Answers For A Study in the Book of Acts: Chapters 1 and 2

“Answers For A Study in the Book of Acts” is a new weekly post in addition to the regular “Case for the New Testament” posts on the weekend. The questions are posted on the website the weekend before, and the answer appear here mid-week. This gives you time to answer on your own and then check your answers here. Keep in mind these will be basic answers, and you can go much deeper, so please feel free to send me additions to the answers that you might come across that are not included here.

Note: These answers will focus on what the text of the Bible says, and commentaries and speculative answers will be noted as such. There are many scholarly commentaries out there but it will be important, as students of the Bible, to keep the text of the Bible as our first source. Commentaries can be used if cited, keeping in mind that they are human thoughts about God’s Word.

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us.

Read Acts Chapters 1 and 2:  Then, to the best of your ability, re-read the sections and answer the following questions. Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for “Discussion” or “Going Deeper” questions.

The Establishment of the Church, Jesus’ Ascension and the Day of Pentecost

1. Read chapter 1:1-14

In the first part of the chapter, the author reviews what happened at the end of the Gospels, after Jesus’ crucifixion:

a. What were some of the convincing proofs that Jesus gave to show that He had resurrected? Cross-referencing 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 and add these and any other additional proofs.

• Acts 1:3-5 tells us, “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. 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; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 tells us, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”
• So, from this we learn that Jesus appeared over a period of 40 days after the Resurrection to many different people and groups. There is eyewitness testimony, not by one person, but by multiple persons (over 500). In addition, there are outside Biblical sources from people like Josephus, who report of these events and individual experiences.
• Note: These accounts are recorded within the life and times of the eyewitnesses as we know the New Testament was completed in the first century, A.D. This makes the New Testament documents primary accounts, and putting this all together there is great support for the historicity of the narratives.

b. The Disciples assumed that Jesus would usher in the Kingdom of God right away. What did Jesus say to them about the Holy Spirit and the timing of when the Kingdom (His second coming) would be established on earth? Cross-reference Matthew 24:36-39.

• In Acts 1:6-8 Jesus answers His Disciples: “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; but 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.””
• In Matthew 24 Jesus is teaching His Disciples about the signs of things to come, and His second coming in particular, but most importantly He told them, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.””
• Note: The important take-away is for us to understand the “signs of the times” but to not dwell on the actual day or hour (no one can predict it, even though many have tried). So, instead we should be about the business of God and not become obsessed with end-times. We can be ready and prepared by knowing God’s Word, and this includes the importance of sharing our faith with others (Acts 1:8).

c. What did the 2 men (angels) tell the Disciples after Jesus ascended into Heaven? Where did this take place?

Acts 1:9-12 tells us, “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 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.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.”

This happened at the “Mount of Olives” and Scholars believe this is where Jesus will return to claim His Kingdom, as the Angels said.

d. Discuss: When the Disciples returned to Jerusalem they were “all of one mind and were continually devoting themselves to prayer.” Do we model this practice today? If so, give some examples, and if not, how could we do better?

Even though this ancient culture, and the specific circumstances of this early Church, was much different than the culture and world we live in today, there are principles we can follow. In this class we have four focus areas to work on in our Christian journey: 1) Prayer, 2) Bible study, 3) Apologetics, and 4) Discipleship. In many ways this is an attempt to model the success of the early Church, which helped to protect them from infiltration by false teachers, and sustain them during eventual persecution.

2. Read Chapter 1:15- 1:26

In the second half of this chapter Peter begins to step up as a leader:

a. What did Peter tell the other Disciples that needed to be done, and what Old Testament references did he use?

Peter, citing Scripture from the Psalms 69:25 and 109:8, spoke to the “Brethren” about the need to replace Judas: “At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry… For it is written in the book of Psalms ,‘Let his homestead be made desolate, And let no one dwell in it’; and, ‘Let another man take his office.’”  Acts 1:15-17, 20

b. Who did they choose to replace Judas, and how did they choose him? Discuss: Is this method something we should do today, or were they using an Old Testament Biblical principle?

• “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. Acts 1:21-26
• Notice that the replacement had to be someone who had ‘witnessed’ everything from the beginning through the Resurrection and this narrowed the choice.
• Casting lots was a way of determining God’s will in ancient times. For example, the Jewish High Priests possessed the Urim and Thummim and carried in their priestly garment, and they would use them to discern the LORD’s will. This was usually done upon prayer to the LORD for direction and guidance.
• Today we have God’s Word, and there is nowhere in the New Testament that we are told to cast lots or do any other “mystical” type thing. We can go directly to God’s Word, Jesus’ teachings and we can pray for discernment from the Holy Spirit.

c. Going Deeper: Skeptics will cite Judas’ death, described in 1:18-19, as being in contradiction to the Gospel accounts in Matthew 27:3-10; yet it is only an “apparent” contradiction. Research and discuss how Christian scholars and apologists answer this accusation.

Insight from gotquestions.org:

Concerning how Judas died, here is a simple reconciliation of the facts: Judas hanged himself in the potter’s field (Matthew 27:5), and that is how he died. Then, after his body had begun to decay and bloat, the rope broke, or the branch of the tree he was using broke, and his body fell, bursting open on the land of the potter’s field (Acts 1:18–19). Note that Luke does not say that Judas died from the fall, only that his body fell. The Acts passage presumes Judas’s hanging, as a man falling down in a field does not normally result in his body bursting open. Only decomposition and a fall from a height could cause a body to burst open. So, Matthew mentions the actual cause of death, and Luke focuses more on the horror surrounding it.

Concerning who paid for the field, here are two possible ways to reconcile the facts: 1) Judas was promised the thirty pieces of silver several days before Jesus’ arrest (Mark 14:11). Sometime during the days leading up to his betrayal of Jesus, Judas made arrangements to purchase a field, although no money had yet been transferred. After the deed was done, Judas was paid, but he then returned the money to the chief priests. The priests, who considered the silver to be blood money, completed the transaction that Judas had begun and bought the field. 2) When Judas threw the thirty pieces of silver down, the priests took the money and used it to buy the potter’s field (Matthew 27:7). Judas may not have purchased the field personally, but he provided the money for the transaction and could then be said to be the purchaser.

d. Write down and share two or three things that you think are important to remember about this chapter. 

Answers can vary but could include: Acts 1:8 – “The Great Commission” (found also in Mt. 28, Mk. 16, Lk. 24 and Jn. 15); and Acts 1:9-11; and the Ascension and future return of Jesus at the Mount of Olives; also the first time the Disciples were called Apostles.

3. Read chapter 2:1-13

In this section of the chapter, we find the giving of the Holy Spirit to believers, and the beginning of the Church:

a. Describe what happened to the Disciples on the day of Pentecost and how it affected the Jews from other nations that were in Jerusalem at the time?

There was a “noise like a violent rushing wind” that came from Heaven, and “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit had come to give them the ability to speak to those who had come from all over the world to celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem, and to those who were also living there. This was an amazing miracle because everyone heard the disciples speaking in different languages (and some thought they were drunk). This allowed for the sharing of the Gospel message to all those who did not speak the local language, and about 3000 souls were saved that day because of this miracle, and Peter’s sermon.

b. Discuss: Christians sometimes disagree on what the use of “tongues” means. What does the text specifically say it was used for in this passage?

In this passage the use of tongues specifically refers to speaking another language (one that you were not capable of doing before), and that the “tongue” must be interpreted.

• The debate as to whether this gift can be used “at will,” and whether or not an interpreter must be present when the gift is used, is between saved Christians.
• Some Christians also say tongues can be a gift of an “unknown” language given to believers to speak to God alone – a “spiritual language” (not spoken to others).
• The heresy comes in when someone insists that a person is not saved if they don’t have the gift of tongues – this is not Scripturally true.
• It is important to remember that any gift of the Spirit of God is not an indication of salvation, otherwise Jesus’ death and resurrection would be meaningless (See Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9-10).
• Go deeper and research the “gift of Tongues” in the New Testament for yourself by using a word search tool. Do not use commentaries before you study Scripture yourself because they will give you the theological or doctrinal view and belief of the commentator – read and study for yourself first.

c. Going Deeper: What is Pentecost according to the Old Testament and how is it related to the celebration of Pentecost by Christians today?

A generally agreed upon definition of the Christian and Jewish meaning and practice:

The word “Pentecost” refers to fifty days. The Christian Day of Pentecost is celebrated on the fiftieth day from Easter Sunday (Resurrection Day). It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks (Old Testament Pentecost), as described in the book of Acts.

The Old Testament and New Testament Connection to Pentecost: The Birthday of Judaism and the Birthday of the Church.

 In the Old Testament, the Day of Pentecost is directly linked to the Jewish festival “Shavuot” known in the Bible as the Festival (or Feast) of Weeks. It is a celebration that commemorates when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. It is an event that occurred fifty days after the Passover, when the Jewish people were freed from bondage and enslavement to the Egyptians. On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.

The Festival of Weeks is also referred to in Scripture as Day of First Fruits, a celebration of the harvest that God gave His people, and is linked to the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16). God’s people would celebrate how God had taken care of them and would offer back to God the first-fruits of their harvest as a way of honoring God.

Similarities and significance of the two events, from the Old Testament and the New Testament:

• In the Old Testament, the Passover celebrated when the Jews were freed from enslavement and Pentecost celebrated when they became a nation committed to God. In the New Testament, the crucifixion of Christ during Passover week is something Christians look back to as a time when humanity was provided freedom from being enslaved to sin. At Pentecost, through the giving of the Holy Spirit, it’s a celebration of entering into a new relationship with God.
• In the Old Testament, when God gave the law (the Torah) to Moses on Mount Sinai, He wrote the Ten Commandments Himself on the tablets of stone (Deuteronomy 9:10). God Himself carved the Ten Commandments into the stone to signify the covenant relationship He had with His people. In the New Testament, the image of the Holy Spirit being given to the disciples mimics the finger of God signifying the beginning of a new covenant relationship for all those who would trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.

4. Read chapter 2:14-47

In this second part of the chapter, Peter gives a defense (an apologetic) to the crowd for what had happened, and against the accusation that they were drunk:

a. Peter starts by using a prophetic statement from the Old Testament (2:17-21). What Old Testament Prophet does he quote, and where can it be found? (2:25-34) Peter also quotes from the Psalms. What Psalms does he quote from, and who wrote those particular Psalms?

• The Prophet Joel – from the Old Testament book Joel 2:28-29: ““It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.””
• Psalm 16:8-11, a Psalm of David: I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
• Psalm 110:1, a Psalm of David: “The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.””

Note: Old Testament Messianic prophecy is amazing, and much of it is two-fold, meaning it has apocalyptic (end-times) reference for the Messiah’s second-coming as well.

b. Discuss: Why do you think Peter needed to quote from the Old Testament?

Peter had mainly a Jewish audience at this time. It would be important for him to make the connection as to what had happened to Jesus, as well as His ministry and mission, to the Old Testament because this would resonate with the people. It was common practice for Jews to review Old Testament history to show their knowledge of Scripture and Jewish history. In this case Peter shows the fulfillment of things the Jew had studied for centuries.

c. How many people responded to Peter’s sermon and what did he tell them to do?

• There were about 3000 souls saved that day. There were probably more because culturally at this time, only men were counted, so the count would not necessarily include the women and children who heard and were saved as well.
• In Acts 2:38-41 we read: “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”
• Note: The instructions Peter gave were for the people who believed (point of salvation) to then repent (confess their sins) and be baptized in the name of Jesus (an after-salvation act showing the change that had taken place in their hearts). It is important to understand that there is no “work” that must be done on an individual’s part to gain salvation – salvation is from the LORD alone, a gift of grace (Acts 20:24; Romans 5; Ephesians 2:8-9). We simply work/live out that salvation for the rest of our mortal lives here on this earth as we grow in the knowledge of the LORD.

d. Discuss: What are the four things listed in verse 42 that this first “church” began to do? Do we, or should we, model the practices of this early church today?

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

• Apostle’s teaching (Bible study and Apologetics)
• Fellowship (Discipleship)
• Breaking of bread (Discipleship and Communion)
• Prayer (talking to God)

Even though our culture and needs are different today, we can still model these practices as the basic principles of a Godly life are here.

e. Chapter two conclusion: Write down and share two or three things that you think are important to remember about this chapter.

Answers will vary, but take-aways can include:

• The importance of knowing the Bible and defending the faith (exampled by Peter)
• The importance of sharing the Gospel message (exampled by the number of souls saved)
• The importance of practicing our faith through continued study, discipleship and prayer (as exampled by the practice of the early Church)

Continue to join us in making our “A Case for the New Testament” along with a study in the book of Acts!

Note: Class presentation, videos, reflections and Bible study question are posted on the weekend – Bible study answers posted mid-week.

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15