Acts Part 3

Acts 1 takes place following Christ's resurrection and ascension to the Father. These events took place after the wave-sheaf offering, which occurred on the day after the weekly Sabbath, a Sunday during the days of Unleavened Bread. Christ appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days, leaving ten days remaining until Pentecost. The Church dates these events to 31 A.D. 

Key Events in Acts 1: 

1. Christ presents Himself alive to the apostles after His resurrection. 
2. Christ teaches further about the Kingdom of God. 
3. He commands the apostles not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. 
4. He instructs them to become witnesses of Him. 
5. A replacement is chosen for Judas Iscariot. 

Acts 1:1-3 introduces the book and connects it directly to the Gospel of Luke:

"The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." 

In the first sentence, Luke is referring to his former book, the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel records the most important events of Jesus Christ's life and ministry, while Acts continues the account from the time of His resurrection and ascension. 

Luke addresses Theophilus. In the Gospel of Luke, he uses the title "most excellent Theophilus," suggesting that Theophilus may have held a position of high rank. The same title is used in Scripture when addressing Felix and Festus, Roman procurators. The name Theophilus means "friend of God" or "lover of God." It is also possible to understand the name as having a broader application to those who are friends of God and receive Luke's writings. This could include you! 

"Of all that Jesus began both to do and teach" (verse 1).

The phrase "of all" is best understood in the context of the important material facts Luke intended to record, rather than as a claim that he included every event from Jesus' life. The Gospel of Luke presents an orderly account of the important things Jesus did and taught. 

The wording in Acts also establishes a connection between Christ's earthly ministry and the work that continued after His ascension. Jesus began His work through His teaching and actions, and Acts records how that work continued through the apostles. 

The Gospel of Luke is also understood to have supported Paul's travels and preaching, particularly as the gospel was taken to the Gentiles. 

Verse 2 says,

"Until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen."

Luke brings the account up to the day of Christ's ascension. The conclusion of the Gospel of Luke and the beginning of Acts connect at this point. Luke 24:44-53 describes Christ's final instructions to His disciples, His opening of their understanding of the Scriptures, and His ascension. Acts picks up where the Gospel leaves off and provides additional details about the events surrounding His ascension. 

The apostles were specifically chosen by Christ Himself. Luke 6:12-16 records that Jesus went up a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. When it was day, He called His disciples and chose twelve of them, whom He named apostles. The apostles were not simply individuals who decided to take up a religious mission. They were chosen and commissioned by Christ for a particular work. 

Paul also explains in Ephesians 4:7-12 that Christ gives gifts to His Church. He writes that Christ "gave gifts to men" and that

"He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers"

for the equipping of the saints, the work of ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ. 

An apostle is someone sent as a messenger or representative of another. The Greek word apostolos (Strong's G652) means a messenger, envoy, delegate, or one commissioned by another to represent him. An apostle, therefore, is one sent as a messenger by Christ. As part of their commission, the apostles performed signs and wonders that accompanied their ministry. Acts 5:12 states,

"And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people."

These signs and wonders accompanied their preaching and demonstrated God's power working through them. 

Acts of the Apostles is a course taught at ABC by Mr. Darris McNeely. Recordings from the 2022–2023 class year are available on the ABC website.

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.