ACTS CHAPTER 1

The book of Acts is a transitional, unique time in history, when the promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled and the "Mystery" which was the Gospel and the Church in the Old Testament were revealed. It transitions from focusing on Israel to the Church. Most Christians do not even think that the four Gospels were actually before the Cross, making them still in the Old Testament period! Jesus gave the "New Covenant in His Blood" (Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20). In the beginning of Acts and throughout many chapters, there are still Old Testament believers who were not baptized, and had received the Holy Spirit. That is no longer the case today.

Acts is not a doctrinal book, but rather a recording of early Church history, and we should not glean our doctrines out of it. The letters are our Church doctrine. Incorrect interpretation of the book of Acts leads to all sorts of heresies, and has done so for the past two millennia. The book of Ephesians chapter 2 speaks a lot about the "times past", "ages to come", and "the here" and "but now". This is the Mystery of the Church revealed in a "that was then, this is now" kind of fashion.

It has been called "The Fifth Gospel". In Matthew 28, the last recorded act is the Resurrection, which is in Acts Chapter One. In Mark the last recorded act is the Ascension, which is in Acts Chapter One. In Luke the last recorded act is the The Promise of the Holy Spirit, In John the last recorded act is the the Promise of the Second Coming, which are both in Acts Chapter 1.

The book of Acts is like the fusion and mixing, the culmination and finality of the four Gospels.

Missionary Commission-confirmed in Acts
It is between the Gospels and the Epistles
History of the birth of the Church
Origin of the spiritual body of Christ, Genesis the physical bodies of everything
The book of Acts starts in Jerusalem and ends in Rome
The New Testament starts off primarily in Jerusalem and ends in Revelation 17-18 with the destruction in Rome
110 people are mentioned by name in Acts

THE DISPENSATIONS

Adam-Creation, Perfection, (Innocence)
The Fall of Adam and Eve
Noah-Pre-Flood (Conscious)
Noah-Post-Flood-(Human Government)
Abraham-(Promise)
Moses-(Law)
THE BOOK OF ACTS
This is about to be a major, first time switch of dispensations
Church-(Grace)
Rapture->>>>>>Then the Seven Year Tribulation
World-(Millennial Kingdom)
New Creation, Eternity

The Mystery of the Church

The Gentiles before and without Christ were aliens, strangers, pilgrims, far off, without hope, without God, uncircumcised in the flesh or the heart (Ephesians 2)
There was a difference between Jew and Gentile, even as believers-you could not unite with the Jews as one, as a spiritual entity
The Church was hidden in the Old Testament; only the Messiah was proclaimed
Jesus said I WILL build my Church, not I HAVE built it.
Jesus did not send a single Gentile to a single Gentile, and the only Gentiles blessed were those who blessed Israel
Jesus even did not want to speak to the Gentiles, but only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6, Matthew 15:24-28, John 4 even alludes to this)
The blessings to the Gentiles came only through Israel, not the other way around
Before Paul went to the Gentiles in Acts 9:15, no one did at all!
Paul gave the Gentiles the dispensation of Grace (Ephesians 3:19)
"All of the Bible is for us, but not all of it is about us or to us."
The Temple was still there
Sacrifices were still being made
There was still a high priest
After the Rapture, it goes back to Jew-Gentile again
No one who was a believer in the Old Testament just simply received the indwelling of the Holy Ghost upon belief, sealing them forever, including the four Gospels and much of the book of Acts

Romans 11:25
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Romans 16:25-26
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Colossians 1:25-27
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Matthew 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. __________________________________________________________________________

Luke, the Beloved Physician

Colossians 4:14
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

In Ancient Greece, doctors were considered of low esteem
Many were personally owned as slaves by wealthy people
Governments did not want medical schools; they wanted colleges
Doctors were for military use to treat wounds in battle

Luke, The Author

Luke 1:1-4
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. Acts 1:1
Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, __________________________________________________________________________

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

The former is the book of Luke
Theophilus means lover of God
This was not everything Jesus did, but everything Jesus did that Luke eye witnessed

Acts 1:2
Until 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:

Jesus did and taught the entire time on earth, until He ascended
Jesus submitted totally to the leading of the Holy Spirit
The order in the narrative in this verse is simple: Jesus gave commandments, then the Ascension happened

Acts 1:3
To 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:

It was not just a claim that He was Resurrected
Only revealed Himself to His own believers, not the Pharisees, Roman leaders
Infallible means incapable of being corrupted
Proofs just adds weight to the infallibility
Luke ends his gospel with the proofs and the ascension
He also begins his gospel with the same intro like this book

INFALLIBIL'ITY
INFAL'LIBLE, a. [L. fallo.]
1. Not fallible; not capable of erring; entirely exempt from liability to mistake; applied to persons. No man is infallible; to be infallible is the prerogative of God only.
2. Not liable to fail, or to deceive confidence; certain; as infallible evidence; infallible success.
To whom he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs--

Luke 1:1-4
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

Acts 1:4
And, 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.

To the Jew first with the Gospel, then the Gentiles
It is all in the timing
The Promise of the Father is the Holy Spirit
This baptism, of the Holy Spirit, was not the receipt and the indwelling, but rather the power
The next verses, the context, speak of this exact power they would receive
They had already been told that the Holy Spirit was with them, and would be indwelling them (John 14:17)

THE DISCIPLES RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

John 14:17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 20:19-23
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

The Promise of The Father

Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 2:10
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

Romans 2:9
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

The Promise of the Holy Ghost

Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Acts 1:5
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

This was a UNIQUE time event, on the day of Pentecost
These were saved believers who did not have the Holy Spirit living in them
Old Testament believers did not receive the Holy Spirit, except in very rare instances. For New Testament believers, it is now automatic.

THE BAPTISMS

THE BAPTISM OF JOHN

Matthew 3:7
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Matthew 21:25
The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

Mark 1:4
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Luke 3:3
And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

Luke 7:29
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

Luke 20:4
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

Acts 1:22
Beginning 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.

Acts 10:37
That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

Acts 13:24
When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Acts 18:25
This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

Acts 19:2-7
>He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.

BAPTISM OF JESUS-DEATH

Matthew 20:22
But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

Matthew 20:23
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Mark 10:38
But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

Mark 10:39
And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

Mark 11:30
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

Luke 12:50
But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

BAPTISM TODAY

Romans 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Ephesians 4:5
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Colossians 2:12
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Hebrews 6:2
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

1 Peter 3:21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

APOSTLES AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

John 14:16-17
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

OLD TESTAMENT BELIEVERS WHO GOT THE HOLY SPIRIT

SAUL RECEIVES THE HOLY SPIRIT

1 Samuel 11:6
And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

...THEN LOSES IT

1 Samuel 16:14
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

BALAAM

Numbers 24:2
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

AMASAI

1 Chronicles 12:18
Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

AZARIAH

2 Chronicles 15:1
And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

ZECHARIAH

2 Chronicles 24:20
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

JOHN THE BAPTIST'S PARENTS ELIZABETH, ZACHARIAS

Luke 1:41
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

Luke 1:67
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

Ephesians 1:13-14
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: TODAY

1 Corinthians 12:13
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:22
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 4:30
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Acts 1:6
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Even at this later point in time, the program was not fully understood.
They, like all Jews then as now, wanted the reigning Messiah, not the suffering Messiah
They probably now thought that, post-Cross, Burial and Resurrection, it was KINGDOM TIME!

Matthew 16:21-23
From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Acts 1:7
And 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.

The hidden mystery of the Church had to be worked out first
They were being told that their concern was now to be lost souls, Jew and Gentile...not kingdoms.

Acts 1:8
But 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.

In Jerusalem (chapters 1-7)
In Judea and in Samaria, (chapters 8-12)
...and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (chapters 13-end)
Few Old Testament saints were indwelt, none necessarily in the same way as us, in the Old Testament
King David was certainly one
Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah was another
This statement of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers from this day forward announced shows that it was not that way in times past....it is a new dispensation.
The Holy Spirit could leave them; He will not ever leave us

Psalms 51:11
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Exodus 31:3
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

Acts 1:9-10
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Mission One on Earth Accomplished
The two men are obviously angels, manifested as men
He called them one or two at a time, now they are together, and He left them as a group, His group, to do the work via the Holy Spirit

STEADFASTLY, STEDFASTLY, adv. Firmly; with constancy or steadiness of mind.
Steadfastly believe that whatever God has revealed is infallibly true.

Acts 1:11
Which 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.

The Second Coming back is obviously not the Rapture
We will be there with Him at His return

Daniel 7:13
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Matthew 24:30
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mark 13:26
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Mark 14:62
And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Jude 1:14
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Acts 1:12
Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

Jesus Christ will stand on the Mount of Olives when He comes back the second time
"A Sabbath Day's Journey was roughly a distance of 2,000 cubits, which is less than a half mile, a distance which, according to Jewish tradition, they were allowed to travel on the Sabbath without violating the law
This was lengthened by the rabbis using legalism, clever ideas and formulas over the years, like how far they would be forced to go to get to the temple and still be within the city limits
Then they re-interpreted "place in Exodus 16:29 to mean from the city, so that added another 2,000 cubits to their legal limit
Then they decided to add another law that you could place provisions at a distance, that place legally became your abode, so that they could go the 2,000 cubits within the city, and another 2,000 cubits without the city to get to their "abode", making it 4,000 cubits distance
During the days of Jesus Christ 's life on earth, they added the return trip in, making it legal to now go 8,000 cubits travel time in a sabbath day.

Zechariah 14:4
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Exodus 16:29
See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

Joshua 3:3-4
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

Acts 1:13
And 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.

This count is eleven, because of Judas
No one noticed throughout Jesus's three year ministry that Judas was not one of them....what does that say about phony sheep?

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 brethren.

They continued, meaning they were already in the process of praying.
"His" brethren is Jesus brethren, James and Jude, and shows that Jesus had brothers, and Mary was not and is not a perpetual virgin
Mary was the mother of Jesus the man, not the mother of God.......God does not have a mother.......He is.
This also is the very last mention of Mary the mother of Jesus in the Bible, and no mention of her death, nothing
Prayer AND supplication, showing that prayer is not just asking for things from God
Prayer is simply talking to God; supplication is asking, begging, pleading for something needed; intercession is asking for someone else.

Matthew 13:55
Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

Galatians 1:19
But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

SUPPLICATION

SUPPLICA'TION, n. [L. supplicatio.]

Entreaty; humble and earnest prayer in worship. In all our supplications to the Father of mercies, let us remember a world lying in ignorance and wickedness.
Petition; earnest request.
In Roman antiquity, a religious solemnity observed in consequence of some military success. It consisted in sacrifices, feasting, offering thanks, and praying for a continuance of success.

Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

1 Timothy 2:1
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1 Timothy 5:5
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

Hebrews 5:5-7
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Acts 1:15
And 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,)

Obviously a large upper room
The number of names, unlike the Old Testament, appears to be of women and children also counted in the number

Acts 1:16
Men 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.

This was not just the doing of Judas by chance, but we were foretold
Did Judas ever hear of this prophecy about himself?
(Matthew 26:23; Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43; John 13:18; John 18:3)

Psalms 69:25
Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

Psalms 109:8
Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

Acts 1:17
For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

He was chosen of God
His life was foreordained, yet he exercised free will
He actually DID ministry with the apostles for three years
For three years he was an apostle, undiscovered as a wolf among sheep, by the sheep
Judas was not one who saw the Resurrected Christ at all (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:9, 13), a qualification of an apostle

Matthew 10:2-4
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Luke 6:13-16 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

Acts 1:18
Now 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.

Tradition says that Judas went and hanged himself above the Valley of Hinnom on a cliff's edge. Over time, as would happen, the rope wore out and simply snapped, or someone cut it, and his body therefore fell headfirst into the field below, exactly as Luke described
Matthew records the hanging; Luke records the aftermath over time is all.
Judas's money bought the field; the Pharisees did the transaction
Muslims like to use these two different accounts as "an error" or " a contradiction" in the Bible, in regards to who bought the field

PROPHECY

Zechariah 11:12-13
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

FULFILLMENT

Matthew 26:15
And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

Matthew 27:3-10
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

This is again, another "error" pointed out by all sorts of unbelievers
This quote is found in Zechariah 11, not Jeremiah
Very simple...........Jeremiah SPOKE IT (like it exactly says), Zechariah WROTE it

ONE DOWN, ELEVEN LEFT

Mark 16:14 |
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

Luke 24:9
And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

Acts 1:19
And 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.

Land purchased with blood money
This action being famous, or infamous, with the spread of Christianity, because of eyewitnesses of the Resurrected Christ, the boldness of the apostles, and this field of blood, which is a symbol of evil, greed, and futility, because you cannot keep a good man down, or kill God

Acts 1:20
For 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.

The number must be twelve, one for each tribe of Israel
Nothing about Judas or his family is heard about ever again

Acts 1:21
Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

The apostles felt that it had to be one from themselves who would replace Judas
In the minds of men, that does make sense, since Jesus was physically no longer around to do the replacement personally
But that is in the minds of men, not God

Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Acts 1:22
Beginning 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.

One part of the ordination of an apostle is that they were an eyewitness of the Resurrected Christ
One of the reasons there are no true apostles today is that they are 2,000 years removed from the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 9:1
Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

1 Corinthians 15:8
And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Acts 1:23
And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

This is the only reference to these two men in Scripture
Apparently God did not choose them, as He instead chose Saul of Tarshish

Acts 1:24
And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

Honest, sincere, deep serious supplication in agreement
God was still sovereign and chose someone else
They chose to for God to choose from; He chose a third, known to them probably by this time for his persecution

Acts 1:25
That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

Each unbeliever has "their own place" after death
In Judas's case, he had a ministry and apostleship, but decided he did not want it......it did not pay enough, he was not sincere, he in unbelief rejected Christ (who he personally walked with and ate with and slept with for three years
He chose the religious Pharisees, who he saw Jesus annihilate and excoriate in the streets and in the synagogues daily

Acts 1:26
And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Casting lots gives AN answer, always-just not always from God

Aaron cast lots for the scapegoat

Joshua cast lots for the division of the Promised Land

Casting lots uncovered Jonathan's disobeying his father Saul and eating honey

King David cast lots to Merarites for service, for division of other duties, and for land, in three different instances

The people in Nehemiah's day cast lots for division duties also

Psalm 22, the Prophetic Messianic Sacrifice Psalm, pre tells of the Roman soldiers casting lots for Jesus's tunic

THis was recorded as fulfilled in Matthew, Luke, John

Joel spoke of how the Jews were casting lots for evil, selling their children for harlots, wine

Edom cast lots for captive Jews in both Obadiah's and Nahum's day

Lots were cast to uncover that Jonah was the culprit for the stormy sea.

CASTING LOTS
Leviticus 16:8
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Joshua 18:6
Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

Joshua 18:8
And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.

Joshua 18:10
And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.

1 Samuel 14:42
And Saul said, cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.

1 Chronicles 24:31
These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites, even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.

1 Chronicles 25:8
And they cast lots , ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar.

1 Chronicles 26:13
And they cast lots , as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate.

1 Chronicles 26:14
And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots ; and his lot came out northward.

Nehemiah 11:1
And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots , to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

Psalms 22:18
They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

Joel 3:3
And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.

Obadiah 1:11
In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.

Jonah 1:7
And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots , that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots , and the lot fell upon Jonah.

Nahum 3:10
Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

Matthew 27:35
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots .

Luke 23:34
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots .

John 19:24
They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots . These things therefore the soldiers did.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Acts Chapter 1