Bible Study Acts 1: 1-26

 

Commentary of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study Acts 1: 1-26

Book Introduction

1917 Scofield Reference Bible Notes

Acts 1:1

The Acts of the Apostles

WRITER. In the Acts of the Apostles Luke continues the account of Christianity begun in the Gospel which bears his name. In the "former treatise" he tells what Jesus "began both to do and teach"; in the Acts, what Jesus continued to do and teach through His Holy Spirit sent down.

DATE. The Acts concludes with the account of Paul's earliest ministry in Rome, A.D. 65, and appears to have been written at or near that time.

THEME. This book records the ascension and promised return of the Lord Jesus, the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter's use of the keys, opening the kingdom (considered as the sphere of profession, as in Mt 13) to the Jews at Pentecost, and to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius; the beginning of the Christian church and the conversion and ministry of Paul.

The Holy Spirit fills the scene. As the presence of the Son, exalting and revealing the Father, is the great fact of the Gospels, so the presence of the Spirit, exalting and revealing the Son, is the great fact of the Acts.

Acts is in two chief parts: In the first section (1-9.43) Peter is the prominent personage, Jerusalem is the center, and the ministry is to Jews. Already in covenant relations with Jehovah, they had sinned in rejecting Jesus as the Christ. The preaching, therefore, was directed to that point, and repentance (i.e. "a changed mind") was demanded. The apparent failure of the Old Testament promises concerning the Davidic kingdom was explained by the promise that the kingdom would be set up at the return of Christ (Ac 2:25-31; 15:14-16). This ministry to Israel fulfilled Lu 19:12-14. In the persecutions of the apostles and finally in the martyrdom of Stephen, the Jews sent after the king the message, "We will not have this man to reign over us." In the second division (10.1-28.31) Paul is prominent, a new center is established at Antioch, and the ministry is chiefly to Gentiles who, as "strangers from the covenants of promise" (Eph 2:12), had but to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" to be saved. Chapters 11, 12, and 15 of this section are transitional, establishing finally the distinction, doctrinally, between law and grace. Galatians should be read in this connection.

The events recorded in The Acts cover a period of 32 years.

Text: 

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 The first account, O Theophilus, I [a]composed, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had [b]by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over forty days and speaking about the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 And [c]gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for [d]John baptized with water, but you will be baptized [e]with the Holy Spirit [f]not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 But He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to [g]the end of the earth.”

The Ascension

9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into [h]the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the [i]mount called [j]Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a [k]Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and [l]James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the [m]son of James. 14 These all with one accord were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

15 And in those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (a crowd of about 120 [n]persons was there together), and said, 16 “Men, brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his unrighteousness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. 19 And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘Let his residence be made desolate,
And let no one dwell in it’;

and,

‘Let another man take his [o]office.’

21 Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out [p]among us— 22 beginning [q]with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen 25 to take the place of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they [r]cast lots for them, and the lot fell [s]to Matthias; and he was [t]added to the eleven apostles.

Verse by verse commentary:

Verse 1: “The first account, O Theophilus, I composed, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,“

The “first account” was the Gospel of Luke. Both Luke and Acts were written originally to Theophilus. It is interesting to note that around 26% of the New Testament was written to Theophilus in Luke’s writings. The name Theophilus is from the Greek word “theophilos” and means “friend of God” or “loved by God.” The most common theory is that Theophilus was of high social standing who was a friend of Luke. In his Gospel, Luke addressed Theophilus as “most excellent”, which is a Roman title of respect and maybe of official importance. “All that Jesus began to do and teach” means a summary of what Luke records in the Gospel.

Verse 2: “until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen,”

“Taken up” is a reference to Christ’s ascension back to heaven after the resurrection. Before the ascension, the Lord Jesus Christ after the Resurrection, taught His apostles the truth of His resurrection, the truth about His calling as Savior, the blessing of the coming Holy Spirit, and the reality of His physical resurrection body. The Apostles were “chosen” by Christ just as He chooses men and women today to follow Him in obedience.

Verse 3: “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over forty days and speaking about the things concerning the kingdom of God.”

There can be no doubt of the resurrection. He appeared many times to the Apostles proving His physical resurrection. People may die for a lie through error or mistake, but no one would die for a lie that they knew was a lie. The Apostles all died, except John, horrific deaths. If they denied Christ, they would live. They all died willingly. Why? Because the resurrection had been personally observed by them. In debate with atheists, I have argued this point many times. No atheist has ever had an answer for this argument. We look back almost 2000 years and have faith without seeing, but the Apostles had faith and had seen Him after the crucifixion. That is why they could die as martyrs willingly. 

Verse 4: “And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me;’”

The Lord Jesus Christ often communed with His friends and disciples over a meal: at the feeding of the five thousand, with tax collectors and sinners, at the Pharisee’s house, at the Last Supper, and after the Resurrection. I see several groups that we should be willing to share meals with and talk about our Lord: friends, church members (disciples), sinners, religious hypocrites (Pharisees) and church gatherings (Last Supper). “The promise of the Father” was the coming of the gift of the Holy Spirit as a  gift from the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son.

Verse 5: “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized [b]with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

John’s water baptism of repentance pointed forward to the messianic baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. The Apostles had to wait until the Day of Pentecost to receive the Holy Spirit, but after Pentecost, all believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit at salvation. The baptism with or in the Holy Spirit is what places the believer in the body of Christ. It is not an act subsequent to salvation like Pentecostals and Charismatics believe. Many false doctrines have sprung forth from the mistaken belief that the baptism with the Holy Spirit occurs after salvation. The main problem is that people are not genuinely converted. They say the “sinners prayer” or make a “decision for Jesus” but they do not become a new creation. After they start their “Christian” walk, they continue to habitually sin and fall short. They are taught that they need power which comes from the “Baptism with the Holy Spirit.” True conversion means repenting of all sin, having faith in the sin substitute of the Lord Jesus Christ, and making Christ Lord of their lives. True believers have power over sin and the flesh. This doesn’t mean they are perfect, but they are a different person. They have become a new creation in Christ. Regrettably, many people that fall for this deception actually receive a demon spirit when they ask to be filled subsequently to their “salvation” (pseudo salvation).  

Verse 6: “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’”

The apostles still believed the earthly form of the kingdom of Messiah would soon be reestablished.  They were still looking for a powerful force to overcome Roman occupation and abuse. They did not understand the difference between the coming of Messiah Ben David and Messiah Ben Joseph: Messiah Son of Joseph (Mashiach Ben Joseph): Associated with suffering and spiritual qualities. And (2) Messiah Son of David (Mashiach Ben David): Representing a conquering king. They wanted the conquering King not the suffering Servant. Messiah Ben David will appear at the Second Coming of Christ when He destroys evil and establishes His earthly Kingdom.

Verse 7: “But He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority;”

“Know times or seasons” refers to the specific years or dates (which some in all ages try to predict) of the Second Coming of Christ. Many religious groups have tried to set a date which proves their lack of relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, if they had the Holy Spirit, would have checked them from such unbiblical positions. Groups include: Jehovah’s Witness, the Mormon Church, Herbert Armstrong, Seventh Day Adventists, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Edgar Cayce. No one on earth knows the date of the Second Coming. Don’t be deceived.

Verse 8: “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to The end of the earth.”

The Apostles had already experienced the Holy Spirit’s saving, leading, teaching, and miracle-working power. However, they had  received His indwelling presence with the accompanying new dimension of power for witness. This was not a power to perform miracles. They already had that. In Luke 10: 1-24, the Lord Jesus Christ sent out the seventy (so it included non Apostles) to heal the sick and take authority over demons. The power referenced in this verse was the power over individual sin and the power to witness for Christ. At Pentecost, the believers received the indwelling Holy Spirit. Up until the resurrection, the believers in the gospels were acting under the Old Testament. Once Christ died and rose from the dead, the New Covenant was in operation. Remember, a testament (will) to be valid, requires someone to die. Before death, the testament is not activated. They were to be witnesses in Judea (their hometown), Samaria (neighboring areas) and then to the entire world.

Verse 9: “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

The believers saw Christ ascend into the clouds. That was such a monumental moment. You can understand how they were able to face martyrdom knowing what they had witnessed. God the Father took the Lord Jesus Christ, in His resurrected body, from this world to His rightful place at the Father’s right hand. The cloud was a visible reminder of the Father’s presence.

Verse 10: “And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.”

When people are described as dressed in white, they are commonly supernatural or glorified beings: Jesus Christ, angels, or glorified saints.

Verse 11: “They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’”

The eleven men were from Galilee; Judas Iscariot was from Kerioth in Judah. The Lord Jesus Christ will return the same way He left, i.e. with the clouds. Note the certainty of His return and the manner of His return. The entire world will see Him return as the conquering King of Kings.

Verse 12: “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.”

Mount Olivet was located across the Kidron Valley, east of Jerusalem. It was a large hill rising about 200 feet higher in elevation than the city and was the site from which the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven. “A Sabbath’s Day journey: was about half a mile. When Israel was encamped in the wilderness, the farthest tent was about a half a mile away from the Tabernacle. The farthest anyone had to walk to the worship center was about a half mile. Thus, a Sabbath’s Day journey.

Verse 13: “And when they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.”

We don’t know for sure if this was the same upper room where our Lord had the Last Supper” or perhaps a room in the house of a disciple that was used for meetings. We do know that they went into that room expecting something spiritually important was going to happen. Bartholomew was also known as Nathanael. James the son of Alphaeus was also known as James the younger. Simon was most likely linked to his former membership in the Zealot revolutionary group. Judas the son of James was also known as Thaddaeus.

Verse 14: “These all with one accord were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.”

The Lord Jesus Christ had established a pattern of prayer in the lives of His disciples. Prayer was essential to being a disciple of Christ. Women were very important to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. There were women who had followed Christ, supported His work, and cared for Him in His death. This is the last verse in the Bible that references Christ;s mother Mary. “His brothers” refers to His half brothers, the natural children of Mary and Joseph. 

Verse 15: “And in those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (a crowd of about 120 persons was there together), and said,”

“And in those days” refers to some point in time during the ten days waiting for Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter was the acknowledged leader of the group. 

Verse 16: “‘Men, brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.’”

The “Men, brothers,” are the 120 that had gathered in the upper room waiting for the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The Scripture being fulfilled were two Old Testament passages Peter quotes in verse 20:  Psalm  69:25; 109:8. When God gives prophecies, they will come to pass. There are many people today that call themselves “New Testament” prophets. They gave themselves a lower standard. In the Old Testament, if a prophet gave a prophecy and it didn’t come to pass and it led people into idolatry, the people were instructed to kill them (Deuteronomy 13: 1-5). Today, these “New Testament” prophets continually make excuses and blame God or others if something doesn’t come to pass the way they prophesied. I think of all the excuses when many charismatic prophets predicted President Trump would be re-elected in 2020and he lost. These people do not know Christ. They do not have the Holy Spirit. How can I say this? It is because the voice they listened to was not the Holy Spirit. If they had the Holy Spirit they would not have made the false prophecy. Stay with the written Word of God and you will have all the prophecy you need. 

Verse 17: “For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.’”

God’s plan  permitted Judas, the enemy of Christ, to serve for a time in the ministry of the disciples. From this, we see the detail and specifics of God’s planning the events to bring about His Perfect Will.

Verse 18: “(Now this man acquired a field with the price of his unrighteousness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.”

Judas indirectly purchased the field when he returned the blood money for arranging for the arrest of the Lord Jesus Christ to the chief priests and elders who in turn purchased a burial place for foreigners called “Field of Blood.” The “price of his unrighteousness” was the thirty pieces of silver. The current day value of the silver is approximately $264.60. A pathetic sum to betray our Lord. “Burst open” would indicate that after hanging himself, Judas’ body must have fallen resulting in “his intestines” gushing out.

Verse 19: “And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)”

“Hakeldama” is Aramaic for “Field of Blood.”  It was the field bought by the Jewish leaders after Judas returned the “blood money.” Traditionally, the field is located south of Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnom, where that valley crosses the Kidron Valley. 

Verse 20: “ “‘For it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘Let his residence be made desolate,
And let no one dwell in it’;”

Peter relies on Scripture to comfort the people gathered. He wants them to know that everything that occurred was according to God’s plan. Peter wants them to know that Judas’ betrayal and picking his replacement were foretold by Scripture. Another testimony to the Sovereignty of God. 

Verse 21: “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us”

“Among us” refers to the whole time of Jesus’ public ministry from His baptism to His ascension. Peter is establishing the first requirement that the replacement for Judas must come from someone who had been with Christ during His earthly ministry.

Verse 22: “beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

Peter is establishing a second requirement: the replacement must have been an eyewitness to Christ’s resurrection. 

Verse 23: “And they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.”

Joseph and Matthias were chosen from a larger number of witnesses; about 120 persons were present. Neither is mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. I have thought for years that this was an example of man acting in good faith to obey Scripture as best they could. These two Joseph and Matthias are never heard from again. Just as when He walked the earth, the Lord Jesusb Christ chose His apostles. It is clear that the replacement chosen by Christ was the Apostle Paul. 

Verse 24: “And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen”

Peter and the disciples recognized that their human responsibility and choice of a man to succeed Judas was to be operating under God’s Sovereignty. God knows the heart of man. He sees the inside and man looks on the outside.

Verse 25: “to take the place of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

Judas chose his own destiny of hell by rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not unfair to say that Judas and all others who go to hell belong there because it was their choice to reject Christ.

Verse 26: “And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.”

Lots were an Old Testament measure used as a means of ascertaining God’s will. This passage is the first and last time Matthias is mentioned in the Bible.