Acts 1:1-11

Acts 1:1-11After appearing to them for forty days, the risen Christ was lifted up. They were to await the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

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1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me,

The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.

5 for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.

The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.

9 And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.

1:1-3 Who is Theophilus?The person to whom the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts are addressed (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Since both the Gospel and Acts are addressed to the same person it supports the theory that both documents were written by the same author. Hellenistic (Greek) authors sometimes dedicated their books to patrons, benefactors, and it is probable that the author of Luke-Acts followed this tradition. In Luke 1:3, Theophilus is given a title (most excellent or your Excellency) that would appear appropriate for a high-ranking government officialThe name Theophilus, means one who loves God.

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He LivesLuke stresses that the risen Jesus gave the apostles convincing signs that he was alive after his death. He appeared several times and continued teaching them what Gods kingdom meant. Since they both saw and heard Jesus risen from the dead, they could be genuine witnesses to his resurrection. Others had only hearsay knowledge about Jesus (e.g., Herod in Luke 9:79). Throughout his Gospel and Acts, Luke emphasizes how important it is to both see and hear Jesus.

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Why Is the Resurrection Important?The Resurrection demonstrates that what Jesus predicted about his being raised was true (Mk 8:31, 9:9,31,10:34; Jn 2:19).The Resurrection proves that Jesus is the Son of God (Romans 1:4).The Resurrection testifies to the success of Christs mission of salvation (Romans 4:25).The Resurrection entitles Jesus to a position of glory (1 Peter 1:11).The Resurrection proclaims that Jesus is Lord (Acts 2:36).

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Today, People Doubt Jesus ResurrectionHistory records that Jesus appeared in bodily form to the disciples on many occasions after his resurrection, proving that he was alive. Think about the changes that occurred in the disciples lives. At Jesus death, they scatteredThey were disillusioned and fearful. After seeing the resurrected Christ, they were fearless and risked everything to spread the Gospel throughout the world.They faced imprisonment, beatings, rejection, and martyrdom, yet they never compromised their mission. These men and early church members would not have risked their lives for something they knew was a fraud. We can have confidence in their historical testimony and share in their mission to spread the word.

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