Bible Study – Acts of Apostles - Chapter 1
History of the book of Acts:
§ Traditionally, the book is attributed to Luke, the same person believed to have written the Gospel of Luke.
· Both books are addressed to a person named Theophilus.
· The writing style, vocabulary, and theological themes are closely related.
· Early Christian writers consistently linked Luke and Acts as a two-volume work.
§The first one, as seen in Acts Chapter 1 Verse 1, the book of Luke is all about Jesus and the works He did through His disciples and apostles. And The book of acts, also called the acts of the apostles in some versions shows what the apostles did and how each of them was strengthened and renewed in a different way they hadn't before.
§ Explains the journey of spreading Christ and the strength revealed by the Holy Spirit.
§ Primary historical record of the early Christian church and a valuable account of how the church was able to grow and spread out from Jerusalem into the rest of the Roman Empire
Summary of Acts 1:
§ Jesus
ascended to heaven after showing and presenting Himself to His disciples
multiple times over the course of 40 days.
§ In
that time Jesus says to the disciples to wait for the Gift from the Father in
Jerusalem and not to leave.
§ So,
the disciples stay in Jerusalem and gather together and wait in prayer.
§ Then
since Judas is now gone, they choose a new disciple named Matthias to take his
place by casting lots.
Lesson to be learned from Acts Chapter 1:
1. Put God's priorities and will over our own personal ambitions.
§ Even though the disciples could have done other things and enjoyed their time with their family or friends doing anything, they prioritized God’s will and His word over their personal ambitions and interests which can be seen in Acts 1:14
§ The disciples were obedient to the Scriptures. They were obedient to what Jesus said. What is meant by obedience to God? It is aligning your life with His words, His teachings and His will. For example, they did not make decisions on their own. They used the scripture as reference to do what they did. After Judas is gone, they turn to the scripture to see what to do, and after reading the verse from Psalms, they choose another disciple.
2. Comfort or Christ?
Throughout the book of Acts, we have one question that pops up in almost every single chapter. Comfort or Christ? This means either you obey God and choose His words or you choose your life and your wishes. Jesus mentions while saying in Acts 1:8 that they will also preach in Samaria. They were not in good terms with the Israelites and it is very dangerous for them to go there. But they did it for Christ. The disciples in this book chose Christ over their own comfort and God used them mightily for bringing many into His kingdom.
3. Be Active in faith.
Be active in faith to trust God with what He is doing and that He knows what to do. We read in the book of Acts 1:4, Jesus says: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about.”
And
the disciples waited by obeying what God said. The disciples didn't know when
what God said would come true or why Jesus said for them to wait in Jerusalem, but
they still trusted that God knows what He is doing.
We have to wait for God, and hold onto His promises until they are fulfilled. We should not give up and remain in prayer no matter how long it takes.
