Acts 1aq

“YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES”

Acts 1:1-11/Luke 24:44-53

Key Verse: 1:8 *

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

1.     What is the content of the former book? Describe this in terms of the time of Jesus’ work, and the content of his work. [review Luke 1, 24]

2.     What did the former book describe about  His ascension and giving instructions before  His ascension? [Luke 24:44-48]  What is the essence of the knowledge of everything’ that must be fulfilled? [Luke 24:46] What does the  essential knowledge and work have to do with? [47]   What do they give witness about? [Luke 24:48]

3.     Why could they not be witnesses of what they  had seen  but instead had to wait? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in this regard? [John 16:13-14] Why was the disciples’ knowledge  of Jesus not sufficient? [John 16:24-26]  What does it mean to be clothed with  power from above? [John 16:15, 23-27; Ephesians 1:19;]  What might be the meaning of being ‘clothed’ with power? [similar use in Luke 15:22;  Acts 12:21]  Why did Jesus want to impart such knowledge and power to  His disciples at this juncture?[8b, you will do greater things…  John ]

4.     How does the coming of the Holy Spirit make a difference to the people of the world? [John 16:7-14] [Act 2:36-37]

5.     What was the overwhelming concern of the disciples? What does this reveal about their view of the Messiah and  His work? [6] What was the answer to their question about restoring the kingdom of God? [7,8] How can this be the answer to the question of the coming restoration of the kingdom of God?

6.     What is the meaning  of ‘you will be my witnesses’? What about in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth? What is the main content of the witness that they were to be [8, Acts 2:22-36]?

7.     After  His final words, what happened to Jesus? [9] Out of this final scene, what did the disciples understand about the whereabouts of Jesus? [Mark 16:19; Acts 2:34; John 14:2] What was the message given by the two angels regarding the seemingly permanent departure of Jesus? [10-11]. How were they to handle the absence of Jesus? [11, Matt. 28:20] Compare the mind of the disciples when Jesus was crucified and buried in the tomb [Luke 24: 21] to the mind of the disciples after Jesus’ ascension. [Acts 1:14, 21-22]