Acts 1: Bible Study, Commentary and Summary

Here is a Bible study and commentary with summary of Acts, Chapter one.

Acts 1:1-2 “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.”

In this second of Luke’s books, the previous one being the Gospel of Luke, he is addressing a certain “Theophilus.” Is this a real person or just for those who love the truth as this name means “lover” or “friend of God” from the Greek word “Theophilos.”

Do you believe that Theophilus was a real person or Luke’s way of addressing the church?

Does Luke 1:3 change your mind on this question?

Why did Luke include this notation for Theophilus?

Acts 1:3 “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.”

The “He” Luke is referring to is of course Jesus Who appeared for forty days after His resurrection before returning to the Father. He suffered more than any man did (Isaiah 53) in His earthly ministry.

Why did Luke mention that He presented himself alive…after His suffering?

What proofs were these?

What is the significance of “forty days?”

Acts 1:6-8 “So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.”

When the disciples came together they asked Jesus if this would be the time of the restoration of Israel as a kingdom, indicating that they knew this was eventually going to happen. Jesus simply says it’s not for them to know the time or the seasons because the Father’s already fixed this time. He only wants them to be His witnesses.

Why didn’t Jesus answer their question about His restoring “the kingdom to Israel?”

How could these soon-to-be twelve disciples go to the ends of the earth in their lifetime?

Was Jesus telling them about going to the ends of the earth as His witness similar or the same thing as the Great Commission He had given them earlier (Matt 28:19-20)?

Were the disciples expecting the kingdom of Israel to be restored at that time?

Acts 1:14 “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

Jesus disciples included Mary, Jesus’ mother and Jesus’ brothers too and they were all of one mind, in one accord, and devoted themselves to prayer. They would soon see why the needed to pray for one another and needed one another.

Why did the disciples go into “the upper room” after Jesus had ascended?

Were the “brothers” Jesus physical or half-brothers through Mary?

What does it mean that they “were devoting themselves to prayer?”

Acts 1:21-22 “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

The disciples had gathered together to decide who would replace Judas as the twelfth apostle and so they laid out the qualifications for being an apostle and that included that they must have been with Jesus from the very beginning of His earthly ministry, even “from the baptism of John” until the very day that He was taken back up into heaven. They must have also been a witness to His resurrection.

Does the quote from Psalm69:25 tell the disciples that they are to choose another disciple to replace Judas?

Why wasn’t Matthias’ name ever mentioned before in Jesus’ ministry while on earth?

When “they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias” how did they decide whom to choose (Acts 1:26)?

Was this the right way to seek God’s will in this matter?

Is an apostle and a disciple the same thing?

Acts 1:24-26 “And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

Is casting lots something new in the Bible?

Was Matthias qualified to be an apostle or what he chosen only because of the lots cast in his favor?

Since they prayed to God, why wouldn’t God speak directly to them to know who He would choose?

Summary

The birth of the New Testament church doesn’t really begin here as Jesus mentioned the church before, saying “I will build my church” (Matt 16:18) and in reference to church discipline, Jesus said of a sinning brother or sister, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.” (Matt 18:15-16) and “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matt 18:17). These passages (Matt 16:18 & Matt 18:15-17) seem to indicate that the church already existed by this time…even before the Day of Pentecost, where God poured out His Spirit.

Conclusion

Acts chapter one kicks off the acts of the church but it’s called the Book of Acts because I believe it is the acts of the Holy Spirit of God, not so much the acts of the apostles because the acts of the apostles would be in vain in not for the Spirit empowering them. Perhaps today, the Book of Acts II is being written and at the return of Christ, it will be complete. I say this because of the way the Book of Acts ends; it has an open end, as if there’s still work to be done and indeed, there is…through devoted Christians who are still trying to bring the gospel into the whole word…bringing the whole Word to the whole world.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.