Acts
Chapter 1
Jesus' Departing Words vs 1-14
Verse 1
"former treatise" Luke also wrote the gospel according to Luke. "Theophilus" Lover of God "all that Jesus" It's about Jesus "began" what a way to start the book of Acts. What Jesus did was BEGIN a work. "to do and teach" there's work and there's teaching.
Verse 2
"Until the day in which He was taken up" Jesus earthly ministry was complete. "after that He through the Holy Ghost" Jesus operated through the Holy Ghost, Christ our example "given commandments" Jesus gives commandments. Exo. 20, the ten commandments came from ... God. Deity of Christ "unto the apostles" those sent with authority "whom He had chosen" Jesus chose the apostles, not man appointed. Many are called, few chosen
Verse 3
"To whom" to the apostles "He showed Himself alive after His passion" He showed the apostles and others that He was alive after the crucifixion. "by many infallible proofs" there is evidence, there are witnesses "seen of them forty days" one witness is that of the apostles "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" Jesus taught on the 'Kingdom of God' many times. He used parables, he spoke directly about it, he taught that it was in the heart.
Verse 4
"being assembled together" that's the church "assembled" and "together" of one mind, of one accord just as God is, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, together. Don't let anyone fool you that the church isn't a gathering of believers. This is the story of that church, Acts. "with them" Jesus is 'with' us, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" "commanded them" Jesus' authority, Jesus deity. "they" notice how many times this pronoun is used to describe the believers. God see the church "together" not apart. "I can serve God on my own." No, you cannot. "should not depart Jerusalem" Jesus says "stay" it's hard to hear God say "stay" when sometimes we want to run and go. See Ahimaaz running 2 Samuel 18 "wait" Jesus says stay, Jesus says "wait" sometimes what God asks for is counterintuitive. Lean not unto your own understanding. We don't like to wait. We want to go, do, be. "the promise of the Father" God the Father promises us the Holy Ghost. God who cannot lie promises us the Holy Ghost. "which ye have heard of Me." Jesus relayed this promise from the Father. God's promises are yes and so be it.
Verse 5
"For John truly baptized with water" you know the efficacy of John's baptism. It takes more than an outward show to be changed "ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost" baptized with fire, whose fan is in His hand, throughly purge His floor. "not many days hence" wait, not many days.
Verse 6
"When they therefore were come together" together, community, church, body of Christ "they asked Him" querying Jesus "Lord" they had accepted Jesus as Lord, they saw His resurrection, they believed in his resurrection. Rom 10:9, the disciples were saved, but they had not yet received the baptism of the Holy Ghost "wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They had a desire to see specific prophesy be fulfilled. This was not God's will.
Verse 7
"It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power." There are some things that are not for us to know. "power" here is exousia, God's prerogative.
Verse 8
"but ye shall receive power" power here is dynamis, miraculous power, force, ability. The baptism of the Holy Ghost comes with miracle working power. "after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" the miracle power comes after the Holy Ghost comes. Not before. "ye shall be witnesses" martyr, legal witness. People making legal testimony to the resurrection and power of Jesus "unto Me" unto Jesus. The witness is that of Jesus "both in Jerusalem" the city they were in, the King's city "Judea" the kingdom of David "Samaria" the rest of Israel "uttermost part of the earth" everywhere else. Like concentric circles of a bullseye working outward, the center being Jerusalem, then the nation of Judea, then the rest of Israel, then the world.
Verse 9
"when He had spoken these things" when Jesus was finished speaking. "while they beheld" they were paying attention to Jesus "He was taken up" Jesus ascended into Heaven "a cloud received Him out of their sight." A cloud concealed Him in the sky
Verse 10
"while they looked stedfastly toward Heaven as He went up" their eyes were glued "behold, two men stood by them in white apparel" two men here, three men who met Abraham, two men continued to Sodom, one man met them at the tomb. Jesus is not here, see where He laid.
Verse 11
"Which also said," they spoke to them "ye men of Galilee" the original disciples came from Galilee. These same fishermen, Peter, James, John and their neighbors, fellow Galileans. Remembering your origins, remembering when they and where they first met Jesus. Remembering your roots. "why stand ye gazing up into Heaven?" why stand here aimlessly staring into heaven. Jesus has left. There's nothing left to see here, nothing left to do here. "this same Jesus" Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus is not changing "which is taken up from you into heaven" the Jesus you see today, risen and ascended. "shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven." Jesus is returning, in a cloud, Just as He ascended so shall he descend back to earth. Behold, he cometh with clouds, Rev 1:7, Matt 26:64, Zech 12:10, Dan 7:13
Verse 12
"then returned they unto Jerusalem" obedience. "from the mount called Olivet" Eze 11:23 speaks of glory of the Lord standing on the Mount of Olivet. Zech 14:4 "which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey" ? of a mile, close
Verse 13
"and when they were come in" they, they, they. The church is people coming together "they went up into an upper room" they assembled, together "where they abode" they took up residence "Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomewe, Matthew, James of Alphaeus, Simon Zelotes, Judas brother of James" 11 disciples
Verse 14
"These all continued with one accord" These, they, together, accord, continued, didn't stop coming together, didn't break up "in prayer and supplication" what were they doing together? Praying "with the women" the women were there too, it wasn't just the men "and Mary the mother of Jesus" Jesus' mother was there, she continued "and with His brethren" the sons of Mary after Jesus, they were there
Working Outside the Holy Ghost vs 15-26
Verse 15
"in those days" the days that led up to the pouring out of the Holy Ghost, those "not many days hence" that Jesus spoke of. The days BEFORE the Holy Ghost and AFTER Jesus ascended. "Peter stood up" Peter took charge, Peter asserted himself "in the midst of the disciples" together, again, midst, middle. "the number of names together" together, again "were about an hundred and twenty" it wasn't just the 11 disciples
Verse 16
Peter said "Men and brethren" speaking to the group, the gathered group "this scripture must needs have been fulfilled" If God's going to fulfill scripture then He doesn't need our help to do so. God found His replacement for Judas in Paul. The rest of the book speaks to this effect. We don't hear much about Matthias after this. "which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake" all scripture is given by inspiration. 2 Tim 3:16 "before concerning Judas" Psalm 109:8, Psalm 69:25 "which was guide to them that took Jesus" Judas' crime. Some Old Testament scriptures that are reflected in Judas and his actions around the betrayal of Jesus: Zec 11:9-13 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD. And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He was Jesus' disciple. He ate the Last Supper bread with Jesus .."This is my flesh." Judas cast the 30 pieces of silver back to the Temple leaders and the (blood) money was used to purchase the Potter's Field as a graveyard for those condemned out of the Temple. Zec 13:6-7 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. (See Matthew 26:56) Pro 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Psa 41:7-11 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
Verse 17
"he was numbered with us" he was one of the 12, this number of disciples was unique to their calling. Matt 10:1-2, Mark 3:14, Luke 6:13 "had obtained part of this ministry" The callings of God are without repentance Romans 11:29
Verse 18
"now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity" see Zech 11, Judas accepted 30 pieces of gold for betraying Jesus. Matthew 26:15, Matt 27:3-5, Matt 27:6-10 "and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." Judas hung himself in such a way that his body ruptured. Matt 27:1-10 I want to add a bit of personal commentary, more like food for thought. In Matthew there is an inspired account of what happened, in Acts Luke is recording what Peter said. Peter may have got it wrong. Luke wasn't declaring the actual account; he was recording what Peter said.
Verse 19
"it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem" My personal opinion of this account of Peter counselling the believers in the upper room is that Peter has not yet received the Holy Ghost and he is operating outside of being led by the Holy Ghost. He was trying to do something that didn't require his assistance or involvement. So this recount of what Peter said is just that, a recount of Peter speaking to the believers before he received the Holy Ghost. Thus I take anything he says here with a grain of salt. I wouldn't consider Peter inspired here. The message is more at 'What happens when people uninspired try to run things" "insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, the field of blood." The potters field, the death of Judas, the witness of the people of Jerusalem. Peter is using all these things to make a point about Judas.
Verse 20
"For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take." Psalm 69:25 Again, Jesus told them to wait. Here we don't see waiting, we see doing. We people have a hard time waiting. Being still and know that I am God. Be at peace. We can drum up any scripture we desire if it grants us the right to do something we want to do. Or to be busy, involved in things that don't have anything to do with us.
Verse 21
"Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us," Here God, pick someone from the list I gave you. Jesus didn't do that, He picked Paul, someone not in Peter's list. "But Jesus, these are the people that accompanied you" again, these are projected qualifications that Peter seems to be preoccupied with. We have a tendency to think that God has to behave within a set of confines that we create based on our limited understanding of who He is and what we know about scripture.
Verse 22
"Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He was taken up from us," again, another arbitrary qualification that Peter is placing on replacing Judas. This is meddling in affairs that have nothing to do with us. John 21:22 "Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." "must one" Peter is saying, "We must do this" but they don't. "This must happen" All things work together for the good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose. The only thing we "must" do is be saved. Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." This quote is from a Spirit led message. "be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection." Witnesses of His resurrection are not limited to the 12 disciples, nor is apostleship. John 20:29 "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
Verse 23
"And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, whas was surnamed Justus, and Matthias." Barsabas/Barnabas (Acts 4:36) is mentioned later with Paul who went on to do great works for the Lord. "and Matthias" who is only mentioned here.
Verse 24
"and they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two Thou hast chosen," They were saying "You, God, You show, You do what I tell you to do." God doesn't take orders from us. They even used the word Lord, the absolute ruler, they were giving orders to God. Not only that, but they set the conditions, "whether of these two Thou has chosen" what if God didn't choose any of them?
Verse 25
"That he may take part of this ministry" It's God's ministry, God chooses who is in it and who is not. "and apostleship" it's God's apostleship, God's calling, God's appointment, not mans. "from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place" Our reasoning why something must happen is flawed, partial, and bias.
Verse 26
"and they gave forth their lots;" they threw some dice to see what God wanted. They had spent 3 years at the feet of Jesus, asking questions, listening to His teaching and they have quickly resorted to throwing dice to dictate the decisiveness of God. "and the lot fell upon Matthias" we never hear about Matthias again. "and he was numbered with the eleven apostles" amazing how Luke put it "the eleven apostles" it didn't change the number. There were still 11 apostles.