02.09. The First Chapter of Acts

THE FIRST CHAPTER OF ACTS. title of the book. In the King James Version this book is called "The Acts of the Apostles." But this title is not entirely correct, for the book contains only some of the acts of some of the apostles. By some it is called "Acts of Apostles," but some of the deeds recorded were done by other than apostles. In the American Standard Version the title is simply "The Acts." It has also been called the "Book of Conversions." It is that, but more. It is really a brief history of the early church, the only absolutely reliable church history ever written.

Let the student seriously reflect over the fact that this is the only book of the Bible giving a record of the conversions under the Great Commission. its author. It is not stated in so many words who its author is; but Acts 1:1-2, together with Luke 1:1-4, identifies the author of "The Acts" with the author of "The Gospel According to Luke." Read Luke 1:1-4, and then these verses in Acts 1 : "The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 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." A continuation of the former history. The foregoing verses show clearly that "The Acts" is a continuation of the former treatise, which closed with the returning of the disciples to Jerusalem after the ascension of Jesus. In Acts, Luke gives a fuller account of the incidents connected with the ascension.

"The commandment" mentioned in Acts 1:2 is evidently the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47). This commission is the key to "The Acts." The acts and preaching of the apostles is the best exposition of the meaning of the Great Commission.

"his passion." "To whom he showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days" (Acts 1:3). Only here do we learn how long Jesus remained with his apostles after his resurrection. "His passion"—His suffering, crucifixion.

Hisidentity. When Jesus was crucified his disciples gave up hope, and it took strong proof to reassure them. But during these forty days the apostles were with him in such intimate association that they could not have been mistaken in his identity. In addition to his apostles and others to whom he appeared frequently during the forty days, he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6).

SPEAKING THE THINGS CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OF GOD. He was soon to ascend to the Father and be crowned King, and the apostles as his ambassadors were to proclaim that fact and make known his laws. It was needful, therefore, that they have the fullest possible instructions. In the Great Commission we have summed up the fundamentals of his reign. For a fuller discussion of the Commission, the student is referred to "Sound Doctrine," Vol. I. waiting in Jerusalem. "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 1:4). Compare with Luke 24:36-49. "The promise of the Father" is the promise of the giving of the Holy Spirit, so often mentioned by the Savior, and dwelt on so much the night of his betrayal (see John 7:37-39; John 14:16; John 14:26; John 15:25; John 16:7-15). The matters which they were to teach were so important, and human nature so likely to fail, that Jesus specially charged them to wait in Jerusalem till the promised Spirit came, adding: "Ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence." The baptism in the Holy Spirit was necessary to equip them as ambassadors of Christ and as revelators and executors of his will. false ideas of the kingdom. With all that Christ had taught the apostles concerning the kingdom, they did not comprehend his mission nor the nature of his kingdom. Their minds were so filled with the vision of the temporal kingdom restored, with Christ as a universal sovereign on the throne of David in Jerusalem, the whole world paying tribute, that they had utterly failed to see in him a universal sovereign, crowned King in heaven and ruling over a glorious spiritual kingdom. Even the hope of an earthly kingdom faded from their minds when Jesus died, but had been revived by his resurrection; hence, in his last interview with them, they said: "Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" This question shows, at least, two things: (1) that the apostles still looked for their old kingdom to be restored; (2) that the kingdom of Christ had not at that time been established; for had it been established, his chief executors could not have been ignorant of its existence. Had such been possible, Jesus most certainly would have disabused their minds of such dense ignorance; but, instead, he declared: "It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has set within his own authority." That is, God alone knows the times or seasons of the fulfillment of his promises or prophecies. It is not for man to be meddling into such matters. This rebuke of the Lord should be heeded by all prophetic speculators. "The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29). power promised. "But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you." Only this miraculous endowment of the Holy Spirit would enable them to know any of the secret things of Jehovah. Such power had been repeatedly promised (Matthew 3:11; Matthew 10:19-20; Mark 1:8; John 14:26; John 16:7-13; Luke 24:49). When this power comes, "ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). For a discussion of the qualification of Christ’s witnesses, the reader is referred to the lesson on "The Apostles" in "Sound Doctrine," Vol. I.

Jerusalem. No one knows when Jerusalem was founded. It was called "Salem" in the days of Abraham (Genesis 14:8). It became the capital city of the Jews in the days of David. Here Solomon’s temple was builded. It thus became the center of Jewish education, government, and religion. From this city the prophets, looking forward to newer and better things, said the law should go forth from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1-4 : Micah 4:1-3). And here the apostles, at the command of Jesus, were to begin preaching in his name. They were to begin preaching Christ in the city of his greatest humiliation and amongst his bitterest enemies. Had they gone to some place remote from Jerusalem to begin their labors, the enemies could have exultantly said: "You could not have made any converts here, where every one knows the facts, so you went to the people ignorant of the facts to make your converts." But they were to begin amongst the very ones best prepared to disprove their claims and most interested in so doing. The benevolence and graciousness of his reign is also seen in that he offers pardon first to his murderers.

Hisascension. His last words having been spoken, "as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." From Luke’s former account of the ascension, to which this is added as a supplement, we learn that Jesus with uplifted hands was in the act of blessing them when he ascended (Luke 24:50-51).

Twomen stood by them. It was but natural for the awe-stricken apostles to stand gazing in wonder and astonishment, even after the cloud had received him out of their sight. "Two men stood by them in white apparel." Evidently these were angels in the form of men, as this was a common form of expression (Matthew 28:3-5; Luke 24:24).

"why stand ye looking into heaven?" This seems to have been a rebuke, and was doubtless intended to call their attention to present duties. It is necessary for us to look around us and see the needs before us, instead of putting in our time gazing into heaven, or into the future. Some present-day theorists need this rebuke.

Jesus is coming again. These men or angels informed the apostles that Jesus, who had just departed from them into heaven, would "so come in like manner" as they had seen him go into heaven. This must refer to his final coming, at which time he will come personally, openly, visibly (Revelation 1:7). At his coming the saints will meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). FROM THE ASCENSION TO PENTECOST.

"Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount which is called Olivet, which is nigh unto Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey off" (Acts 1:12). A Sabbath day’s journey is said to be seven-eights of a mile. On their return to Jerusalem they went into an upper chamber, their abiding place (Acts 1:13). This was, perhaps, the upper room in which the Lord’s Supper was instituted (Matthew 26:26-28). Certainly it must have been in the house of one friendly to Christ, who, for this reason, turned this room over to the apostles as their abiding place during these days of waiting.

"These continued steadfastly in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren" (Acts 1:14). Their manner of spending these days was such as might have been expected." It is not necessary to suppose that they spent the entire tune in the upper chamber. Indeed, in his former treatise Luke specifically states that "they were continually in the temple, blessing God" (Luke 24:53). Here doubtless they met for prayers with the others mentioned. The way in which Luke mentions the women shows that he expected Theophilus to know to whom he made reference. Evidently he referred to the women mentioned in Luke 23:49, who had come with Jesus out of Galilee. This is the last time Mary the mother of Jesus is mentioned in the New Testament. His brethren, who did not formerly believe in him (John 7:1­5), are now amongst his devoted followers. These were brethren in the flesh, and their names are mentioned in Matthew 13:55; Matthew 27:56.

One of these meetings, at which about one hundred and twenty were present, is prominently mentioned because of a speech made by Peter and because at that time the Lord pointed out Matthias as the one to take the place of Judas in the apostleship. judas. In connection with the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, a question is frequently raised that involves the free moral agency and personal responsibility of Judas. If the betrayal of Jesus was a fulfillment of a prophecy, and if Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, how, then, we are asked, could Judas avoid it? Such questions show a desire to pry into things not revealed. Every man is conscious of the fact that he is a free moral agent. If he is not, then he should neither be blamed nor rewarded for anything he does; neither should he have any regrets for any act of his own, no matter how base. Why, then should Judas have been filled with such bitter remorse that he went and hanged himself? Or why should Jesus have denounced him as having a devil? And why should Peter say that by transgression he fell? If God were forcing him to do what he did, if he was only carrying out God’s will in his own case, then what did he transgress? If he were not a free moral agent in betraying Christ, then he was not in his transgression or fall. But the whole trouble in the matter of the free moral agency of Judas grows out of the idea entertained by some that because Christ knew beforehand what Judas would do, Judas had no choice in the matter. It is argued that foreknowledge amounts to predestination, that God cannot foreknow a thing without predetermining it. That opens a vast field which we cannot enter, but which will be discussed in a later volume of this series of lessons. But this may be said now: Man cannot comprehend God, and cannot, therefore, know what is possible with God. To say that a certain thing is impossible with God is to limit the Infinite Being. Reverence should prevent a man from being dogmatic on such matters. WAS JUDAS A DEVIL FROM THE BEGINNING?

Some good people hold the view that Judas was a devil from the beginning—i. e., that he was wicked all his life. Of him we know nothing till he is mentioned as one of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:4). He was one of the number Jesus sent forth to preach; he with the other apostles was given power to cast out devils (Mark 3:13-19), and Satan could not cast out Satan (Mark 3:22-27). Not only was he an apostle sent to preach and cast out devils, but he was called a friend of Jesus (Psalms 41:9).

Satan entered him at the close of the supper (John 13:27)

We should remember, though, in the study that Jesus said of Judas: "Did I not choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:69). And again "While I was with them I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12). In this Jesus speaks of Judas as having "perished." Certainly he had not at that time destroyed himself, and reference cannot be made to his self-destruction—his act of suicide; but he had turned from Christ, he had covenanted for the betrayal of Christ, Satan had entered him and he was being guided at that time by Satan, and as a disciple of Jesus he had certainly "perished." He could not have "perished" as a disciple had he not formerly been a disciple.

PETER’S SPEECH (Acts 1:15-22).

Peter’s speech was short and to the point. Observe that there are two parenthetical expressions inclosed in the speech. It is easily seen that they are Luke’s words, thrown in for the purpose of explanation. Immediately after the word "said," in Acts 1:15, Luke parenthetically tells the number present. Acts 1:18-19 are evidently Luke’s words.

"The scripturewhich the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David." This is a significant expression. The Holy Spirit spoke, but how? "By the mouth of David." Some seem to think that the Holy Spirit in some mystical way spoke to the inspired men, and then he spoke to the people. Not so; the Holy Spirit spoke to the people "by the mouth of David" and other inspired men. This is the Holy Spirit’s method of talking to the people. Through the record left by these inspired men the Holy Spirit still speaks to men. Paul says: "Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7-10). Here Paul quotes the scripture, and tells us it is what the Holy Spirit says. The Holy Spirit is speaking to you when you are reading the Bible. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches" (Revelation 2:7). In Acts 1:18-19 Luke explains some things about Judas. "This man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity." Judas bargained with the chief priests to deliver Jesus into their hands for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16). Later, when Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse, and brought the money back to the chief priests. They took it and bought a piece of ground with it (Matthew 27:3-8). Inasmuch as this field was bought with Judas’ money, it could truly be said that he obtained the field. It literally became a part of his estate, and could have been lawfully claimed by his heirs.

HOW JUDAS COMMITTED SUICIDE.

"Falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out" (Acts 1:18). It is also said that Judas hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). Is there a lack of harmony between Luke and Matthew? We see none. After Judas hanged himself, Luke says he fell. If he remained hanging for several days, as most likely he did, or if the rope broke and he fell a great distance immediately after he hanged himself, it is but natural that the results should have been as Luke says they were. From this circumstance Luke says the field was called the "field of blood." Some think this contradicts Matthew 27:6-7, where it is called the "field of blood" because it was bought with the price of blood. There is no contradiction—both facts make it appropriate to speak of it as the "field of blood."

DAVID QUOTED. In Acts 1:20 Peter quotes from the Psalms (Psalms 69:23; Psalms 109:8). In both Psalms it appears that David was speaking of the wicked in general, but what was true of the wicked in general would certainly be true of so base a character as Judas.

SUCCESSOR OF JUDAS.

"Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time must one becomes a witness with us of his resurrection" (Acts 1:22). Here Peter makes known the necessary qualifications for a successor of an apostle. Only two men could be found then possessing the requisite qualifications—namely, Joseph and Matthias. None can be found now, for none now living were with Jesus from the baptism of John till the ascension of the Master. AN OBJECTION CONSIDERED.

It is said by some that the apostles had no right to act in this matter, for the Savior had specially charged them to wait the coming of the Holy Spirit. The objection is not well founded, and the proof given to support the objection is not to the point. Certainly they were not to begin preaching till they were inspired by the Spirit, but does it follow that they were to do nothing? Luke says: "They were continually in the temple, blessing God" (Luke 24:33), and "these all with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer" (Acts 1:14). Did they have a right to thus serve and worship God? Besides if Jesus during the forty days had given them no instructions concerning the matter, how did such a matter occur to them? And had the idea occurred to one of them, some of the company most certainly would have objected to the procedure had there been no authority for it. Finally, had they been making the selection, they would have needed the illumination of the Holy Spirit to make the right selection. They found two in their company possessing the necessary qualifications, and let the Lord show which one he had chosen. (The reader is referred to "Sound Doctrine," Vol. I., pages 86, 87, for a further discussion of this question.) TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION.

Judas.

Jerusalem in Old and New Testaments.

Second Coming of Jesus. This Life the Time for Preparation to Meet God.

Prominent People Who Became Christians in Days of Apostles.

QUESTIONS.