10 December, 2006
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10 December, 2006
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The Commission Given
Prior To the Ascension (Acts 1:6-8)
Brian R. Kenyon The ascension of Jesus into heaven is the precise point at which His earthly ministry concluded (cf. Acts 1:1-2a). Between the time of His resurrection and ascension He spent forty days giving "commandments unto the apostles," showing Himself alive "by many infallible proofs," and "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:2b-3). This article will focus on the background and substance of the commission that Jesus gave the apostles. The Apostles' Question Since Jesus had been teaching about the kingdom of God, it would not seem unusual for the apostles to ask about the kingdom. The unusual part is their lack of understanding revealed in their question: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). The verb translated "they asked" is in the Greek imperfect tense, which suggests that the question was asked more than once during the forty days. If so, "there is a certain poignancy in their failure right to the end to understand that the kingdom was not of this world."1 The apostles still — even after forty days of Jesus' teaching — held to the view that Jesus was somehow going to restore the old kingdom of David. They had not progressed very far from their earlier, misguided hope (cf. Mk. 9:33-34; 10:35-41; Lk. 22:24). In their mind, when Jesus died, all hope for a restored kingdom of David faded, but when He arose and appeared unto them for forty days, their hope renewed. They still failed to realize that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (Jn. 18:36), but is spiritual, being entered only by the new birth of water and of the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-6). Jesus' Answer Jesus answers the apostles' question in two parts. First,
He says, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which
the Father hath put in his own power" (Acts 1:7). Instead of directly
answering their question, Jesus draws their minds from the future of God's
kingdom to their present duty before Him. Jesus does address one part
of their question: that which concerns the time. They ask, "Wilt
thou at this time...?" (Acts 1:6), and Jesus answers, "It is
not for you to know the times or seasons" (Acts 1:7). "Times"
refers to long periods of time, whereas "seasons" refers to
shorter periods of time, each marked by what transpires in it. These time
boundaries are given in the plural to show that everything regarding the
time is in the authority of the Father (cf. Mt. 24:36; Mk. 13:32). The
future was in God's hands and it was not for them to know the details. What they needed to know is given in the second part of Jesus' answer, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (Acts 1:8a). Instead of the political powers they desired for themselves in the kingdom (Mt. 20:20-28), they were to receive a far greater and more valuable power-the power of the Holy Spirit! Earlier, Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem for the "promise of the Father," which He described as being "baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts 1:4-5 cf. Lk. 24:49). In a moment Jesus will leave, but He will not leave the apostles without help. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus told them, "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (Jn. 16:7). It was necessary for Jesus to depart in order for the Holy Spirit, the "Comforter [Helper, NJK]," to come upon the apostles as promised. The scene in Acts 1:9-11 is this very departure. The fulfillment of this Holy Spirit baptism occurred on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-41). The Apostles' Power
to Fulfill Their Commission The apostles needed the power of the Holy Spirit because
they were to fulfill a special purpose that none else could fulfill, "and
ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8b).
Their work would be one of witness bearing, a theme prominent throughout
Acts. A "witness" refers to "one who avers, or can aver,
what he himself has seen or heard."2 The common use
of "witness" today in the religious world is inaccurate. "Witnesses"
had special reference to the apostles, who would authenticate the Gospel.
The apostles were more than mere preachers who proclaimed only what they
were ordered to proclaim. They were preacher witnesses-"men who have
themselves seen, heard, touched, experienced, and are qualified, even
called, to testify accordingly."3 The scope of their witnessing was to begin in Jerusalem,
and extend into Judea and Samaria, and finally reach the "uttermost
part of the earth." In contrast to their idea of restoring the kingdom
to Israel (Acts 1:6), they are told to take the kingdom to the entire
world (cf. Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16). This of necessity would include
the Gentiles, who so far as they could see were nowhere in the picture,
evidenced by what it later took to convince Peter to go to the Gentiles
(Acts 10:9-16). Preaching to the ends of the earth would include all points
in between. Not only was the gospel to be preached first in Jerusalem
(Isa. 2:3 cf. Rom. 1:16), the order seems also to involve a pattern where
the Gospel seed is sown first into the most prepared soil.4
The preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus mainly occurred in and around
Jerusalem. This, coupled with the fact that Jesus' crucifixion was well
known in and around Jerusalem (Lk. 24:13-20; Acts 26:26) and that the
church would be established in Jerusalem, made for fertile soil in Jerusalem.
Then, the inhabitants of the rural areas of Judea would be best prepared
to receive the Gospel along with the Samaritans who had heard for themselves
Jesus' teaching (Jn. 4:1-42). Finally, the Gospel would be carried to
the Gentiles (Acts 10:33-48; 13:44-46). Acts may be outlined according
to this commission given to the apostles: in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42-8:3);
in Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:4-12:25); and to the uttermost parts (Acts
13:1-28:31). May we accept God's commission for us to spread His word and glorify His name! End Notes 1 David J. Williams, Acts, New International
Biblical Commentary, vol. 5, W. Ward Gasque, ed. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson,
1990) 23. |