THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER. OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY. MARK DUNAGAN I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER ONE: I. Introduction To This Volume: Acts 1:1-5 II. The Promised Spirit: Acts 1:6-8 III. The Ascension: Acts 1:9-11 IV. The Fate of Judas And Selection Of Matthias: Acts 1:12-26 II. COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER ONE... [ Continue Reading ]
The former treatise. made,. Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 'FORMER'-The first. 'TREATISE'-narrative. 'The use of "logos" (word) for treatise or historical narrative is common in ancient Greek..' (Robertson p. 3) 'In my first book' (Phi) Thus this verse admits... [ Continue Reading ]
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: 'UNTIL THE DAY IN WHICH HE WAS RECEIVED UP'-The Gospel of Luke ends with the ascension of Jesus Christ. Carefully note: From this statement we know that the b... [ Continue Reading ]
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: 'TO WHOM'-To the apostles. 'PASSION'-i.e. suffering 'BY MANY PROOFS'-'a convincing, decisive proof' (Stott p. 35); 'convinc... [ Continue Reading ]
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.: 'NOT TO DEPART FROM JERUSALEM'-The city from which the prophets had foretold that the House of God and the law of the Lord would sprea... [ Continue Reading ]
For John indeed baptized with water;but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence. 'FOR'-The statement that John made concerning the One who would baptized in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). Is only applied to two specific groups of people in the book of Acts, i.e. the apostles an... [ Continue Reading ]
They therefore, when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 'DOST THOU AT THIS TIME RESTORE THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL?'- Points to Note: 1. This question posed by the disciples has perplexed bible students for years. First of all, what... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within His own authority. 'IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW TIMES OR SEASONS'-To their question of "at this time", Jesus will respond, "You just have to wait" (Acts 1:8). 'It is not your business to learn times an... [ Continue Reading ]
But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 'BUT'-'It was not important for them to know the time at which the kingdom would be established; but it was all... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and. cloud received him out of their sight. 'AS THEY WERE LOOKING'-Reese notes, 'it was important to state that the apostles witnessed His ascension. It was not affirmed in the New Testament that anyone actually saw Jesus whil... [ Continue Reading ]
And while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 'LOOKING STEDFASTLY INTO HEAVEN'-'gazing intently' (NASV); 'strained their eyes' (Knox). You would stare too! 'TWO MEN STOOD BY THEM'-The tense seems to suggest that the apostles didn't i... [ Continue Reading ]
who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven. 'WHY STAND YE LOOKING INTO HEAVEN?'-'There seems to be. slight degree of censure implied in these words, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh unto Jerusalem,. Sabbath day's journey off. 'FROM THE MOUNT CALLED OLIVET'-Which is. north-to-south ridge of hills east of Jerusalem, rising to about 2,676 ft. 'The Mount of Olives is on the east of Jerusalem, and must be... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were abiding; both 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. 'THE UPPER CHAMBER'-'With the article, denotin... [ Continue Reading ]
These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. 'WITH ONE ACCORD'-'one mind' (Wey). 'denotes entire harmony of their views and feelings. There were no schisms, no divided interests, no discordant purposes.' (Reese p. 19)... [ Continue Reading ]
And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren, and said (and there was. multitude of persons gathered together, about. hundred and twenty), 'IN THESE DAYS'-'at this time'. Since 50 days constituted the time period between Passover and Pentecost. And 40 days have already transpired ... [ Continue Reading ]
Brethren, it was needful that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus. 'THAT THE SCRIPTURE SHOULD BE FULFILLED, WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT SPAKE BEFORE BY THE MOUTH OF DAVID'-Another Scripture whi... [ Continue Reading ]
For he was numbered among us, and received his portion in this ministry. 'HE WAS NUMBERED AMONG US'-'one of our number' (Wms). 'Peter is not ashamed to state that one of the twelve betrayed the Master; inspiration has been true to the fact and recorded this betrayal.' (Boles p. 27) 'RECEIVED HIS P... [ Continue Reading ]
(Now this man obtained. field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 'OBTAINED. FIELD WITH THE REWARD OF HIS INIQUITY'-Matthew records that the chief priests took the betrayal money left by Judas and purchased. field with... [ Continue Reading ]
And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.) 'AND IT BECAME KNOWN TO ALL THE DWELLERS AT JERUSALEM'-Reese notes, 'Some one found the body. And by and by, the scene in the temple, the acts of the p... [ Continue Reading ]
For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made desolate, And let no man dwell therein: and, His office let another take. 'FOR IT IS WRITTEN'-As we journey through Acts be impressed that the apostles firmly believe that O.T. prophecy is being fulfilled in the First Century (Acts... [ Continue Reading ]
Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,... [ Continue Reading ]
beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become. witness with us of his resurrection. 'OF THESE'-'Peter probably refers to the 70 disciples, when he speaks of men who have accompanied us (Luke 10:1).' (Reese p. 27) 'MUST ONE'-This was the... [ Continue Reading ]
And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 'PUT FORWARD TWO'-Possibly only two fit the qualifications. 'BARSABBAS'-His Hebrew name, meaning 'born (son of) on the Sabbath'. 'JUSTUS'-His Latin name. 'MATTHIAS'-(muh THIGH us) (gift of Jehovah).... [ Continue Reading ]
And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show of these two the one whom thou hast chosen, 'WHO KNOWEST THE HEARTS OF ALL MEN'-(1 Chronicles 28:9; Jeremiah 2:10). 'They appealed to God himself to select one who would be true, and not bring dishonor to the cause of Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place. 'TO HIS OWN PLACE'-i.e.. place of destruction. 'It is the place which was peculiarly his, as befitting his awful sin--Gehenna.' (Vincent p. 447) Carefully note that the text says that J... [ Continue Reading ]
And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 'GAVE LOTS FOR THEM'-A practice often used in the O.T. (Numbers 2:55; Joshua 2:14; 1 Samuel 2:20; Leviticus 16:8; Proverbs 16:33. 'A specially marked stone was place among other stones in. clo... [ Continue Reading ]