Commentary on Acts 1:1-2:2
A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick
"In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach" How much do you really know about Jesus? Could it be that in our drive to establish a "personal relationship," we have become to subjective, and have left off learning the accounts of miracles, parables, etc. It's noteworthy that Luke refers to his Gospel as an account of what Jesus "began." It's as if to say that the action of the disciples in Acts is a continuation of Jesus' acts, or perhaps an extension. What Jesus began was actually a continuation of what God instituted with Abraham and even can be traced back to Adam. Which is more significant; "doing", or "teaching"? Perhaps both equally so. Activity without explanation has limited effect. Yet teaching without supporting evidence may lack credibility. "Lord - let these come together with balance in my life and ministry." If we were to try and write out our own account of the deeds and words of Jesus, I wonder how many pages or lines we would be able to record. It occurs to me that we are becoming rather subjective. We're talking to each other about "what Jesus is doing in your life now", but perhaps we're losing touch with what He has done in history. It's interesting to note that the word translated "treaties" is the Greek word "logos." It helps to understand Jesus as the "logos" made flesh. Luke was merely referring to a former message which he had written - Jesus was God's message - living. Theophilus means "friend of God." What a name to give to a child. Would that at the new-birth, we all would be given that name, to ever remind us that that is indeed who we are. But we possibly can extend the thought further to suggest that true friends of God (lovers of God) are interested in the deeds and words of His Son Jesus. I don't find the word "all" in the Greek text. It reminds me of John 20:30,3l and 21:25. "until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen." Already mention is made of the Holy Spirit. Even in his post-resurrection glory, Jesus spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The commands then must not be taken lightly. If Jesus relied on the Spirit, how much more should we? The apostles (sent ones) were specifically chosen by Jesus. Being chosen is an honor and responsibility bestowed, not a right earned. Question: Are all disciples apostles? It seems such is not the case. Jesus had many followers, but few that were sent out. It sounds like some form of elitism, but the distinction should be kept. Confirmation by the Body of Christ is essential, but it needs to be understood that is not the same as election. It may be difficult for us to accept Jesus as giving commandments. We are prone to shrink away from anything that smacks of duty. After all, we're free from the law, aren't we? Jesus was active in ministry right up to the time of His being received into heaven. One might put extra emphasis on the last commands of Jesus - parting words usually are thought of as carrying more weight. But I'm not so sure that would be true of Jesus' words. They all carry importance. What we can say though is that Jesus was not taken up to heaven until after he had given explicit instructions. He was not going to leave His disciples to figure things out on their own. "After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." Jesus, after the resurrection, is still talking about the Kingdom of God. And, I assume He still is. It seems awfully important to Him that the Apostles understand the Kingdom. Assuming that He's still talking to His disciples about the Kingdom, I wonder what He is saying? Of course we can get marvelous clues by studying the Kingdom sayings in the Gospels. This needs looking into. Jesus sought out the disciples - "showed himself" to them. He did not, and still does not wait for us to seek Him, He takes initiative. Isn't this a notable characteristic of Christianity in contrast to other religions? True, the Bible does say that God will be found by those that seek Him, but our seeking is always and only a response to His prior revelation of Himself, in one way or another. Praise God for His revelation of Himself through Jesus - the simplest, clearest and most personal and powerful. That Jesus is alive after His passion is the beginning point of all Christian faith. Anything less than belief in the resurrection will ultimately let us down; and on the other hand, what more do we need? An interesting study would be a survey of the resurrection theme in the early church. The use of the word "passion" (i.e. suffering - pathos) reminds us of the price Jesus paid. His was agony of:
Soul-loneliness, struggle of the will; and Spirit - bearing the sin of the world and a feeling of being separated from His Father. "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.'" We usually think of meeting with Jesus as being for our healing, encouragement and happiness. But here it is clearly for the purpose of instruction. Interesting - Jesus says, in effect, "Go - but wait"; perhaps like a race that cannot begin until the starter pistol sounds. We rejoice in that the Father makes and keeps promises. The timing is in His hands - the waiting is our part. How hard it is to wait - but we know Him as one who does keep His promises. Of course they knew to what Jesus was referring. Do we? What are the promises that specifically apply to our present situation? Waiting begins in quietness - listening to discover the promise. Then we wait more for the fulfillment. Note that Jesus is the one who relays the promises. Some of them are recorded in Scripture. Some are about to be spoken - Listen! The promise, spoken by Jesus is reliable. We just have to be sure that it is He who has passed it on to us. If it can't be traced to actual recorded words, is it really in God's plan? But there may be a practical reason too. To return to Galilee would expose the disciples to all kinds of distractions. In a sense Jesus is here instituting the first all-church retreat setting! And it lasted l0 days! "'For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" The image of baptism, in relation to the Holy Spirit's coming, may be confusing. In verse 8 it says the "Holy Spirit comes upon" and in 2:4, "They were filled". In Luke 24, I believe, it says "endued with power from on high", and John says "the Comforter shall be in you." The idea of baptism also makes it sound like a one-time experience. If John baptized using the pouring method as the film "Jesus of Nazareth" showed it, then it may fit better. However, we can say that Jesus the baptizer is immersing the believers in the Holy Spirit - that is, we are totally overwhelmed by the Spirit - what we do is not of ourselves for we are dead - but by His power. At conversion the Holy Spirit is the baptizer, putting us into the Body of Christ. Yes, for them it turned out to be a l0 day period of praying and waiting. We know that, but they didn't. They are to be commended for their steadfastness. They simply obeyed, not knowing how long it would be and, for that matter, what to expect at the end of the waiting. That might be seen as both disadvantage and advantage. I say advantage because we are so locked into time schedules and proven teachings that yield predictable results. We, because of the pattern set in the New Testament, expect that after a brief time of praying and waiting, we will be able to suddenly speak in tongues. Because we expect this, we are prone to try to make it happen. Consequently, we don't really receive the very best of what the Father has promised. There is certainty about this statement: "Ye shall be baptized." Can we accept this as being for us, or just for them? The same question can be asked of most promises in Scripture. I believe for the most part we can trust the fact that they have been recorded and preserved, not merely to satisfy the curiosity of historians, but to get us to believe for similar results. We do need to hear the Lord speak His promises new to us, so we can believe them because the Spirit quickens us to believe. "So when they met together, they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?'" Because the disciples are prone to misunderstand God's ways and purposes, all the more reason for the sending of the Spirit. And that's why He actually gave them one command - wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit. As if to say "If I give you any more complicated instructions, you'll no doubt blow it. So do this, wait for the Spirit, then He will be always there to guide you on each successive step." "O Lord, forgive our thick-headedness, and help us never to forget our need for daily guidance by the Holy Spirit." This is now the third reference to Jesus gathering with His disciples. It suggests frequency. Perhaps any lack of Christian fervor can be traced in part to the infrequency of our gathering together with Him. After Pentecost it did not change, as we note in 2:46. "He said to them: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.'" The word "power" is "authority." This could allow for the occasions when the Father reveals His purposes to His prophets. He has the authority to do with this knowledge as He will, but if He chooses not to tell us through prophecy, then we are not wise to try and figure it out. Both kinds of times (chronological and epochs) are included. Some time is measurable, some is not, but is rather fluid. So we say "time flies, when you're having fun," or "the hours dragged by." Let's not overlook the theological point that God (the Father) is the creator of times and seasons. When we get confused about past, present, future as they relate to God, we must remember that we have severe limitations. It would be like explaining to a fly that is caught in a traveling automobile that it is moving at a speed of 60 mph. The fly cannot share that perspective, because it is in the closed capsule of the car and is not flying any faster than usual. So we who are in the envelop of time can't understand the larger picture. But God holds in all in His hand. This verse should put an end to all time-consuming speculation about end-time events, and their chronology. "'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" It's clear that there is an even widening circle of influence as the Gospel is preached. It starts at the center, then expands as ripples in a pond after a stone has been dropped into the water. Luke's narrative seems to follow the outlines set here, beginning at Jerusalem, and ending at Rome which is the capital of the world. And of course, it has spread to the whole world, even though some pockets remain resistant or untouched. We must not overlook the reminder that Jesus ("unto me") is the subject of the witness. The disciples' purpose was to authenticate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus by their lives and by their lips. It seems that much of what goes under the name of Christianity spends little time actually talking of Him. "O Lord, by Your Spirit help us to keep You central." The field of endeavor for the disciples was all of these places. Obviously one was not fully accomplished before going to the next. We too have responsibility to participate in evangelism in our own city, in our region and state, in our nation, and in the world at large. It is important to note that for a good Jew, relating to Samaritans (John 4) was not an attractive option. They were considered to be a lower class. Jesus addressed this in his story of "the Good Samaritan." I wonder what this means for us. Who are the "undesirable ones" that need our witness? "O Lord, help us to see where there are needs for witness and discover your plan to meet those needs." "After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight." This is a mysterious event. Jesus, without jet propulsion or hot-air balloon, is lifted bodily up, up, and away, being soon swallowed by a cloud. It seems to have been important that this was done in full view of the disciples. How many? At least 120, perhaps 500. It leaves many questions. Where is heaven? Is Jesus still in physical form? Why couldn't we all go to heaven that same way? "They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them." "'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'" "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city." "When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James." It's clear by this list of names that the chosen 12 had a distinct sense of identity and responsibility. They were there. I wonder about their families. Was Peter's wife there? Perhaps due to their different attitude towards women, this was not the issue it would be for us. "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." Jesus said "wait." They understood that to mean "pray." I wonder what form their prayer took. Was it worship like they were accustomed to in the temple? Did they recite the prayer the Lord had taught them? Did they chant or recite Psalms? The women who were touched by Jesus, and who no doubt ministered to Him before, are noticed. They play an important part. Think of the feelings that His mother could have had. If there is anyone who could say "God took my son," it would have been Mary. She had every reason to express anger at God and turn away from having anything to do with His purposes, including association with the disciples. But here she is. I'm sure the things she had hid in her heart, as noted by Luke, had come back to her during the previous days' activities. And she was ready to take her place among the disciples. And the brothers of Jesus, Mary's other sons - they had been unbelieving before. What had convinced them of Jesus true identity? The same that convinces people today - His death and resurrection. The word "continued" carries the idea of perseverance. It suggests the willingness to subjugate momentary desires for a larger purpose or goal. The word identifies the personal attendant of Cornelius (Acts l0:7). The picture is that of a servant in a state of alert waiting. It is used again in 2:46. The word for prayer is one, and is a general word, no doubt including both worship and petition. What brought them together was the common goal of simply obeying Jesus command. Perhaps we are not hearing His commands. Certainly we do not want to disobey. And we think, most of the time, that we are. So why do we have such difficulty putting the gathering together with other Christians high on the list? A Pastor said to me, with frustration filling his voice, "they come if they have nothing better to do." But if Jesus said "come together to pray and wait", then there is nothing better to do. "In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)" "and said, 'Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus--'" "'he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.'" "(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out." "Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)" ""For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, "`May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,' and, "`May another take his place of leadership.'" "Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us," The expression "in and out" intrigues me. What they wanted was a leader who was with the other disciples during the time that Jesus "came in and went out among us." In other words, someone who was always available and accessible to Jesus. Now of course Jesus is with us always, by the presence of the Holy Spirit, But are we available and accessible to Him? Perhaps we need a refresher course on "Practicing the Presence." This also acknowledges that indeed there were others who followed Jesus besides the twelve. I wonder if my name would have been considered, according to this one criterion. Of course I wasn't there physically, but have I been with the disciples, past and present, when Jesus was and is coming to meet with them? It was noticed even by the ungodly leaders who interrogated the disciples that "they had been with Jesus". Would people even outside the church notice that of me? "beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." If Peter was wrong, or typically impetuous about filling the vacancy, it may be because the spot was meant for any other person to pick up the dropped torch. Paul perhaps, Barnabas perhaps, both of whom were called apostles? Or Timothy, or Aristarches, or Phoebe, or Agustine, or Luther, or Billy Graham, or Neil Chadwick? It might be good to see it this way and then seek to fulfill the simple requirements: be faithful in the presence of Jesus, and be willing to serve as a servant and lead as an apostle. "So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias." I wonder if there were only two who met the requirements Peter set. If there were more, as seems reasonable to me, how did they narrow it down to these two? And was the narrowing down to two necessitated by their design to use the casting of lots to make a final choice? I'll want to pick up on this in connection with verse 26. "Then they prayed, 'Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen'" What we might call spiritual immaturity aside, let's acknowledge that they sought God's guidance, and they obviously believed it mattered to God about the outcome. They also believed He was capable of indicating to them His choice. In their prayer, the disciples recognized that God's knowledge of men was qualitatively different. He knew the heart. It reminds us of Samuel's words "man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart." Which brings me to ask, What is God's criteria for leadership? The Scriptures will give us many clues to the answer, but of this we are sure, His criteria are matters of the heart, the spirit, the inner man, the motives, drives, desires, affections, the volitions, values, attitudes - and all other elements that make up the person, but which are hidden from visible inspection. Yes, we may see what we think are evidences of those heart qualities. But we can be so mistaken and misled. So even if we're smart enough to include some of those in our own criteria for leadership, we will never be too sure that what we see is what we get. At last, if not at first, we will seek God's answer to what His choice it. "to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." It's clear that Judas' fall was the result of his own sin, not God's predetermined choice. He was not an innocent person useful to accomplish God's purpose then discarded upon the rocks of God's wrath in a field of blood. There are none who have been elected for damnation. "God is not willing that any should perish." (Peter) What was the sin that cost Judas his office and led to his death? There are various answers. He tried to use another's life for his own advancement. He tried to bring about what may have been a worthwhile product, but using man's ways. He took the priceless advantage of an intimate relationship with Jesus, and turned it into a weapon to be used in the hand of the enemies of Jesus. Let's never forget that our involvement in leadership is always just a "part". How prone we are to thinking that it all depends on us. We're only a part. And at times we, like Elijah, think that we're all alone. We're only a part. We look at the church, and other Christian institutions (are there really any others?) and see their leadership structures take on the form of a pyramid. And we think everyone is accountable to the one at the top - us. But again we're only a part. May God help us to really understand the meaning of shared leadership, of team responsibility, of plurality of eldership. This is integral to the New Testament church life. Jesus said "I go to prepare a place for you." Walter Trobish reminds us that we each need our own place. Judas' was eternal damnation - separation from God. Which will we chose? "Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles." "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting." This suggests to us that Pentecost is a time for rejoicing and recommitment. The first Christian Pentecost was the first-fruits and a giving of a new law - the law of the Spirit. It is truly amazing how everything fits together in God's timetable. We mentioned before the condition of unity that existed from the beginning. Now it is 10 days later. It is remarkable, not that they were "in one accord", but that they were still "in one accord." Sociologists will tell us that many people in a small place will produce unrest and upheaval. The worst in men emerges when in prolonged close contact. Just think about family vacations. Three - five - seven people cooped up in a car, motel, cabin for hours and days. Some families give up trying. But here - 120 people together for 10 days, and still in unity. Now here's the problem, we see this as a condition for a contemporary Pentecost. So we try to effect unity. We chide one another. We pray for it. But it seems in vain. Why? Because we're focusing on unity. Unity is serendipity. It's what you find when you're looking for something else. For the disciples in the upper room, unity was the farthest from their thinking. What were they thinking? They were thinking of, praying for, waiting on, the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Father. Unity becomes the observed state of being for that group of people who clearly, earnestly, and with perseverance focus on God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Seeking unity down other paths will always result in failure and frustration for the Christian church. We can't overlook the importance of the words "one place" We might call it "group dynamics" . . . but the fact is, these folk were where they could see, hear, touch, and yes smell one another! I've said it before, and no doubt will repeat the observation yet again; the Holy Spirit comes upon the collection of disciples. What happened next was not anticipated. It was not on the schedule for the day. It was obviously by no human doing. Suddenly coming down, as though from the sky above, a powerful sound like that of wind. Even as I write this, I can hear the wind whistling through the tall pines of Camp Selah. It's not hard at all to imagine what the disciples heard. But for them it was totally out of context. In the midst of the city, one could hear many sounds, but they were the noises that came up from the street, certainly not wind from heaven. What was the meaning of the sound? Like a bell perhaps or a whistle, claiming the attention of all who were patiently sitting? Upon retrospect, we can say that the Spirit is truly like wind. The wind of life that is now breathed into the church of Jesus Christ. The sound is not producing fear only expectancy. Oh, that we might hear it once again!  - - Return to Top of this Page  - Email a Link to this Page
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