Acts 1:6-11 “Going Up?”
“…‘what must I do to be saved?’ They said,
‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” Acts 16:30-31 (NASB)
Key Verse(s) – The Kingdom context of the Book of Acts and the New Testament
Acts 1:11 (NASB) *The 2nd coming of Christ to establish His literal Millennial Kingdom “They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” Note: This will be the fulfillment of Zechariah 14:1-16
Key x-References – The importance of the concept of the Kingdom of God
Acts 1:3 (NASB) *During the 40 days between the resurrection and ascension
“To these [the apostles] 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.”
Zechariah 14:1-9 (excerpts NASB) *The establishment of His kingdom prophesied “Behold, a day is coming for the LORD…4 In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east…9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one…”
Luke 19:9-11 (NASB) *The messianic kingdom expectation of 1st century believers “And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house…For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.”
Luke 17:20-26 (excerpts NASB) *The coming of the literal messianic kingdom delayed “Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed…For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” For just like the light- ning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man…”
John 18:33-37 (excerpts NASB) * Refers to the present spiritual form of His Kingdom “Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’…Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world…but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’ Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king.’”
Key Terms (most words have a ‘field of meaning’ —> various translations) “witnesses” (v.8) Greek #3144 (35x), NASB martus, a primary word; a witness:–
witness (12), witnesses (23) *Note the connection to the English “martyr” from Greek martyr – “one who bears testimony (witness) to faith,” especially “one who willingly suffers death rather than surrender his or her religious faith”
“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”
Acts 9:31 (NASB)
The Book of Acts Series #2 6/20/21
The Birth and Expansion of the Church of Jesus Christ “…you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 (NASB)
Introduction – The transitional nature of the Book of Acts 1:1-5
I. Christian witness in Jerusalem -The birth and foundation of the Church 1:6-8:3
A. The Risen Lord – The Kingdom context of Acts 1:6-26
- The Ascension—Christ returns in His resurrected body to His father 1:6-11
a. Kingdom question – Believers’ expectations in the 1st century 1:6-7
b. Key verse in Acts that unlocks its 3-part structure – “My witnesses” 1:8 c. Jesus was “lifted up” out of sight into a cloud 1:9
d. An angelic message concerning Christ’s return and the Kingdom 1:10-11 - The Upper Room 1:12-26
B. Pentecost – The birthday of the Church 2:1-47
C. Healing the lame man in the Temple, Peter’s 2nd Sermon 3:1-26 D. The beginning of persecution 4:1-37
E. Purging from within, more persecution from without 5:1-41
F. Choosing co-laborers – The first deacons 6:1-7
G. Stephen, the first martyr 6:8-8:3
II. Christian witness in Palestine and Syria 8:4-12:25 A. The Christians Scattered 8:4-40
B. The Conversion of Paul 9:1-31
C. The Conversion of Gentiles 9:32-11:30
D. The Christians Persecuted by Herod 12:1-25
III. Christian witness to the uttermost part of the earth 13:1-28:31
A. The First Missionary Journey 13:1-14:28
B. The Council at Jerusalem 15:1-35
C. The Second Missionary Journey 15:36-18:22 D. The Third Missionary Journey 18:23-21:26 E. The Journey to Rome 21:27-28:27
Conclusion 28:28-31
Key Verse(s) – The Kingdom context of the Book of Acts
Acts 1:6-8 (NASB) *The key verse of Acts in its Kingdom context
“So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’”
“…the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit .” Acts 13:52 (NASB)