2:1).

Not only did the Eleven stick together, but they recruited other faithful people-the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and ... his brothers (1:14b)-to join them. This influx added stability to the small, potentially wavering group of disciples. At the same time, the Eleven could then begin serving as witnesses, as they shared Jesus' last words with the others who had joined them. It was from the larger group that subsequent church leaders arose, such as Matthias and James, the brother of Jesus.

While waiting, they all joined together constantly in prayer (1:14a). They still had lots of unanswered questions. But, rather than fretting over that which they could not predict, they spoke to the One who knew the future. Contrast this consistent time in prayer with their failure in the garden of Gethsemane six weeks before. The disciples were making progress! Their openness to God enabled Him to prepare them for what was coming.

During their time of waiting, they demonstrated this desire to seek God and His plan, not only by prayer, but by reflection on Scripture. When Peter stood up to initiate the process of replacing Judas (see 1:15), he began by placing Judas's defection in the context of Old Testament Scripture. Peter continued his presentation by quoting from two psalms (Ps. 69:25; 109:8) which he felt mandated the selection of one to take Judas's place. Now, we must admit that it is difficult for us to see how Peter interpreted the verses he quoted, in their original context, to support his conclusion (Therefore ... [Acts 1:21]). But this does not negate the fact that Peter was looking to Scripture for guidance. And there is, of course, the possibility that Jesus himself had pointed out these verses and had told the Eleven to find a replacement for Judas.

The fact that the larger group agreed with Peter's feeling that Judas should be replaced strongly indicates the faith of the Body in their continuing as a unit. The Eleven could have seen their gathering as one last reunion before returning to their hometowns: "Let's remember the good times. Let's help each other grieve the fact that we will never return to the glory days when Jesus was with us."

Continues...