Acts of the Apostles
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ACTS CHAPTER 1
Acts 1:1-3 Theophilus
Acts 1:4-9 Promise of the Father
Acts 1:10-11 Heaven
Acts 1:12-15 Sabbath Day's Journey
Acts 1:16-26 How Did Judas Die?
Acts 1 Bible Study Questions (Handout)
The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Who is "Theophilus" (Acts 1:1)?
Theophilus, whose name is Greek and means "loved of (philus) God (Theo)," was a gentile government official. The Bible contains two letters from Luke to Theophilus. His first is what we today call the Gospel of Luke. Luke's second letter to Theophilus is what we today call The Acts of the Apostles, and by the time he wrote it, Luke and Theophilus may have become better acquainted since Luke addresses him simply as "O Theophilus" (Acts 1:1) after having formally addressed him as "most excellent Theophilus" (akin to calling a high government official "Your Excellency" today) to begin his first letter to him: "Since many have taken in hand to set in order an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed." (Luke 1:1-4)
Who is "I" (Acts 1:1)?
Luke, who accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys and recorded what Paul recounted and taught.
What is the "former account" (Acts 1:1)?
The Gospel of Luke (see Theophilus and Luke).
With which event does the Gospel of Luke close?
Jesus' ascension to heaven.
Then why did Luke write that the Gospel of Luke records what Jesus "began" (Acts 1:1) to do and teach?
What Jesus began to do and teach during His earthly ministry, His Holy Spirit - the "Helper" or the "Spirit of truth" - continued to do and teach after His ascension, just as Jesus had told His disciples in advance:
“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
What qualified Luke to record what Paul recounted and taught?
Luke was a doctor - doctors were trained to record things accurately.
Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.
Did Luke record only what he was told?
After he began to accompany Paul, he also recorded what he witnessed.
Where did Luke begin to accompany Paul?
Please pay close attention to the pronouns as you read the following passage from Acts 16:7-10
After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
The first "they" refers to Paul, Silas and Timothy: Did you catch the shift from "they" to "we" in Acts 16:10 when Luke joined Paul, Silas and Timothy in Troas?
Where is Troas?
Troas is a port city near the northwestern corner of what is Turkey today.
The city's ancient name is Troy (see Phrygia, Bithynia, Mysia).
To where did Luke accompany Paul?
Rome, where Paul wrote to Timothy:
Be diligent to come to me quickly;
for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.
Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
What is the "promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4)?
Being "baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5) a few days later.
When did Jesus tell them this promise from the Father?
See John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
What were they to do until the Father fulfills this promise?
"not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait" (Acts 1:4)
Why?
Without God, they can't accomplish anything:
Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
"... without Me you can do nothing" John 16:5
“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
Which "John baptized with water" (Acts 1:5) and why?
John the Baptist is the prophet born to a priest named Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
Despite Jesus' patient reminder, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7), this is a disappointing question, for even after witnessing Jesus rise from the dead, they still don't understand that He had come on a spiritual mission aimed at all of mankind, not to politically restore Israel.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
What finally opened the spiritual eyes of the apostles?
The Holy Spirit coming upon them, for which Jesus told them "wait" (Acts 1:4) in Jerusalem.
What else did they receive when the Holy Spirit came upon them?
"Power" (Acts 1:8)
To do what?
"Be witnesses" (Acts 1:8) for Jesus.
Where are "Judea and Samaria" (Acts 1:8)?
See Judea and Samaria.
Does "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8) include your neighborhood, school or place of work?
Could the disciples who "watched" (Acts 1:9) Jesus' ascension have been His witnesses in those places?
So who should?
Heaven
Heaven
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Where is "heaven" (Acts 1:10, 11)?
There are three places that the Bible calls heaven.
The first heaven is the earth's atmosphere, which God made to separate the waters on the earth's surface from the water vapor in the clouds above:
Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.
The second heaven is the outer space that lies beyond the earth's atmosphere and where God put the sun and the moon:
Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,
and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
The "third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2) is the "habitation" of God from where He looks down on earth -
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven.
Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’
Into which of the three heavens did Jesus "go" (Acts 1:11)?
He traversed the first two and returned to the third, where He prepares for and welcomes Christians upon death on earth:
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Who were the "two men" mentioned in Acts 1:10?
Angels. λευκη (leuke), the Greek word translated "white" in "white apparel," also means "radiant" or "brilliant."
How did Jesus come to earth the first time?
Quietly, like a camouflaged paratrooper on a mission landing behind the enemy lines (see Birth of Jesus)
How will Jesus "come" (Acts 1:11) to earth the second time?
Loudly, without the camouflage, as who He is -
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
- and escorted by His entire army of angels:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
What will Jesus do when He returns to earth?
He will judge people from “all the nations” to grant them either His “kingdom” or the “everlasting fire” of hell:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
Sabbath Day’s Journey
Sabbath Day’s Journey
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.
What is "a Sabbath day's journey" (Acts 1:12)?
A “Sabbath day’s journey” wasn't the distance a person could cover by journeying for a day; A "Sabbath day's journey" was a unit of distance, equal to about 2/3 of a mile (1 kilometer), that the Jewish leaders limited people to journey on the Sabbath, deeming journeying any further to be “work." Acts 1:12 isn't saying that the apostles respected this man-made law, but simply indicating the distance between Jerusalem and the mount called Olivet.
Where is "the mount called Olivet" (Acts 2:12)?
It is called Mount of Olives today and is located directly east of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley (photo).
And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
How many of the eleven remaining disciples were staying in the "upper room"?
All of them.
Who were the "women" in Acts 1:14?
They most likely included the "women" who had watched "from afar" Jesus' sacrifice on the cross:
There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome,
who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.
Who are "His brothers"?
Jesus had four brothers and at least two sisters:
Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”
Doesn't John 7:5 say that Jesus' "brother did not believe in Him"?
For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Yes, but that was before Jesus' resurrection, after which "His brothers" may have been among the "over five hundred" (see Theophilus) to whom Jesus appeared.
Later in Acts, we will learn that one of Jesus' brothers (biological half brothers since Joseph wasn't Jesus' father) had become one of the Christian leaders in Jerusalem (see James).
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,
How many disciples were there?
"about a hundred and twenty" (Acts 1:15).
