Acts 1:1-5

INTRODUCTION Acts 1:1-5.

Acts 1:1

The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,

Acts 1:2

until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Acts 1:3

to whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God:

Acts 1:4

and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye heard from me:

Acts 1:5

for John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence.

Here are a few of the points of interest found within these verses Luke penned as an introduction to the history of the church in Jerusalem:

MOUNT OF OLIVES.

In the drawing you are looking at the mount of ascension and the chapel of ascension. The Mount of Olives is a limestone ridge, a little more than a mile in length. There are seven peaks in this ridge that runs the whole length of the city of Jerusalem. On the north the ridge bends around to the west and thus encloses the city on the north and east. David walked down from the city of Jerusalem into the Kidron valley and up the slopes of the Mount of Olives in his flight from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:30). Solomon built high places on the Mount of Olives. (2 Kings 23:13). Ezekiel saw the Mount of Olives in a vision. Read about that strange sight in Ezekiel 10:4; Ezekiel 10:19; Ezekiel 11:23. The prophet Nehemiah indicated that at one time there were many trees growing in this valley. (Nehemiah 8:15). It was on the road up from this valley that our Lord rode in His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (Mark 11:8) It was on this Mount that Jesus sat when He viewed the city of Jerusalem and wept because of their unbelief. (Mark 13:1; Matthew 23:37). The garden of Gethsemane is in the valley at the foot of the Mount of Olives. (John 18:1; Matthew 26:30; Matthew 26:36). Our Lord last appeared on earth on the fortieth day after His resurrection on the Mount of Olives.

Acts 1:1 He wrote a former treatise, or book, to the same person to whom this present work is addressedone Theophilus. This name is Grecian and is said to mean lover of God. In this former treatise he discussed all that Jesus did and taught. Notice that he says he wrote concerning all that Jesus did and taught. He does not say he recorded every spoken word of Christ nor described every act of the Master. He says that he only wrote concerning these things. This is in agreement with John 20:30-31; John 21:25.

Acts 1:2 The former treatise ended with the day in which He (Jesus) was received up. By referring to Luke 24:50-53 we find the events described in exact agreement with the time spoken of in Acts 1:2 a. Luke also says that Jesus was received up only after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen. J. W. McGarvey arranges this verse in the following orderuntil the day in which, having given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up. (Read the verse over and then read McGarvey's comment upon it which follows.) In this rendering of verse two, the exact order of the clauses in the Greek is followed and the connection between the day of the ascension and the commandment given on that day is expressed as in the original. (New Commentary on Acts Vol. I, pages 1 and 2.) Jesus gave the commandment, or as we so often call it, the Great Commission, more than once. The time of its giving here was on the ascension day which will be described in the ensuing verses. The fact that the Commission was given through the Holy Spirit to chosen apostles lends force to its great importance.

Acts 1:3 The words to whom he also showed himself alive. refer, of course, to the apostles. Notice that the chronological order of events as found in the life of Christ is not here followed. Rather, the thought expressed in verse two, i.e. the apostles whom he had chosen, suggests the thought of verse three and this thought further suggests those appearances of Jesus after his passion to his chosen leaders in which He spoke to them things concerning the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:4 Then the thought of His appearance to His apostles during the forty-day period suggests one of those appearances in which Jesus said something upon the subject which is to follow in the book of Acts, so Luke speaks of that time when, in the upper room, Jesus showed Himself alive. The whole wonderful story is recorded in Luke 24:13-49.

1.

To what does the former treatise refer?

2.

What do you know of Theophilus?

3.

How is the word began used in Acts 1:1?

4.

How is the word concerning used?

5.

On what day was the former treatise concluded?

6.

What advantage is there in the arrangement of Acts 1:2 as given by J. W. McGarvey?

7.

Was the Great Commission given more than once? If so where is the other place or places?

Acts 1:5 Finally in verse five, the writer gives us a little more specific information on the precious comment he made in his former treatise (Luke 24:49) when Jesus said ye shall be clothed with power from on high. Luke now tells us that this is the promise of the Father which they had heard from Jesus (John 14:16) and lest they become confused as to what this promise included, he informs them through the words of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11-12) Ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence.

Now let us take a backward look at the marvelous progression of connected thoughts in these verses. Luke begins his treatise to Theophilus by saying:

a.

He wrote a former treatise concerning the teaching and acts of Jesus. Acts 1:1.

b.

That it ended on the day of His ascension. Acts 1:2 a.

c.

That on this day He gave the Commission to his chosen apostles. Acts 1:2 b.

d.

That He had previously shown Himself alive to these apostles by many (infallible) proofs by the space of forty days and had spoken to them things concerning the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3

e.

That at one of these appearances He charged them, as He was teaching them concerning the kingdom of God, not to depart from Jerusalembut to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4-5.

8.

State in your own words the connection of Acts 1:2 b, Acts 1:3, and Acts 1:4.

9.

Show the connection of Luke 24:29; Acts 1:5 and John 14:16.

10.

From memory give in your own words the five thoughts of Acts 1:1-5.