Commentary on the Book of Acts

By Bob Myhan

Chapter One, Part Two

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

It is interesting that, after 3 ¹/₂ years, plus another forty days, of instruction concerning the kingdom of God, the apostles continue to have a geopolitical conception of the Messianic kingdom. The penitent thief seems to have had a clearer conception of the kingdom of God than did the apostles (Luke 23:39-42). Though he clearly saw that Jesus was about to die, he nevertheless expressed confidence that He would “come into [His] kingdom.” In contrast, the apostles’ hopes of the kingdom were dashed when Jesus was crucified (Luke 24:19-21).

7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

Though Jesus was, and is, a member of the Godhead and in possession of omniscience, the question called for information that was not included in the command that the Father had given Him (John 12:49). It was the Father’s decision to withhold it, for whatever reason. This was also the case in regard to the specific “day and hour” that Jerusalem would be destroyed (Mark 13:32).

8 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."

This reception of power would be a result of their being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Jesus is here implying that at that time, which was “not many days” away, the Holy Spirit would begin to teach them all things and bring to their remembrance all Jesus had said to them (John 14:26). And He would confirm their word with various miracles (Mark 16:20), that would be “the signs of an apostle” (2 Corinthians 12:12). These would be credentials of the highest order (John 3:1-2) and enable them to be the most credible of witnesses. Such would be needful since extraordinary claims (such as the claim that a man had been resurrected from the dead) demand extraordinary evidence.

They were to take their testimony “to the end of the earth” because the Great Commission is universal in its scope (see Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47). The book of Acts, itself, is the divinely inspired record of their doing just that. It is not “all the acts of all the apostles,” “all the acts of some of the apostles” or “some of the acts of all the apostles.” More precisely, the book of Acts is “some of the acts of the Holy Spirit,” as He acted directly and indirectly in the establishment and early growth of the Lord’s kingdom/church.

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

The ascension of Jesus into heaven is not mentioned by either Matthew or John, the only apostles whose gospel accounts have survived. This is not a contradiction of the accounts of Mark and Luke. Nor is it an inconsistency in the biblical record. It is simply a difference. The cause of this difference is that the apostles end their respective accounts with the appearance of the Lord in Galilee (Matthew 28:16; John 21:1), while Mark and Luke omit that appearance, passing quickly from the day of the resurrection to the day of the ascension. There was no need for all four accounts of the ministry of Jesus to mention every event that transpired. Each writer had his own purpose in writing, and mentioned only those events best suited to his particular purpose. Matthew wrote to establish the fact that Jesus is God's promised anointed Messiah, the King of the Jews. Mark wrote to present Jesus of Nazareth as God's Suffering Servant, the Redeemer of the world. Luke wrote to give a connected and orderly narrative of the life of Christ as seen by eye witnesses. And John wrote to  inspire faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

The ascension of Jesus into heaven, though not prophesied in the Old Testament, was implied in the “night visions” of Daniel (7:13-14). Though many might think that it would have been better for Jesus to have remained on earth throughout the kingdom age, it was necessary that He go back to heaven for several reasons: (1) to send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7; 14:16,17,26; 15:26,27; 16:8-10), (2) to become High Priest (Hebrews 8:1-4; 9:6-12; 7:11-25; Psalm 110:4), (3) to receive dominion (Daniel 7:13-14; John 18:36,37; Zechariah 6:12,13; 1 Corinthians 15:22-26) and (4) to prepare us a home (John 14:1,2; Hebrews 11:9-16; 13:12-14; Philippians 3:20,21).

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

Between His crucifixion and their acceptance of the reality of His resurrection, their hope for Israel’s redemption had been dashed (see Luke 24:21). So when they realized He was alive again, the flame of hope must have burned anew within them. “At last, Israel will be redeemed,” they surely thought. But it has now been forty days and He has done nothing but talk. When they asked Him about the restoration of Israel, He had been evasive. And now He is bodily ascending to Heaven and Israel still has not been redeemed and restored. They must have been perplexed, not knowing what to think of this new turn of events. It is no wonder that they now stand looking “steadfastly toward heaven” as He ascends.

The “two men” who “stood by them in white apparel” were surely angels of God. Angels most often appeared as men throughout Scripture. They never appeared as women to this writer’s knowledge. The white apparel is probably intended to communicate the personal righteousness of the angels. This is certainly the figurative use made of white garments in the symbolism of the book of Revelation.

11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

The angels are probably curious as to why the apostles “stand gazing up into heaven,” as if they are expecting Jesus to stop His ascent and return to the earth to set up the kingdom, after all. Or, perhaps, they are wondering if they would ever see Him again. At any rate, the angels assure them that He will, indeed, one day come again.

(To be continued)

Delighting in God’s Law

By Gary Henry

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

FOR THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK GOD, THERE IS NO GREATER DELIGHT THAN LEARNING GOD’S WILL, DOING IT, AND REFLECTING ON IT IN THEIR MINDS. Along this path lies the good life. Joshua was reminded of this in God’s charge to him: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Because God is good, any word that He has spoken is good. To love Him, revere Him, and respect Him is to rejoice whenever He speaks. “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart . . . more to be desired are they than gold” (Psalm 19:8,10).

In Psalm 1, the person who is said to be blessed is one who “meditates” in God’s law. Meditation requires more than a hurried glance at the Scriptures once in a while. It first involves concentrated study and then the leisurely contemplation of what has been learned. When we meditate on God’s law, we admire its beauty and ponder its application in our lives. We ruminate on it and mull it over, indulging ourselves in the real enjoyment of thinking about God. The godly person doesn’t just do this on rare occasions. He does it “day and night.”

We must learn to appreciate God’s word as our rule of life, our law, our TORAH. The word LAW has such a negative connotation that it’s hard for us to have such an appreciation. We’d rather think of the Scriptures as “inspirational” literature, there for us to consult if we ever need a lift. But the very lift we need is to delight in the LAW of the Lord. God has revealed His will not just to inspire us, but to GOVERN us — we need to meditate on it day and night.

Delighting in God’s law is simply a part of our delight in God Himself. In another of the Psalms, David said, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). The more we discover what God is really like, the more joy it will bring us to turn His precepts over and over in our minds and revel in the sheer goodness of such a great God.

“God is my being, my me, my strength, my beatitude, my good, my delight” (Catherine of Genoa). – WordPoints.com (April 10) &

Love or Legalism?

By Steven F. Deaton

When we insist men must adhere strictly to the commandments of God, is it love or legalism?

Men say it is legalism. They say, "We should obey a Savior, not a system." Or, "Give me the man, not a plan." Their idea is that to admit the existence of a law by which man must live in order to be right with God, is legalism.

God, however, calls this love. The Spirit said, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Keeping the commandments of God is an expression of love, not legalism. To insist others do the same is love for God and man, not legalism in a system or plan.

The Holy Spirit was sent to reveal all truth (John 16:13). Why would anyone think the truth was revealed so men could be cavalier toward it? It was revealed so men could obey it and be set free (John 8:32). Paul wrote, "But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered" (Romans 6:17). This does not destroy a relationship with the Savior, for it is His system--the gospel (Hebrews 5:9). &

Who Was Melchizedek?

By Bob Myhan

Melchizedek was “king of Salem...priest of God most high.” He was a great man but a man. He was “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually” in a figurative sense only. He is introduced fully grown, his parentage, birth and death never recorded. He is used by the writer of Hebrews as a prophetic type of Jesus Christ, who is also both priest and king. (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-4) &