A Study of Acts : Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION.
A. Sometime between 58 and 63 A.D., Luke wrote his account of the life of Jesus Christ, which was addressed to an individual named Theophilus. At a later point, possibly between 63-64 A.D., Luke wrote again to Theophilus, writing what we know as the book of Acts. Consider the following quote from Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts.
“The narrative of Acts concludes with Paul under house arrest in Rome (c. A.D. 62). Because Acts gives no hint of the persecution under Nero (A.D. 64), Paul’s death (c. A.D. 68), or the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), many date the writing of Acts to the period of A.D. 63-64.” (Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts)
B. The first chapter of Acts begins with a brief review of Jesus’s final hours on this earth. Afterward, Luke begins his record, picking up with the apostles seeking a replacement for Judas Iscariot.
C. Let us begin our examination of Acts 1.
I. LUKE BEGINS HIS SECOND RECORD WITH A REVIEW.
A. Luke refers to his previous account he had written to Theophilus. (1:1-3)
1. “The former account I made . . .of all that Jesus began both to do and teach . . .” (v 1) (cf. Luke 1:1-4)
2. “until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,” (v 2) (cf. Luke 24:36-53)
3. “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (v 3)
a. Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-35)
b. Jesus appeared to the apostles. (Luke 24:36-53)
c. Jesus appeared before many others. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
4. The gospel of Luke, written to Theophilus began with the birth of Jesus, covered His life, teachings, and death, ending with His ascension.
B. Luke gives a second record of Jesus’s instructions to His apostles and Jesus’s ascension. (1:4-11)
1. Jesus told His apostles to stay in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit. (v 4-8) (cf. Luke 24:49; John 14:25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15)
2. Jesus ascended to heaven. (Jesus will return in the same manner in which He left.) (vs 9-11)
II. A REPLACEMENT FOR JUDAS ISCARIOT.
A. After Jesus’s ascension, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and went back to the upper room. With one accord, they prayed. (1:12-14) Those present were:
1. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (the son of Alphaeus), Simon the Zealot, and Judas (the son of James).
2. The women, Mary (the mother of Jesus) and Jesus’s brothers.
B. The apostles sought a replacement for Judas Iscariot from among the company of about one hundred and twenty of Jesus’s disciples. (1:15-26)
1. Peter reminded the brethren that Judas’s actions were a fulfillment of the words of David. (v 16) (cf. Psalms 41:9: John 13:18-27)
2. The Lord had given Judas Iscariot a part or allotment in their ministry. (v 17, 25)
3. Since Judas had betrayed the Lord and had taken his own life, the portion of the ministry appointed to Judas was left empty. Another had to take Judas’s place to became a witness of Jesus’s resurrection. (v 18-20, 22b)
4. Peter established the requirement in selecting Judas’s replacement. (v 21-22)
a. They had to choose from among those who had been with the disciples “all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out . . . beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up.”
b. In other words, the replacement had to have been with the disciples throughout the whole ministry of Jesus.
5. The disciples put forth the names of “Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.” (v 23)
6. The disciples prayed that the Lord would decide between the two men. (v 24-25)
7. The disciples then cast lots and the lot fell upon Matthias. (v 26)
a. What was the casting of lots? Consider the following taken from the Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
b. Casting lots was “a way of making decisions in Bible times, similar to drawing straws or casting a pair of dice to determine what course or direction to follow. The word “lots” occurs 70 times in the Old Testament and seven in the New Testament. Most of the occurrences were in the early period when little of the Bible was available and when God approved of this means for determining His will (Prov. 16:33) . . . In spite of the many references to casting lots in the Old Testament, nothing is known about the actual lots themselves. They could have been sticks of various lengths, flat stones like coins, or some kind of dice.” (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
c. Examples of casting lots:
(1) The high priest separated the Scapegoat from the one he sacrificed. (Leviticus 16:8-10)
(2) Joshua and the Israelites casts lots when dividing up the land of Canaan. (Joshua 14-21)
(3) Certain offices and functions in the Temple were determined by lot. (1 Chronicles 24:5,31; 25:8-9; 26:13-14)
(4) The sailors on Jonah’s ship cast lots. (Jonah 1:7)
III. KEY EVENTS FROM THIS CHAPTERS.
A. Key Event # 1: The promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would be extremely instrumental in the spreading of the gospel, the establishment of the church. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, the apostles and other inspired teachers would have failed in their endeavors.
B. Key Event # 2: The selecting of Matthias to take Judas’s place as an apostle.
CONCLUSION.
A. Acts chapter 1 closes with Jesus in heaven and the apostles in Jerusalem waiting for Jesus to fulfill His promise of sending to them the Holy Spirit.
B. In Acts 2, we will see Jesus fulfill His promise.
------------------------------------
A Study of Acts : Chapter 1 -- April 11, 2004 -- File # 705 - Acts of the Apostles
by John M. Duvall -- Lawton, OK