1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

3To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

12Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

13And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

14These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

15And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

16Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

17For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

18Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

19And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

20For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

21Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

22Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

23And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

24And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

25That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

26And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

COMMENTARY by Dr. Dave Burnette

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Luke

Date Penned: (63-70 AD)

Overview: Peter's Ministry (c 1-12)

Theme: The Establishment of the Church (c 1-7)

Message: Jesus Ascends to Heaven (v 1-26)

Acts 1 Commentary

(1:1-5) The Promise of the Holy Spirit - The book of Acts, written by Luke, picks up where Luke’s Gospel left off, providing details of the birth and early years of the church that Jesus had promised to build. Together the two books, Luke and Acts, form a seamless account of how the followers of Jesus turned the world upside down. Before documenting this rapid spread of the gospel, however, Luke asserted two important truths in what serves as an introduction to the book of Acts: (1) the indisputable fact of Christ’s resurrection; and (2) the indispensable presence of the Holy Spirit. Apart from these two strong foundations, the church would be without hope and without power. What was true in the first century is still true today.

(1:6-11) The Ascension of Jesus - When would the risen Lord set up his Kingdom? This was the question uppermost in the apostles’ minds. They were eagerly hoping for a glorious earthly kingdom free from Roman rule. Christ, however, sidestepped these questions about earthly kingdoms and divine timetables. Instead, he reminded his followers of their calling to be Spirit-filled witnesses who would take the gospel message everywhere. A spiritual revolution needed first to take place in the hearts and minds of people. With this final charge on the top of the Mount of Olives, Christ ascended into heaven. Moments later divine messengers appeared and assured the apostles that the Lord would one day return in similar fashion

(1:12-26) Matthias Replaces Judas - Having been instructed to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples withdrew to an upstairs room in Jerusalem. There they wisely spent time praying. It was during this lull that the apostles, under Peter’s leadership, filled the vacancy in their ranks created by the defection of Judas. It was important for them to have twelve apostles, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, to position the church as the fulfillment of the righteous remnant (see 1:21). Practical and simple steps in organization often play an important part in God’s Kingdom plan.

LIFE APPLICATION by Dr. Dave Burnette

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we start the book of Acts Chapter 1. In our text today we see Peter's Ministry with the establishment of the Church as Jesus ascends to Heaven. What catches my eye are the Words of Jesus who said that the Disciples would receive power from the Holy Ghost to be witnesses of the Good news of Jesus-Christ both at home and abroad. In making application we see that this same Power is needed from the Holy Spirit to do the work of Christ. Today many think your education or training will prepare you to Minister to others but it is the Holy Spirit that will enable you to do the work of Christ. How about you? Do you have the Power of Jesus to do His Will in your life? Let us learn from our text today and the Words of Jesus to see that it is His Spirit that give us His Power to do what He calls us you to accomplish.