Acts 1:1-11 Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven = January 2

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
Acts 1:1-11

Who would you want to write the biography of your life? Why that person? What does this person know about you that you would like people to know?

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
• How does this book pick up where Luke 24:45-53 leaves off? Why do you think Luke wanted to write this book as a follow-up to his gospel?
• Why is Acts an important book to the total NT message?
• Theophilus, what is the picture in your mind of this man since Luke writes these 2 books to him?
• Diaries & journals, why do you think Dr. Luke kept one?
• How do you see Luke contributing to Paul's evangelistic work of making disciples?
• What sort of convincing proof's did Jesus provide about his resurrection?
• Did the disciples understand the true nature of the kingdom? How did Jesus respond?
• What do the disciples think will happen when they receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:6? How does their idea of the kingdom differ from Jesus' in Acts 1:7-8?
• As a disciple what is the impact of you of Jesus' words in Acts 1:8? Of Jesus' departure in Acts 1:9? Of the angels' promise in Acts 1:11
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
• How would you explain the effects of the Resurrection to your non-believing friends?
• Explain why it was important for the apostles to know Jesus would return? What difference does the knowledge of Christ's 2nd Coming make in your daily life?
• To which "Jerusalem" are you called to bear witness? How do you need the Spirit to help you?
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

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Introduction to Acts by

Mark Moore and Mark Scott

I.       RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: 

Luke and Acts make up approximately 27% of the NT. From the first sentence of Acts, Luke makes his agenda clear: What Jesus began with the disciples, the Holy Spirit brings to fruition through the church. Two-volume works like this were not uncommon in antiquity. For example, Josephus, Luke's contemporary, wrote an apology for the Jews divided into two parts. 

In the first volume of this work, my most esteemed Epaphroditus, I demonstrated the antiquity of our race ... I also challenged the statements of Manetho, Chaeremon, and some others. I shall nor proceed to refute the rest of the authors who have attacked us. (Jospehus, Against Apion, 2:1)

Ferguson is likely correct when he suggests, "They (Luke and Acts) are the only books in the New Testament with this feature, which shows that they were intended for a wider audience than that of the Christian communities and reflect a higher level of culture."^[1] 

Regardless of who reads this two-volume work, the overlap between them is undeniable. In fact, one cannot rightly read the first without the second and visa-versa. Consider these striking similarities: 

1.             Their introductions: Luke 1:1–4; Acts 1:1–5. Both address Theophilus and both lay out Luke‘s primary agenda for the book.

2.             Their transition: Acts begins where Luke left off. The resurrection and ascension are common to both (Luke 24; Acts 1). However, Luke spends a lot of time with the resurrection and briefly mentions the ascension whereas Acts briefly mentions the resurrection and expands on the ascension. This is a helpful literary device.

3.             They bridge Jesus and the Church: The church was not an afterthought. You cannot be saved without being part of the church. In a sense, the church is Jesus. In a sense, it is not only Luke that would be incomplete without Acts, but Matthew, Mark, and John as well. For without the Church, the message of the Gospel is incomplete.

4.             They bridge Jesus and the Spirit: The work of the Holy Spirit is a continuation of the ministry of Jesus. The Holy Spirit touches all areas of church life in Acts—evangelism, stewardship, problem-solving, leadership, etc. 

5.             They bridge Jew and Gentile: Acts 2 and Acts 10 are vital. While Luke emphasizes that the roots of Christianity are to be found in Judaism, God intended from the beginning to gain for himself a people from all the nations of the earth. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, but usually went first to the Jewish synagogue when he arrived in a town. All of the disciples were Jewish, but the gospel would spread through them to the Gentiles. 

6.             They bridge faith and history: The people in both books are real. The story does not begin, ―Once upon a time ... " The miraculous and the historical, the individual and the corporate, the spiritual and the political are woven together as warp and woof of a single narrative.

7.             Both show interest in the downtrodden—Gentiles, Samaritan, Women, the poor and the sick: For Luke, the only Gentile author of the Bible, the idea that God would be available to all (not just healthy Jewish males) was the life-changing realization that under-girded his literary project. One can trace his movements toward inclusion throughout Luke and Acts, culminating in the conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10–11) and Saul/Paul‘s ministry to the Gentiles (esp. 9, 13, 15).

8.             Both show interest in supernatural beings—angels and demons: Gabriel was sent to Zechariah (Luke 1:11–19), Mary (Luke 1:26–38), and the shepherds (Luke 2:9–15). Luke has Jesus speak frequently about angels (Luke 9:26; 12:8–9; 15:10; 16:22; 20:36). Angels were involved in the resurrection (Luke 24:23), the ascension (Acts 1:10–11), deliverance from prison (Acts 5:19; 12:7–15), evangelism (Acts 8:26; 10:3–7, 22; 11:13), infliction of judgment (Acts 12:23), and revelation (Acts 27:23). Demons are also a common theme for Luke (Luke 4:33–3, 41; 6:18; 7:21; 8:2, 27–38; 9:1, 42, 49; 10:17; 11:14–24; 13:32; Acts 8, 13, 16, 19, 28). These are countered by appropriate signs and wonders from the Holy Spirit.

Just as Luke/Acts can be compared, so can the ministries of Peter and Paul within the book of Acts:

1.       Healed a lame man (3:6; 14:8f). 

2.       Peter's shadow and Paul's handkerchief (5:15; 19:12). 

3.       Confronted a sorcerer (8:20; 13:8). 

4.       Raised the dead (9:36–42; 20:9–12). 

5.       Received and rejected worship (10:25–26; 14:11–15). 

6.       Supported by a Pharisee before the Sanhedrin (5:34–35; 23:6, 7). 

7.       Miraculous release from prison (5:19; 16:26). 

8.       Vision recorded three times (10:9–23, 27–29; 11:4–10; 9:1– 19; 22:6–12; 26:12–18). 

9.       Beaten (5:40; 16:22, 23). 

10.   Filled with the Holy Spirit (4:8; 9:17; 13:19). 

11.   Preached the Word of God with boldness (4:13, 31; 9:27,28). 

12.   Preached to both Jews and Gentiles (10:34f; 13:46f). 

It is as if Luke is saying, ―So goes Peter, so goes Paul.‖ Yet this comparison needs to be taken one step backwards and one step forwards. The ministries of Peter and Paul mirror that of Jesus; they also project forward the ministry of the church in expanding the fame of Jesus. 

II. MAJOR THEMES, VALUES, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BOOK: 

1.             The Holy Spirit is mentioned at very important intervals in the book. Haenchen mentions that "spirit" occurs 62 times in the book.^[2] It belongs: 

a.       With baptism except in exceptional cases (1:5; 2:38; 10:47; 11:16; 19:1–4; cf. 8:16). 

b.      With performance of some special task (4:8, 31; 7:55; 13:9, 52). 

c.       With particular directives or advice (8:29; 10:19, 44; 11:28; 13:3,4; 16:6f; 20:23; 21:11). 

d.      To Christians as permanent property (6:5; 11:24). 

The life of the church is directed and guided by the Holy Spirit directly (13:2; 15:28; 16:6), through angels (5:19f; 8:26; 27:23), through prophets (11:28; 20:11f), or through the Lord Jesus Himself (9:4–6, 10–16; 18:9; 23:11). 

2.             The Church is the fulfillment of God‘s intention for the OT people of God—the kingdom. The kingdom is larger than the church, older than the church, and will extend beyond the church but the church is the present manifestation of God‘s kingdom on earth. Luke offers a strikingly honest picture of the church, portraying both the pressures without and the struggles within. In addition, he shows the expansion of the people of God throughout all corners of the Roman Empire, under persecution, yet unhindered (Acts 28:31). He wanted Theophilus to know for certain this picture of Jesus and the kingdom. ―He was undoubtedly interested in how the gospel had been received and what success it had met in the various centers of influence known to him in the eastern part of the empire, from Jerusalem to Rome.‖^[3] 

3.             An apologetic to Theophilus to confirm the belief that the Christian Church was not politically dangerous. Christianity can exist in any culture. Some have proposed that the book of Acts was to be used as a defense brief for Paul during his trial at Rome. Consider: 

•          Roman officials were consistently friendly to Christianity. 

•          Roman authorities could find no fault in either Jesus or His apostles (cf. Luke 23:4 [Pilate], 14–15 [Herod], 20,22; Acts 18:14–15 [Gallio]; 23:29 [Claudius Lysias]; 24:23, 26– 27 [Felix]; 25:25 [Festus]; 26:31 [Herod Agrippa II]). 

•          Roman authorities conceded that Christianity was a religio licita (a lawful or licensed religion). 

•          Inordinate space (chaps. 21–28) is devoted to Paul's arrest. 

4.             Expansion of Christianity. It shows that the essential task of the church is the mission of God. The mission becomes social action. There is no dualism here for the early church. Acts provides a manual of personal evangelism. All the while, the providence of God protected the church (esp. Acts 12 & 27). The church lives out its life in the hands of God. The early church did three basic things: 

•          They preached the gospel.

•          They baptized the converts.        They planted the church.

In this sense then Acts is a missionary document. Luke would have a special interest in this due to his Gentile status.^[4] This is not to suggest that the missionaries were not pastors. They did care about the edification of the flock, and their travels show this. 

5.             Gentile Inclusion. It shows that ultimately no racial discrimination is allowed in God's church. Acts 10:34f. Jews and Gentiles learn to get along in this new community. The Gentile inclusion in the church was the fulfillment of prophecy (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:4f, 20; 2:16–21; 3:24; 10:43; 13:40f, 47; 15:15–18; 28:25–28).  

6.             Accurate History. It shows good evidence of what was going on in Palestine in the first century A.D. In this sense Luke proves himself to be an accurate historian. Luke does not simply portray history as "that which happened" but as "that which God designed and implemented." The vogue theological term is "salvation history." Luke's accuracies include: 

•          Political structure and official titles. 

•          Social and political customs. 

•          Dates. 

•          Geography; it contains some 80 geographical references. 

7.             Speeches. There are no less than 24 speeches or excerpts of speeches included in Acts: Nine by Peter (1:16–22; 2:14–36; 3:12–26; 4:8–12; 5:29– 32; 8:20–23; 10:34–43; 11:5–17; 15:7–11); nine by Paul (13:16– 41; 14:15–17; 17:22–31; 20:18–35; 22:1–21; 24:10–21; 26:2–23; 27:21–26; 28:17–20); one by Gamaliel (5:35–39); Stephen (7:2– 53); James (15:13–21); Demetrius (19:25– 27); the Ephesian town clerk (19:35–40), and Festus (25:24–27). The vocabulary and theology of the speeches of Peter and Paul often match that of their epistles. 

8.             Sophisticated writing. It shows excellent evidence of good writing language and style. Luke's Greek is among the finest in the NT, only the book of Hebrews is comparable. "He steeps his style in Biblical phraseology, drawn from the Greek Old Testament, so long as his narrative moves in Palestinian circles, where the speakers used Greek that obviously represents a foreign idiom ... he instinctively departs from that style when his subjects takes him away from the Biblical land and people."^[5] In other words, when Luke describes Jewish events he writes as a Hellenistic Jew, following the style of the LXX; when he describes Roman events, he writes like a Roman. He is a literary genius. In addition, his vocabulary is outstanding. He uses 732 words in his two volumes not found elsewhere in the NT The vocabulary of Luke compares favorably with the noted Greek writer, Xenophon. 

9.             Eye-witness testimony. It appears that when Luke traveled with Paul he describes it in the first person plural "we." The following sections include this peculiarity: 16:10–17; 20:5–21:18; 27:1–28:16. 

10.         It furnishes good background material for at least 10 of Paul's Epistles: 1 and 2

Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, and Philemon. It also serves as a bridge between the gospels and the epistles. Some have suggested that this relationship between Acts and the Pauline Epistles is not without problem:^[6] 

•          In Acts Paul is proud of his Pharisaic piety and ties himself to the law (16:3; 21:18–26; 26:5), while in the epistles sees this as a possibility which must not be allowed to limit his freedom in Christ (1 Cor. 9:19–23; Gal. 2:5, 11).

•          In Acts Paul is brought directly into the church and into fellowship with the Apostles (9:10–19, 23–30), while in the epistles Paul claims to be distant from the apostles and independent of them.

•          The epistles more vehemently claim Paul as an Apostle than does the book of Acts (cf. Gal. 1:1; Acts 14:4, 14). 

However, these more likely represent different theological and historical emphases rather than contradictions. 

11.         Theology. Acts raises several critical issues of key importance for the church today: 

a.             Baptism in the Spirit and charismatic gifts. 

b.            Miraculous signs and the Apostles' power.

c.             Economic sharing of the early church 2:44, 45; 4:32–37. 

d.            Church discipline. 

e.             Christian conversion.

f.              Cross-cultural evangelism and prejudice.

g.             The establishment and function(s) of church leadership. 

h.            Missionary principles.

i.               Foundations and implementation of Christian unity. 

j.               Motives and methods in evangelism.

k.             Persecution of the church.

l.               Church and state.

m.          Providence/Will of God.

n.            Nature and work of the Holy Spirit. 

o.            The leading of the Holy Spirit. 

p.            Women's work in the church.         

q.             Predestination (2:23; 3:18; 4:28; 9:15–16; 10:20). 

r.              Picture of Jesus (especially fulfilled prophecy).

III. Background issues: 

TITLE

1.               What is the title? 

•          Acts of the Apostles (RSV-pictorial). 

•          The Acts of the Apostles (Phillips, KJV, Readers Digest, TEV, NASV; RSV). 

•          The Acts (NIV). 

•          Acts of Apostles (New World). 

2.               Is it the acts of all the Apostles? Some of the Apostles? But what about the fact that sometimes the apostles are by-passed in favor of others?

3.               "Acts" may seem strange to us, but "This was a common designation in the Hellenistic age for a description of the deeds of an outstanding individual, as for example, 'The Acts of Alexander' or 'The Acts of Hannibal'."^[7] 

4.               Codex vaticanus and Beza have "Acts of Apostles." However, Codex Sinaiticus has only "Acts," and this is used by the church fathers.

5.               There is something wonderful about the simple name, "Acts."

•          It helps to show that whatever acts took place they took place by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, "The Acts of the Holy Spirit." 

•          It helps to show that there are no "little people" in the church. Everyone counts. We read of Peter, John, James, Philip, Stephen, and Paul. But we also read of Ananias, Barnabas, John Mark, and Timothy. 

•          It helps to show that the church does acts. It performs the words and deeds of Jesus. Can the church today really be described as doing much of anything? 

AUTHOR: 

1.             Whoever wrote it shows that the author is an educated and classy reporter. The narratives are moving, stirring, and powerful. 

2.             Tradition (until the 1800's) says that Luke the physician from Antioch of Syria and travelling companion of Paul, wrote the book. Luke died in Boeatia, Greece, unmarried, at age 84. When people broke with this tradition it was due to philosophical presuppositions and not because of evidence or new finds in the ancient records. 

3.             Evidences for Luke writing Acts: 

•          External: By the second century A.D. the church believed it was Luke.^[8] §   Muratorian Canon (170–200).

§     Anti-marcionite prologue (160–180).

§     Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Eusebius, Jerome, and Origen all accepted Lucan authorship.

§     Variant reading of Acts 20:13 in an Armenian text reads, "But I, Luke, and those who were with me, went on board."

•          Internal: There is a similar style to the Gospel of Luke and a similar recipient (Theophilus); a similar introduction (Luke 1:1–4; Acts 1:1–5). There is also similar vocabulary—Luke uses an inordinate number of words that are not found anywhere else in the NT The are at least fifty words common to Luke and Acts which are not found anywhere else in the NT Also, consider the "we" passages and the "medical" language (cf Col. 4:14; Phm 24; 2 Tim 4:11). 

4.             Luke never claims to have written it, so perhaps we are not bound to defend that he did, but it is still the best position. 

5.             What issues have caused Luke‘s trustworthiness to be questioned? 

•          Paul's conversion accounts—3 of them. 

•          Silence in Acts of the Jerusalem offering which features so prominent in the epistles. 

•          Silence in Acts concerning the writing of the epistles. 

•          Disharmony of Paul's visits to Jerusalem (Acts 9, 11, 15; Gal. 1–2). 

•          Difference from Paul's attitude toward Jews.

•          Difference from Paul's theology. 

Answers to these objections can be found in our exegesis of the text. 

DATE: 

1.             How can we determine the date of the book with any kind of accuracy?          We know when Herod Agrippa died (44 A.D.)—Acts 12. 

•          We know about the famine (47–48 A.D.)—Acts 11. 

•          We can compare Acts 15 and Gal. 1–2. 

•          We know something of Claudius expelling Jews (c. 49 A.D.)—Acts 18. 

2.             What affects the dating of Acts? 

•          Authorship. 

•          The relationship to Lukan writings and Luke's sources. 

•          The relationship of Paul and his death. 

•          The outlook of Acts. 

3.             What are the possibilities?        60's. 

•          70–80's. 

•          Second Century. 

4.             The best bet yet is that the book was written by Luke from Rome about 62 A.D. just prior to Paul's release from house-arrest. What evidence do we have for this? 

•          We do have people quoting the book in the second century. 

•          No mention of the Fall of Jerusalem, 70 A.D. 

•          No mention of Nero and his persecution, 64–68 A.D. 

•          No mention of the martyrdom of Paul or Peter under Nero, 67–68 A.D. 

•          No mention of the martyrdom of James, the Lord's brother, 62 A.D. 

•          Book shows the church knocking out "primitive" issues, but not later issues like crystallization of doctrine, sacraments, hierarchical leadership, and apostolic succession. 

•          Attitude of state toward the church. That attitude was tolerance—not persecution. 

•          Acts does not indicate usage of Pauline Epistles. 

WORLD OR ENVIRONMENT OF ACTS: 

Only by understanding this can we see the backdrop of the impact of the church on the Roman Empire. The church will become like a diamond on a black cloth. What was going on in the world of the first century A.D. when the church was born? 

a.             It Was a World of Extreme Materialism. 

•          This is not to suggest that there was no poverty. Consider the issue of slavery. But slavery was big business as well. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. See Petronius, The Satyricon for a description of some of the feasts by the royalty. 

•          Consider the description given by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars about the feasts of Claudius, mentioned in Acts 18:1f. 

He gave many splendid banquets, usually in large halls, and at times invited no fewer than 600 guests. One banquet was held close to the debouchment of the Fucine Lake on the day it was emptied; but the water came rushing out in a deluge and almost drowned him. His sons and daughters, like those of other distinguished figures, were always expected to dine with him, sitting in old-fashioned style at the ends of the couches on which their parents reclined. Once, when a guest was believed to have pocketed a golden bowl, Claudius invited him again the next evening, this time setting a small earthenware basin in front go him. Some say that he planned an edict to legitimize the breaking of wind at table, either silently or noisily-after hearing about a man who was so modest that he endangered his health by an attempt to restrain himself.

•          Into this world came the church with great sharing power: Acts 2:42–47;4:32–37. 

b.            It Was a World of Religious Pluralism. 

•          Our world is like this as well. Consider Acts 17:22, 23. Some said that it was easier to find a god in Athens than it was to find a man. 

•          Into this world came the church with a unique and powerful truth claim offering people an alternative to every other system of belief. 

•          For Christians there is one Lord. In this sense we are not open-minded. 

c.             It Was a World of Political Deism. 

•          Since the gods were just dumb idols and the mystery religions bottomed out, the people worshiped their political leaders. This was not new either. 

•          Consider what Suetonius says about divine titles that Domitian claimed for himself: 

Just as arrogantly he began a letter, which his agents were to circulate, with the words, 'Our Lord and God instructs you to do this!' and 'Lord and God' became his regular title both in writing and conversation. Images dedicated to Domitian in the Capitol had to be of either gold or silver, and of a certain weight; and he raised so many and such enormous arcades and arches, decorated with chariots and triumphal insignia, in various city districts, that someone scribbled 'arci,' meaning 'arches' on one of them—but used Greek characters, and so spelled out the Greek word for 'Enough!' He held seventeen consulships, which was a record.

•          While the Roman leaders were great men and built great roads (The Mediterranean Sea was called the Roman Lake) and established peace, they were still only men. -Christians could pray for their national leaders (1 Tim. 2:1; 1 Pet. 2:13) but not to them. 

d.            It Was a World of Rampant Spiritism. 

•          It was a world filled with demonology, spiritualism, astrology, magic, and mystery religions. Consider, Acts 14:8ff. 

•          Does it seem strange to you that no one ever raised a cry against Jesus casting out demons as to whether or not the demons existed? 

•          Into this world came the church that combined rationality and empiricism. Christians know about the principalities and powers but they also know that Christ overcame them on the cross. 

e.             It Was a World of Philosophical Fatalism. 

•          Consider the Stoics and Epicureans of Acts 17. 

•          One ancient philosopher said, "I was not, I was, I am not, I don't care." 

•          Into this world came the church who claimed that Jesus was the Way. The Christians believed that they were experiencing life at the highest level. 

f.              It Was a World of Gross Paganism. 

•          Molech and Baal lived on in the first century A.D. Our world is bad with aids, murder, etc., but the first century A.D. was no picnic. 

•          Consider the lengthy section from Suetonius about Nero who murdered both of the pillars of the early church, Peter and Paul: 

26.                     It might have been possible to excuse his insolent, lustful, extravagant, greedy, or cruel early practices (which were furtive and increased only gradually), by saying that boys will be boys; yet at the same time, this was clearly the true Nero, not merely Nero in his adolescence. As soon as night fell he would snatch a cap or wig and make a round of the taverns, or prowl the streets in search of mischief—and not always innocent mischief either, because one of his games was to attack men on their way home from dinner, stab them if they offered resistance, and then drop their bodies down the sewers. He would also break into shops and rob them, afterwards opening a market at the Palace with the stolen goods, dividing them up into lots, auctioning them himself, and squandering the proceeds. During these escapades he often risked being blinded or killed—once he was beaten almost to death by a senator whose wife he had molested, which taught him never to go out after dark unless an escort of colonels was following him at an unobserved distance. He would even secretly visit the Theatre by day, in a sedan chair, and watch the quarrels among the pantomime actors, cheering them on from the top of the proscenium; then, when they came to blows and fought it out with stones and broken benches, he joined in by throwing things on the heads of the crowd. On one occasion he fractured a praetor's skull. 

27.                     Gradually Nero's vices gained the upper hand; he no longer tried to laugh them off, or hide, or deny them, but openly broke into more serious crime. His feasts now lasted from noon till midnight, with an occasional break for diving into a warm bath, or if it were summer, into snow-cooled water. Sometimes he would drain the artificial lake in the Campus Martius, or the other in the circus, and hold public dinner parties there, including prostitutes and dancing-girls from all over the city among his guests. Whenever he floated down the Tiber to Ostia, or cruised past the Gulf of Baiae, he had a row of temporary brothels erected along the shore, where married women, pretending to be inn-keepers, solicited him to come ashore. He also forced his friends to provide him with dinners; one of them spent 40,000 gold pieces on a turban party, and another even more on a rose banquet. 

28.                     Not satisfied with seducing free-born boys and married women, Nero raped the Vestal Virgin Rubria. He nearly contrived to marry the freedwoman Acte, by persuading some friends of consular rank to swear falsely that she came of royal stock. Having tried to turn the boy Sporus into a girl by castration, he went through a wedding ceremony with him—dowry, bridal veil and all—took him to his palace with a great crowd in attendance, and treated him as a wife. A rather amusing joke is still going the rounds: the world would have been a happier place had Nero's father Domitius married that sort of wife. He dressed Sporus in the fine clothes normally worn by an Empress and took him in his own litter not only to every Greek assize and fair, but actually through the Street of the Sigillaria at Rome, kissing him amorously now and then. 

The lecherous passion he felt for his mother, Agrippina, was notorious; but her enemies would not let him consummate 

it, fearing that, if he did, she would become even more powerful and ruthless than hitherto. So he found a new mistress who was said to be her spitting image; some say that he did, in fact, commit incest with Agrippina every time they rode in the same litter—the stains on his clothes when he emerged proved it. 

29.                     Nero practiced every kind of obscenity, and after defiling almost every part of his body finally invented a novel game; he was released from a cage dressed in the skins of wild animals, and attacked the private parts of men and women who stood bound to stakes. After working up sufficient excitement by this means, he was despatched-shall we say?—by his freedman Doryphorus. Doryphorus now married him—just as he himself had married Sporus—and on the wedding night he imitated the screams and moans of a girl being deflowered. According to my informants he was convinced that nobody could remain chaste or pure in any part of his body, but that most people concealed their secret vices; hence, if anyone confessed to obscene practices, Nero forgave him all his other crimes.

•          Into this world came the church that recorded, "Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy." 

NOTE: Do you see our world in these six points? What can we do about it?

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[1] Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987), 94.

[2] Ernst Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary (tr. Bernard Noble and Gerald Shinn; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971), 187.

[3] Richard Longenecker, Acts, in The Expositor‘s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 217.

[4] John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts : The Spirit, the Church & the World (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 31.

[5] James Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1908), 2:7-8.

[6] See I. H. Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 43, ftn. 3.

[7] D. Edmond Hiebert, The Gospels and Acts (Chicago: Moody, 1975), 247.

[8] For further details see F. J. Foakes-Jackson and Kirsopp Lake (eds.), Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979), 2:207ff and Haenchen (3f). 

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PEOPLE OF ACTS

Theophilus	1:1
Jesus	1:1
John (the Baptist)	1:5
Peter	1:13
John	1:13
James	1:13
Andrew	1:13
Philip	1:13
Thomas	1:13
Bartholomew	1:13
Matthew	1:13
James (son of Alphaeus)	1:13
Simon the Zealot	1:13
Judas (son of James)	1:13
James (Father of Judas)	1:13
Mary (Mother of Jesus)	1:14
David	1:16
Judas (Iscariot)	1:16
Matthias	1:23
Joel	2:16
Abraham	3:13
Isaac	3:13
Jacob	3:13
Pilate	3:13
Moses	3:22
Samuel	3:24
Annas (high priest)	4:6
Caiaphas (high priest‘s family)	4:6
John (high priest‘s family)	4:6
Alexander (high priest‘s family)	4:6
Herod	4:27
Joseph (Barnabas)	4:36
Ananias	5:1
Sapphira	5:1
Gamaliel	5:34
Theudas	5:36
Judas (Galilean)	5:37
Stephen	6:5
Philip	6:5
Procorus	6:5
Nicanor	6:5
Timon	6:5
Parmenas	6:5
Nicolas (From Antioch)	6:5
Simon the Sorcerer	8:9
Candace (Ethiopian queen)	8:27
Saul	9:1
Ananias (disciple)	9:10
Judas (on Straight Street)	9:11
Aeneas (a Paralytic)	9:33
Tabitha (or Dorcas)	9:36

Simon the tanner	9:43
Cornelius	10:1
Agabus (prophet)	11:28
Claudius	11:28
Mary (John‘s Mother)	12:12
Rhoda	12:13
Blastus	12:20
John Mark	12:25
Simeon called Niger	13:1
Lucius of Cyrene	13:1
Manaen	13:1
Bar-Jesus (Elymas)	13:6
Sergius Paulus	13:7
Saul (Son of Kish)	13:21
Jesse (David‘s Father)	13:22
Judas (Barsabbas)	15:22
Silas	15:22
Timothy	16:1
Lydia	16:14
Jason	17:15
Dionysius	17:34
Damaris	17:34
Aquila (Jew)	18:2
Priscilla	18:2
Titius Justus	18:7
Crispus	18:8
Gallio	18:12
Apollos (Jew)	18:24
Sceva (a chief priest)	19:14
Erastus	19:22
Demetrius (Silversmith)	19:24
Gaius (Derbe)	19:29
Aristarchus	19:29
Alexander	19:33
Sopater (Pyrrhus‘ Son)	20:4
Pyrrhus (Sopater‘s Father)	20:4
Secundus (Thessalonica)	20:4
Tychicus (Asia)	20:4
Trophimus(Asia)	20:4
Eutychus	20:9
Mnason (Cyprus)	21:16
Ananias (high priest)	23:2
Felix (Governer)	23:24
Claudius Lysias	23:26
Tertullus (lawyer)	24:1
Drusilla (Felix‘s wife)	24:24
Porcius Festus	24:27
Agrippa (king)	25:13
Bernice	25:13
Julius (centurion)	27:1
Publius	28:7

===============

==========

MAKING DISCIPLES— Acts 1:1-5 Luke tells us his intentions about how the first church, the early church, the apostles, and the people who followed Jesus talked about their faith in Jesus.

Just the “thought of sharing the gospel” with a non-Christian makes many believers cringe. Thoughts of rejection or inadequacy grip their minds. Many think, “I just can’t do this,” or “Isn’t this the preacher’s job?”

If you feel this way, take a deep breath and relax. The power for evangelism does not come from you, it comes from God! Faith comes from “hearing the word of God.” In other words, you are not on your own. You don’t have to perform or prove anything to anyone. You just have to let the Holy Spirit and the Bible work in and through you.

In Acts 1:8, shortly before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples, “...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

There is no doubt that Jesus wanted His disciples to share their faith. After all, He called them to be fishers of men. Notice, however, Jesus promised them God’s presence. With God they had the power to do it effectively. They were to received power from on high. It happened a few weeks later at the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit arrived like a house of fire!

It is comforting to know that God is with us. He has empowered us to share our faith. The power to do so is not any power, it is Divine power – power that healed the sick and raised the dead!

Since God sent the Holy Spirit, every Christian now has this indwelling power. It is given at the moment of salvation when believers are baptized and added to the body of Christ.

If we are a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We shouldn’t stress about sharing our faith. If you think you can’t share, you’re right, you can’t! But God can do it through you because He placed His power in you. Philippians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me.”

==========
WE'RE EXPECTING

     A young private sought permission from his Commanding Officer to leave camp the following weekend. "You see," he explained, "my wife's expecting."
     "Oh..." said the Officer, "I understand. Go ahead and tell your wife that I wish her luck."
     The following week the same soldier was back again with the same explanation: "My wife's expecting."
     The Officer looked surprised. "Still expecting?" he said, "Well, well, my boy, you must be pretty bothered. Of course you can have the week-end off."
     When the same soldier appeared again the third week, however, the Officer lost his temper. "Don't tell me your wife is still expecting!" he bellowed.
     "Yes sir!" said the soldier resolutely, "She's still expecting."
     "What in the world is she expecting?" cried the Officer.
     "Me," said the soldier simply.
     Christians are a people who live in expectation. We're expecting that someday all the wrongs of this world will be brought to justice. We're expecting that the sufferings of this life will someday be replaced by joys beyond our imagination. But, most of all, we're expecting our Lord to return for us and we are anxious for that day to come. Paul seems to indicate that all of creation is earnestly awaiting the same thing (Rom. 8:19).
"Now when [Jesus] had spoken these things, while [the apostles] watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.' "
(Acts 1:9-11)

Are you expecting?


The Kingdom Unleashed - Part 1 from North Boulevard Church of Christ on Vimeo.

PLACES OF ACTS

Achaia, 18:12, 27

Adramyttium, 27:2

Adriatic Sea, 27:27

Alexandria, 6:9; 18:24; 27:6; 28:11

Amphipolis, 17:1

Antioch, 6:5; 11:19, 20, 22, 26, 27; 13:1; 14:19, 21, 26;  15:1, 22, 23, 30, 35; 18:22, 23

Antipatris, 23:31

Apollonia, 17:1

Asia, 2:9; 6:9; 16:6; 19:10, 22, 26, 27; 20:4, 16, 18; 21:27;24:19;27:2

Assos, 20:13, 14

Athens, 17:16, 22; 18:1

Attalia, 14:25, 26

Azotus, 8:40

Babylon, 7:43

Berea, 17:10, 14; 20:4

Bithynia, 16:7

Caesarea, 8:40; 9:30; 10:1, 24; 11:11; 18:22; 21:8, 16; 23:33; 24:1; 25:1, 4, 6, 13, 24

Canaan, 13:19

Cappadocia, 2:9 Cauda, 27:16

Cenchrea ,18:18

Cilicia, 6:9; 15:23, 41; 21:39; 22:3; 23:34;27:5

Cnidus, 27:7

Corinth, 18:1, 18; 19:1

Cos 21:1

Crete, 27:7, 12, 13, 21

Cyprus, 4:36; 11:19, 20; 13:4; 15:39; 21:3, 16; 27:4

Cyrene 2:10; 6:9; 11:20; 13:1

Damascus, 9:2, 3, 8, 10, 22, 27; 22:5, 6, 10, 11; 26:12, 20 Derbe, 14:6, 20; 16:1; 20:4

Egypt, 2:10; 7:9 (Egypt mentioned continually in Chapter 7); 13:17; 21:38

Elamia, 2:9

Ephesus, 18:19, 21, 24; 19:1, 17, 26, 34, 35; 20:16, 17; 21:29

Ethiopia, 8:27

Fair Havens, 27:8

Field of Blood (Akeldama), 1:19

Forum of Appius, 28:15

Galatia, 16:6; 18:23

Galilee, 1:11; 2:7; 5:37; 9:31; 10:37

Gaza, 8:26

Greece, 20:2

Haran, 7:2, 4

Iconium, 13:51; 14:1, 19, 21; 16:2

Israel, 1:6; 2:22, 36; 5:31, 35; 7:23, 42; 10:36; 13:23; 21:28

Italy, 18:2; 27:1, 6

Jerusalem, 1:8, 12, 19; 2:5, 14; 4:5, 16; 5:16, 28; 8:1, 14, 25–27; 9:13, 21, 26, 28; 10:39; 11:2, 22, 27; 12:25; 13:13, 27; 15:2, 4; 16:4; 19:21; 20:16; 20:22; 21:4, 11–13, 15, 17, 31; 22:5, 17; 23:11; 24:11; 25:1, 7, 15, 20, 24; 26:4, 10, 20; 28:17

Joppa, 9:36, 42, 43; 10:5, 8, 32; 11:13

Judea, 1:8; 2:9; 8:1; 9:31; 10:37; 11:1, 29; 15:1; 21:10; 26:20; 28:21

Kios, 20:15

Lasea, 27:8

Libya, 2:10

Lycaonia, 14:6

Lycia, 27:5

Lydda, 9:32, 35

Lystra, 14:6, 8, 21; 16:1, 2

Macedonia, 16:9, 10, 12; 18:5; 19:21, 22, 29; 20:1, 3; 27:2

Malta, 28:1

Mede, 2:9

Mesopotamia, 2:9; 7:2

Midian, 7:29

Miletus, 20:15, 17

Mitylene, 20:14

Mount of Olives, 1:12 Mount Sinai, 7:30, 38

Myra, 27:5

Mysia, 16:7, 8

Nazareth, 10:38; 26:9

Neapolis, 16:11

Pamphylia, 2:10; 13:13; 14:24; 27:5

Paphos, 13:6, 13

Parthia, 2:9

Patara, 21:1

Perga, 13:13, 14; 14:25

Philippi, 16:12; 20:6

Phoenicia, 11:19; 15:3; 21:2

Phoenix, 27:12

Phrygia, 2:10; 16:6; 18:23

Pisidia, 14:24

Pisidian Antioch, 13:14

Pontus, 2:9; 18:2

Ptolemais, 21:7

Puteoli, 28:13

Red Sea, 7:36

Rhegium, 28:13

Rhodes, 21:1

Rome, 2:10; 11:28; 16:12, 21, 38; 19:21; 21:31; 22:25–27, 29; 23:11, 27; 25:16; 28:14, 16, 17

Salamis, 13:5

Salmone, 27:7

Samaria, 1:8; 8:1, 4, 9, 14, 25; 9:31; 15:3

Samos, 20:15

Samothrice, 16:11

Seleucia, 13:4

Sharon, 9:35

Sidon, 12:20; 27:3

Solomon‘s Colonade, 3:11; 5:12

Syracuse, 28:12

Syria, 15:23, 41; 18:18; 20:3; 21:3

Syrtis, 27:17

Tarsus, 9:11, 30; 11:25; 21:39; 22:3

Three Taverns, 28:15

Thessalonica, 17:1, 13; 20:4; 27:2

Thyatira, 16:14

Troas, 16:8, 11; 20:5, 6

Tyre, 12:20; 21:3, 7

================

EVENTS IN ACTS

1:1–11	Jesus taken up into Heaven
1:12–26	Matthias chosen to replace Judas
2:1–13	The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost
2:14–41	Peter addresses the crowd
2:42–47	The fellowship of the believers
3:1–10	Peter heals the crippled beggar
3:11–6	Peter speaks to the onlookers
4:1–22	Peter and John before the Sanhedrin
4:23–31	The believers‘ prayer
4:32–37	The believers share their possessions
5:1–11	Ananias and Sapphira
5:12–16	The Apostles heal many
5:17–42	The Apostles persecuted
6:1–7	The choosing of the seven
6:8–15	Stephen seized
7:1–53	Stephen‘s speech to the Sanhedrin
7:54–8:1a	The stoning of Stephen
8:1b–3	The Church persecuted and scattered
8:4–8	Philip in Samaria
8:9–25	Simon the Sorcerer
8:26–40	Philip and the Ethiopian
9:1–19a	Saul‘s conversion
9:19b–31	Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
9:32–43	Aeneas and Dorcas
10:1–8	Cornelius calls for Peter
10:9–23a	Peter‘s vision
10:23b–48	Peter at Cornelius‘ house
11:1–18	Peter explains his actions
11:19–30	The church in Antioch
12:1–19a	Peter‘s miraculous escape from prison
12:19b–25	Herod‘s death
13:1–3	Barnabas and Saul sent off
13:4–12	On Cyprus
13:13–51	In Pisidian Antioch
14:1–7	In Iconium
14:8–20	In Lystra and Derbe
14:21–28	The return to Antioch in Syria
15:1–21	The council at Jerusalem
15:22–35	The counsil‘s letter to Gentile believers
15:36–41	Disagreement between Paul and Barnabas
16:1–5	Timothy joins Paul and Silas
16:6–10	Paul‘s vision of the man of Macedonia
16:11–15	Lydia‘s conversion in Philippi
16:16–40	Paul and Silas in prison
17:1–9	In Thessalonica
17:10–15	In Berea
17:16–34	In Athens
18:1–17	In Corinth
18:18–28	Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
19:1–22	Paul in Ephesus
19:23–41	The riot in Ephesus
20:1–6	Through Macedonia and Greece
20:7–12	Eutychus raised from the dead at Troas
20:13–38	Paul‘s farewell to the Ephesian elders
21:1–16	On to Jerusalem
21:17–26	Paul‘s arrival at Jerusalem
21:27–36	Paul arrested
21:37–22:21	Paul speaks to the crowd
22:22–29	Paul the Roman citizen
22:30–23:11	Before the Sanhedrin
23:12–22	The plot to kill Paul
23:23–35	Paul transferred to Caesarea
24:1–27	The trial before Felix
25:1–12	The trial before Festus
25:13–22	Festus consults King Agrippa
25:23–26:32	Paul before Agrippa
27:1–12	Paul sails for Rome
27:13–26	The storm
27:27–44	The shipwreck
28:1–10	Ashore on Malta
28:11–16	Arrival at Rome
28:17–31	Paul preaches at Rome under guard

===============

PROPHECIES OF ACTS 

1:4, 5	Jesus prophecies about the apostles being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
1:20	Peter quotes Psa 69:25 as a prophecy concerning Judas.
1:20	Peter quotes another passage, Psa 109:8, concerning Judas.
2:17:21	Peter quotes from Joel 2:28–32 which speaks of the last days.
2:25–28	Peter quotes Psa 16:8–11 from David about Jesus.
2:34, 35	Peter quotes again from David, Psa 110:1, about Jesus (refer also to Mt. 22:43).
3:22, 23	Quoted from De. 18:15, 18, 19 from Moses speaking about Jesus.
3:25	Quoted from Gen. 22:18, 26:4, God spoke to Abraham about blessing his offspring.
4:11	Quoted from Psa 118:22 by Peter as he speaks to the Sanhedrin concerning Jesus.
4:25, 26	Quoted from Psa 2:1, 2. It‘s a prophecy from David about rulers gathering against the Lord.
7:6, 7	Quoted from Gen. 15:13, 14. God tells Abraham his descendants will be enslaved for four hundred years.
7:37	Same as 3:22.
7:42, 43	Quoted from Am. 5:25–27. Prophecy concerning the Israelites turning to this idol.
8:32, 33	Quoted from Is. 3:7, 8. Prophecy about Jesus being read by Eunuch.
11:28	Agabus prophecies about severe famine to spread over entire Roman world.
13:33	Quoted from Psa 2:7. Speaking of Jesus, you are my son, today I am your Father.
13:34	Quoted from Is. 55:3. Speaking of blessings promised to David being given to Jesus.
13:35	Quoted from Psa 16:10. Speaking of Jesus, holy one will not see decay.
13:41	Quoted from Hab. 1:5. Prophetic warning, don‘t let it happen to you.
13:47	Quoted from Is. 49:16. Prophecy about Paul as the light to the Gentiles.
15:16, 17	Quoted from Am. 9:11, 12. Prophecy about the Gentiles coming into the tent of David.
21:11	Prophecy from Agabus concerning Paul being bound and handed over to the Gentiles.
27:24	Prophecy from an angel to Paul concerning his trial in Rome.
28:26, 27	Quoted from Is. 6:9, 10. Prophecy about the Jews not believing.

==============

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BOOK OF ACTS

By Wilbur Fields

Brief bibliography of books on Archaeology and the book of Acts: 

B = Blaiklock, E.M. The Archaeology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970).

D = Deissmann, Adolf. Light from the Ancient East (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1965). 

F = Finegan, Jack. Light from the Ancient Past (Princeton, 1969). 

H = Harrison, R.K. Archaeology of the New Testament (New York: Association Press, 1964). 

OLB = Avi-Yonah, Michael; and Kraeling, Emil G.  Our Living Bible (Jerusalem: Biblical Publications, Ltd., 962).  

R = Ramsay, Wm. M. The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1953).        

W = Wright, G. Ernest. Biblical Archaeology (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1966). 

___________________________________________________________________________

1.             Ramsay found inscriptions in the Phrygian language at Iconium (R, 70–73) (cf. Acts 14:11!   This discovery was one of the first things that caused Ramsay to change his mind about the trustworthiness of Acts. 

2.             There is a Moslem shrine of the Ascension of Jesus on the summit of the Mount of Olives.  This was formerly a Byzantine church (Acts 1:9–11).  The ascension of Christ is recognized by the Moslems as a real event.  

3.             There were plenty of pools available in Jerusalem for baptizing 3000 people (Acts 2:41).  The main pools in the Jerusalem area were the Pool of Hezekiah, Pool of Israel, Pools of Bethesda, the Sultan‘s (or Serpent‘s) pool, Mary‘s pool (just outside of St. Stephen‘s gate on the east side of Jerusalem).  Some of these pools now at Jerusalem may have been made after the time of the New Testament, but some of them (like the Pool of Israel) were certainly there in the time of the book of Acts. 

4.             The Gate Beautiful (Acts 3:2, 10) was probably the same gate now called the Golden Gate in the east wall of the temple court.  This gate opened into the Court of the Gentiles; and Solomon‘s Porch was located both north and south of the gate along the inside of the temple courtyard wall.

5.             Acts 6:19 mentions the Synagogue of the Libertines (freed slaves).  A stone slab called the Theodotus inscription, tells of the dedication of a synagogue in Jerusalem by Jews with Latin names (such as Vettenus). These people were probably Jewish slaves released by the Romans.  (OLB, 307.  Westminster Historical Atlas of the Bible (1945 ed.), p. 87).

6.             Ethiopia (= Nubia, the modern Sudan, just south of Egypt) was ruled in the first century by a dynasty of queens, many named Candace (Acts 8:27; D, 352; OLB, 308).

7.             Straight Street in Damascus (Acts 11:28; F, fig. 121;   OLB, 309).  It has only five slight crooks in it its length of about a mile.  That is straight for Damascus!  (J.W. McGarvey, Lands of the Bible, 555).

8.             Caesarea (Acts 10:24; 23:33) was the Roman capital in Judea.  It is located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, about 25 miles south of Mt. Carmel.  Herod the Great built the harbor there.  The harbor is now choked with sand and ruins.  (See Biblical Archaeology Review, May-June 1982).

9.             There was a famine in the time Claudius Caesar (_A._D. 44–48). See Acts 11:28.  Josephus mentions this severe famine in his Antiquities, III, 1, 2.  

10.         Queen Helena, a Jewess of Mesopotamia, sent food to non-Christian Jews at Jerusalem during the Claudius famine. (Josephus, Antiquities, XX, 2, 5).  At the same time the Christians at Antioch sent relief by Barnabas and Saul to the Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 11:29–30). Queen Helena‘s family tombs have been found at the north edge of Jerusalem.  The tombs have been wrongly called the ―Tombs of the Kings.‖   They have a rolling stone at the entrance to the chamber where the tombs are (W, 246; F, 199–202).

11.         The name of Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7) was found on an inscription at Antioch in Pisidia (R, 150– 151).

12.         The city of Philippi is correctly called the ―first city of the district‖ (Greek, meris) in Acts 16:12 (H, 39).

13.         Officials at Philippi were correctly titled ―praetors‖ (Greek strategos) in Acts 16:20 (H, 40).

14.         Officials at Thessalonica were correctly titled ―politarchs‖ (rulers of the city) in Acts 17:8 (H, 40; F, 352).

15.         Ancient Athens had a market place (agora, or forum) just north of and down from the Acropolis (the High City) (Acts 17:16–17).  The Acropolis at Athens was crowned with temples – the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena, the virgin, city-goddess of Athens; and also the Erectheum, with its beautiful porch with maiden-shaped columns.  These were built in the fifth century B.C. 

16.         Mars Hill (the Aeropagus) was located about two blocks west of the Acropolis in Athens,  in plain view from the Acropolis. There Paul the apostle gave his famous sermon on the Unknown God (Acts 17:19).  Mars Hill was a place of public hearings, both formal and informal. 

17.         The ―altar of the Unknown God‖ (Acts 17:23).  A similar stone pillar bearing an inscription to the ―unknown god‖ was found at Pergamum (F, 357, and fig. 126; OLB, 317).

18.         Paul‘s statement on Mars Hill that the Godhead is not made of stone, gold, silver, etc. was made in plain sight of the Athena statue on the Acropolis. (Acts 17:28–29).  

19.         Corinth is forty miles from Athens on the opposite (western) end of the Isthmus of Corinth (Acts 18:1).

20.         A canal across the Isthmus of Corinth (about 4 miles across at the narrowest place) was started by Nero (about _A._D. 67); but it was not completed until _A._D. 1893. 

21.         A crude synagogue inscription was found at Corinth (Acts 18:1, 4).  Its crudity reminds us of the description of the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 1:26 (D, 16).

22.         The high Acrocorinth hill was right beside ancient Corinth.  There was a temple to Aphrodite (Venus) on the Acrocorinth, with 1,000 temple priestesses. 

23.         The ―judgment seat‖ (Greek, bema, βhμα) at Corinth, where Paul was brought before the governor, has been found (Acts 18:12–13, 16).

24.         Corinth had a temple of Apollo.  It was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C.  Only seven Doric columns bearing an architrave and portions of the foundation yet remain. 

25.         Erastus of Corinth (probably the same Erastus mentioned in Romans 16:13) left a pavement inscription telling of his dedicating the pavement.  He was the town steward (aedile) (W, 265–266).

26.         The temple of Artemis (Diana) in Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  The temple contained a towering statue of Artemis (D, 113). Silversmiths at Ephesus made shrines to Artemis (Acts 19:23–27). 

27.         The Artemis‘ temple is now at the bottom of a frog pond.  Truly it has been made ―of no account.‖ 

28.         The theater at Ephesus (the riot scene) seated 25,000. It has been excavated (Acts 19:29, 34).

29.         Paul was accused of bringing Greeks into the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 21:21–29).  Signs were placed along the balustrade (railing) between the Court of the Gentiles and the temple courts limited to Jews only, warning Gentiles not to enter under threat of death.  Two of these signs have been found. (Josephus, Wars, V, 5, 2.  F, 325.  D, 80.  OLB, 322).

30.         The temple courtyard (where Paul was rescued) was DOWN from the Roman tower of Antonia, which was adjoining (outside of) the temple court at its NW corner.  (Acts 21:31–32). 

31.         Ships of Alexandria regularly sailed to Rome bearing grain (and sometimes prisoners!) (Acts 27:1, 6).

32.         The people of Malta were ―barbarous‖ to the Greeks, because they spoke a Semitic (Phoenician, or Carthagenian) tongue (Acts 28:1–2; OLB, 329).

33.         The early Christians did not live a conspicuous lifestyle, with distinctive clothing, or speech, or live in separate residential areas (D, 385).

34.         Paul used Greek words that were familiar to all his hearers.  See D, p. 99, on Acts 17:18.

35.         Christians suffered mockery (Hebrews 10:32–33).  See the mocking drawing of Alexamenos worshiping his God, a crucified jackass from the palace of the Caesars in Rome, 2^nd century. 

==============

Characteristics of the Book of Acts

By Mark E. Moore

1.            Two-Volume Work.

2.            Bridge between Christ and the Church—this continues salvation history of the kingdom. As such it is a unique book in the New Testament.

3.            Sacred history covering thirty years with accuracy, detail (esp. chapter 27), and objectivity (cf. 6:1; 15:39; 21:20–21).

4.            The movement of the Holy Spirit.

5.            Geographic expansion—over eighty place names.

6.            Interest in the downtrodden—Gentiles, Samaritans, women, the sick, demonized, and the poor. Thus we must deal with prejudice, social justice, and equality.

7.            Luke/Acts makes up 27% of the New Testament. Thus we read more words from the only Gentile author in the New Testament than any other author.

8.            Meticulous and educated language and style.

9.            Significant contrast between Peter and Paul (cf. p. 3).

10.       Focus on Speeches—twenty-four in all, making up 1/3 of the book. They also function as models (e.g. 13, 17, 20). According to Thucydides it was acceptable for an historian to put (fitting) words in the mouth of his orator. Moreover, these speeches are only a summary. For example, 3:1–4:3 represents a speech that lasted from 3 p.m. until sunset but takes 30 seconds to read.

11.       ‘We’ passages indicate Luke’s presence (16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1– 28:6).

12.       Acts provides the background and biographical materials for ten Pauline Epistles. 

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APOSTLES IN ACTS

                                                        By Mark Moore & Mark Scott

I.       Apostle References in Acts

            1:2                   Receive instructions from Jesus who chose them

            1:3                   Witnessed the resurrection

            1:5                   Would be baptized with the Spirit

            1:8                   Would receive power to be Jesus' witnesses

            1:13                 The Eleven were listed

            1:21, 22            Requirements listed

            1:26                 Chose replacement for Judas

            2:6, 7, 14          Baptized in the Holy Spirit

            2:37                 Were asked by the crowd what to do

            2:42                 They were the primary teachers of the church

            2:43                 Performed miracles

            4:33                 Spoke with great power about the resurrection

            4:36                 Gave a nickname to Joseph (Barnabas)

            4:37; 5:2           Took care of money that was given by the church for the people in need

            5:12                 Performed miracles 

            5:18                 They were thrown in jail

            5:29                 They determined to obey God over the Sanhedrin

            5:40                 Flogged and ordered not to preach in Jesus' name

            6:2                   Summoned the church together to deal with problem of neglected widows.

            6:6                   Ordained seven men to take care of the task

            8:1                   Stayed in Jerusalem when others fled

            8:14                 Sent Peter and John to Samaria

            8:18                 Laid hands on the Samaritans for them "to receive the Holy Spirit"

            9:27                 Approved of Paul thanks to Barnabas' help

            11:1                 Heard of Gentiles accepting the gospel

            14:4                 Some people from Iconium sided with the Apostles

14:14               Barnabas and Paul, the apostles, tore their clothes at the prospect of sacrifice being made to them

            15:2; 16:4         Would help in solving the dispute about circumcision

15:4, 6, 22–23 Partnered with the Elders of the Church in leadership 

II.     Others Referred to as Apostles

1.             Matthias, a replacement for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26).

2.             Barnabas (Acts 14:14).

3.             Andronicus and Junias (Rom. 16:7) [although the text may simply mean that these men were well known by the apostles].

4.             Some brothers (2 Cor. 8:23).

5.             James, the Lord's brother (Gal. 1:19) [though this text may simply be an "except" clause that would not have to make James an apostle].

6.             Epaphroditus, the messenger from the church (Phil. 2:25).

7.             Jesus the Christ (Heb. 3:1).

(This makes a grand total of at least 22=12, plus Matthias, plus Paul, plus these 8)

III.             Capital "A" or small "a"? (Or can we have Apostles today on the order of Peter and Paul?)

Most often when the NT uses the word apostle it means the 12 disciples Jesus chose to be his closest followers. And, to be technical, it would refer to the 12, minus Judas, plus Matthias, plus Paul. Obviously, that makes 13. But keep in mind that Paul was a special case. (Though, some scholars hold that the church was presumptuous in obtaining Matthias. God had prepared Paul to take Judas' slot. However, to hold this position is certainly to go beyond anything that Luke suggests).

What would help us is to see that the NT uses the word apostle in two senses. It mostly refers to the 12 disciples plus Paul, upon whom the church is built (Eph 2:20). In this sense there are no modern-day apostles. These men are unique. However, the NT also uses the word apostle in a secondary sense. Since the word itself means "one sent out" it can sometimes refer to anyone sent out on some mission. In this sense the word approximates our word missionary.

The count in the NT could be as large as 22 or as small as 12 or even 11. Think of it this way: If I were to ask how many preachers there were in Joplin, you might start to count the number of churches there are.  But that number would really be way too small.  You may arrive at the correct number of men with the title "preacher," but you would fall far short of the number of people who announce the good news of Jesus. In the same way, there were 14 men in the NT who held the office (and title), of Apostle.  However, there are several others who are called apostle by virtue of the job they did.  It was not an office they held but the function they performed.  That is to say that they were sent out as "commissioned" men from the church which they represented.

IV.             The Need for 12 Apostles

1.                  To judge the 12 tribes (Mt. 19:28/Luke 22:30). By choosing 12, Jesus was symbolically establishing a new nation under their leadership. 

2.                  Their 12 names are written in heaven (Rev. 21: 14).

3.                  The 13^th Apostle was to the Gentiles.  This honor was bestowed upon Paul (1 Cor. 15:1–11; Rom. 11:13).

V.                Standards for an Apostle:

1.                  Be a witness to Jesus from His baptism to the Ascension (Acts 1:21–22).

2.                  Witness to the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7–8).

3.                  Be chosen by the Lord (Acts 1:2; Luke 6:12–16; John 15:16).

4.                  Miraculous signs (2 Cor. 12:11–12).

In the Patristic Greek Lexicon (p. 9) by Lampe, six qualifications of an apostle are noted:

1.                  Commissioned directly by Christ

2.                  Being a witness of the resurrection

3.                  Special inspiration

4.                  Supreme authority

5.                  Accredited by miracles (NOTE: None of the other men in the Bible named as apostles ever worked miracles as far as the record goes, much less were they able to bestow these miraculous gifts as the apostles apparently could).

6.                  Unlimited commission to preach

VI.       The Successors of the Apostles

While we don't want to establish some kind of unwarranted apostolic succession, the foundational torch of leadership in the book of Acts clearly passes from the apostles to the local elders of churches. The farther one reads in Acts the less emphasis is placed on the apostles as a group and more prominence is given to the elders. Even Paul, the Apostle, receives advice from the Jerusalem elders in regard to how he (Paul) can be well received by Jewish Christians.

VII      Fate of the Apostles

Apostle	Place	Event	Date
Peter	Rome	Crucified upside down by Nero	65 A.D.
Paul	Rome	Beheaded by Nero	65 A.D.
James	Jerusalem	Beheaded by Herod Agrippa I	44 A.D.
Andrew	Edessa, Turkey	Crucified	No Date
Thomas	India	Four soldiers ran him through with spears	No Date
Philip	Heliopolis	Put to death by a Roman proconsul	54 A.D.
Matthew	Nadabah, Ethiopia	Stabbed to death	60 A.D.
Bartholomew	India	Killed	No Date
James, son of Alpheus	Jerusalem	Stoned and then clubbed to death	61 A.D.
Simon the Zealot	Britain	Killed for refusing to worship the sun god	74 A.D.
Matthias	Syria	Burned to death	No Date
John	Ephesus	Died a natural death after his exile on Patmos	95 A.D.
Judas, (or Thaddaeus or Labbaeus)		Executed by the Apostate nephew of King of Adgor of Syria	No Date

A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE TWELVE:

By Mark Moore

Simon (whom he named Peter)—Peter is mentioned first in every list. In the concordance, his name is mentioned about three times more than any other apostle, even John. The word Peter means "rock." Likewise, Cephas is the Aramaic word for "rock". He is clearly the most dominant apostle—not necessarily because the others respected him so much, but because he spoke loudly, quickly, and sometimes brilliantly. Here is a summary of some of the prominent events in

Peter's life:

1. Walked on water, Mt. 14:28, 29.

2. Good confession of Christ, Mt. 16:16.

3. Jesus said that Peter's confession was the rock on which the church would be built, Mt. 16:18.

4. Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom, Mt. 16:19.

5. When Peter rebuked Jesus for wanting to go to Jerusalem, Jesus said, "Get thee behind me Satan" Mt. 16:22, 23

6. It was Peter who asked Jesus "How often shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive?" "70 X 7" came back His reply, Mt. 18:21.

7. When Jesus promised a reward to all who leave everything to follow Him, Peter was bold enough to ask, "Then what shall be our reward?" Mt. 19:27.

8. He swore that he would not deny Jesus, Mt. 26:33–40.

9. He denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed twice, Mt. 26:58–75.

10. It was Peter who brought attention to the withered fig tree that Jesus had cursed, Mk. 11:21.

11. Of  the three sleeping apostles in Gethsemane; James, John and Peter, it was Peter whom Jesus addressed, Mk. 14:37.

12. When the woman with the flow of blood touched Jesus' garment and He asked, "Who touched me?" Peter said, "Lord, the multitudes are pressing on you." Luke 8:45

13. Peter asked, "Lord, are you addressing this parable to us or to everyone?" Luke 12:41.

14. When the 5,000 left and Jesus asked if the 12 would leave also, Peter said, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" John 6:68.

15. Peter tried to refuse Jesus washing his feet, John 13:6–9.

16. He cut off Malchus' ear during Jesus' arrest, John 18:10.

17. He asked Jesus to depart from him during the great catch of fish, Luke 5:8.

18. Jesus confronted Peter after the resurrection with the triple question: "Do you love me." John 21:15–21

19. Peter was the spokesman in the choosing of the 12th apostle, Acts 1:13–15.

20. He preached the first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:14ff.

21. Peter confronted Ananias and Sapphira, Acts

5:3–9.

22. He had special healing power, Acts 5:15.

23. He preached to Cornelius, first Gentile household, Acts 10–11.

24. He was miraculously released from prison, Acts 12:3–18.

25. He spoke at the Jerusalem council, Acts 15:7.

Andrew—Andrew was Peter's brother. He was close to the inner circle (i.e. Peter, James, and John), but not quite there. He was invited in with the inner three in Mk. 13:3. And he apparently held considerable clout with Jesus for Philip brought a group of Greeks to Andrew in order for him to take them to Jesus. But he was always one short of prominence. Andrew holds an important lesson for us. Even though he never made it to the "big time" he performed a valuable ministry. Andrew was constantly bringing people to Jesus. Not only did he bring the Greeks to Jesus (John 12:22), but he also brought the lad with the loaves and fishes (John 6:8). But most important of all he brought to Jesus his own brother . . . Peter (John 1:40). If it had not been for Andrew, we would have never had a Peter.

James—James was the third most prominent apostle behind Peter, and his own brother John. He was a fishing partner with Peter, Andrew, James and John. It is likely that he and Andrew spent a lot of time together watching their more prominent brothers take the limelight. He and John started out as hot-heads.  Thus Jesus gave them the nickname "Boenerges" which means, "Sons of Thunder." They demonstrated their fiery character in Luke 9:54 when they asked Jesus to call down fire from heaven on an unreceptive Samaritan village. James has the distinct honor of being the first apostle to die for his testimony for Christ. With his death, the era of the Apostles began to fade and the church looked more and more to the leadership of the elders.

John—He was called the beloved apostle. It is difficult to say who was more prominent, John or Peter. Both before and after the resurrection, they worked side by side. Together they went to prepare the upper room for the Passover meal, Luke 22:8. Together they ran to the tomb to find it empty, John 20:3. They were together in the porch of the temple when they healed the lame man, Acts 3:1–11. And together they stood and defended themselves before the Sanhedrin, Acts 4:13–19. When the church needed their top delegates to examine a Gentile conversion in Samaria, they chose Peter and John. At one point, John would have liked to take prominence. He and James asked for the chief seats in the kingdom. It was John who complained to Jesus about another, not of their number, casting out demons and using Jesus name, Mk. 9:38. But something happened to the heart of John in the presence of Jesus that transformed him from Boenerges to the beloved Apostle. By the time he wrote his gospel, he no longer sought self-glory. From John we learn more about the personal lives of the apostles than any other book. And yet He doesn't mention by name either himself or his brother James. Perhaps this is why, when writing the book of Revelation he was the only Apostle not martyred. He died a natural death while in exile on the isle of Patmos.

Philip—He, like Andrew, had a passion for Christ. He brought others to know him. While Andrew was bringing his brother, Peter; Philip was taking Christ to meet his brother, Bartholomew (also called Nathanael), John 1:43. Perhaps this is why these two men teamed up to bring the Greeks to Christ, John 12:21–22. They were from the same hometown, Capernaum. And yet, Philip had difficulty at times trusting in Christ. It was Philip whom Jesus tested at the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:5,7). And it was Philip, in John 14:8 who said to Jesus, "Show us the Father." He was the "Needing Nudging" apostle. He had good faith and a tremendous heart, but just needed a little push to get him where he needed to be.

Bartholomew—Also called Nathanael. The only narrative we have about Nathanael is in John 1:45– 49. Jesus called him an Israelite with whom there is no guile. Nathanael then uttered the first confession of Christ: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." O for more Bartholomews; men of pure hearts.

Matthew—Also called Levi. He was a hated tax-collector until Jesus called him, Matthew 9:9ff. He gave Jesus a tremendous banquet and invited all his sinner friends. We learn from Matthew a lesson about evangelism. Those who look antagonistic to the gospel may be your best prospects. Matthew was on the other side of the fence as far as religion goes. He was considered a traitor by the Jews. And yet, when he was called, he left immediately. And what is the first thing that he does? He goes and introduces all his "sinner" friends to Jesus. Furthermore, Matthew wrote a gospel that is distinctly Jewish. We learn more from him about the Jewish prophecies and ways than any other writer. Even though he was not allowed in the synagogue, he watched "through the window" with the greatest interest.

Thomas—Also called Didymus. He has received a "bum wrap." We have called him doubting Thomas. And yet all the other apostles also doubted until they saw Jesus bodily. He did, however, require proof. In John 14:5, when Jesus talked about going to the father, Thomas said, "Lord, we know not where you go, so how can we know the way." This introduced Jesus' famous saying, "I am the way and the truth and the life." And Thomas believed that! He was prepared to follow Jesus, even to death. In John 11:16, when Jesus announces His plans to go to Bethany, where the Pharisees wanted to kill him, the other disciples disparaged. A line that we would expect to come from Peter came from the lips of Thomas: "Let us also go, that we may die with him." James the son of Alphaeus—Also called James the less (Mark 15:40). We have absolutely no information about James other than his name. He never made any keen insights, any dynamic demonstration of faith, or any written scripture. And yet, his name alone commends his character. Known as "the less," either because of stature, age or personality, he was resigned to a subordinate position. And yet, there he served faithfully throughout the entire earthly ministry of Jesus. It is a lesson, that we must serve Christ, not for popularity or gain, but because we are His servants.

Simon the Zealot—Again we have no information about Simon other than his title, "Zealot." This was a political party that opposed Rome's control over Palestine (Josephus Wars IV, 3:9; 5:1–4; 6:3; VII, 8:1), although there is no clearly organized group until about 67–68 _A.D. There hatred was fierce for Rome. In fact, much of their opposition was in the form of assassination and guerrilla warfare. It is highly probable that Simon joined Jesus under the belief and hope that Jesus would institute a physical kingdom which would overthrow Rome. He believed in a physical-political Messiah. Yet, somewhere along the line, as he followed Jesus, he learned that love conquered the world, not war. It is an amazing testimony to the power of Christ's love that Simon and Matthew could be brought together. Under normal conditions, Simon would have slit his throat. But renewed by Christ, they both left their loyalties and submitted to Christ.

Judas the son of James—To distinguish this fine apostle from the traitor, he is always identified as "the other" Judas. He is also known as Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:3). He is known for only one comment in John 14:21–24: "But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world." He, like the other 11, was hoping for a physical/political reign of the Messiah. It was an honest and legitimate question.

"Early church tradition tells us that Thaddaeus was tremendously gifted with the power of God to heal the sick. It is said that a certain king of Syria by the name of Adgar was very ill. When he heard about Thaddaeus' power to heal, he called for Thaddaeus to come and heal him. On his way to the king, says the legend, he healed hundreds of people throughout Syria. When he finally reached King Adgar he healed him and presented the gospel, and the king became a Christian. As a result, however, the country was thrown into such chaos that an apostate nephew of the king took Thaddaeus prisoner and martyred him. Thaddaues' symbol, in old church history books, is a big club, because tradition says he was beaten to death with a club. If any part of this legend is true, it again reveals his courage—faithful to his Lord." John MacArthur Jr. The Master's Men, 1982, p. 71.

Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor—He is mentioned last in all lists of the apostles. In every place where he is mentioned he is identified either as the traitor or as one of the 12. It was unbelievable that one of the 12 would actually become a traitor. No one suspected him. When Jesus told the 12 that one would betray Him, they had as much reason to suspect themselves as they did to suspect Judas (John 13). Ostensibly, he was pure, talented, and faithful. For three years he followed with the other 11, even entrusted with the money bag. Only once do we even get a hint of his greed and avarice—in John 12:4, he objected to Jesus being honored with the oil of spikenard.

Why he chose to betray Jesus is still a mystery. We know this: (1) God foreordained him for this detestable task. (2) He freely chose to do it, even after Jesus showed him all love and gave him all opportunity to repent. (3) He was the only apostle from Judea, Kerioth to be exact. Often Judeans held Galileans in contempt. (4) He may have been disillusioned that Jesus would not fulfill his expectations of a political Messiah. He may have even been trying to force Jesus to make a move.

He committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree. Either the rope or the branch broke and he fell down a precipice, spilling his innards on the way down.

Judas is the greatest example of lost opportunity. He had the tremendous privilege of walking three years with Jesus. He was surrounded with the other 11 apostles. Who could ask for more? His hypocrisy fooled even the apostles and was strong enough to harden his heart in the presence of Jesus. Guard your heart! Hypocrisy is imminent, destroying even the best and most talented.

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Miscellaneous Comments on the List of Apostles

1.            The four lists of Apostles (Mt 10:2–4; Mk 3:16–19; Lk 6:14–16; Acts 1:13), each give the names in a different order. However, each list can be divided into three sections which always begin with Peter, Philip and James.

2.            It is likely that James and John, the sons of Zebedee were cousins of Jesus. McGarvey (p. 225) substantiates this idea.

3.            There are several men with more than one name: Simon is also called Peter; Judas is also called Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus; Bartholomew is most likely the Nathanael of John 1; and Thomas (Aramaic) is called Didymus (Greek), both names meaning ―Twin.‖

4.            The latter James, Simon and Judas appear to be brothers and perhaps also cousins of Jesus through Joseph‘s brother (cf. Edersheim I:522).

5.            Judas Iscariot was apparently the only Apostle not from Galilee. His town, Kerioth, was in Judea (Joshua 15:25).

6.            The idea of Apostolic succession has never been substantiated (see McGarvey, p. 223 for details).

7.            Jesus himself was an ―Apostle‖ (Hebrews 3:1).

Matt 10:2–4	Mark 3:16–19	Luke 6:14–16	Acts 1:13
Simon (Peter)	Simon (Peter)	Simon (Peter)	Peter
Andrew (his brother)	James son of Zebedee	Andrew (his brother)	John
James son of Zebedee	John (Boanerges)	James	James
John (his brother)	Andrew	John	Andrew
Philip	Philip	Philip	Philip
Bartholomew	Bartholomew	Bartholomew	Thomas
Thomas	Matthew	Matthew	Bartholomew
Matthew (tax collector)	Thomas	Thomas	Matthew
James son of Alphaeus	James son of Alphaeus	James son of Alphaeus	James son of Alphaeus
Thaddaeus	Thaddaeus	Simon the Zealot	Simon the Zealot
Simon the Zealot	Simon the Zealot	Judas son of James	Judas son of James
Judas Iscariot	Judas Iscariot	Judas Iscariot

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                                                   Notes on the Kingdom of God

                                                                  By Mark Moore

I.      Definition (Kingdom of God/Heaven is used 96x, 58 of those are in Matthew and Luke)

A.          The kingdom is when God actually rules just like he does in heaven (Mt 6:10; Luke 11:2), particularly through the Messiah (Mk 15:43; Luke 1:33; 23:51; Acts 1:6; Heb 1:8 [as perceived by righteous Jews of Jesus‘ day]), though Jesus clarifies that rule was not based on earth or run by earthly standards (John 18:36).

B.          It was the basic message of early preaching. John the Baptist (Mt 3:2; Mk 1:15); Jesus (Mt 4:17; Luke 4:43; 8:1; Acts 1:3), often accompanied by healings (Mt 4:23; 9:35; Luke 9:11), and the Apostles (Luke 9:2), also often accompanied by healings (Mt 10:7). As well as all those that preach Jesus‘ message (Mt13:19, 52; 24:14; Luke 9:60; 10:9; 16:16; Acts 8:12); especially Paul (Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). C.        It is like:

1.            A field sown in good seed that an enemy sabotages with similar looking weeds (Mt 13:24, 38, 41). Or a dragnet that catches all kinds of fish, some good, some bad (Mt 13:47). It has fakers in it that need to be ferret out at the judgment.

2.            A mustard seed that starts very small and winds up huge (Mt 13:31; Mk 4:30; Luke 13:18); or leaven that permeates a huge batter of dough (Mt 13:33; Luke 13:20). It grows night and day imperceptibly, like seeds in the garden (Mk 4:26). It starts out small and ends up big.

3.            A treasure hidden in a field (Mt 13:44) or a pearl of great value (Mt 13:45). It is worth giving up everything else to gain.

4.            A landowner who hires workers throughout the day but pays them the same (Mt 20:1ff.). It is also like a king who throws a wedding banquet for his son and invites all kinds of people to attend. God’s grace will be dispensed (unequally) according to his choice and our response to the invitation.

D.          It suffered violence at the hands of forceful men trying to take hold of it (Mt. 11:12).^[1] It is in opposition to the kingdom of Satan (Mt 12:25–28; Mk 3:24; Luke 11:18–20; Eph 2:2; Rev 16:10). The Pharisees shut out sincere people from the kingdom (Mt 23:13).

E.          It is a present reality (Mt 16:28; Mk 9:1; Luke 9:27; 10:11; 17:20–21), manifested in Jesus‘ Messianic ministry (Mk 11:10; Luke 19:11 [as Jesus‘ society interpreted it]), that will have eschatological fulfillment (Mt 8:11–12; 13:43; Luke 14:15; 21:31^[2]; 22:16, 18; 30; 23:42; 1 Cor 15:24; Heb 12:28; Rev 11:15; 12:10^[3]), at Jesus‘ return (Mt 25:1, 34; 26:29; Mk 14:25; 2 Tim 4:1). Ultimately, it will become equivalent to ―heaven‖ (Mk 9:47; 2 Tim 4:18; 2 Pet 1:11), but now is embodied in the church (Col 4:11; Rev 1:6; 5:10).

F.           It is not about earthly things (―eating and drinking‖) but about spiritual things (―righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit‖), (Rom 14:17). It is not about ―talk but of power‖ (1 Cor 4:20). In fact, flesh and blood can not inherit it (1 Cor 15:50). II.       ―Membership‖ in the Kingdom: A.       Who gets in:

1.           The poor (in Spirit) & the Persecuted (Mt 5:3, 10; Luke 6:20; James 2:5). 

2.           These ―least‖ people are greater than John the Baptist, the greatest man ever born of a woman (Mt 11:11; Luke 7:28). Little children are the greatest in the kingdom (Mt 18:1– 4; 19:14; Mk 10:14–15; Luke 18:16–17). 

3.           Repentant sinners will have access before religious leaders who do not accept Jesus (Mt 21:31; Mk 12:34). 

4.           On the other hand, the rich will have a difficult time entering (Mt 19:23–24; Mk 10:23–

25; Luke 18:24–25). And the wicked and sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom (1 Cor 6:9–10; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5).

B.                 Many outsiders will enter but insiders will be excluded (Mt 8:11–12; Luke 13:29–30).

C.                 Peter has the keys to it (Mt 16:19). All the Apostles were given the secrets of the kingdom, but others excluded from it (Mt 13:11; Mk 4:11; Luke 8:10) III. It demands of its citizens:

A.          Righteousness based on obedience to the law of God (Mt 5:19–20). Many will say ―Lord, Lord‖ but only the obedient will be saved (Mt 7:21). The fruit we are especially to ―produce‖ is the acceptance of Jesus (Mt 21:43). God particularly requires filial forgiveness (Mt 18:23).

B.          To be our #1 priority above secular concerns (Mt 6:33; Luke 12:31–32), even above our family commitments (Luke 9:60–62; 18:29). Some have even become eunuchs in order to better serve God in his kingdom (Mt 19:12). This will require enduring many hardships (Acts 14:22; 2 Thess 1:5; Rev 1:9).

C.          One must humble themselves like a little child (Mt 18:3–4; Mk 10:15; Luke 18:17) and be born again (John 3:3–5)

D.          Although God is pleased to give us the kingdom (Luke 12:32), and essentially he is the one who calls us and qualifies us for the kingdom through Jesus (Col 1:12–14; 1 Thess 2:12; Rev 1:6; 5:10). Moreover, he will compensate us extravagantly for pursuing it above all other things (Luke 18:29).

IV. The Kingdom in Acts (M. Scott)

A.          Places in Acts where "kingdom" occurs: 1:3, 6; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31.

B.          Significance of the above: While "kingdom" does not occur often in Acts it usually occurs just prior or just after some "major shift" (ethnic or geographic) in Acts.

C.          Most generally the kingdom is preaching in Acts as a present reality.  The only reference to the future kingdom is 14:22.

D.          In the coming of Christ and the establishment of the church the kingdom of God is inaugurated.  Kingdom emphasizes God's reign.  Church emphasizes God's people.  Kingdom is the larger term.  It may be correct to say that the church is the kingdom of God on earth, but it is to say too much to suggest that the kingdom equals the church.

---

[1] The meaning of this verse is the subject of much debate. Some take it as a positive statement about the strong progress of the kingdom. This author understands it to be a negative statement about the aggressive assault against the kingdom by violent and insolent men

[2] The author understands this to be a prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem, rather than the end of the world. However, (a) it is still eschatological vocabulary, (b) Jesus does not differentiate clearly between 70 C.E. and the parousia, and (c) the destruction of Jerusalem is paradigmatic for the kind of things that will happen at the end of the world. Thus this becomes an appropriate picture for ―End Times‖ events.

[3] This refers to the work of Jesus on the cross, not the end of time. Yet like Luke 21:31 it is still phrased in eschatological language.

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##ASCENSION

I.                    Contradictions

1.                   Time:   Easter vs. 40 days later

2.                   Place:   Bethany vs. Mt. of Olives: Acts 1:12; Luke 24:50

II.                 Historicity

1.                   Prophesied:  Ps 110:1; Luke 22:69

2.                   Claimed in the NT: Mk 16:19; Luke 24:50–51; Acts 1:3, 9–11

3.                   Assumed in the NT: Luke 9:51; John 3:13; 6:62; 20:17; Acts 2:32–33; 5:30; 7:55; Rom 8:34; 1 Cor 15:1–28; Eph 1:20–21; 4:8–10; Phil 2:9–11; Col 3:1; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:12; 1 Pet 3:21–22.

4.                   Presented in sobriety, not like apocryphal literature.

5.                   Presence of witnesses.

6.                   No other explanation of cessation of resurrection appearances.

III.              Purpose

1.                   His work was finished (John 17:4, 5; 19:30; Phil 2:6, 9, 10)

2.                   Prepare a place for us (John 14:2)

3.                   Holy Spirit would come (John 16:7)

4.                   Intercessory work (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25)

IV.              From John Stott, The Spirit, the Church and the World, p. 49:

What is the permanent value of the ascension story?  "If we were to give a thorough answer to this question, we would need to bring different strands of teaching together from all the New Testament authors, including the completed sacrifice and continuing intercession of our Great High Priest described in Hebrews, the glorification of the Son of man taught by John, the cosmic lordship emphasized by Paul and the final triumph when his enemies will become his footstool, foretold by

Psalm 110:1, and endorsed by those who quote it."


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