Acts Chapter 1

Acts Chapter 1

Distributed by:  KJV Bible Studies
Website: www.KjvBibleStudies.net
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Introduction:  We begin a new study on the book of Acts this week.   This is a great book as it shows some of the trials and accomplishments in the early days of the church age. 

The Acts of the Apostles is a unique book when compared to the other books in the new testament. In the gospels we see a difficult time period, particularly among the Jewish believers. These matters were due to the persecution they encountered. Many were reverting to their former selves concerning the interpretation of the purpose of the Law.

The Acts of the Apostles details the final portion of that transition.  The Persecution enabled the fulfilling of God’s purpose in that it set the church in motion to fulfill its purpose after its empowerment. Within the book is a firm pattern for the church regarding practice. It is a divinely ordered pattern of how God organized the local church, its priorities, and how it should operate.

Luke was inspired by God to pen the book. It picks up in time where the gospel of Luke left off. It was apparently written about 65 A.D., at the time of Paul’s initial imprisonment at Rome. The Apostle Peter is prominent in the first twelve chapters. From chapter thirteen onward, the focus is upon the Apostle Paul.

The first chapter of Acts details the ten day time period between the ascension of Jesus Christ and the day of Pentecost. One thing quite evident was the unity of prayer and spirit of the first church. In the first eight verses, Jesus set forth instructions for the church just before its empowerment to fulfill the Great Commission.

The latter portion chapter 1 present three events: (1) The ascension of Christ into heaven.   (2) The intervening prayer meeting of the church.(3) The election of Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot.
 
I.  Luke Identified as Writer of Acts
 
Acts 1:1  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Acts 1:2  Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
 
The former treatise referred to is the Gospel of Luke which detailed “all that Jesus began both to do and teach.” Little is known of the Theophilus mentioned. However, both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were addressed to him. The word Theophilus literally means ‘a friend of God.’ In any event, ‘The Acts of the Apostles’ was written directly to him.
In verse 2. Luke, in referring to the writing of the Gospel of Luke, notes that it presented the ministry of our Lord up to the time of His ascension.  The “commandment unto the apostles whom he had chosen,” in this context, clearly is a reference to the Great Commission which our Lord commanded at the end of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It will occur again in Acts 1:8.  It should be noted that the Great Commission of our Lord is described as a commandment. Further, it was given “through the Holy Ghost.”

Two reasons that cause us to believe that Luke wrote the book of Acts are stated in the first verse.  The first is “The former treatise have I made” which speaks of the book of Luke in his account of the Gospel. And secondly, his direction of the letter to “Theophilus”.  We see the book of Luke also directed to this same man.

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