Acts 1

Acts 1:1-5

¹The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, ²until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about God’s Kingdom. ⁴Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. ⁵For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Luke opens Acts by linking it to his Gospel: the risen Jesus proves His life, teaches about God’s Kingdom, and tells the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:6

⁶Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

The apostles ask the risen Lord whether He is about to restore the kingdom to Israel.

Acts 1:7

⁷He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.

Jesus withholds the Father’s timetable and instead promises Spirit-power so the apostles will witness from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8

⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

Jesus promises that the apostles will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:9-11

⁹When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¹⁰While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, ¹¹who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”

Jesus is taken up into heaven as the apostles watch; angels promise He will return in the same way.

Acts 1:12-14

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying, that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

The apostles return from Olivet to an upper room in Jerusalem and devote themselves to united prayer with the women, Mary, and Jesus’ brothers.

Acts 1:15-20

¹⁵In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, ¹⁶“Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. ¹⁷For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry. ¹⁸Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness; and falling headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out. ¹⁹It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’ ²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell in it;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’

Peter explains Judas’s fall from Scripture and recounts the grim end of the betrayer’s reward.

Acts 1:21-22

²¹“Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²beginning from the baptism of John to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

Peter sets the qualification for Judas’s replacement: a companion of Jesus from John’s baptism through the ascension, to witness the resurrection.

Acts 1:23-26

²³They put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.” ²⁶They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was counted with the eleven apostles.

The church nominates Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias, prays for the Lord who knows hearts to choose, and Matthias is added to the eleven by lot.

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