with me in your Bibles to the book of Acts, Acts chapter 1. Acts chapter 1, last week we did some introduction. This morning we're going to take up the first eight verses, and what we'll find there is the prologue in verses 1 to 3, and then the commission, the apostolic commission in verses 4 to 8. So I'll read the section, we'll pray, and then we'll look in detail at God's holy word.
The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up. after he, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. and being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you have heard from me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.
And you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, we thank you for the written word, we thank you for this book of the Acts of the Apostles, and for what we find here concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, enthroned at the right hand of the majesty of God on high, the one who gives the Holy Spirit to the Church in a powerful way to equip and enable them for the task of world missions.
How we thank you that you have saved a great multitude thus far, and we look forward to the reality that there will be that number that no man can number, persons from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation assembled before the throne of God Almighty, singing, Salvation belongs to the Lord our God and to the Lamb who sits upon the throne. Thank you for your mercy toward us. Thank you for the grace of the gospel toward us, that you have had dealings with us, that you have shown us our sins and shown us the glory of the Savior. We know it's not because of our goodness or our righteousness, but because of your grace.
You have affectionately called us out of darkness into marvelous light. You have given us a glimpse of the Savior. You have given us the graces of faith and repentance, and in this we greatly rejoice. And we are reminded and we are mindful that if you are able to save us, certainly there is hope for sinners.
We pray for any and all who have come here this morning outside of Christ, we pray that today would be the day of salvation. That as the gospel goes forth, you would be pleased to open eyes, open hearts to the truth of God's holy word. Do this by the spirit, do this for your glory and for your praise and for your exaltation. Do forgive us now for your sins and fill each and every one of us with the Spirit of God.
And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Introduction: Acts as Theological History
Just by way of reminder from the introduction last week, I had mentioned that the book of Acts is in fact a history book, but it's theological history. It's not only an account of what has happened, but Luke gives us the theology behind that. It's the history of the first 30 years of the Christian church, the first three decades after the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as one popular introduction to the Bible notes, The book covers events occurring in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Syria, Cyprus, many cities in Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece, and Rome. The reader witnesses everything from preaching and miracles to jailbreaks and shipwrecks.
And remember that this sort of literature was prevalent in this time frame. The book of Acts is aptly titled that as Acts was applied to written works which described the exploits of great men in the ancient world. So, as I said,
The Prologue: Acts as the Acts of Christ
we're going to look first at the prologue in verses 1 to 3, and then secondly at the commission given to the apostles in verses 4 to 8. But note in the first place, we see that it should, in fact, be understood as the acts of Jesus Christ. Notice in verse 1, the former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began, both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up. So, he establishes a link with the gospel that bears his name.
Remember, Luke wrote Acts. Luke also wrote the gospel according to Luke, and here he refers to that work as the former account. In both places, in Luke 1 and here in Acts chapter 1, he sends this greeting to Theophilus, a Christian man, to instruct him concerning the Christian faith. And then notice what he says concerning Jesus with reference to the gospel of Luke.
Of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up. So what we find in the book of Luke is what Jesus began both to do and teach. And what we find in the book of Acts is what Jesus continues both to do and teach. So in many respects, it is right to call it the Acts of the risen Lord Jesus. the acts of the enthroned one on high, the acts of Christ.
So
Christ Continues His Work by the Spirit
Luke records what he begins and Acts records what he continues to do. Now we say, well, he went back up into heaven. How does he do that? He does it enthroned at the right hand of the majesty of God on high.
He does it by the Spirit, He does it by the Word, and He does it through the agency or the means of the holy apostles that He Himself had chosen. In fact, J.A. Alexander says, that what He thus began in person upon earth was afterwards continued by His apostles under the influence and guidance of His Spirit. John Calvin makes an observation concerning these two aspects set forth here concerning Christ.
Doing and Doctrine: An Inseparable Knot
Notice, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. So Luke indicates for us it's the doings of our Lord Jesus and it's the doctrine of our Lord Jesus. And we do well to imitate that. Far too often you see this sort of emphasis in some churches on only engaging in good works or acts of mercy.
I'm not suggesting we don't do that, but they oftentimes do that to the neglect of doctrine. They might suggest that all we're about is helping to ameliorate the downtrodden and the poor. Brethren, we cannot neglect doctrine. On the other hand, we need to have doctrine, but we ought not to neglect good deeds.
This is the emphasis that we have seen recurringly through the book of James as we've been going through it on Sunday nights. We need both doing and doctrine. We can't divorce this. We can't cut it asunder.
We have to have both the soup and the salad. It's not an either or with reference to the Christian church. We need the truth of God's holy word driving us to engage in good deeds. John Calvin, as I mentioned, speaks concerning these two things, doing and teaching.
He says, for this is a holy knot which no man may dissolve. So let's not sacrifice doctrine so that we can indeed engage in good works. But at the same time, let's not disregard the place of good works. I would submit, in light of reform doctrine, in light of what I think is a most excellent confession of faith in the Second London Confession, we ought to be the most fervent in good works.
In other words, if we understand who God is, we understand who we are, we understand what Jesus Christ has wrought in terms of redemptive benefit, we of all people ought to be the boldest and most earnest to go there for and do nice things. Later in the apostolic preaching, the apostle Peter is able to describe Jesus as a man who went about doing good. Again, I'm all over this condemnation of the social justice warrior mindset that is growing increasingly more prevalent among evangelicals. I don't like it.
It smacks of or reeks of the social gospel movement in the early 20th century. So while I would condemn that, I would nevertheless say that our doctrine ought to drive us to effectiveness in society, to good deeds. We don't have to be social justice warriors. We don't have to be progressives.
We don't have to be liberals. We simply have to be God-fearers who understand the truth of God's word and seek by the grace of God to shine His light in a crooked and perverse generation and hold forth the word of truth. We're to let our light so shine that men may see our good works and give glory to God. So you see, we're not supposed to rent asunder the doing and the doctrine, but rather we are, like our master, to try and combine such things.
The doctrine ought to drive the doing, and we ought to be a people that Paul tells Titus, with reference to those believers in Crete, they're to be zealous for good works. Jesus managed to combine both, and certainly the church of Jesus Christ ought to be able as well without either sacrificing doctrine or embracing in a social justice progressive mindset that is more akin to cultural Marxism than it is to biblical Christianity. We need to be aware of this.
The Post-Resurrection Ministry and Commission
Secondly, notice what? Luke tells us concerning the post-resurrection ministry of Christ. Notice in verse 1, the former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which He was taken up. That's a reference to the Ascension.
We'll see that in more detail when we get to verses 9 to 11, so we won't spend a whole lot of time here on that. But notice what he goes on to say, after he, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen. So what Luke is highlighting is that after the resurrection, and probably even prior to the resurrection, Jesus had given commandments by the Spirit to his apostles. Now, there's some question.
Is the agency of the Holy Spirit here seen as the means by which Christ chose the apostles? Or is the agency of the Holy Spirit the means by which Christ commanded the apostles? I take it as the way that Christ commanded the apostles. But he gave them commands.
And this is very important for us to understand as we start in this book of Acts. And it was very important for the early church to understand.
The Apostles: Commanded, Not Self-Appointed
Notice verse two, after he through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen. Now, the gospel records indicate that Christ did, in fact, choose these 12 men. At this time, it's 11, but it will eventually be 12 again. But it is true that Jesus chose these men.
There's no mention of the agency of the Spirit in the choosing, so again, I think agency of Spirit goes better with his commands to them. But notice, the ascended Lord, the authoritative head, gave these commands to the apostles. In other words, everything that follows in the book of Acts isn't according to the apostles. They didn't develop this, they weren't innovators, they weren't creators of the Christian religion, but rather they were the means by which the Ascendant Lord sent them out to traffic in the grace of God, to preach the truth of the gospel.
They were not self-appointed, they were not self-authorized, they were men given a command by God to go and to engage in this particular task. And probably the commands that are specifically in view is
The Great Commission as the Apostolic Mandate
the commandment to go and make disciples of all the nations, to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, Jesus promises, I am with you to the end of the age. Now, we spent a great deal of time going over the Great Commission when we finished Matthew's Gospel. We won't duplicate that here, but that's Probably what's in view after he, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen.
In other words, he gave them marching orders. This is what you're supposed to do as my servants. This is what is to occupy you. Not go in and ameliorate the downtrodden and poor.
Certainly, if you're faithful in gospel ministry, there will be that spillover effect, but the primary emphasis given to these apostles was to make disciples.