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Acts Chapter
One
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Foundation of the Church
I. The appearing and teachings of the risen Lord
(v.1-3).
II. The promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit
and the mission to bear witness to the Lord (v.4-8).
III. The vision of Christ’s ascension and the hope
of the Lord’s second coming (v.9-11).
IV. The prayer and supplication with one accord
(v.12-14).
V. The filling up of the lot of the service and
apostleship:
A.
Declare the ending of Judas who betrayed the Lord (v.15-20).
B.
Choose Matthias as the apostle (v.21-26).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Acts. 1:1 “The former account I
made
O Theophilus
of all that Jesus began both to do and teach
”
YLT: “The former account
indeed
I made concerning all things
O Theophilus
that Jesus began both to do
and to teach
”
Meaning of Words: “Theophilus”: God’s
friend
the one who loves God
the one whom God loves
the one whom God
treasures
the one whom God values.
Literal Meaning: “Theophilus” is the
recipient of this book and the Gospel of Luke
please see the details in the
Recipients of the introduction of to the Acts of the Apostles.
“The former account I made” refers to
the Gospel of Luke. It is said that the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the
Apostles were regarded by the early church as the first and second volumes of
one book. Until the middle period of the second century
the Gospel of Luke in
which the deeds of the Lord Jesus are recorded was put together with the other
three Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in which the deeds of the disciples
are recorded was put alone after the four Gospels.
“Of all that Jesus began both to do and
teach” It summarizes the
Gospel of Luke. “Began” refers to the period when the Lord Jesus incarnated and
lived on the earth; “to do” refers to His deeds; “to teach” refers to His words
and teachings.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “All that…both to do and teach” The works of the Lord Jesus include both
the doings of the word and teachings. We
who serve the Lord
should pay equal
attention to the deeds and words (Pill. 1:27; Eph. 4:20-22).
2) It is the lifelong feature of the Lord Jesus
that He teaches by deed first and then by word. Before He teaches men to
forgive others
He Himself forgave others; before He teaches men to pray
He
Himself prayed; before He teaches men to leave all and walk on the way of the
cross
He Himself left all and walked on the way of the cross; before He
teaches men to wash one another’s feet
He Himself washed the feet of the
disciples.
3) The two shortcomings of common Christians are
that: a) what they do does not catch up with what they say; b) they are not
fully aware of what they believe.
4) What the Lord Jesus did and taught according to
the flesh is only the “beginning” of His works. Over the past two thousand
years
He continually works through the Holy Spirit and teaches believers.
Acts. 1:2 “until the day in which He
was taken up
after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the
apostles whom He had chosen
”
YLT: “till the day in
which
having given command
through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he
did choose out
he was taken up
”
Literal Meaning: “after He through
the Holy Spirit” This book stresses on that all things that are accomplished are
done “through the Holy Spirit”. The Holy Spirit is the leading role through the
whole book and therefore the Acts of the Apostles is also called the Acts of
the Holy Spirit.
“Had given commandments to the apostles
whom He had chosen” “Commandments” is the martial term and it refers to issuing
the order in hope of the obedience of the other. “Apostles” refers to those who
have been sent.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord does and teaches all “through the Holy
Spirit”. We should also walk and speak in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25).
2) “Had given commandments to the apostles whom He
had chosen” It shows that the Lord only commands those whom He had chosen
showing that those who have been commanded by the Lord cannot be overlooked. We
should not regard the commandment of the Lord as unimportant.
3) “Had given commandments to the apostles whom He
had chosen” The Lord hopes that we could obey and put into practice every word
that He “had commanded” us. And therefore we should not talk about His words as
reasons
without the intention to obey His words.
Acts. 1:3 “to whom He also presented
Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs
being seen by them
during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the
YLT: “to whom also he did
present himself alive after his suffering
in many certain proofs
through
forty days being seen by them
and speaking the things concerning the reign of
God.”
Meaning of Words: “proof”: criterion
of certainty
symptom; “present”: show.
Literal Meaning: “many infallible
proofs” “proofs” refers to the numerous proofs that declares the facts with
irrefutable evidence.
“He also presented Himself alive”
indicates that He presented Himself real and vivid to the disciples.
According to the whole Bible
the
details that the Lord Jesus presented Himself to the disciples after His
resurrection are as follows: 1) He appeared to Mary (Mark. 16:9-11; John.
20:11-18). 2) He appeared to other women (Matt. 28:9-10). 3) He appeared to the
two disciples who went to Emmaus (Mark. 16:12-13; Luke. 24:13-35). 4) He
appeared to Simon Peter (Luke. 24:34; 1Cor. 15:5). 5) He appeared to the eleven
apostles except Thomas (Luke. 24:36-43; John. 20:19-23). 6) He appeared to the
eleven apostles (Mark. 16:14; John. 20:24-29). 7) He appeared in
“Being seen by them during forty days” It is the only verse that describes “the
forty days” when the Lord Jesus stayed on the earth from His resurrection to
His public ascension.
“Being seen by them” The risen Christ
dwells in believers (2Cor. 13:5) and abides with them. Only that His presence
sometimes is seen and more often is unseen.
“Speaking of the things pertaining to
the
1) The reality of the
2) The appearance of the
3) The realization of the
This verse shows that the Lord trains the disciples
in two things during the forty days after His resurrection: 1) Make the
disciples know the reality of the Lord’s resurrection so that it could be the
center of their witness (Acts. 2:24
32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40-41; 13:30
34
37; 17:3
31; 26:8). 2) Make the disciples deeply comprehend the meaning of the
Spiritual Meaning: “the forty days” is
the period of test and trial (Matt. 4:2).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Forty” is formerly the number of trial and suffering
however
it is also the number that the risen Lord appears to men. Our trail
and tribulation are the right occasion for the Lord to present Himself to us
“alive”. And therefore we should not fear the hard trials and we should be
afraid that the Lord does not present Himself to us in trials.
2) What Christians receive is not the dead pope but
the Savior who was dead and is alive (Rev.1:18). He accomplishes the work of
redemption through His death and His resurrection confirms the reliableness of
the redemption (1Cor. 15:17).
3) The risen Christ is not only the foundation of
the church but also the deadly attack to Satan---God’s enemy. It is no wonder
that Satan and its subordinates deny and attack the fact of Christ’s
resurrection all the time from the time Christ is raised from the dead.
4) If Christians only know how to enjoy the effect
of Christ’s death
and do not know how to enjoy the effect of His resurrection
they are difficulty saved. What a pity!
5) A Christian begins to experience God’s life
subjectively from the knowledge of Christ’s resurrection. The one who does not
know Christ’s resurrection does not have the real experience of life.
Acts. 1:4 “And being assembled
together with them
He commanded them not to depart from
YLT: “And being assembled
together with them
he commanded them not to depart from
Literal Meaning: “and being assembled
together with them” “being assembled” in the original means “eating with them”
and it is translated in some version that
“when He was eating with them”. And
therefore we could read this verse with Luke. 24:43. However
“being assembled”
could also refer to any meeting.
“Not to depart from
However
if we regard this gathering as
the meeting with the disciples in
“But to wait for the Promise of the
Father” “The Promise of
the Father” refers to the Holy Spirit (Joel. 2:28-32; Luke. 24:49). According
to the Gospel of John
the Holy Spirit is also the promise of the Lord Jesus
that He had prayed the Father (John. 14:16
26).
“Which ‘you
have heard from Me” Before the Lord
Jesus was killed
He told the disciples many times that they should receive the
Holy Spirit (John. 14:16-17
26; 15:26; 16:7
13).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
2) The Lord on one hand commanded the disciples
that “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). On the
other
He commanded them “not to depart from
3) “But to wait for the Promise of the Father.” If we want to gain the promise of God
we
have to wait for it. If men are unwilling to wait
they cannot gain the promise
of God. However
the waiting of Christians does not mean that they are occupied
with nothing
but that they look upon God wholeheartedly.
4) “Waiting” also refers to the obedient
attitude------God will absolutely not entrust any work to those who do not obey
the Lord’s commandment or pour out the heavenly blessings to them.
5) Those who do not know God think that only
“working” is serving God and do not know that “waiting” is also a kind of service.
Those who know God not only know that “waiting” is serving God but also
understand that “waiting” is a kind of service deeper than “working”.
Acts. 1:5 “for John truly baptized
with water
but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from
now.’”
YLT: “because John
indeed
baptized with water
and ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit
after not many days.’”
Literal Meaning: “for John truly
baptized with water” The baptism of John stresses on the negative dealing with.
It shows that one ends his past sins in his rejection of God through his being
immersed into water and therefore it is also called “the baptism of repentance”
(Acts. 19:3-4). It is different from Christians’ baptism in the name of the
Lord Jesus because the baptism of Christians stresses on the union with Christ
which includes the negative burial------die with Christ and the positive
resurrection------live with Christ (Rom. 6:3-5).
“Not many days from now” refers to the
Pentecost that is ten days after the Lord’s being taken up (Acts. 2:1).
“You shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit” From the word of
the Lord
it is a particular event that the disciples received the baptism of
the Holy Spirit. Namely
the Holy Spirit shall come upon the disciples on the
day of the Pentecost. Luke said that “they were filled with the Holy Spirit”
(Acts. 2:1-4). Peter the Apostle explained that this is the prophecy of “the
out-pouring of the Holy Spirit” that was spoken by the prophet Joel (Acts.
2:16-18). And therefore many people lump “the baptism of the Holy Spirit”
“the
descent of the Holy Spirit” and “the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit” together
and they hold that they refer to the same thing. However
according to the
whole Bible
the several acts of the Holy Spirit are the same in broad sense
and they slightly differ from each other in the narrow sense:
A. “The baptism of the Holy Spirit”:
believers are baptized in the Holy Spirit so as to become a part of the body of
Christ and they could partake in the oneness of spirit (1Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:3).
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is fulfilled with two phases: the first phase is
fulfilled on the day of the Pentecost on which the Jewish believers whom the
disciples stood for were baptized into the body of Christ (Acts. 2:4). The
second phase is fulfilled at the house of Cornelius. The household of
Cornelius
standing for all Gentile believers
were baptized into the body of
Christ (Acts. 10:44-47; 11:15-17). And therefore “the baptism of the Holy
Spirit” is an objective fact that had been accomplished in the history. The
true Christians at all times and in all countries have already partaken in the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. When we repent and believe in the Lord Jesus
this
objective fact becomes our individual subjective experience.
B. “The descent of the Holy Spirit”: it
is different from the indwelling Holy Spirit which indicates that the Holy
Spirit dwells in believers and makes them be born from above and partake in the
spiritual life (Rom. 8:11; John. 3:6). “The descent of the Holy Spirit”
indicates that the Holy Spirit comes upon believers (the outward nature) and
makes them have power to bear witness of the Lord (Acts. 1:8; Luke. 24:49). The
indwelling Holy Spirit lays particular stress on life and the descent of the Holy
Spirit
work.
C. “Being filled with the Holy Spirit”
In the original
two different words are used to describe it: one refers to
bathing in the Holy Spirit (outwardly) (pletho
Acts. 2:4; 3:10; 4:8
31; 5:17;
9:17; 13:9
45; 19:29)
i.e. the Holy Spirit descends upon believers abundantly
and makes them have the power of working. The other refers to the infilling of
the Holy Spirit (inwardly) (pleroo
Acts. 13:52; Eph. 5:18)
i.e. the Holy
Spirit occupies more in believers and makes them be full of the spiritual life.
D. “The out-pouring of the Holy Spirit”:
as if one pours of the anointing oil upon the heads of men (Lev. 8:12)
God
pours out the Holy Spirit from the heaven upon believers abundantly so that
they could fulfill the special commission that God has entrusted them (Acts.
2:16-21).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers have to undergo the baptism of water
and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We not only need to receive the procedure
of the baptism of water but also should experience the reality of the baptism
of the Holy Spirit.
2) One experiences the baptism of the Holy Spirit
through waiting (Acts. 1:4)
showing that the sovereignty depends on God and
the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes to believers according to God’s time and
way instead of the exchange of men’s pursuit.
Acts. 1:6 “Therefore
when they had
come together
they asked Him
saying
‘Lord
will You at this time restore the kingdom to
YLT: “They
therefore
indeed
having come together
were questioning him
saying
`Lord
dost thou at this time restore the reign to
Meaning of Words: “come together”:
convene (it is different from “being assembled” in v.4); “restore”:
reconstitute.
Literal Meaning: “when they had come
together” Some Bible exegetes think that this sentence is not the repetition of
the fourth verse but the last gathering before the Lord was taken up.
“Lord
will You at this time restore
the kingdom to
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Men’s thoughts and minds would always obstruct
our new vision. Even our past true knowledge of the Bible may become the
obstruction for us to gain the Lord’s new revelation. And therefore every time
we come to the Lord
we should empty ourselves and only look upon Him.
2) What the Lord pays attention to is “the things
pertaining to the
3) It is true that Christians should care for their
own kinsmen
country and nation (
Acts. 1:7 “And He said to them
‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the
Father has put in His own authority.”
YLT: “and he said unto
them
`It is not yours to know times or seasons that the Father did appoint in
His own authority;”
Literal Meaning: “in His own
authority” The Lord Jesus did not think that their question in v.6 was wrong
because “the restoration of the
“Times and seasons which the Father has
put” “Has put” in the original is the past indefinite tense
showing that God
the Father has established a time and it is a fixed fact.
“Times” refers to a period of time and it stresses
on the extension of time. “Seasons” refers to some fixed time and it matters
with both the length and nature of time.
“It is not for you to know” The realization of the kingdom of the
Messiah shall be fully accomplished according to the time in the plan of God
the Father. However
we could not predict the day or hour before the fullness
of the fixed time.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The day and hour of the Lord’s second coming is
the hidden thing that belongs to God (Deut. 29:29). Since God has not told us
the day or hour obviously
we do not need to extrapolate it.
2) We should set our minds at rest and let God the
Father arrange His things. And we should diligently do the things that we ought
to do------bear witness of the Lord through the Holy Spirit (Acts. 1:8).
Acts. 1:8 “But you shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me
in
YLT: “but ye shall
receive power at the coming of the Holy Spirit upon you
and ye shall be
witnesses to me both in
Literal Meaning: “But you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”
The disciples had received the Holy Spirit at night on that day of the Lord’s
resurrection (John. 20:22) as the Spirit of life “within” them (Rom. 8:2). Now
the Holy Spirit should come upon them for the sake of the Lord’s witness
i.e.
the Spirit of power “upon” them (Luke. 24:49).
“In
“Be witnesses to Me” Bearing witness of
the Lord is the important theme through the whole Acts of the Apostles (Acts.
2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39; 13:31; 22:15).
There are three important
aspects for the witnesses to the Lord: 1) the witnesses should have the
personal experience and knowledge of the Lord (See v.22). 2) The true witness
always lies on deeds instead of words. 3) “Witnesses” is the same with
“martyrs” in the Greek and therefore the one who bears witness of the Lord
should have the mind of laying down his life for the Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord did not tell us the times and seasons
of the restoration of the
2) Today the Lord reserves us on the earth with an
important aim that we should “bear witness” of the Lord
or that we shall be
“the witnesses of the Lord”. This is the glorious mission of every Christian.
3) The Holy Spirit dwells “within” you for
yourself------make you repent
listen to the word of God and know the Lord. The
Holy Spirit comes “upon” you (i.e. outside of you) for others------make others
repent
listen to the word of God and know the Lord.
4) When Christians bear witness of the Lord
the
power of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary. Even if one is of great
talent
has been strictly trained and has rich experience
his work is of no
effort without the power of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary
even if one does
not have any knowledge and has the weak bodily presence
there will be the unexpected
effect of work if he gains the power of the Holy Spirit.
5) Not by might
nor by power
but by the spirit of
God (Zech. 4:6).
6) The Lord’s love is universal and His gospel
benefits the whole land. We believers should be delivered from the conception
of the narrow race and region (Col. 3:11) and bear witness to the whole world.
7) This verse reveals the principle of the
expansion of the glad tidings: expanding from center to periphery. And
therefore we should preach the glad tidings from the closest relatives and
friends to the strange public.
8) Many Christians have an intention to preach the
glad tidings for the Lord
however
they make two extreme mistakes: a) they aim
too high and are willing to preach to the remotest corners of the earth. However
they neglect the relatives
neighbors
colleagues and classmates who are beside
them. b) they only care for those who are close to them and neglect the Lord’s
need and calling.
9) “Witness” means “martyr” in the original. The
Lord’s witnesses should: a) have the mind that “not love one’s life to the
death” (Rev. 12:11). b) “always carrying about in the body the dying of the
Lord Jesus
that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2Cor.
4:10).
10) If we want to bear witness of the Lord
we
should have the personal experience and knowledge of Christ besides the power
of the Holy Spirit. We should not hold that the one who has been saved and has
the knowledge of the Bible
good eloquence and mind is able to bear witness of
Christ. What is important is the history that one has before the Lord. The
qualification to be the witnesses to the Lord is the knowledge of Christ. You
may be able to say much
however
you may be unable to be Christ’s witness.
What men lack is the holy life and the Holy Spirit and only those who truly
know Christ could quicken men.
Acts. 1:9 “Now when He had spoken
these things
while they watched
He was taken up
and a cloud received Him out
of their sight.”
YLT: “And these things
having said they beholding he was taken up
and a cloud did receive him up from
their sight;”
Literal Meaning: “while they watched
He was taken up” It shows that the Lord’s ascension is an obvious fact to all
and many people could bear witness to it.
“And a cloud received Him out of their
sight.” In the Bible “cloud” is often used to describe the glory of God (Exod.
40:34; 1Kings. 8:10-11; Matt. 17:5).
Acts. 1:10 “And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven as He went up
behold
two men stood by them in white
apparel
”
YLT: “and as they were
looking stedfastly to the heaven in his going on
then
lo
two men stood by
them in white apparel
”
Meaning of Words: “looked steadfastly
toward”: gaze intently.
Literal Meaning: “behold
two men stood by
them in white apparel” “two men” refers
to angels (John. 20:12).
Acts. 1:11 “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.’”
YLT: “who also said
`Men
Galileans
why do ye stand gazing into the heaven? this Jesus who was
received up from you into the heaven
shall so come in what manner ye saw him
going on to the heaven.’”
Literal Meaning: “Men of Galilee” The
former twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus were all men of
“Will so come in like manner as you saw
Him go into heaven” The word of the
angel tells us: “the Lord’s second coming” does not mean that the Lord dwells
in us in the Holy Spirit or that we will be with Him after our death. “The
Lord’s second coming” does not refer to the coming of moral but the real
coming.
At the same time
when the Lord Jesus
comes again
there will be similar scenes with His ascension: 1) He will come
to the Mount called Olivet as He was taken up on the Mount called Olivet (Acts.
1:11; Zech. 14:4). 2) His second coming will be visible as His ascension is
obvious to all (Acts. 1:9; Matt. 24:30). 3) He will come in the clouds of
heaven as He was taken up and a cloud received Him (Acts. 1:9; Mark. 14:62;
Luke 21:27).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Why do you stand gazing up into heaven?” God does not want us to hesitate
suspect
or waste time. He asks us to act and carry out what the Lord has entrusted us.
2) If we indeed see the vision of Christ’s
ascension
we must have the heavenly sight
seek those things which are above
and not be deceived by the things which are on the earth (Col. 3:1-2).
3) “Will so come in like manner” Here the subject is not others but “Jesus who was
taken up”. The Lord’s second coming does not mean that He is with us in the
Holy Spirit or the descent of the Holy Spirit
but that He Himself will come
for the second time.
4) “Will so come in like manner” Christ’s coming is
absolutely true. The prophets predicted His second coming (Zech. 14:5)
the
Lord Himself spoke of His second coming (Matt. 24:44)
the angel here
guaranteed His second coming
the Holy Spirit mentions His second coming again
and again through the authors of the epistles of the New Testament (1Thess.
4:16; Heb. 10:37) and the whole Revelation bears witness to His second coming.
The Lord’s coming is affirmative.
5) Since we know that the Lord will come again
we
should have the heart of desiring His coming (Rev. 22:20) and prepare ourselves
to meet His second coming (Matt. 24:44; 25:1-13).
6) When the Lord comes
He will judge men on the
earth and punish those who follow the bad example of the world. And therefore
those who know that the Lord will come again should lead a life in all piety.
Acts. 1:12 “Then they returned to
YLT: “Then did they
return to
Meaning of Words: “the mount called
Olivet” the garden of Olives.
Literal Meaning: “from the mount
called Olivet” “the mount called Olivet” is the place where the Lord Jesus was
taken up and it is in the outside of the city of
“A Sabbath day’s journey” The Jewish
rabbis deduced that men could walk two thousand elbows (about one kilometer) at
most (Num. 35:5; Josh.3:4) according to the regulation that men could not walk
far on the Sabbath (Exod. 16:29). If one walks beyond this distance
he shall
be considered as disobeying the Sabbath.
“Then they returned to
Acts. 1:13 “And when they had
entered
they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter
James
John
and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the
son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.”
YLT: “and when they came
in
they went up to the upper room
where were abiding both Peter
and James
and John
and Andrew
Philip
and Thomas
Bartholomew
and Matthew
James
of
Alphaeus
and Simon the Zelotes
and Judas
of James;”
Meaning of Words: “Peter”: stone;
“John”: God’s gifts; “James”: the seizer
usurper; “Andrew”: man
mighty
overcomer
strong
masculine; “Philip”: affectionate
fond of horses; “Thomas”:
the twin; “Bartholomew”: son of Tholomew
son of wars; “Matthew”: God’s gift;
“Alphaeus”: interchange; “Simon the Canaite”: listen to earnestly; “Judas”:
worship.
Literal Meaning: “they went up into the upper
room where they were staying” In the original
there is a definite article before “upper room”
showing that it is particular
in the hearts of the Apostles. Probably it is the upper room of the large room
where the Lord Jesus and disciples ate the dinner of the Passover (Mark.
14:15). It is said that it was the house of the mother of Mark and it seemed
that believers in the early period often used this room as the gathering place
(Acts. 12:12). Today many Bible exegetes called this room “the room of Mark”.
“Bartholomew” Many Bible exegetes think
that the “Nathanael” in the Gospel of John (John. 1:45-50) is Bartholomew.
“James the son of Alphaeus” Two of the twelve disciples of the Lord
named James. One is the son of Zebedee
i.e. the brother of John. The other is
this James (Matt. 10:2-3; Mark. 3:17-18; Luke. 6:14-15). The general Bible
exegetes call him “little James” for distinction.
“The Canaite” was a radical Jewish sect.
Men in Canaite were zealous in the Law and they even resorted to force to
defend the Law. They also resisted the dominion of the Roman Government.
“Judas the son of James” is also named Thaddaeus (Matt. 10:3; Mark. 3:18).
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 brothers.”
YLT: “these all were
continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication
with women
and Mary the
mother of Jesus
and with his brethren.”
Meaning of Words: “with one accord”:
with one mind; “continued”: persevere
attend continually.
Literal Meaning: “with the women”
Some of “the women” were the wives of the disciples and these women also
included the ones who followed the Lord to the cross (Matt. 27:55-56; Mark.
15:40-41; John. 19:25).
“Mary the mother of Jesus” It is the
place where Mary was mentioned for the last time in the New Testament and she
was called “the mother of Jesus” instead of “God’s mother” in the Catholic
Church. Moreover
she prayed with the disciples and did not receive the
disciples’ prayer.
“And with His brothers” “Brothers” refers to His brothers
according to the flesh. They did not believe Him previously (John. 7:5) and now
they believed Him obviously and among whom James and Judas became leaders in
the church later (Acts. 15:13-21; Gal. 2:9; Jude. 1).
“All continued with one accord in prayer
and supplication” It shows the three
conditions of prayer: 1) “with one accord”. 2) “continue”. 3) with the “urgent”
mood and “real” burden.
Spiritual Meaning: There were both
brothers and sisters who prayed in this upper room in the early church. There
were both men and women (Acts. 1:13-14). In the Bible
men represent the
objective truth (knowledge) and women represent the subjective truth
(experience). The two aspects are indispensable and only the two aspects
together could bring in the heavenly blessing.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The descent of the Holy Spirit is what the Lord
has promised (Acts. 1:8). And the Lord is faithful and all that He has promised
must be accomplished. Even so
the disciples still need to pray so that they
could subjectively experience the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts. 2:1-4).
The way of the fulfillment of the will of God must be paved by the prayers of
the disciples. The will of God would be accomplished as far as our prayer could
reach.
2) Though we could not ask God to do what He is
unwilling to do
we could hold back what He is willing to do and the key of it
is “prayer”. There is a principle of God’s working: only when the citizens of
God are willing to pray for the will of God will He be willing to rise and work
so as to accomplish His will.
3) Prayer is none other but that we express our
“Amen” to the will of God. As long as believers sympathize with the will of God
in their prayers
God is willing to accomplish His will.
4) All spiritual works should be prepared and begin
in prayers. Prayer is the foundation of the spiritual works. The works without
the foundation of prayers will not bring in the true blessing of God.
5) John Bunyan said that
“prayer is a shield to
the soul
a sacrifice to God
and a scourge for Satan”.
6) Someone said that
“prayer is the thermometer
and thermostat of the church”.
7) Prayers of believers bring in “the Pentecost”
(Acts. 2:1-4). The cross is the work that the Son of God has finished by
Himself and the Pentecost is the work that the children of God have
accomplished.
8) The individual prayer of believers is important
and the corporate prayer of all believers is indispensible. Many times
the
prayer of many people with one accord is of greater effect than the individual
prayer.
9) God’s sons and daughters gather together and
pray simply
wholeheartedly
truly and “with one accord”. It always brings in
God’s answer and blessing.
10) If believers want to pray “with one accord”
we
have to live in the life of the church “with one accord”.
11) The greatest shortcoming of believers in prayer
is that they cannot “continue”------it is easy for them to lose heart and not
to persevere.
12) If our prayer hasn’t been answered by God
it
does not show that God rejects our prayer because God’s time has not come yet.
It is also the reason why we should continue in prayer.
13) The best “waiting” (Acts. 1:4) is “prayer”. The
most effective prayer is “continuing with one accord in prayer and
supplication”.
14) According to this chapter of the Bible
there
are four conditions for “continuing with one accord in prayer and
supplication”: a) the same knowledge------the
15) God’s work must be accomplished by believers’
being “with one accord”. In other words
if believers are not “with one
accord”
they will interrupt God’s work.
Acts. 1:15 “And in those days Peter
stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was
about a hundred and twenty)
and said
”
YLT: “And in these days
Peter having risen up in the midst of the disciples
said
(the multitude also
of the names at the same place was
as it were
an hundred and twenty
)”
The
Background: according to the
regulations of the Jewish council
if they want to elect someone to take up an
important post of the council officially
the legal number of people who attend
the meeting should be more than one hundred and twenty.
Literal Meaning: “the number of names
was about a hundred and twenty” At that time there were at least five hundred
believers (1Cor. 15:6) and therefore these people were only a part of them.
Probably
all of them cannot gather together because of the limitation of the
capacity of the upper room. Or probably most of the disciples stayed in Galilee
and did not return to
“Peter stood up in the midst of the
disciples” “disciples” refer
to brothers who all have receive the life of God (John. 20:17).
Spiritual Meaning: “was about a hundred
and twenty” “A hundred and twenty” is ten times the number “twelve”
symbolizing the complete oneness.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples” Peter denied the Lord three times and was
offended severely. However
he “stood up” in the Lord. We should not be afraid
of failure. We should be afraid of is that after failure
we are unwilling to
and dare not to stand up in the Lord.
2) Believers should pray for each other and ask the
Lord to rise many men among brothers to “speak” for Him.
Acts. 1:16 “‘Men
and brethren
this Scripture had to be fulfilled
which the Holy Spirit spoke
before by the mouth of David concerning Judas
who became a guide to those who
arrested Jesus;”
YLT: “`Men
brethren
it
behoved this Writing that it be fulfilled that beforehand the Holy Spirit spake
through the mouth of David
concerning Judas
who became guide to those who
took Jesus
”
Literal
Meaning: “Men and brethren”
This appellation often occurs in this book (Acts. 1:11; 2:29
37; 7:2; 13:15
26
38; 15:7
13; 22:1; 23:1
6; 28:17).
“The Holy Spirit spoke before by the
mouth of David” It refers to the psalm that David had made: “who ate my bread
has lifted up his heel against me” (Ps. 41:9). The Lord Jesus said it at the
last dinner (John. 13:18)
implying that Judas was about to betray Him.
Enlightenment in the Word: we should be “a guide to those who believe in
Jesus” and should never be “a guide to those who arrest Jesus”.
Acts. 1:17 “for he was numbered with
us and obtained a part in this ministry.’”
YLT: “because he was
numbered among us
and did receive the share in this ministration
”
Meaning of Words: “number”: reckon
among
count
number with; “ministry”: official service
service
provision;
“part”: lot (Acts. 1:26).
Acts. 1:18 “(Now this man purchased a
field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong
he burst open in the
middle and all his entrails gushed out.”
YLT: “this one
indeed
then
purchased a field out of the reward of unrighteousness
and falling
headlong
burst asunder in the midst
and all his bowels gushed forth
”
Meaning of Words: “wage”: pay for
service
reward; “purchase”: obtain
possess.
Literal Meaning: “Now this man purchased a
field with the wages of iniquity”
Though that field was actually purchased by the priests after they took
counsel
it could still be considered that it was purchased under the name of
Judas because they bought it with the wage that Judas betrayed the Lord (Matt.
27:3-10).
“And falling headlong” Judas hanged
himself (Matt. 27:5). Probably
the rope could not carry the burden and split
so that he fell headlong.
“He burst open in the middle and all his
entrails gushed out” When the body fell
from the high place and hit the ground
the belly burst open so that all his
entrails gushed forth.
Acts. 1:19 “And it became known to
all those dwelling in
YLT: “and it became known
to all those dwelling in Jerusalem
insomuch that that place is called
in
their proper dialect
Aceldama
that is
field of blood
”
Meaning of Words: “Akel Dama”: Filed of Blood (Aramaic).
Literal Meaning: “so that field is called in
their own language
Akel Dama
that is
Field of Blood” Undoubtedly
this name was called by those who
knew the situation at that time because this filed was purchased by the wages
of blood that Judas had gained (please see the note of v. 18 in this chapter).
Acts. 1:20 “‘For
it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be
desolate
And let no one live in it'; and
‘Let
another take his office.'”
YLT: “for it hath been
written in the book of Psalms: Let his lodging-place become desolate
and let
no one be dwelling in it
and his oversight let another take.”
Meaning of Words: “office”: the office
of a ‘bishop’
visitation.
Literal Meaning: the first sentence was quoted from Ps. 69:25 and
the last sentence was quoted from Ps. 109:8.
Acts. 1:21 “‘Therefore
of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in
and out among us
”
YLT: “`It behoveth
therefore
of the men who did go with us during all the time in which the Lord
Jesus went in and went out among us
”
Meaning of Words: “among”: in face of.
Literal Meaning: “all the time that
the Lord Jesus went in and out among us” it refers to the time of three and a
half years when He began to preach publicly from His thirty years old (Luke.
3:23).
Acts. 1:22 “beginning from the baptism
of John to that day when He was taken up from us
one of these must become a
witness with us of His resurrection.’”
YLT: “beginning from the
baptism of John
unto the day in which he was received up from us
one of these
to become with us a witness of his rising again.’”
Literal Meaning: “become a witness of His
resurrection” “Resurrection”
proves that: 1) Jesus indeed died in order to redeem sinners. 2) His death was
acceptable to God. 3) He is the originator of life. And therefore the message
of resurrection is extremely important and it is the key to the faith of
Christians. If one does not believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead
he
won’t be saved (Rom. 10:9).
Controversial Clarification:
some Bible exegetes hold that
according to
this verse
only those who have the following two conditions could be qualified
to be called apostles: 1) beginning
from the baptism of John to the time when the
Lord Jesus was raised from the dead
he must always accompany Jesus. 2) He must
have seen the risen Jesus.
They
according to the above-mentioned
qualifications
hold that: there were “apostles” only in the early church;
there are only “shepherds and teachers” in the later church and there aren’t
the so-called “apostles”. They hold so probably because they honor the special
stature of the twelve apostles (Rev. 11:14). However
they limit the meaning of
apostles.
Paul the Apostle had seen the risen
Christ (Acts. 9:5)
however
he had not followed Jesus (Acts. 7:58). We do not
know the condition of Barnabas before he believed the Lord (Acts. 4:36-37)
however
he and Paul were both called the “apostles” (Acts. 14:14). Even the
young Timotheus who obviously had not followed Jesus or seen the risen Lord was
also called the “apostle” (1Thess. 1:1; 2:6).
Moreover
we have to learn the
differences between the apostles for “the witness of His resurrection” and the
apostles for “the edification of Christ’s body” (Eph. 4:11-12). Here the twelve
apostles are the ones for the witness of Jesus’ resurrection. However
the
apostles (e.g. Paul) that the Lord had established after them are the ones for
the edification of Christ’s body. Undoubtedly
the twelve apostles partake in
the mission of the up-building of Christ’s body. However
their original
identity is unreplacable (Rev. 21:14).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) And if Christ is not risen
then our preaching
is empty and your faith is also empty (1Cor. 15:14
17).
2) “Become a witness of His resurrection” It is not only talking about the objective
truth but also displaying the subjective experience. And therefore we have to
experience the Lord’s life of resurrection more.
3) If we want to “become a witness of His
resurrection”
what’s the most important is that we have to know the power of
His resurrection (Pill. 3:10). Only when we know the great power of Christ’s
resurrection will Christ truly become our aim. What you could declare before
God and men depends on how much you know the great power of Christ’s
resurrection. If you know the power of resurrection
you will know what Christ
is
and naturally you will be qualified to be a witness to Christ.
4) The Lord whom we believe is not a foregone
figure but a living person------He is the living and true God (1Thess. 1:9).
5) The true sign of Christians is not that they
know the things concerning Jesus
but Jesus whom they experience and know.
6) Only when Christians meet the Lord in their life
will they bear witness of Him. Our true witness is to bear witness of the Lord
through our whole life and what we bear witness of is the risen Lord whom we
know.
7) “Become a witness with us of His resurrection” It shows that the companions with whom one
bears witness are indispensable. Believers should not be satisfied with the
individual witness to the Lord because the individual could not bear witness
fully. Only when witnesses are many will the witness be strong.
8) “Become a witness with us…” The individual
preaching is like “fishing with a fishhook” and only one fish could be fished
one time. The corporate preaching is like “fishing with the net” and many fish
could be shut in by the net (Luke. 5:6-7; John. 21:11).
Acts. 1:23 “And they proposed two:
Joseph called Barsabas
who was surnamed Justus
and Matthias.”
YLT: “And they set two
Joseph called Barsabas
who was surnamed Justus
and Matthias
”
Meaning of Words: “Barsabas”: the son
of Sabas
the son of the Sabbath; “Matthias”: God’s gift
the gift of Jehovah.
Literal Meaning: “Joseph called Barsabas
who
was surnamed Justus” “Justus” is the
Latin name of Joseph.
Someone holds that he is “Judas called Barsabas” in
Acts. 15. Though he had not been chosen to be the apostle
he still acted
actively in the church and was generally acknowledged as the leading men among
the brothers (Acts. 15:22
32). On the contrary
Matthias who was chosen to be
the apostle had not been mentioned in the Bible.
“Joseph…
who was surnamed Justus” “Justus” was the
Greek name of Joseph.
Acts. 1:24-25 “And they prayed and said
‘You
O Lord
who know the hearts of all
show which of
these two You have chosen to take part in this
ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell
that he might
go to his own place.’”
YLT: “and having prayed
they said
`Thou
Lord
who art knowing the heart of all
shew which one thou
didst choose of these two to receive the share of this ministration and
apostleship
from which Judas
by transgression
did fall
to go on to his
proper place;’”
Meaning of Words: the word “apostle”
is made up of two words: ministry (Acts. 1:17) and apostleship (
Literal Meaning: “he might go to his
own place” refers to the everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil and
his angels (Matt. 25:41).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God will not let others have our “ministry”
easily because of our failure (Acts. 1:20). However
if we remain in our
failure for a long time and are unwilling to repent
God will rise others to
gain our “ministry”. Only those who abandon the “ministry” shall lose the
“ministry”.
2) The place where Judas went is the hell and his
way to go to hell is suicide. Suicide is a short cut to go to hell and it is
also the quickest way for one to go to hell.
Acts. 1:26 “And they cast their lots
and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”
YLT: “and they gave their
lots
and the lot fell upon Matthias
and he was numbered with the eleven
apostles.”
The
Background: In the past
when
the Jews wanted to choose someone to do service in the temple
they would write
the name of the suitable one on a piece of stone. They would put these stones
in a container and shake it until a stone dropped out. The name on that stone
was the elect.
Literal Meaning: “And they cast their
lots” “Casting lots” is the traditional way for the Jews to seek the will of God
(Lev. 16:8; Josh. 14:2; 1Samuel. 14:41; Neh. 10:34
11:1; Prov. 16:33). Please
note that the scripture here is the last time for men to decide one thing by
casting lots in the Bible and they no longer use this way.
“And he was numbered with the eleven
apostles.” It indicates that
he entered the line of apostles.
Spiritual Meaning: “cast their lots”
spiritually means that: reject the favor of the natural men
honor the
sovereignty of God and look upon God simply for the manifestation of His will.
Controversial Clarification:
1) Believers in the dispensation of the New
Testament do not use the way of casting lots to seek the will of God because
the Spirit of truth is their guidance.
2) Someone said that Matthias could not
be counted as the apostle because of the casting of lots and Paul acceded to
the apostleship of Judas among the twelve apostles. Actually it is not so
because the Holy Spirit admitted him as one of the twelve apostles. In Acts.
2:14
Matthias was within them when “Peter
stood up with the eleven”. In Acts.
6:2
Matthias was also within them when “the twelve summoned the multitude of
the disciples”. As for Paul
he was a chosen vessel of the Lord and the apostle
of the Gentiles (Acts. 9:15; Gal. 1:16; 2:9).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The meaning of “Matthias” is “the gift of
Jehovah”. It is truly the God’s gifts for anyone to partake in the witness of
the Lord.
2) Today
when men decide something in the church
they should let the mind be in them which is also in Christ Jesus and should
never be influenced by the individual likes and dislikes and relations. And
therefore the best way is to seek the will of the Lord in the Spirit through
their continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication.
3) It commits the clique to gather companions by
the agreement of gains and losses or the relations of men and it will not last
for a long period.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Five Stages of
Jesus Christ
I. The word became flesh
He became a man on
the earth------“all that Jesus began both to do and teach” (v.1).
II. He was crucified on the cross------“His
suffering…” (v.3a).
III. He was raised from the dead------“He
also presented Himself alive by many infallible proofs
being seen by them
during forty days” (v.3b).
IV. His ascension------“the day in which He
was taken up” (v.2); “He was taken up” (v.9).
V. His second coming------“This same
Jesus…will so come” (v.11).
The Aim that the
Lord Presented Himself to the Disciples
II. He spoke of the things pertaining to the
III. He commanded them to wait for the
out-pouring of the Holy Spirit (v.4-5
8)------make them rely on the power of
the Holy Spirit.
IV. You shall be witnesses to Me in
How to Wait for the
Promise of the Father
I. The place------not to depart from
II. The time------it is not for you to know
times or seasons which the Father has put (v.7).
III. The aim------you shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (v.8).
IV. The way------continue with one accord in
prayer and supplication (v.14).
The Key to Be
Witnesses to the Lord (v.8)
I. The power of witness------“the Holy
Spirit”.
II. The tool of witness------“you”
(believers).
III. The way of witness------“in
IV. The realm of witness------“the end of
the earth” (the whole world).
V. The center of witness------“I” (the Lord).
How to Be with One
Accord In Prayer And Supplication (v.14)
II. We should have the single-minded
burden------receive the Holy Spirit so as to be witnesses to the Lord (v.8) and
then we are able to be urgent.
III. We should all see the vision of
Christ’s ascension (v.9-10) and then we could be with one accord.
How to Become A
Witness of His Resurrection
I. Wait for the descent of the Holy Spirit
(v.8).
II. Continue with one accord in prayer and
supplication (v.14).
III. Always gather together (v.15a).
IV. Learn from Peter to “stand up” (v.15b).
V. Do not follow Judas’ “falling” and
“out-gushing” (v.18).
VI. Desire to take the office to be a
witness (v.20b).
VII. Experience and know the Lord more
(v.21-22a).
VIII. Give earnest heed to companions who
are witnesses (v.22b).
IX. Magnify the Lord------cast the lots
after prayer (v.24-26).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren