In this message, we begin our study of the Book of Acts. Brian begins by giving an introduction and overview of the Book of Acts. This is followed by examining the first 8 verses of chapter 1, and asking the question, “What did the apostles need in order for the risen Christ to continue to do and teach through them?” In this study we conclude by examining the subject of the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Teaching Notes:

How Does Jesus Continue To Do And Teach?

Acts 1:1-8

Introduction to the Book of Acts:

1.   Who Was the Author?  In order to discover who the author is, turn to iLuke 1:1-4. There, we read that Luke was writing to “most excellent Theophilus.” In Acts 1:1, Paul is also writing to “Theophilus.” In Acts 1:1 Paul says that his first account he composed was about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when He was taken up to heaven. Interestingly, that is exactly what the gospel of Luke is all about. Luke ends with Jesus being taken up into heaven – Luke 24:50-53. So, there is little doubt that Luke is the author of both Luke and Acts. Acts is sort of a Volume 2 of Luke’s writing. Whoever the author was, he traveled with Paul, as is clear from the “we” sections (Acts 16:10-13). Did Luke ever travel with Paul? Col.4:14 – “Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings”. 

2.   Who was Luke?

A Gentile:  Col.4:11ff.  He is the only author of the NT we know to be a gentile.

A Doctor:  Col.4:14. He is the beloved physician. Perhaps the reason he joined Paul’s team is to be the staff physician to them, as well as minister the gospel. 

A Historian:  this is evident because of his careful, painstaking approach to establish the accuracy of his history of Jesus and the early church.

An Author:  Luke’s writings comprise approximately 25% of our NT! This is more than we have from the apostle Paul! 

3.   Who Was The Reader?  “Most excellent Theophilus.”  Who was he?  “Theophilus” means lover of God from “Theos” and “phileo”. Some had thought that this was written to all lovers of God. However, that would make the title “most excellent” meaningless. The only persons in Acts that are referred to as “most excellent” are Felix and Festus, both governmental officials. Thus, Theophilus was also probably a high ranking government official who had come to Christ, and needed to be established in the truth.  How did he get his name?  There is a tradition that when his father came in to see his newborn son, he shrank back and said, “Ohhh, that’s the awfullest thing I’ve ever seen!” And it stuck!

4.   What is the Title of the Book?  In our modern translations it is usually “The Acts of the Apostles”, “The Book of Acts”, or just “Acts”.  However, if we really wanted a more accurate title, we would probably call it “The Acts of the Risen Christ through His Apostles.” 

5.   What Is Unique About This Book? 

·         It is our only link between the gospels and the epistles. It is the only inspired account of the history of the early church that we possess. 

·         It emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit, mentioned 56 times! He, not Peter or Paul, is the central person in this book. He is the person who empowers the apostles to continue to do Christ’s works and speak His words. 

·         It covers a span of about 34 years. It begins in about 30 A.D. in Jerusalem, and ends in about 64 A.D. in Rome. 

6.   What Is The Purpose of this Book?  The key verse is Acts 1:8. The book tells the story of the progress of the gospel from Jerusalem, the religious center of the world, to Rome, the secular center of the world, which was considered by the Jews to be the remotest part of the earth.  Chapters 1-7 speak of the apostles being “Witnesses in Jerusalem”, chapters 8-12 “Witnesses in Judea and Samaria”, and  chapters 13-28 “Witnesses to the remotest parts of the earth.” 

Acts 1:1-8 – “Began to do and teach”: this implies that after Jesus ascended He continued to do and teach. In fact, when you come to the end of Acts, you feel let down because there is no real ending. It concludes by saying that Paul was in prison in Rome for 2 years, preaching the kingdom of God unhindered. But what happened to him? It seems like the Holy Spirit intentionally left the book open-ended, because the pages of the history of the church are continuing to be written. That’s what the name “Acts 29” implies. God is still writing the history of His church today.  So, in Acts, Jesus no longer did and taught these things personally but through His representatives who were filled with the Holy Spirit. But what did these apostles need in order for the risen Christ to continue to do and teach through them?

1.   They Needed Orders For Their Work:  1:2

Before God can use us as His instruments, He needs to make clear what He wants us to do. He needs to give us our marching orders, our job description. Well, Jesus did that for the apostles in Mt.28:18-20, and Mark 16:15-16. These passages describe the Great Commission or the Great Orders Christ gave His apostles and church. This is the work the church is to be about. We need to be very clear about this. This is why we exist – “to glorify God by making disciples who make disciples.”  In a company, an employee who does not have clear directions and orders is unproductive, and little gets accomplished. Christ has not left us wondering what we are to be doing.

2.   They Needed A Presentation Of His Life:  1:3. 

You can’t be used by Jesus if you are not completely convinced He is alive from the dead, and therefore victorious over sin, Satan, death and hell, and that He can never be defeated, and His cause is unstoppable in the earth. So, Jesus made sure that He gave them many convincing proofs over 40 days. He said things like, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). After 40 days of these appearances, the apostles had no doubt that Jesus was alive from the dead and His cause was unstoppable. By these appearances, Jesus was training them to understand that even though they couldn’t see Him anymore, He was still with them. Compare Jn.20:25 with Jn.20:26-27. When Jesus appeared and spoke to him, Thomas knew that He had been eavesdropping on his earlier conversation! He now knew that Jesus was alive and was always with them, whether they could see Him or not. That is a lesson we need to learn as well!

3.   They Needed Instruction Concerning His Kingdom:  1:3

We are not told specifically what Jesus told them concerning His kingdom. Perhaps He told them that the advancement of His kingdom must become the highest priority of their life, not the building of their own personal kingdoms (Mt.6:33). Perhaps he told them that He had introduced the kingdom, it was at hand, and that they must urge all men to repent and believe the gospel. Maybe He told them that there were 2 kingdoms – the kingdom of light ruled by Himself and the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan, and that God Himself would transfer sinners from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of His Son.

4.   They Needed To Be Baptized With His Spirit:  1:4-8

What Is The Baptism With The Holy Spirit? It is what John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would do, and why He was so superior to him. All he could do was immerse and drench them in water. Jesus would immerse and drench them in the Spirit.

How Else Is the Baptism With The Spirit Referred To?  It is called “The Promise of the Father” in 1:4; “The Coming Upon of the Spirit” in 1:8; the “Filling With the Spirit” in 2:4; the “The Pouring Forth of the Spirit” in 2:17; “The Gift of the Holy Spirit” in 2:38. It is also referred to as Drinking The Spirit in 1Cor.12:13, Receiving The Spirit in Acts 10:47, and Being Clothed With Power From On High in Luke 24:49. 

What Is The Essence of the Baptism With The Spirit?  It is a believer being empowered for ministry. Luke 24:46-49 – Luke says they were to preach to all the nations, but they could not do that effectively until they were clothed with power from on high.  Acts 1:8 – it is an empowerment when the Spirit comes upon us to be His witnesses.

Should We Equate the Baptism With The Spirit with Conversion?  There are good reasons to believe the apostles were already converted in Acts 2 (John 13:10; 15:3). We are never told in Acts 2 that the apostles were converted or united to Christ. We are told they were empowered to be His witnesses. Jesus doesn’t say “Wait in Jerusalem until you are regenerated, converted or incorporated into the body of Christ.” Neither does he say “you shall be united to Christ when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” It appears that in Acts at least, to be baptized with the Spirit is for a believer to be empowered as a witness to Christ to the ends of the earth. Also when Peter explains how the Promise of the Father is being fulfilled on Pentecost, he quotes Joel 2:28-32, which says they would have power to prophecy, not Ezek. 36:25-27 says they would be reborn. Finally, the baptism with the Spirit is called “being filled with the Spirit” in Acts 2:4. Everywhere in Acts when someone is filled with the Spirit, they are given power to speak boldly for Christ (4:8; 4:31; 6:5,8,10; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9).

Life Application:

It is true that the apostles were unique in the history of redemption. They were especially chosen, commissioned, and empowered to be instruments in the hands of the Risen Christ. However, in a secondary sense, all of the things given to them are also given to us.

1.  We have been given orders for our work – Mt.28:18-20

2.  We have been convinced He is alive by the work of the Spirit: Rom.10:9-10

3.  We have His instruction in His Word concerning His kingdom

4.  We have the empowering of the Spirit available to us. 

If you want the Living and Risen Jesus to do and teach through you, accept His commission, be convinced He is alive and with you and will never leave or forsake you, make His kingdom your priority, and cry out for the empowering of His Spirit! 

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