Chapters 1 - 8

Acts 1:1-17, 21-22 (2007)

Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. The first few verses of Acts briefly summarizes what happened in Luke, and then it goes on to tell the rest of the story. No one knows whether Theophilus was a specific, real person. The name means "Lover of God." There may have been an individual of that name who commissioned Luke to write a history, or this may have been Luke's way of saying, "Dear Reader."

Acts 1:1-8, “You shall be witnesses.” (11/12/2009)

Several years ago, when Albuquerque first started working on the problem of reducing water usage, we looked at the city's 5-year goals and at our own water usage, and we discovered that we were already below the 5-year goal for households. Even so, we got a call from the city water utility, asking if we would like to have someone come out and show us how to conserve water. The man who came was very cute; he measured the flow from the shower by collecting water for 1 minute into a plastic bag, and then he said, "Do you have a plant that we could use this water on?" Every gallon counts, so we bustled around and found a plant. After he left, my husband said that obviously they were practicing by going out first to the "friendlies."

Jesus appointed his apostles to be witnesses in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. As far as we know, all of the earliest Christians were Jews, and Jesus had said earlier that he had come to rescue the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mathew 15:24). Naturally, the first group that the apostles were to witness to was the people of Jerusalem and Judea. These were the people who had been chosen by God for a special destiny. They were the people who most earnestly looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. They were the "friendlies."

The next group, the Samaritans, were semi-friendly. Although, as we've seen earlier, there was no love lost between the Jews and the Samaritans, the Samaritans did (and still do) accept the first five books of the Bible – the books of Moses, so they did worship God. The Jews didn't like the way they worshiped God, but at least they didn't worship the Canaanite pantheon. In fact, some Samaritans had already become disciples of Jesus (John 4), and the disciples knew this.

Finally, the apostles were directed to be witnesses to the ends of the earth, which means the Gentiles. A few Gentiles had been worshiping the God of the Jews for quite some time (e.g., Luke 7:2-5), but the vast majority of Gentiles worshiped a variety of gods that ranged from unethical and immoral to violent and depraved. These Gentiles were non-friendly, but the apostles were sent to witness to them anyway.

Acts 1:15-26, Matthias is chosen as a witness. (11/13/2009)

Let's sing!

There were twelve disciples Jesus called to help him:
Simon Peter, Andrew, James, his brother John,
Philip, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus,
Thaddeus, Simon, Judas, and Bartholomew.
He has called us, too. He has called us, too.
We are His disciples, we his work must do!

Notice that there is no mention of Matthias. After Judas betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide (Bible study ain't for sissies), the eleven decided that they needed a replacement for him. I suspect that they were uncomfortable with the idea of "11 disciples." They were all Jews, and 12 is the "right" number for most things in Judaism, going back to the 12 sons of Jacob. The disciples were determined to choose as a replacement someone who was an eye-witness to the entire ministry of Jesus. Matthias was chosen, and then we never hear of him again.

What's the difference between a disciple and an apostle? "Disciple" means "student." "Apostle" means "one who is sent." There were the 12 disciples who were chosen as apostles, and there were many other disciples who were not selected as apostles (e.g., Luke 6:13). Apostles who were not among the 12 disciples include Matthias, Barnabas and Paul (Acts 14:14), and James, the brother of Jesus (Gal. 1:19)

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26, Judas (5/20/09)

It's difficult to know what to think about Judas. Jesus chose him to be a disciple, so I have to believe that he had the potential to be a leader in the church. He was the keeper of the group's money, a responsible position. Ultimately he chose to betray Jesus to men who, he had to know, hated Jesus and wanted to kill him. Why? We don't know. Judas has been getting a lot of press lately, but the fact is that we don't know why he did what he did, and all the books in the world can't tell us.

The Gospel of Judas, which you've probably heard of recently, seems to date from some time in the second century, although the earliest (and only known) copy is from the late third or early fourth century. This so-called gospel was rejected by the church (in the writings of Irenaeus) very early on, around 180 A.D., because it is a Gnostic heresy, and it was lost until the 4th-century copy turned up in 1983. Irenaeus called it "a fictional history," so if you decide to read it, or if you have already read it, just remember that it is a work of fiction and wasn't written by Judas at all. It was not "suppressed by the Church." You may routinely ignore that type of statement, which you may have also heard recently from various fiction writers and conspiracy theorists. The strong Church bureaucracy that would have been required to repress a book simply did not exist in the second century! Furthermore, what happened when the copy was found? It was translated and published. So how is that suppressed?

But anyway, Judas made his choice. By the time he realized that he had chosen poorly, Jesus was on his way to Calvary. A few weeks later, the disciples asked the Lord to choose a replacement for Judas.

Acts 2:1-21 (5/28/09)

Our reading from Acts describes the arrival of the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit first came upon the Church, the disciples began speaking the Gospel message in many languages – languages they did not normally understand, but which were the mother tongues of the many foreign listeners in Jerusalem. A few years ago at Thanksgiving, we sat down and got ready to say grace. My granddaughter assumed that she would be saying grace, as usual when we got together for dinner, but my husband explained that first he would pray, and then she could pray afterwards if she wanted to. He prayed for longer than usual, as is his custom at special events, and after we all said "Amen" he turned to her and said it was her turn to pray. We all expected "God is great, etc.," but apparently she realized that such a short blessing was not suited to the occasion, and what we got was far more wonderful. The only way I can explain it is to say that she began speaking in tongues. She prayed for about a minute, and none of the rest of us understood a single word that she said. Then she said "Amen" and looked up with the most beautiful, beatific smile I have ever seen.

Pentecost is one of the five major festivals of the Jewish calendar, and in the first century, Jews came from all over the world to worship in Jerusalem. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the community of Christian believers, and they began speaking in tongues. At my family's dinner table, only two people understood my granddaughter - she and God. The astonishing thing about Pentecost was that each person who was listening understood what was being said, because each one heard his or her own language. Whether the Spirit allowed each speaker to speak an unknown language or each hearer to hear a known language isn't completely clear. One thing is certain: On Pentecost, every person present received the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Reader Question: What holiday were the Jews celebrating at Pentecost?

Acts 2:14, 22-32 (2007)

The men and women who were witnesses of the resurrected Christ were changed. A few weeks before, they had been fearfully hiding out in locked rooms. In today's passage from Acts, we see them boldly speaking out in public. Then, they had not understood the scriptures; now, they are interpreting the scriptures. Then, they hadn't been at all sure what was going on, or whom they were seeing. Now, they are confidently proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Acts 2:14, 36-41 (2007)

A few years ago a friend of mine (this is a true story – it really happened to my own friend) was on a mission trip to India. The mission team was hosting a gospel meeting in a huge arena that held thousands of people, mostly Hindus and followers of similar pagan religions. After the preaching, one of the speakers invited everyone who wanted to renounce all other gods and give his life to Christ to stand up. Essentially everyone in the arena stood up. The speaker, assuming that they had misunderstood, said, "No, no. I meant that if you want to renounce all other gods and give your life to Jesus Christ, you should stand up. Everybody else can sit back down." Essentially nobody sat down. So then the mission team had the spectacularly wonderful problem of baptizing thousands of people and putting them in touch with local churches. This was Pentecost all over again.

Acts 2:42-46 (2007)

After the ascension, Jesus' followers had to change what they were doing.  The small group that traveled with Jesus and heard his teaching directly expanded into a large group that taught and reminded each other of what Jesus said. They changed from a small wandering band that had little or nothing to a large group in Jerusalem that had property and shared it. Most importantly, they went from being students to being evangelists. In short, they had to become the Church. Some of the earliest Church practices, such as sharing everything in common, did not survive. Others, such as collecting and distributing money to the needy both inside and outside the Church, have continued and are a distinctive characteristic of today's Church.

Acts 2:44-47 (10/13/11)

One of Luke’s recurring themes in the book of Acts is that the Church was growing. Luke concludes his story of Pentecost and the generosity of the early Christians by saying that the Lord added to their number day by day. In Acts 6:7, he says that the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly. In Acts 16:5, he mentions in connection with Paul’s missionary trip to Derbe and Lystra that the churches increased in number daily. Some scholars divide Acts into nine “panels” using these and half a dozen similar references to church growth as markers.

Although I don’t personally find the “panel” divisions convincing, the discussion did draw my attention to Luke’s interest in church growth. You probably don’t always agree with what I say in the study tips or what your pastor says in the sermon. I hope that you will use what others say, or your own reactions to what others say, to enhance your reading of the scripture.

Acts 3:12-19 (4/20/09)

At mass at my niece's church a couple years ago, the priest commented that although no one wants to talk about sins, we don't seem to have any trouble committing them. This week we're going to talk about sin and repentance. The bad news is that God hates sin. The Good News is that God has provided a means for us to be cleansed of our sins through the saving act of Jesus Christ. The bad news is that in order to be cleansed of our sins, we have to repent.

Contrary to popular opinion, repentance does not mean saying that you are sorry. "I'm sorry" most often means (let's be honest) "I'm sorry I got caught," "I'm sorry I'm in this mess," or "I'm sorry you're such a jerk that you are blaming me for this."

True repentance means that you (1) turn back toward God, (2) stop committing the sin, and (3) intend not to do it again. Repentance often includes (4) being sorry for what you have done, and (5) making reparation. But the main thing is to turn back to God, stop committing the sin, and decide that you aren't going to do it again. So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven!

Acts 4:1-13, Courageous witness comes through the Holy Spirit. (11/13/2008)

Stephen was the first Christian martyr. He died about A.D. 34. Because he had complete faith in God, he was able to do signs and wonders in the name of Jesus. Naturally this got him into trouble with the religious leaders who thought they had solved their problem by crucifying Jesus. When he was brought to trial on bogus charges, he could have tried to explain that he had said no such thing. Instead, he took the opportunity to witness about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, ending with an indictment of the very men who were to pass judgment on him. He had to know what was going to happen, but his courageous faith first led him to be a witness, and then led him through death to victory.

By the way, "martyr" originally meant "eye witness." Only after the deaths of many Christians for witnessing about their faith did it come to mean someone who has sacrificed life or liberty for the Christian faith or some other cause.

Acts 4:5-12 (5/1/09)

Are you a leader or a follower? Peter and John knew how to follow their shepherd Jesus. For three years they had followed him literally, listening as he taught, watching as he worked miracles, and practicing new skills as he directed. After his death, resurrection, and ascension, they continued following him, but at the same time they became leaders for other people. When Peter and John were arrested for healing a lame man and then explaining to the crowd how it happened, the authorities handed Peter a great straight line: "How did you do this? What power do you have or whose name did you use?" Peter seized on this and proclaimed them that the man was healed by the power and in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter was both a follower of Jesus and a leader in the Christian community.

Acts 4:32-35 (4/14/09)

I've always been a little hazy on the concept of a prenuptial agreement. It seems that if I am going to trust someone with my life, my future, and my existing or potential children, I ought to be able to trust him with my money. If I can't trust him with my money, maybe I should rethink trusting him with my life, future, and children. If I think a divorce settlement is going to be an issue, maybe I should rethink the wedding. Call me old school, but I think that if I'm not in a marriage relationship heart and soul, I shouldn't be in it at all.

The early Christians were in a relationship with each other heart and soul. They were a very large small group, with the disciples at the core. They worshipped together, prayed for each other, and took care of each other's physical needs. They even trusted each other with their money! If Christians today held to each other in this kind of spiritual unity, we would win the rest of the world for Christ in fifty years.

Acts 6:1-8, Lay members are appointed to service. (11/4/2009)

Pastor Craig said last Sunday that he thinks "committees are not from God." I share that view; however, I am forced to admit that committees definitely are "from the Church."   The Church has the authority and power, given to her by God, to create new organizational structures (cf. Matthew 16:18-19; on committees in particular, Mark 16:18a).

The earliest Church committee we know of was created around 33 or 34 A.D., almost simultaneously with the birth of the Church herself. Two characteristics of the first committee strike us: it was made up entirely of lay members, and its purpose was service. St. Stephen, the leader of the committee, was a man of faith and power. He was martyred in 34 or 35, and I'm sure that all committee leaders since his time feel that they are following in his footsteps.

The earliest Christians were all Jews, but they were Greek-speaking Jews and Aramaic-speaking Jews. Most Jews who lived in Jerusalem and Judea spoke Aramaic, and most who were from outside Judea spoke Greek. Remember that Jews from all over the world came to Jerusalem to worship during the five major Jewish religious festivals; at Pentecost, many had become Christians. Apparently a lot of these Greek-speakers from out of town had stayed and become part of the tiny, but rapidly growing, Church.

I like to think that the Greek-speaking widows were not being neglected out of malice, but rather because their needs were not known as a result of the language barrier. When the Greek-speaking portion of the congregation grumbled about the situation, the apostles quite rightly told them that seeing a problem makes you partly responsible for finding a solution. Thanks to the Evangelical United Brethren portion of the merger that became the United Methodist Church, UMC laity shoulder a big portion of the responsibility for seeing and solving the problems of service.

Acts 6:8-7:2, Acts 7:51-60, Courageous faith sustains us to the death. (11/14/2008)

One of the standard plots in fiction is that Person A lays down his or her life on behalf of Person B. B is, naturally enough, tremendously affected by this. B is usually the hero or heroine of the story, and B's life is changed. B realizes that whatever happens next, it has to be worthy of A's life.

As a matter of fact, this has happened in history. Jesus voluntarily laid down his life on behalf of me, you, and everyone else - not as a group, but as individuals. Are our lives changed? Is what happens next worthy of Jesus' life?

Acts 7:55-60 (2007)

One of the earliest Christian martyrs was Stephen, whose death we read about today. Stephen was "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5) who did "great wonders and signs among the people" (6:8). He was such a convincing speaker that some members of the synagogue arranged for him to be charged with blasphemy before the Sanhedrin. Asked to respond to the charge, Stephen reminded the Jews of their history and of the importance of their relationship with God (ch. 7). At the end of this sermon, Stephen proclaimed that he could see Jesus standing at the right hand of God (see below). They seized him and stoned him to death, setting off a wave of persecution that forced many Christians to leave Jerusalem. This dispersion resulted directly in expanded evangelism and the conversion of many souls in Judea, Samaria, and the Roman world.

Acts 8:26-40 (5/10/09)

Today’s Trivia: Did you know that your fellow reader Candace D. was named after the Biblical Queen of Ethiopia? True fact. Although it's not 100% clear whether "Candace" is a name (Queenie) or a job title (Queen), her parents did know when they chose this name that it was derived from the Greek word kandake.

I have a friend who has such a gift for evangelism that he has made converts for Christ while running marathons! Philip the Evangelist was the same kind of guy, which is no doubt why he is called "the Evangelist." My favorite part of today's reading is, "So beginning from this scripture, Philip told him the Good News of Jesus." Philip started talking to the eunuch exactly where he was at the time.  He didn't start by giving him a lecture on Isaiah, he didn't ask him what his social or political background was, and he sure didn't demand that he sign a doctrinal statement! He just started with something that was on the man's mind right that minute and told him the Good News of Jesus. Philip’s gift was evangelism, and he bore the fruit of converts. Others have the gift of learning, and they bear the fruit of teaching; or the gift of charisma, and they bear the fruit of church leadership; or the gift of helps, and they bear the fruit of service; and so on.  Every lover of God has a gift, and God puts each one into a congregation that needs the fruit of that gift.

By the way, there were apparently two Philips: Philip the apostle and Philip the evangelist. Today's passage is about Philip the evangelist. Don't get confused and think that this is the apostle. I was confused about this for decades.

More Acts
Overview of Acts
Comments on Acts Chapters 9 – 17

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Chapters 1 - 8

The Acts of the Apostles

More Acts Overview of Acts Comments on Acts Chapters 9 – 17

More Acts
Overview of Acts
Comments on Acts Chapters 9 – 17