Act 1:1 ¶ The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, COMMENTS: We know little of Theophilus but Theo is Greek for God, so there is the suggestion the man was godly. We are also unsure of who wrote the book of Acts, but the rumor Gentile Doctor Luke wrote it is mistaken. The Word of God tells us the oracles of God are entrusted to Jewish writers. An oracle is a Word from God whether verbal or written as we find in all of the 66 holy books of the Bible. We presume Saint Luke who authored the gospel of Luke, was one of the inner circle following the Lord Jesus Christ. In the gospel Saint Luke covers "all Jesus began both to do and teach,..." The key word is "began" to do and teach. The work of a holy revolution continued to march on in truth and power, so the Author provided us with THE BOOK OF ACTS.

Act 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: COMMENTS: The holy report continues until the Ascension and beyond where the Lord commanded his Apostles through the holy Ghost. In other words, Jesus was the head of the Church when he was alive as God in the flesh, and he remained the head of the Church, but was no longer visible. Jesus Christ has been working from behind the veil of invisibility ever since.

Act 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: COMMENTS: The Lord rose from the dead on the third day and showed himself alive in many ways leaving no doubt it was him, and was seen of his followers for forty days before the Ascension, during which time he spoke of things pertaining to the kingdom of God which is within. In other words, he taught them about the anointing.

Act 1:4 ¶ And, being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [said he], you have heard of me. COMMENTS: The Lord is quoted from what he said to the Apostles while he yet remained visible to them in the flesh. They were to remain in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father which Jesus had mentioned to them previously.

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. COMMENTS: The Apostles were to be baptized with the Holy Ghost shortly after the Ascension. It is important to make a distinction between modern day churchmen being baptized of the Holy Ghost and the hard core disciples of Christ receiving their baptism in the Holy Ghost. Although it is the same Holy Ghost doing the baptizing, the recipients are different. The Apostles were trained personally by the visible Lord and risen Saviour to fight spiritual warfare, bearing the cross of the living sacrifice, daily dying to themselves. They had been sent out in twos and were already experienced in casting out demons, in healing and in walking in the Spirit of the anointing. Their consciousness was greatly expanded having experienced the miracle working Master as their constant companion and teacher. The churchman's feet are not set on the same path, having no visible Jesus to teach and show them the way; but churchmen are generally employed in the secular world when they receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and to their work they return rather than to the constant "hungering and thirsting after righteousness" of the Apostles. After they were baptized in the Holy Ghost the Apostles were free to go where the Spirit literally led them.

Act 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? COMMENTS: For everyone who has been taught that Israel has lost her place with God forever, this verse is the key proof otherwise: The word "kingdom" refers to the dominance over the known world Israel exercised in the days of King David and Solomon.

Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. COMMENTS: Jesus did not deny dominance over the known world would be restored, but told them it was not for them to know when. Since we have a more sure world of prophecy in the New Testament, having more prophecies to work with; we know dominion will be turned over to Israel when THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES ends at the second coming of Christ to set up his thousand year reign in Jerusalem.

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: 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. COMMENTS: The promise of power was made specifically to the Apostles. Remember, they were prepared by the Lord to be witnesses (martyr's in the Greek). For Christ had shown them he rose from the dead, so their faith was fortified to believe they could follow in his footsteps. The power they were given in their baptism of the holy Ghost was "dunamis." That is spiritual power they were able to invoke daily as they died to themselves to come into the anointing; whereas the baptism of the Holy Ghost the churchman receives is the receiving of "the incorruptible seed" that they may grow up into Christ like a fruit bearing tree. The Apostles were graduates from the hard core discipleship the Lord had led them through. The churchmen who has yet to study to show themselves approved of God are not yet called into the daily lifestyle of a living sacrifice necessary to walk in the Spirit as disciples of the invisible Lord, but when one does obtain the calling; he has not the same advantage of tutoring that the Apostles had from the visible Lord. That is one reason why there are only twelve apostles. The Lord is not here to train them up face to face.

Act 1:9 ¶ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. COMMENTS: God does not announce what he is about to do. As soon as the Lord had spoke those things, while they yet looked upon him, he ascended into the sky where a cloud covered him so they could not longer see him. The beginning of the Lord's work began from that moment on from behind the veil of invisibility.

Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; COMMENTS: The Apostles could no longer see the Lord ascending into heaven but they searched the sky for further sight of him and as they did, two men stood by them wearing white turned their attention away to themselves.

Act 1:11 Which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. COMMENTS: The two angels in white spoke prophecy to the Apostles. They foretold the Lord would return to the earth to exactly the same place in the Mount of Olives in what we know as the second coming of Christ. And when he does, we are told in another prophecy that he will set down on the Mount of Olives and split it in two with an earthquake all the way to Azal.

Act 1:12 ¶ Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. COMMENTS: For those who observe the Sabbath, the rule restricting travel on that day is measured by the distance from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. So the Apostles had not far to go to return to Jerusalem and nothing more was said of the two angels in white who spoke prophetically of the Lord's second coming.

Act 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas [the brother] of James. COMMENTS: You will notice the verse says "an" upper room and not "the" upper room; so there may be variance as to the location of this present gathering over the former when the Lord presided them while physically present. The word "abode" is the key to understanding this verse further. We take it to mean the Apostles named went and remained or abode there set apart unto God and Christ.

Act 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. COMMENTS: Others were present or came to join in "prayer and supplication" unto God there. It was a holy prayer meeting.

Act 1:15 ¶ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) COMMENTS: This must be quite a large sized room, for now the number has expanded to a hundred and twenty of the Lord's holy following. And Peter the Apostle was addressing them in the Spirit speaking as it were in God. Imagine now, Saint Peter speaking in the supernatural power of the Lord's Spirit like Jesus who spoke "AS MAN NEVER SPOKE BEFORE," saying:

Act 1:16 "Men and brethren, this Scripture must by necessity have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. COMMENTS: Peter pointed back to the book of Psalms where the Prophet, King David was quoted as speaking prophecies concerning the betrayal of Christ by Judas. So the book of Psalms comes down to us not so much as David's writings but as Oracles spoken by him. Judas was the traitor who guided the religious leaders to the Mount of Olives in the dark where they took him.

Act 1:17 "For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. COMMENTS: Judas had been trained by the Lord along with the other disciples. He kept the treasury of donations in a bag he carried with him for the support of the work.

Act 1:18 "Now this man (Judas) purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst in two in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. COMMENTS: Judas purchased the field where he committed suicide. When the realization of what he had done manifested in his consciousness, he went into the field and hung himself by the neck where the rope broke and he burst in two in the midst and all his bowels gushed out.

Act 1:19 "And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. COMMENTS: All of the inhabitants of Jerusalem know about this matter.

Act 1:20 "For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his office of Bishop let another take. COMMENTS: We will interupt Saint Peter's power driven speech to the holy gathering momentarily to give you the Oracle David spoke concerning Judas:

Psalm 109:2/21

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; [and] let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek [their bread] also out of their desolate places. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off; [and] in the generation following let their name be blotted out. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him as the garment [which] covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. [Let] this [be] the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul. But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy [is] good, deliver thou me.

Act 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, COMMENTS: Saint Peter continues his speaking in the Spirit of God telling the holy gathering that someone from among those who was with them in the company of the Lord's disciples from the beginning, ought to be chosen to take the office Judas lost.

Act 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. COMMENTS: Peter is very specific in narrowing down the candidates from whom an Apostle would be selected, saying the individual would have to have been with them from the baptism of John in the Jordan of Jesus. And that individual must be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. In other words, the individual chosen could not expect to just take title to the office of Apostle, he would keep company with the Apostles as a witness of the Lord's resurrection which in those days was a dangerous thing to do since all of Israel who had not yet received the revelation that Christ was their Messiah, were against the spread of the New Testament faith as a competitor to Judaism and the law of Moses.

Act 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. COMMENTS: The Apostles followed the Word Peter spoke from the Lord and chose two candidates rather than chance the office of Apostle of falling into the power of someone less qualified.

Act 1:24 And they prayed, and said, You, Lord, who knows the hearts of all [men], show whether of these two you have chosen, COMMENTS: So the Apostles prayed unto God in the command form, politely commanding God to reveal which of the two he would have as an Apostle.

Act 1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. COMMENTS: The candidate was to take the place of Judas who fell into hell.

Act 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. COMMENTS: God is the hand of man we are told in the book of Psalms. This is a great mystery, but once it is understood and believed; it is much easier to trust in the choosing of lots to settle a matter. This they did, and Matthias was chosen by God to be numbered with the eleven apostles. Saint Paul the Apostle was not present with them at the time.