Holman New Testament Commentary - Acts

Kenneth Gangel, Max Anders

• Publisher: Holman Reference
• Year: 1998
• Print ISBN: 9780805402056
• eBook ISBN: 9781433674105
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

One in a series of twelve New Testament verse-by-verse commentary books edited by Max Anders. Includes discussion starters, teaching plan, and more. Great for lay teachers and pastors alike.

Acts 1

We Are Witnesses

I. Introduction

The Power of a Witness

II. Commentary

A verse-by-verse explanation of the chapter.

III. Conclusion

Viewing Life from the End

An overview of the principles and applications from the chapter.

IV. Life Application

Tied to the Stake

Melding the chapter to life.

V. Prayer

Tying the chapter to life with God.

VI. Deeper Discoveries

Historical, geographical, and grammatical enrichment of the commentary.

VII. Teaching Outline

Suggested step-by-step group study of the chapter.

VIII. Issues for Discussion

Zeroing the chapter in on daily life.

“When we're trusting Jesus Christ
as Lord as well as Saviour,
He enables us to live and speak as
faithful witnesses.”

Paul E. Little

BOOK PROFILE: ACTS

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• Third longest book in the New Testament (only Matthew and Luke are longer)
• Luke and Acts comprise 30 percent of the New Testament
• Probably written between A.D. 60 and 65
• Directed to Luke's personal friend Theophilus, a Greek believer, perhaps a sponsor of his ministry

AUTHOR PROFILE: LUKE

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• A Christian physician
• Traveling companion of the apostle Paul
• Part-time historian
• An eyewitness of many of the accounts in this book
• A gifted storyteller with an eye for detail
• A good lay-theologian/historian

CITY PROFILE: JERUSALEM

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• Ancient capital of Jewish religion and culture
• First mentioned in Joshua 10:5 (cf. Gen. 14:18)
• Birthplace of the church
• Destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70

Luke depicts the birth and growth of the early church through about thirty-three years, almost two generations. He begins with the ascension of Christ and ends with the imprisonment of Paul in Rome. Along the way he describes the earliest days of the church in Jerusalem, the church's beginning efforts to reach beyond the Jewish community, and three missionary journeys across Asia Minor and into Greece. He introduces ninety-five people, sixty-two of whom are not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament.

The key verse of the book is probably 1:8: “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.”

We Are Witnesses

I. INTRODUCTION

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The Power of a Witness

A Chinese farmer, after having cataracts removed from his eyes, made his way from the Christian compound to the far interior of China. Only a few days elapsed, however, before the missionary doctor looked out his bamboo window and noticed the formerly blind man holding the front end of a long rope. In a single file and holding to the rope behind him came several blind Chinese whom the farmer had told about his operation. They all knew the farmer had been blind, but now he could see. He told them of the doctor who had cured him; naturally, all these other blind people wanted to meet the doctor who cured the blind man. The cured man could not explain the physiology of the eye or the technique of the operation. He could tell others he had been blind, the doctor had operated on him, and now he could see. That was all the others needed to hear. They came to the doctor.

So it is in our Christian lives. We need not all be trained theologians. We need not understand all the intricacies of God's mysteries, nor be perfect examples of flawless Christian living. We can all tell everyone what Christ has done for us. We may not all be teachers. We may not all be like Mother Teresa. We can all be witnesses. That is the point of the Book of Acts, a written witness, a faithful telling of the work of God in the first days of Christianity and the church.

Acts is not a devotional book like the Psalms, nor a teaching letter like the epistles. It reads similiar to some of the historical books of the Old Testament, and even more like the four Gospels which precede it. We call this kind of Bible writing “narrative” and recognize that we can learn the truth of God's Word and principles of Christian living by seeing how God worked with people in the early church. These are our brothers and sisters who faced many of the same kind of issues and problems we have experienced or will yet experience.

Acts 1 delves immediately into the theme of the book. We enjoy the splendor of the Lord's ascension and immediately fall into the abyss of depression with this small and struggling group of believers who must deal with the “Judas issue” before they can get on with their work. Luke never avoids reality—he tells the story exactly as it happened.

When we grasp the significance of new life in Christ and the internal power of his resurrection through the Holy Spirit, we can live out the words of a modern chorus, “Get all excited and tell everybody” that Jesus Christ the Son of God lives today in the lives of his people even as he did back in the days of the New Testament.

II. COMMENTARY

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We Are Witnesses

MAIN IDEA: Because of Christ's ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Christians can be effective witnesses in their communities, around their own states or provinces, throughout the country, and around the world.

Witnesses of the Lord's Life (vv. 1–5)

SUPPORTING IDEA: From the time of the Lord's ascension until now, believers live their lives and do their work by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1:1–3a. Book dedications were common among the Greeks. Luke had dedicated his Gospel to his Greek-speaking friend Theophilus (Luke 1:3). He continues his contact with Theophilus to complete the story from the birth of Christ to the establishment of the church all around the Mediterranean world. Immediately he emphasizes key ideas of his book: the command to witness; the role of the apostles; the significance of the Holy Spirit; and his literary launching pad, the ascension of the Lord. Luke connects Acts to his Gospel with the simple words, after his suffering. He refused to point to the resurrected, glorious, ascended Lord without pointing to the suffering Servant.

During the forty days that separated the resurrection and the ascension ,Jesus further taught the disciples, preparing them to lead the early church. This is the only New Testament reference to these postresurrection days. You will probably find it helpful to read at least the last chapter of Luke to get a feel for how Luke makes the transition into this second letter to Theophilus. To lead, they first had to be convinced that death had turned to life. During this time he gave many convincing proofs that he was alive … and spoke about the kingdom of God.

1:3b. What did Jesus say during these question sessions? From everything we know, he used the Old Testament to emphasize that he was the Messiah Israel expected. Now he would turn the reins of responsibility over to the apostles and other believers. Jesus' life on earth was finished, but his work had only begun; the disciples now assumed the responsibility to carry on Jesus' work. We should never forget the full title of our book—”Acts of the Apostles”—though many have suggested it could more properly be titled “The Continuing Acts of Jesus Christ through the Apostles.”

Luke uses the phrase “kingdom of God” throughout Acts as a summary for God's work in the world. We should not confuse it with references either in the Old Testament or in other New Testament books. Jesus' teaching did not center on prophecy alone but on the ongoing role of the King on earth through his people.

1:4–5. What would these disciples do after the Lord left them? The first command was to wait. They were not to engage in ministry until they had been empowered by the gift my Father promised. As we read words like this in the Bible, we're reminded of the great history of the church that has preceded us and the resources he has provided to continue that heritage.

Jesus taught the disciples, the disciples taught people of their generation, who taught others, until today you and I have both ...

Table of contents

• Front cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Editorial Preface
• Contributors
• Holman New Testament Commentary
• Introduction
• Acts 1
• Acts 2
• Acts 3
• Acts 4
• Acts 5
• Acts 6
• Acts 7
• Acts 8
• Acts 9
• Acts 10
• Acts 11
• Acts 12
• Acts 13
• Acts 14
• Acts 15
• Acts 16
• Acts 17
• Acts 18
• Acts 19
• Acts 20
• Acts 21
• Acts 22
• Acts 23
• Acts 24
• Acts 25
• Acts 26
• Acts 27
• Acts 28
• Glossary
• Bibliography