An apostle is "a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ; messenger that is sent." Essentially these men were chosen, taught and then sent out by Jesus to be teachers of the word. The Acts of the Apostles is a book which accounts what the disciples did as appointed apostles of the word of God.
This book is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. Luke accounts the happenings directly following what we read and learned of in the Book of Luke and beyond. Essentially it picks up where the Gospels left off. The gospels are layered together before this book because there is a lot to learn in them and all of the messages require depth of context and perception to understand. Having spent our time in them, we are now ready to learn from what occurred after Jesus' ascension.
1:1 Interestingly, "Theophilus" means "friend of God." So, as long as you are a friend of God, this book is, in a way, written specifically to you.
1:2 So, Luke speaks of the former account, known to us as: The Book of Luke (In Luke 1:1-4, he writes the same greeting to Theophilus). Luke references Jesus being "taken up" and by this he means to say that Jesus taught and worked God's word directly until the day He was lifted up and returned to God. Luke also mentions the apostles, formerly known as the disciples, who were in fact chosen as we read of in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Jesus always worked directly with God's wisdom and guidance and God knows who He can chose to do important work on His behalf. Like each of the disciples, we are each capable of doing God's work but we are only actually chosen to do the work, to become apostles, when our faith drives our compassion to act. The disciples' faith qualified them to work for and with God.
There are a lot of jobs in the house of God -- meaning that there are many different positions we can fill when we become apostles of God. Our talents are all different, our personalities, our locations, our roles in family and society are different... each of us can expertly fill a void or heal a harm with our specific abilities and positions.
The only qualification you need is the solidification of your faith. God has a place for you and a purpose for you and He will appoint you with that purpose. Solidification of faith means that you have listened, absorbed and agreed with God's philosophy of compassion. Solidification of faith means that you trust God to be the potter of you and your life (the clay, so to speak). It is imperative that you trust Him because He will not intervene in your life if He is not welcome. God is very respectful of our freedom -- but in my experience, you are only ever truly free when He's in your life.
1:3 Jesus returned to the disciples after His death on earth (or as I like to think of it: His transition into our natural element, the spiritual). Leaving earth (with seeming finality) was Jesus' way of teaching that God's children endure and prosper despite adversity, despite the limits and vulnerabilities of the human body (which houses our invulnerable souls).
Jesus was not about to leave them without explaining and completing His instruction to the disciples. Having been appointed as messengers of God's word, they needed guidance perhaps more than ever. He presented Himself alive to personally exemplify the truth, the strength and the live within God's word.
1:4 Jesus did not want them to leave prematurely -- there were certain concepts they needed to embed in their understanding before they could officially depart as teachers of God's word. Jesus taught comprehensively but as we have read and experienced, the disciples repeatedly required reiteration of Jesus' instruction to fully understand.
1:5 At this point, the disciples had been baptized by John with water. In other words, they had publicly confirmed their faith -- a beautiful symbol, but not an official introduction into the faith. The reason is because no matter how many times we proclaim something, it is our actions which qualify us as a part of God's family.
To be baptized by the "Holy Spirit" or by God physically-best described as a divine spirit, is to be recognized by Him as not just someone who proclaims their faith but instead as someone who acts, works in faith and lets their actions make the proclamations.
There are depths of spirituality (and for simplicity we can think of them in this way): there is 1) the "absorber"and 2) the "projector".
The so-called absorber listens and accepts. This person believes, allows and encourages God's word to infiltrate their life. This person finds comfort and guidance for their life from God -- and is no less loved or important than the follow.
The so-called "projector" understands and projects. This person perceives, serves and thirsts for God's word to burst and flow from them and into the world and humanity. The depth of their faith breeds the humility required to become a vessel through which God can reach the world -- but is no more loved or important than the preceding.
In a way, transitioning from disciple to apostle is to transition from "absorber" to "projector". Regardless of which category we each happen to fall into, both are loved and blessed by God with purpose.
1:6 Immediately, and understandably, the disciples get excited for the "end" of earth and the beginning of God and the spirit. They are ready for the establishment of God's kingdom rather than what existed around them -- corrupt kingdoms of wayward humans.
The "Kingdom of Israel" is spoken of in this verse so let's explore it: Throughout time, the nation of Israel has been either sanctified or hated by people. However when God speaks of Israel, or when the disciples refer to it, what they allude to is the nation of people of Israel who lived during the time when faith was strong among the inhabitants and God was directly with them.
Israel the nation itself is not loved by God... the faithful people who resided in it were loved by God -- and though we are in many ways all descendants of those people, being descendants does not freely earn us love and appreciation from God. Being in Israel now or a fan or advocate of Israel the nation now, does not qualify us for anything. Our actions determine our faith not any external factors.
In attempt to not delve too deeply into politics: All nations on earth are flawed and none of them are especially holy.
1:7 It was not especially important for the disciples to know when Jesus was returning to the Earth because they were at the very beginning. They witnessed His life and departure from Earth; they learned from His teaching in order that they would bring it to the world and generations of people living without the physical, visible presence of Him.
In the gospels, Jesus gave a lot of information concerning the "end times" of earth (which really are just the bumps before a new beginning). The plan is open and available to everyone but Jesus needed the disciples to be focused particularly on their part of the plan. Their teaching would enable the following generations to know God, to know compassion, and to the ones existing near "the end", to know how to respond (without fear).
The exact date of Jesus' final and permanent return is known only by God -- it's crucial to Him that we, as His children, are given the freedom to roam, react, behave, discover without our parent looming over our every move. He won't be a "helicopter parent" --- unless we specifically ask Him to. Without knowing the exact date of His return, people will not have the chance to clean up their act (in a fake way) to appear to be better than they were when they thought He wasn't watching.
Be kind.
1:7 It was not especially important for the disciples to know when Jesus was returning to the Earth because they were at the very beginning. They witnessed His life and departure from Earth; they learned from His teaching in order that they would bring it to the world and generations of people living without the physical, visible presence of Him.
In the gospels, Jesus gave a lot of information concerning the "end times" of earth (which really are just the bumps before a new beginning). The plan is open and available to everyone but Jesus needed the disciples to be focused particularly on their part of the plan. Their teaching would enable the following generations to know God, to know compassion, and to the ones existing near "the end", to know how to respond (without fear).
The exact date of Jesus' final and permanent return is known only by God -- it's crucial to Him that we, as His children, are given the freedom to roam, react, behave, discover without our parent looming over our every move. He won't be a "helicopter parent" --- unless we specifically ask Him to. Without knowing the exact date of His return, people will not have the chance to clean up their act (in a fake way) to appear to be better than they were when they thought He wasn't watching.
Be kind.
1:8 Jesus says this to refocus the disciples to their time and their purpose. God's divine spirit is in the earth and is available to His children to reign in and wield compassionately. Jesus is promising here that God's compassion, wisdom, guidance and love will always lead and protect them through their lives and the journey of their purpose.
These were the first bunch of teachers of God's philosophy to go out into the world and so we can understand how necessary it was that they were faithful, determined, and prepared. Yet each of our purposes here on earth are given the same promises by God -- He will always guide and protect us; He will always be available to us because He loves us.
1:9 After Jesus message and promises to the disciples (and us!) He departs, He returns to our creator, our parent, out Father, who loves us to intensely. Jesus passes the baton and from this moment forward, humanity is entrusted to love each other and to remain with their God, the one who loves them so.
If we aren't already participating, we can join right now. At any moment we can start living with purpose and compassion.
1:10 As Jesus ascended two angels joined with the disciples. This is another great reminder of how perfectly God has equipped us. Not only do we have God and Jesus on our side, which is more than enough, we are also sent messengers and workers of God, angels to help us along our ways.
1:11 The angels gently prod the disciples (and us!) to not gaze up dreaming for too long because we have the privileged and responsibility of doing a lot of compassion work before He returns in the same manner He departed. They're saying: He's coming back, so let's start right now preparing for that.
Dream while you work -- because our reality is a dream, we are God's children. By a dream I mean a miracle, a beautiful, ethereal truth. Let the dreams of our home and our Father propel us to do good work here so that many will return home with us.
If we aren't already participating, we can join right now. At any moment we can start living with purpose and compassion.
1:10 As Jesus ascended two angels joined with the disciples. This is another great reminder of how perfectly God has equipped us. Not only do we have God and Jesus on our side, which is more than enough, we are also sent messengers and workers of God, angels to help us along our ways.
1:11 The angels gently prod the disciples (and us!) to not gaze up dreaming for too long because we have the privileged and responsibility of doing a lot of compassion work before He returns in the same manner He departed. They're saying: He's coming back, so let's start right now preparing for that.
Dream while you work -- because our reality is a dream, we are God's children. By a dream I mean a miracle, a beautiful, ethereal truth. Let the dreams of our home and our Father propel us to do good work here so that many will return home with us.
1:12-14 Together, the most devoted of Jesus' students at the time prayed. Their lives and the course of humanity had been changed, inspired, rejuvenated, saved in many ways by Jesus' humble love and service of compassion. They prayed out of love and gratitude. They remembered that we are always directly with God in prayer and having just said an earthly goodbye, prayer is a way to rejoin God's presence.
1:15 Peter rises and seeks to fill the twelfth space of the disciples. Judas, once holding a place in the twelve no longer remained -- let's find out why.
1:16-17 Scripture had to be fulfilled. God's plan must always occur exactly as He plans and predicts in order to bring the most honest and instructive messages to us. Peter reminds them (and us) that Judas was selected as a vessel through which scripture would be fulfilled.
1:18 Peter reveals somewhat subtlety to us that certain humans had behaved quite violently and killed Judas. We can deduce that likely, having fulfilled his purpose, God allowed for Judas to depart from earth. Judas' forgiveness is a matter between himself and God -- personally I believe Judas was forgiven because he immediately and intensely regretted his actions: Matthew 27:3-5.
God always forgives those who request forgiveness but humans do not and Judas is quite an example of that.
1:16-17 Scripture had to be fulfilled. God's plan must always occur exactly as He plans and predicts in order to bring the most honest and instructive messages to us. Peter reminds them (and us) that Judas was selected as a vessel through which scripture would be fulfilled.
1:18 Peter reveals somewhat subtlety to us that certain humans had behaved quite violently and killed Judas. We can deduce that likely, having fulfilled his purpose, God allowed for Judas to depart from earth. Judas' forgiveness is a matter between himself and God -- personally I believe Judas was forgiven because he immediately and intensely regretted his actions: Matthew 27:3-5.
God always forgives those who request forgiveness but humans do not and Judas is quite an example of that.
1:19-20 Scripture foretold of this land as a symbol. This land, Akel Dama, represents what greed reaps: nothing. Greed takes life... nothing can thrive in it or because of it. It destroys. God wants us to understand that we should never trade or negotiate against a person for gain. Our priority and our value should always be our fellow humans.
So, because Judas is no longer on earth, his place was to be filled.
1:21-22 In order to fill Judas' place, the disciples look toward the other faithful followers of Jesus -- those who had listened, followed, absorbed and loved Him and His message from the very beginning.
1:23-26 As with all decisions, the disciples pray for guidance from God. It is decided that Matthias will step in Judas' place as the twelfth disciple.
Twelve is a number which represents the 12 original tribes of God's children in Genesis, Genesis 49. You will see them referred to as the 12 tribes of Israel -- these were originally the 12 sons of Jacob who loved and was devoted to God -- who led humanity back to God when they were entirely lost.
You see, Israel is not a beloved nation... Israel were a family of all of our ancestors, compassionate children of God. God changed Jacob's name in Genesis 35:10. God blessed Jacob for being such a kind and faithful person and gave him the new name, Israel meaning: God prevails. Jacob and his family became a symbol of God's ability to reach, teach and gather His children.
So, because Judas is no longer on earth, his place was to be filled.
1:21-22 In order to fill Judas' place, the disciples look toward the other faithful followers of Jesus -- those who had listened, followed, absorbed and loved Him and His message from the very beginning.
1:23-26 As with all decisions, the disciples pray for guidance from God. It is decided that Matthias will step in Judas' place as the twelfth disciple.
Twelve is a number which represents the 12 original tribes of God's children in Genesis, Genesis 49. You will see them referred to as the 12 tribes of Israel -- these were originally the 12 sons of Jacob who loved and was devoted to God -- who led humanity back to God when they were entirely lost.
You see, Israel is not a beloved nation... Israel were a family of all of our ancestors, compassionate children of God. God changed Jacob's name in Genesis 35:10. God blessed Jacob for being such a kind and faithful person and gave him the new name, Israel meaning: God prevails. Jacob and his family became a symbol of God's ability to reach, teach and gather His children.
