The Book of Acts is in the New Testament. It could be named "The Acts of the Apostles" or "The Acts of the Christians in the Early Church" or even "The Acts of the Holy Spirit."
But no matter what the preferred title of the Book, it is an historical account of what happened in the 40 or so years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The author, Luke, also the author of the Gospel of Luke, investigated thoroughly all the events of those beginning years of the Church. Often he was an eye-witness.
In the Gospel of Luke, we read, in the first verses, that he wrote his account to assure "most excellent Theophilus" so that he could "know the certainty of the things" he had "been taught" about the life and teachings of Jesus.
Now again in Acts, Luke refers to Theophilus and introduces his second work, the account of the early Church.
These documents were written on scrolls, and generally ran no longer than 35 feet in length.
Scrolls longer than that would be too bulky to carry around. (The Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John would be about 35 feet in length on scrolls.)
So Luke divided his research for Theophilus into two scrolls - first, the Gospel of Luke centered in the earthly life and ministry of Jesus, and second, the genesis and early days of the new Church.
Here's how Acts begins:
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus
began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.
After His suffering He showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive.
He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God.
On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about.
"For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when they met together, they asked Him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
After He said this, He was taken up into the sky before their very eyes, and a cloud hid them from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven will come back the same way you have seen Him go into heaven."
--- Acts 1:1-11
1. Who was "most excellent Theophilus"? We have no other references to this man. He was an official or person of importance of some kind. Perhaps he was a new Christian, or maybe he was a seeker, considering the claims of Jesus Christ, but unsure of what he was being told.
Luke wanted to re-assure him of the truths he was hearing. Maybe he was a convert of Luke.
In either case, he was someone like many of us.
2. Christ appeared on earth for 40 days after His resurrection and then ascended to heaven, telling His disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which would empower them to be witnesses for the good news "to the ends of the earth."
We know from other New Testament scriptures that Christ appeared personally to over 500 people. And we know that He appeared to "believers," His followers, not to "unbelievers." He didn't go to Pilate or Herod, which would certainly make a compelling narrative.
But it was not His intention to parade Himself in a bitter "I told you so" and "now you will be sorry" act of revenge. He revealed Himself to those who trusted Him and in Him.
He always displayed humility, not arrogance.
3. We see that the disciples still did not "get it." They still associated the Kingdom of God with an earthly restoration of the nation of Israel, the expulsion of Rome, and, probably, their own lofty positions of authority in the "Cabinet."
But they finally "got it." A few days later.
4. The phrase Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth is a brief outline of the Book of Acts.
The first 7 chapters of the Book concentrate on the Church in Jerusalem.
Chapters 8 - 12 show the Church moving into Judea and Samaria.
Chapters 13 - 28 give the account of the Church expanding throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
5. This same Jesus who was taken from you into heaven - I read great compassion in this statement.
The angels knew it was a heart-wrenching experience for the disciples to see Christ leave. He wasn't lost - He was taken from them.
But He didn't just disappear either - He went to heaven and they knew from His comments in the Upper Room before His crucifixion, that He was going to prepare a place for them to come and be with Him forever.
The messengers brought comfort and encouragement to them with their words - Yes, He was taken from you - but He was taken to heaven - as He told you!
And He will come back!
Luke tells Theophilus that Christianity is a religion based on historical facts. Even the fact of the resurrection was witnessed by hundreds of people.
So the resurrection in a fact.
That fact proves the deity of Christ.
The divine Christ must speak the truth, because God is truthful and must speak truthfully.
So we can trust everything God says in the Bible because He taught that it was the Word of God.
And that includes the fact that He will be
coming back to earth in the same
manner in which He left.
But that date is determined by God the Father.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
(Revelation 22:20)
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