Acts 1 Scofield
Read Acts 1 · Matthew Henry on Acts 1
1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
“being assembled”
Or, eating with them.
“ye have heard”
Or, heard from me.
1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
“again the kingdom to Israel”
Forty days the risen Lord had been instructing the apostles "of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," doubtless, according to His custom Luke 24:27; Luke 24:32; Luke 24:44; Luke 24:45 teaching them out of the Scriptures. One point was left untouched, viz., the time when He would restore the kingdom to Israel; hence the apostles' question. The answer was according to His repeated teaching; the time was God's secret.; Matt 24:36; Matt 24:42; Matt 24:44; Matt 25:13; 1 Thess 5:1.
“restore”
(See Scofield "Matt 3:2").
1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
“come”
The two Advents--Summary:
(1) The O.T. foreview of the coming Messiah is in two aspects--that of rejection and suffering (as e.g. in Is 53), and that of earthly glory and power (as e.g. In Is 11 Jeremiah 23 Ezekiel 37). Often these two aspects blend in one passage (e.g. Psalms 2). The prophets themselves were perplexed by this seeming contradiction 1 Pet 1:10; 1 Pet 1:11. It was solved by partial fulfilment. In due time the Messiah, born of a virgin according to Isaiah, appeared among men and began His ministry by announcing the predicted kingdom as "at hand."
(See Scofield "Matt 4:17"). The rejection of King and kingdom followed.
(2) Thereupon the rejected King announced His approaching crucifixion, resurrection, departure, and return (Matthew 24, 25). Matt 12:38–40; Matt 16:1–4; Matt 16:21; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35–46; Luke 17:20–36; Luke 18:31–34; Luke 19:12–27.
(3) He uttered predictions concerning the course of events between His departure and return Matt 13:1–50; Matt 16:18; Matt 24:4–26
(4) This promised return of Christ becomes a prominent theme in the Acts, Epistles, and Revelation.
Taken together, the N.T. teachings concerning the return of Jesus Christ may be summarized as follows:
(1) That return is an event, not a process, and is personal and corporeal Matt 23:39; Matt 24:30; Matt 25:31; Mark 14:62; Luke 17:24; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Phil 3:20; Phil 3:21; 1 Thess 4:14–17.
(2) His coming has a threefold relation: to the church, to Israel, to the nations.
(a) To the church the descent of the Lord into the air to raise the sleeping and change the living saints is set forth as a constant expectation and hope Matt 24:36; Matt 24:44; Matt 24:48–51; Matt 25:13; 1 Cor 15:51; 1 Cor 15:52; Phil 3:20; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Thess 4:14–17; 1 Tim 6:14; Titus 2:13; Rev 22:20.
(b) To Israel, the return of the Lord is predicted to accomplish the yet unfulfilled prophecies of her national regathering, conversion, and establishment in peace and power under the Davidic Covenant Acts 15:14–17 with Zech 14:1–9.
See "Kingdom (O.T.)" 2 Sam 7:8–17.
(See Scofield "Zech 13:8")
(See Scofield "1 Cor 15:24")
(c) To the Gentile nations the return of Christ is predicted to bring the destruction of the present political world-system Dan 2:34; Dan 2:35. (See Scofield "Rev 19:11"), the judgment of Matt 25:31–46 followed by world-wide Gentile conversion and participation in the blessings of the kingdom; Isa 2:2–4; Isa 11:10; Isa 60:3; Zech 8:3; Zech 8:20; Zech 8:23; Zech 14:16–21.
1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
“journey”
About 4854 feet.
1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
“Zelotes”
The Zealot.
1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
“bishoprick”
(Greek - ναός, overseership). See "elders" (See Scofield "Titus 1:5")
1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
“transgression”
Sin. (See Scofield "Rom 3:23").
Public domain (1917). Text from the BibleSupport.com e-Sword module.
Introduction to Acts
WRITER: In the Acts of the Apostles Luke continues the account of Christianity begun in the Gospel which bears his name. In the "former treatise" he tells what Jesus "began both to do and teach"; in the Acts, what Jesus continued to do and teach through His Holy Spirit sent down.
DATE: The Acts concludes with the account of Paul's earliest ministry in Rome, A.D. 65, and appears to have been written at or near that time.
THEME: This book records the ascension and promised return of the Lord Jesus, the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter's use of the keys, opening the kingdom (considered as the sphere of profession, as in Matthew 13) to the Jews at Pentecost, and to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius; the beginning of the Christian church and the conversion and ministry of Paul.
The Holy Spirit fills the scene. As the presence of the Son, exalting and revealing the Father, is the great fact of the Gospels, so the presence of the Spirit, exalting and revealing the Son, is the great fact of the Acts.
Acts is in two chief parts:
1. In the first section (Acts 1:1 to Acts 9:43) Peter is the prominent personage, Jerusalem is the center, and the ministry is to Jews. Already in covenant relations with Jehovah, they had sinned in rejecting Jesus as the Christ. The preaching, therefore, was directed to that point, and repentance (i.e. "a changed mind") was demanded. The apparent failure of the Old Testament promises concerning the Davidic kingdom was explained by the promise that the kingdom would be set up at the return of Christ (Acts 2:25–31; Acts 15:14–16). This ministry to Israel fulfilled Luke 19:12–14. In the persecutions of the apostles and finally in the martyrdom of Stephen, the Jews sent after the king the message, "We will not have this man to reign over us."
2. In the second division (Acts 10:1 to Acts 28:31) Paul is prominent, a new center is established at Antioch, and the ministry is chiefly to Gentiles who, as "strangers from the covenants of promise" (Eph 2:12), had but to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" to be saved. Acts 11-15 of this section are transitional, establishing finally the distinction, doctrinally, between law and grace. Galatians should be read in this connection.
The events recorded in The Acts cover a period of 32 years.