Acts 1: Wait in Jerusalem
In ancient Greek writing, all the letters were capitals, making it impossible to distinguish THEOPHILUS (meaning “lover of God”), in which Luke would be addressing all individuals who had a love for God, versus THEOPHILUS as the name of a person. Do you think Luke is addressing any lover of God or a certain person? Why?
Author’s Thoughts
In ancient Greek, not only were all the letters capitals, no spacing existed between the words. There were no periods or commas. Text was continuous, not in paragraphs. Today, this would be difficult to read but not impossible. For example:
INANCIENTGREEKNOTONLYWEREALLTHELETTERSCAPITALSNOSPACING
EXISTEDBETWEENTHEWORDSTEXTWASCONTINUOUSNOTINPARAGRAPHS
TODAYTHISWOULDBEDIFFICULTTOREADBUTNOTIMPOSSIBLE
The gospel of Luke and his book of Acts are the largest books in the New Testament, almost 20,000 words in each one. Most of people’s letters in the New Testament are less than 2,000 words, so we can be pretty sure that Luke wasn’t writing a letter to an individual. He was writing a book to benefit a multitude.
Therefore, Luke was most likely writing to all those who love God, although we cannot entirely rule out the possibility that he was writing a book to an individual who chose to publish the work.
Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:1 Dear Lover of God, in my first book, I wrote about all that Jesus said and did.
King James
Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
The original Greek text has no chapter breaks, numbered verses, or paragraphs. There weren’t even spaces between the words. How might this make our interpretation of Scripture difficult?
Author’s Thoughts
Nobody today speaks the ancient Greek language that the apostle Paul used. We have no audio recordings or Greek dictionaries from 2,000 years ago. But we do have thousands of scholars who have spent countless hours doing their best to put the message into word forms that we can understand.
An ancient Medieval Latin proverb says, Graecum est. Non potest legi.” That is, This is Greek, which can’t be read. That concept prevails today when we say, “It’s Greek to me,” meaning the message is beyond our capacity to understand.
When the Ethiopian eunuch was asked if he understood the Hebrew text he was reading, he wasn’t sure who the prophet Isaiah was referring to, himself or someone else (Acts 8:34). A scribe who had copied the prophet’s words many times would not have given the answer that Philip gave about Jesus. From this we should understand that a word-for-word translation isn’t always enough to reveal the truth. We often need help with the interpretation that reveals the meaning.
Jesus reprimanded Jews who had studied Scripture all their lives, yet they didn’t recognize who he was (John 5:39-40). Therefore, without the help of the Holy Spirit, we might doubt whether we could recognize truth at all (John 16:13).
In all languages, words have different meanings, and only one of them is intended by the author. In English, we even have contranyms, the same word but with opposite meanings, such as cleave, meaning “cut apart” or “join together.” If we dust the surface, we either “remove fine particles” or we “cover with fine particles.” We must know the context to determine what meaning is correct.
No matter whether we consider a scholarly work a translation or a paraphrase, the excellence is best measured by how well the interpretation agrees with what the author would say to us today.
Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:1 Dear Lover of God, in my first book, I wrote about all that Jesus said and did.
1:2 In the power of the Holy Spirit, he taught his chosen messengers until he ascended into Heaven.
King James
Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
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:
For forty days after the resurrection, Jesus gave many undeniable proofs that he was alive. In what ways did he do that?
Author’s Thoughts
Jesus was first seen by Mary Magdalene. She saw him from a distance but didn’t recognize him as she ran to tell Peter and John that Jesus’ body was missing.
All the women who had been to the empty tomb didn’t understand what the angel meant when he said, “He is risen.” That statement was beyond their comprehension because (1) no one had ever risen from the dead before and (2) they hadn’t heard any Easter sermons. The only reasonable conclusion was that someone broke into the tomb and stole his body.
Peter and John believed only what they saw. How could someone have stolen the body? This seemed impossible, so they ran to the tomb to see if what Mary had told them could be true. They believed, but not in the resurrection. Why? For the same reason the women couldn’t believe. They didn’t know it was possible.
Mary Magdalene didn’t believe until she met Jesus. She trailed behind Peter and John and remained at the tomb, crying, after they left to tell the shocking news to the other disciples. The body was gone. Finally, when Mary saw Jesus, talked to him, and embraced him, she knew he had risen from the dead. The other women believed in the resurrection after talking to Jesus on their walk from the tomb.
The disciples believed the body had been stolen. The women’s stories seemed just too far-fetched to be true. Why couldn’t they believe? Answer: it’s almost impossible to believe anything that we’re sure can’t happen. After Cleopas and Simon (not Peter) on the way to Emmaus walked with Jesus, talked with him, and ate with him, the disciples couldn’t accept their stories. By law, the matching testimonies of two or three witnesses established the truth, but not for them.
With eyes to see, we believe. As soon as Thomas saw Jesus, he believed. That was not true for the other disciples. When they saw him, they assumed he had to be some kind of spiritual apparition. They did finally believe, but only after he sat and ate fish with them. Since ghosts can’t eat food, they saw and believed. Jesus really had risen from the dead.
What did Jesus say and do in the forty days after he rose from the dead? We know that Jesus saw hundreds of people. The apostle Paul tells us that five hundred saw him at one time. Perhaps his messages were much like what is recorded about the two on the way to Emmaus. Of one thing we may be certain: he wanted everyone to know he is alive, and we need to believe it, whether we see him or not.
Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:3 After his death, Jesus showed himself alive by many undeniable proofs. For forty days, he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
King James
Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Prior to his death, Jesus said, “There are many things I’d like to tell you, but you can’t handle it right now.” What new things might he have told them after the resurrection?
Author’s Thoughts
Truth is not always something we can accept.
After the resurrection, Jesus’ disciples believed something other than his promise to “lay down his life and raise it again” (John 10:18). After seeing the angels and the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene revealed her truth to Peter and John. “Someone has stolen Jesus’ body” (John 20:2). The disciples thought they were seeing Jesus’ spirit—a ghost—which is understandable since he appeared in their midst without knocking and entering through the door (Luke 24:36). They didn’t believe they were seeing him in the flesh until after he ate fish with them (Luke 24:39–43).
Before his arrest, Jesus predicted his death, burial, and resurrection. Amazed at his miracles and teaching, the disciples had faith in many areas. They had seen people like Lazarus raised from the dead. But after seeing Jesus crucified, the evidence of his death was too strong to believe he could be alive, not even when trusted friends claimed to have seen him. That’s why Jesus spent so much of his post-resurrection days on Earth “showing himself alive by many undeniable proofs” (Acts 1:3–4).
We are very good at embracing what we want to believe.
The Pharisees and teachers of the Law had studied Scripture all their lives, yet they couldn’t accept Jesus (John 5:39–40). Even with the miracles, they wouldn’t believe. Why? They didn’t want to, which explains why Jesus often taught in parables—so they wouldn’t be forced to believe (Matthew 13:13).
After Samuel Shenton established the Flat Earth Society in 1971, he had to address the satellite images that showed Earth as a sphere. “It’s easy to see,” he said, “how a photograph like that could fool the untrained eye.”
Denying the truth is easy. It simply requires that we believe something else.
When we don’t want to admit we’re wrong, a lie becomes our truth. Others may see our belief as a lie. God always knows when we’ve been deceived by others or by ourselves, but we can’t see it—which explains why we need to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, who will “guide us into all truth” (John 16:13).
The truth can be painful.
Studies have indicated that people will expend more effort to avoid pain than to pursue pleasure. We must believe the reward is greater than the cost, or we won’t make the sacrifice.
In the movie A Few Good Men, defense attorney Lieutenant Kaffee (Tom Cruise) asks for the truth. In response, Colonel Jessup (Jack Nicholson) is famous for saying, “You can’t handle the truth.” Why not?
With knowledge comes responsibility, and we’re not always ready to pay the price. Olympic athletes sacrifice their bodies in training to an extent that seems insane to most people, but not to them (1 Corinthians 9:25). Why? Because they believe the potential reward justifies the cost.
Scripture says we won’t approach God unless we believe the reward justifies the sacrifice (Hebrews 11:6). This is a painful truth because Jesus says we can’t be his disciple unless we’re willing to give up everything, even our lives (Luke 14:26–27).
Jesus’ disciples had given up their businesses and families to follow Jesus, but Peter had doubts about the reward. So Jesus assured him of a hundred-fold benefit in this life and eternal life to come (Mark 10:29–30).
The disciples thought they were ready to die for Jesus (Matthew 26:35), but they weren’t. At the time of Jesus’ arrest, they scattered like “sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 14:27).
We need God’s help with what we can’t handle right now.
Fear gripped the hearts of the disciples, which is understandable. Religious leaders crucified Jesus and issued a death warrant for Lazarus (John 12:10). We know John was at the cross. But apparently Peter kept his distance, and the other disciples fled.
After the Day of Pentecost, we see a remarkable change in the disciples who tarried in Jerusalem and waited for the promised Holy Spirit. No longer did they fear for their lives, but they boldly preached the message of Jesus Christ, thankful to be counted worthy to suffer for his name (Acts 5:41).
The truth they couldn’t handle before was now something they could accept. Their relationship with Jesus was something worth dying for. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they believed the reward justified the sacrifice, even unto death (Revelation 12:11).
Author’s Paraphrase
John 16:12 I have much more to tell you, but you cannot handle it right now.
Acts 1:4 When they came together, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise from my Father that I told you about.
King James
John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
When Jesus talked to his disciples about the “Kingdom of God,” how might they have misunderstood what he was describing?
Author’s Thoughts
Jesus sometimes said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?” He followed with illustrations that remained a mystery. Why? Because we need the Holy Spirit to help us see what we can’t perceive with our natural eyes.
Kingdoms aren’t all the same.
A king-dom is any domain that is ruled by a king—a monarchy, not a democracy or republic in which the people have a voice in government.
The ancient concept of kingdoms was much different from today’s provinces, countries, or territories that have governors, presidents, or prime ministers. Ages ago, kings were revered as gods. Their commands were law, obeyed without question.
The Kingdom of God is ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth (Matthew 28:18).
Jesus was no ordinary king.
We shouldn’t be surprised to learn that his kingdom is unlike any we’ve seen throughout history. He is the “King of kings and the Lord of lord” (Revelation 19:16), which places his position above all other authorities and powers.
In other kingdoms, the ruler is served by the people. In the Kingdom of God, the name of Jesus is above every other name (Philippians 2:9), yet he is the greatest of all servants, a fact demonstrated by the washing of the disciples’ feet (John 13:5–14) and proven by the sacrifice of his life for our sake (John 10:11).
Under Christ the King, we are extraordinary.
When Jesus was accused of falsely claiming to be God, he referred to scripture that pointed to his people being gods (Psalm 82:6; John 10:35–36), a fact that the Jews could not understand because they’d never seen a kingdom where the people were to be like their king.
We don’t yet know what we will become. But the more of him we see, the more we’ll want to be like him, for we shall see how great he really is (1 John 3:2). In his Kingdom, we are more than ordinary subjects under his rule. Becoming like him in service and suffering, we get to reign with him (2 Timothy 2:12).
Warfare calls for a different kind of sword.
When sent out for ministry, the disciples were to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves,” which is a metaphor for slipping in unnoticed and fleeing when threatened (Matthew 10:16). If they were not accepted in a city, they kicked the dust from their sandals and left (Matthew 10:14).
When they left the Last Supper in the upper room, the disciples were told they needed swords (Luke 22:35–38). But right after that, Peter was reprimanded for using one when he cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear (John 18:10–11). In that experience, Jesus was showing that spiritual warfare wasn’t about attacking people.
Jesus said to Pilate, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my disciples would have fought to prevent my arrest by the Jews” (John 18:36).
Consider this paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 10:4.
The weapons of our warfare are spiritual, not physical—powerful through God to defeat every stronghold that opposes him, destroying human reasoning and overcoming anything that would rise up against his truth, making every thought subject to the will of Christ.
The Kingdom of God is a mystery to the natural eye.
Before a large gathering, Jesus said, “I guarantee, some of you standing here will not die before they see the Kingdom of God come with power” (Luke 9:27). After the resurrection, that day had not yet come, so we’re not surprised to hear the disciples ask Jesus, “Will you now restore the Kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).
The disciples were told to wait in Jerusalem until they received power when the Holy Spirit came (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8), which happened on the Day of Pentecost. No longer were these disciples hiding from the authorities, but they had become like Jesus, boldly preaching in the streets, rejoicing at the opportunity to suffer for his name (Acts 5:41).
Why the change? The Holy Spirit had revealed the truth they had never seen before, that their relationship with Christ was worth dying for. And in the meantime, he was worth living for.
Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:4 When they came together, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise from my Father that I told you about.
King James
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Jesus told his followers to wait in Jerusalem for the promise from his Father. In what ways could their expectations differ from what actually happened?
Author’s Thoughts
Author’s Insights Pending
Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:4 When they came together, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise from my Father that I told you about.
King James
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
What do you see as similarities between John’s baptism in water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Author’s Thoughts
Author’s Insights Pending
Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:4 When they came together, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise from my Father that I told you about.
King James
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Jesus said the promise would come “in a few days.” How do you think that indefinite promise affected their expectation?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:5 John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
King James
Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Prior to his death, Jesus said, “Some of you standing here will not die before they see the Kingdom of God come with power.” How might that revelation have affected their question about when that promise would be fulfilled? How do you think they felt about his answer?
Author’s Thoughts
Author’s Insights Pending
Author’s Paraphrase
Matthew 16:28 I guarantee, some of you standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.
Mark 9:1 I guarantee, some of you standing here will not die before they see the Kingdom of God come with power.
Luke 9:27 I guarantee, some of you standing here will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.
Acts 1:6 On the last day when the apostles were with Jesus, they asked, “Sir, will you now restore the Kingdom to Israel?”
1:7 Jesus said, “You are not allowed to know the timing of events that are under my Father’s authority,
1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the most distant places on earth.”
King James
Matthew 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Mark 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
Luke 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
In total, how many people saw Jesus after the resurrection?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
1 Corinthians 15:5 Peter saw the risen Christ, then the rest of the disciples.
15:6 During the days that followed, more than five hundred people saw him at one time. Most of them are still living and can verify that Jesus died and was raised from the dead, but some have died.
King James
1 Corinthians 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
Without power, engines won’t run and their purpose cannot be fulfilled. In what ways do you think the power of the Holy Spirit was important for the witnesses?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the most distant places on earth.
King James
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
What do you think was going through the minds of the disciples as they watched Jesus ascend into the sky?
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Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:9 After saying this, he was lifted up and disappeared into the clouds.
1:10 While they gazed at the sky, two men appeared, dressed in white.
King James
Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
How would you describe the appearance of the two men dressed in white. What do you think their tone of voice was like?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:10 While they gazed at the sky, two men appeared, dressed in white.
King James
Acts 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Luke lists eleven disciples who went to the upper room in Jerusalem, where Jesus presumably had earlier appeared to them and where they observed the last supper together. Where might others from Galilee have been staying?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:13 The eleven went to the upper room where they were staying—Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and the brother of James, Judas Thaddaeus.
King James
Acts 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
Christian tradition makes the Upper Room a place for prayer, but in the first century, Jewish tradition put the place for prayer in the Temple outer court. How many others might have joined them at different times?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
Matthew 21:13 He said to the people, “The scriptures say, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a hangout for robbers.”
Acts 1:14 With single purpose, they continued in Temple prayer, with Jesus’ brothers, mother, and other women joining them.
King James
Matthew 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Scripture tells us that Jesus’ brothers were not believers. What do you think happened to cause his brother James to believe and become a leader of the Jerusalem church?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
John 7:5 His own brothers did not believe in him.
King James
John 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
How many days prior to the day of Pentecost might the 120 in the Temple have been assembled when a replacement for Judas was chosen?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:15 One day, Peter stood in the midst of about 120 of Jesus’ followers and said,
1:16 “My friends, Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke through David concerning Judas who helped the Temple leaders arrest Jesus.”
2:1 At midmorning on the day of Pentecost, the followers of Jesus were gathered in the Temple with a single passion for prayer.
King James
>Acts 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
What prediction did King David make concerning Judas (Psalm 41:9; 109:8)?
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Author’s Paraphrase
Psalm 41:9 My trusted friend who ate bread with me has turned against me.
109:8 Let his life be short. Let someone else have his job.
King James
Psalm 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
109:8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
We see Judas’s remorse in his returning to the Temple his thirty pieces of silver. How do you think his remorse differed from Peter’s repentance after denying the Lord three times?
Author’s Thoughts
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Author’s Paraphrase
Matthew 26:75 And he remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went outside and broke down crying.
27:3 When Judas, the traitor, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he was sorry for his actions. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests and Jewish leaders.
King James
Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
Luke says Judas fell to his death. Matthew says he hanged himself. How might both of those statements be true?
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Author’s Paraphrase
Matthew 27:5 He flung the silver across the Temple floor, left, and hanged himself.
Acts 1:18 With the money he received from his treachery, the field where he fell to his death was purchased, where his body split open and his intestines spilled out.
King James
Matthew 27:5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Acts 1:18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
What were the qualifications for the men being considered to replace Judas?
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Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:21 Therefore, of those who have been with us from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry
1:22 —from the days John was baptizing in the Jordan until Jesus ascended into Heaven—we must appoint one of these men to become a witness with us, testifying of Jesus’ resurrection.”
King James
Acts 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
In making a choice between Justus and Matthias, what method was used? Do you think that was a good approach? Why?
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Author’s Paraphrase
Acts 1:24 And the group prayed, saying, “Lord, you know the hearts of these men. Show us which one you have chosen
1:25 to take the place of Judas, who by his transgression vacated his position for his own place.”
1:26 In casting lots, the choice fell on Mathias and he was added to the eleven apostles.
King James
Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
1:25 hat he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.