Verses 1-5: The Risen Jesus, the Spirit’s Command, and the Father’s Promise

¹ The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, ² until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³ To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom. ⁴ Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. ⁵ For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

• Jesus’ ministry continues with a purposeful trajectory:

  Luke frames the story as what “Jesus began both to do and to teach,” signaling that Christ’s work does not end at the resurrection or ascension but continues in an ordered way through what he initiates and instructs. This grounds Christian faith not in a detached philosophy but in the ongoing action of the living Lord, who teaches, commands, and advances God’s Kingdom.

• The apostles’ calling is rooted in Christ’s initiative and the Spirit’s guidance:

  Jesus gave “commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen,” presenting apostolic ministry as neither self-appointed nor merely humanly organized. Theological authority in the church is tied to Christ’s action and the Spirit’s involvement, and faithful ministry remains dependent on the Spirit rather than personal ambition.

• The resurrection is publicly grounded, not privately invented:

  Jesus “showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs,” over “forty days,” speaking of “God’s Kingdom.” The chapter makes the resurrection an anchored event supported by sustained, repeated appearances, shaping Christian proclamation as testimony to what God has done in history, not a symbolic idea crafted for comfort.

• Waiting can be an act of obedience and faith:

  Jesus commands them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.” Theologically, this teaches that obedience is sometimes not immediate outward action but patient submission to God’s timing and provision. Their mission will be Spirit-empowered; therefore, their first calling is to wait in trust for what God has promised.

• The Spirit’s coming is a decisive transition in God’s redemptive work:

  The contrast between John’s baptism in water and being “baptized in the Holy Spirit” highlights continuity and escalation: God has been preparing his people, and now he will empower them in a fuller way. The church’s life and witness are not sustained by human resolve alone but by divine enabling that God initiates and grants.

Verses 6-8: The Kingdom Question, the Father’s Authority, and the Church’s Mission

⁶ Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

• God’s kingdom hope is real, but human expectations need reorientation:

  The disciples ask about restoring “the kingdom to Israel,” showing that they still expect a particular form and timetable of restoration. Jesus does not mock the hope of God’s reign; instead, he redirects their focus away from speculative control and toward Spirit-empowered witness, teaching the church to hold kingdom hope with humility about its timing and shape.

• The Father governs history with rightful authority:

  “Times or seasons” belong to “the Father” and are “set within his own authority.” This establishes a theology of divine governance: history is neither random nor ultimately mastered by human insight. Believers are called to trust the Father’s wise rule even when specific timelines are withheld.

• The Spirit empowers witness, and witness is the church’s vocation:

  Jesus promises, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,” and immediately defines its purpose: “You will be witnesses to me.” Theologically, spiritual power is not primarily for private status but for public testimony to Christ. The scope—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, “to the uttermost parts of the earth”—reveals God’s expansive purpose for salvation’s proclamation, crossing geographical, cultural, and historic boundaries.

• God’s mission joins divine empowerment and human participation:

  The promise of power is God’s gift; the calling to be witnesses is the disciples’ responsibility. Acts 1 thus holds together God’s initiative (the Spirit’s coming, the Father’s authority) and human response (witnessing outwardly), encouraging believers to rely on grace while actively embracing the mission entrusted to them.

Verses 9-11: The Ascension and the Promise of Christ’s Return

⁹ When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¹⁰ While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, ¹¹ who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”

• Jesus’ ascension confirms his exaltation and ongoing lordship:

  Jesus “was taken up,” and “a cloud received him,” presenting the ascension as a divine act rather than a disappearance. Theologically, this signifies that the risen Jesus is exalted and that his authority remains real even when he is not physically present to sight, shaping Christian life as faithfulness to the reigning Christ.

• Christian hope is anchored in a promised, personal return:

  The heavenly messengers say, “This Jesus… will come back in the same way.” The hope offered is not vague progress or mere spiritual continuity but a concrete promise centered on the same Jesus who ascended. This sustains the church with expectancy and endurance, encouraging worship and mission without collapsing into either idle speculation or despair.

• Waiting for Christ’s return is not passive escapism:

  “Why do you stand looking into the sky?” confronts a posture of paralysis. Theologically, the ascension and promised return do not invite withdrawal from obedience; rather, they propel the church into its Spirit-empowered calling. Hope in Christ’s return strengthens faithful witness in the present.

Verses 12-14: A Praying, United Community at the Threshold of Mission

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³ When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

• Obedience often looks ordinary and communal:

  They “returned to Jerusalem,” and gathered in an “upper room,” showing the church responding to Jesus’ command in concrete steps. Theologically, faithful discipleship is not only dramatic moments but steady obedience in place, practice, and fellowship.

• Unity in prayer is a mark of spiritual readiness:

  They were “with one accord” and “continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication.” The chapter portrays prayer not as decoration but as the community’s posture of dependence, aligning the believers together under God’s promise as they await the Spirit’s empowerment.

• The gathered church is broader than the apostles alone:

  The group includes “the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Theologically, this reflects a communal reality to the early church’s life: devotion, prayer, and participation in God’s unfolding work involve a gathered people, not an isolated leadership class, and the bonds of faith reshape relationships around Jesus.

Verses 15-20: Scripture Fulfilled, Human Sin Accounted For, and God’s Purposes Unshaken

¹⁵ In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, ¹⁶ “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. ¹⁷ For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry. ¹⁸ Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out. ¹⁹ It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’ ²⁰ For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell in it;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’

• God’s Word interprets God’s events:

  Peter frames Judas’ betrayal through Scripture: “it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled,” and attributes it to “the Holy Spirit” speaking “by the mouth of David.” Theologically, this teaches that God is not reacting helplessly to evil; rather, God’s revelatory Word provides the true interpretive lens for painful events, anchoring the church in Scripture when confronting scandal and loss.

• Being included in ministry does not remove personal responsibility:

  Judas “was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry,” yet his actions are named as “wickedness.” Acts 1 holds together the reality of genuine participation in the community’s life and the seriousness of moral accountability. The church must neither deny the reality of betrayal nor conclude that God’s work is defeated by it.

• Sin has real consequences, yet God’s purposes are not derailed:

  The graphic account of Judas and the “field” known as “Akeldama” underlines the sobering weight of rebellion. Yet the appeal to Psalms—“Let another take his office”—shows that God provides continuity for his mission. Theologically, this balances warning and hope: sin is destructive, but God sustains his redemptive plan and guides his people forward.

Verses 21-26: Apostolic Witness, Prayerful Discernment, and God’s Choice

²¹ “Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” ²³ They put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.” ²⁶ They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.

• The resurrection stands at the center of the church’s authorized testimony:

  The stated requirement is that “one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” Theologically, apostolic ministry is not grounded in charisma or preference but in reliable witness to Christ’s resurrection—God’s decisive act that validates Jesus’ identity, anchors forgiveness and hope, and provides the content of Christian proclamation.

• The church discerns with real choices while submitting to God’s perfect knowledge:

  They “put forward two,” showing thoughtful human participation and prudent process. Yet they pray to the Lord “who know[s] the hearts of all men,” asking him to “show” whom he has chosen. This presents a mature pattern: the community acts responsibly with available wisdom, while confessing that final clarity rests with God who sees what humans cannot.

• God’s calling to ministry is both communal and divine:

  They seek someone “to take part in this ministry and apostleship,” and Matthias is then “counted with the eleven apostles.” Theologically, ministry is not merely an individual claim; it is recognized within the praying community and understood as appointment under the Lord’s direction. This safeguards both humility (no self-exaltation) and confidence (God truly appoints and equips).

• God’s mission continues beyond failure and loss:

  Judas “fell away,” yet the apostolic witness is restored in continuity as Matthias is counted among the eleven. Theologically, Acts 1 teaches that grievous human failure does not nullify the church’s calling; repentance, order, and renewed obedience can mark a community as God continues his work through imperfect people.

Conclusion: Acts 1 establishes the church’s life between Christ’s ascension and his promised return: grounded in the factual resurrection, shaped by Scripture, sustained through unified prayer, and propelled by the Spirit into worldwide witness. It presents a faithful balance of God’s authority and human responsibility—God sets the times, gives the Spirit, knows hearts, and chooses his servants, while believers obey, wait, pray, discern, and testify—so the gospel advances with confidence, humility, and hope.