Acts 1:1-5 – In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
In Luke 1:1-3 our author gives some background to why he is writing. He states that he has “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” and so He is writing in order to give a cohesive, structured and orderly account of the life and works of Jesus.
Luke identifies that he is writing to Theophilus. There is much conjecture about who he was, but the Word of God does not specifically say who He was. His name means “friend of God.” This has led some to believe that Luke was not writing to an actual person but to those who love God and who love His Son. Certainly the message in both Luke and Acts applies to all Christians. The generally accepted view is that these books were written to an actual person in order to, as Luke himself states, give an “orderly account” of the life of Jesus and what He taught and did during His physical life on earth and what He continues to do even to today through His people.
In Luke 1:3 Luke refers to Theophilus as “most excellent.” It is a term or honor or rank as Paul used it at Acts 23:26 and Acts 24:2. Therefore, whether a Roman or not, Theophilus seems to be a person or rank and influence. Some have theorized that he was a wealthy benefactor who helped support Paul and Luke on their missionary travels. Other theories about who Theophilus was is that He was Theophilus ben Anna who was high priest in Jerusalem during A.D. 37-41, or Mattathias ben Theophilus who was a later high priest who served during A.D 65-66. Still another theory was that he was a Roman lawyer who defended Paul during Paul’s trial in Rome. Yet another theory is that Luke was once a slave under Theophilus and that after Theophilus became a Christian shared his faith with Luke, and then set Luke free. Concerning Theophilus, ultimately we cannot specifically identify him as the bible does not. When the bible does not give us clear direction it is best that we not “guess” but to be content with what God has decided we need to know. Certainly, we know that Luke has given us great content to consider regarding the life and ministry of Jesus on earth and on the life and ministry Jesus through His disciples. We know that Luke accomplished his purpose as stated in Luke 1:3-4 “With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” We can be confident in what the Word of God instructs us. Praise the Lord!
Acts 1:1-2 summarizes and reinforces what we have learned in the Gospels. We learned that Jesus did good supernatural works and taught eternal truths while He was in the flesh on earth. He continued doing so up to His death, and even beyond, till His ascension into Heaven. He not only taught the Apostle concerning eternal spiritual matters, but He gave them instructions for them to follow.
Acts 1:3 refers to suffering, or passion, which is His suffering by the torture and crucifixion and death at the hands of the Romans. Luke testifies that Jesus, after His death, rose from the grave and appeared to many giving them a proof that He had risen from the dead. The proof that Jesus gave was no light proof, but the “convincing” proof of He Himself presented to them that they saw He was alive and in a bodily form. Jesus was bodily with them and made sure that they knew no imposter was with them as they touched His pierced hands, feet and side. Jesus was in the flesh and no mere apparition.
Acts 1:4 Jesus commanded the Apostles to go to Jerusalem and wait for the gift that Father God had promised to them. V5 clearly shows that they are to wait for the gift that Jesus was referring to as brought by the Holy Spirit. Yet, was Jesus telling them to wait in Jerusalem for something He has already given them as told in John 20:22 “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” So we see that Jesus had already given to them the Holy Spirit. They had received it. The Holy Spirit within is what seals us as belonging to God (2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, Ephesians 4:30). Ephesians 1:13-14 states that we hear the word of Truth, which is the gospel of our salvation, we believe in Jesus and then we are sealed by the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance. The Apostles had heard the Word from the Word Himself. They believed Him, and Jesus in John 20:22 gave to them the Holy Spirit. He had then sealed them to Himself. Romans 8:9 confirms that if we do not have the Holy Spirit within then we don’t belong to God. Family, Jesus did not tell the apostles to wait till they again receive the Holy Spirit. They already had the Spirit within. Once we are born again, we never need to be born again again! He is telling them to wait for something they did not yet have. We shall see that it was that the Holy Spirit giving to them gifts of power to enable them to better proclaim and glorify Jesus to the world. Very exciting, and we will later see that exciting day! Praise God!
We see again see the faithfulness of God. He does not forget His promises to us. He does not get too busy. He remembers and He fulfills. Likewise, just as He remembers for all of the saints of the past, so He remembers and offers for all of us today the gifts of the Spirit of God. We all have different ministries, and even receive different gifts, but the gifts of God are for us today as they were for the saints in the times of the Apostles. God is faithful. He is good. He loves us. We are truly blessed by Him. Praise God! We are His! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.