Just the Beginning
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Overview
Overview
Written by: Luke
Also the author of the gospel of Luke
Luke was a contemporary of Paul and travelled with him. This is indicated by the later chapters referring to “we” as he tells the story.
Luke was also described by Paul:
14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.
11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.
24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.
We see he was a physician and fellow worker of the ministry with Paul.
Concerning textual criticism, both Acts and the gospel of Luke are written very well and indicate that the author was well educated. Luke, being a physician, fits the bill.
Date Written:
Most scholars believe this to be written prior to AD 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed. However, it is also strongly believed that it had to be written before Paul’s death, which was between 66-68 AD, since Luke never mentions Paul’s death. Also, since Luke doesn’t make any mention of the persecution of Nero, which started after the great fire of Rome in 64 AD, this is probably written before then as well.
Most conservative scholars placed this book written from 60-62 AD.
That means the contents of this book covers nearly 30 years from start to finish.
Quick overview:
Establishment of the church through the apostles
Spreading of the church through Paul
In all of this, we see that this book is about what Jesus continued to do after His ascension into heaven through His disciples by the Holy Spirit.
1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Lover of God
Lover of God
Acts 1:1–2 “
1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
“First account”
This is in reference to Luke 1:1-4
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,
3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;
4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
Luke was well educated and used his abilities to research and develop an account that was the gospel of Luke.
Luke did this by what we call common grace. God created Luke to be studious, to research, and he used this gifting to write this and the gospel of Luke. This is important, because we will see the difference between this gifting of common grace and the giftings of the Holy Spirit.
He wrote this as inspired by God…
There are two types of inspiration that scripture was written:
First is dictation. Like John when He wrote Revelation, it was dictated by the Lord. This is similar to many of the prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah.
There is also accommadation. The Lord inspires the writers to write His truths and Word while allowing their own style and personality to come through as well.
Here, we see Luke write what was accommadated by the Spirit, that it was inspired by the Holy Spirit, but still has Luke’s character and personality in the pages.
“Theophilus”
This was written to Theophilus.
The name means “Lover of God.” The two words “Theo” which means “God” and philus, from the root phileo, or love.
Several theories of who this is:
Luke was a physician, but more than likely a servant, or lower class physician. Often, wealthy people would have a personal slave that was their doctor as well. Some believe that this Theophilus was Luke’s patron and funded Luke’s research into both the gospel and this book.
The other thought is that this is a reference to the church, or a code name of sorts.
…about all that Jesus began to do and teach
The first account, the gospel, we see a clear purpose, that Jesus did many things and He taught. What are those things??
19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
20 “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.
21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
30 “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit
2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.”
Jesus was directed by the Holy Spirit, and prepared His disciples for the work of the ministry.
We see here the Holy Spirit directing Jesus.
This is one statement, of many, that shuts down certain theological perspectives on the trinity.
There is one theology which is called “Oneness theology,” or better known as the “Jesus Only” movement. This is the rejection of the Trinity, and instead, they believe that God is not 3 separate persons, but one and just takes on different roles. When He needs to be the Father in heaven, He takes on that role, when He needs to be Jesus, He takes that on here. When He needs to be the Holy Spirit, He becomes the Holy Spirit. This is bad theology, and this verse here really exposes that.
Acts 1:3–5 “
3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
The proof they needed to believe.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
This would be the reason they would all give their lives for the gospel, because they had seen the Lord risen and resurrected.
The Promised Holy Spirit
The Promised Holy Spirit
4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
The promise of the Holy Spirit
16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
The Spirit of truth
Jesus says the World cannot receive Him, because they don’t know Him. But we do because He abides in us.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Our bodies are the temple of God, where the Holy Spirit dwells.
All through the New Testament, this is reaffirmed over and over, that we have the Spirit that dwells in us. We also saw last week what Paul tells the Ephesians in Eph 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
What does it mean for us to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us? First, as Jesus had said in John, that we know Him because He dwells in us, something the world does not know.
Paul says also to the Corinthians:
11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Because the Spirit dwells in us, we know the Lord. We are able to comprehend things the world just cannot.
This is why it is so important that our understanding of things does not come from the world or worldly sources, because they cannot understand God. I listen to godless people try to interpret the Bible and it never comes close. They don’t understand because they do not have the Spirit. But this isn’t us, we have the Spirit of God, we have the position to fully understand:
Why protect life in the womb but be supportive of capital punishment?? This seems like a contradiction to the world, but as those filled with the Holy Spirit, we know that one is for the sanctity of life and the other is a necessity for a just society.
Why should we deprive someone from marrying the person they love depending on their sex? The world just sees “love as love,” but those filled with the Spirit know that love according to God doesn’t rejoice in perversion but in what is right and that marriage is for a man and a woman.
Why do we condone spanking a child? To the world, that is abuse and should not be tolerated, but for those filled with the Spirit, we know that when we spare the rod, we spoil the child, and he disciplines those whom he loves.
There are many more, but Paul wraps it up in such a profound way in Romans 12:2
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Spirit of Truth
13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
The Holy Spirit will leads us into all truth. When we don’t know what is right or what is truthful, we are guided by the Holy Spirit.
Many times this is confused because of culture, upbringing, education and pre-conceived ideas. But the Spirit will always lead us into truth.
Jesus also says in John 14:26
26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
When we struggle with this truth, the Lord is there teaching us. Usually giving us only what we need and can handle.
I remember asking the Lord for understanding on things I didn’t quite understand. All I remember is the Lord saying to me, “No, you don’t need to know that right now. Learn what I want you to learn.”
2 Peter 1:3 (NASB95)
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
We don’t need to worry that we are missing out, because as the Holy Spirit teaches us, He teaches us the things that pertain to life and godliness. Some things aren’t for me to understand because it won’t pertain to life and godliness for me. Allow the Lord to keep you and teach you what He wants you to understand
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.””
Remember in Mark 1:7-8
7 And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.
8 “I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John declared this to his followers, and understood there was more to come.
I don’t fully understand all of this, the baptism of the Spirit, because we know that there are many opinions of what this is and looks like. But Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:21
21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
It is not the baptism of water that we are saved, but our submission to Christ.
Paul says to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 12:13
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Then Paul tells the Ephesians in Ephesians 5:18
Ephesians 5:18 (NASB95)
18 … be filled with the Spirit,
As we get into chapter 2, we will talk more about this, but I would say this, it appears that a baptism, not of water, but a filling of the Holy Spirit is necessary.
What does that look like??
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
What does Acts 2 have to do with this? We will talk about that next week