I have been enjoying the on-line discussions I have started with Angela and Debby in the book of Acts. If you missed our first discussion question it can be found here: http://wp.me/p39vIx-Ei

Now onto our next question from Acts:

The Bible says that after his final teaching Jesus ascended into Heaven.

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11

The last thing the angels tell the witnesses to the ascension is that Jesus will come again. That second coming is described in Zechariah and Revelation.

“A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[a] in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” Zech. 14:1-5

“Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.”

Imagine the emotions being experienced by the disciples during the ascension. How would you feel if you were there?

Now imagine being a witness to the return of Jesus. How will you feel on that day? What do you imagine the emotions of others you know will be? What feelings does this motivate inside of you?

I was recently charged with the responsibility of holding a discussion class on the book of Acts over a twelve week period. Some of my readers have asked if I could share the class as an on-line discussion because they could not make it out to the Wednesday night talk backs. I have never tried such a thing before; But I figure, what’s to be lost by giving it the old college heave-ho? So let’s all have a discussion on the book of Acts shall we?

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.” Acts 1:1-8 NIV

Some quick notes as we begin:

The Book of Acts is addressed to Theophilus which basically translates “God lover” or  “Friend of God”. He could have been a real person or maybe the book is simply addressed to any person who loves God.

The Book is officially entitled The Acts of the Apostles, but it is important to note  the chief actor in the book is the Holy Spirit through the apostles.

The author of this book is traditionally accepted as Luke the physician who accompanied the apostle Paul on his missionary journey. This is the testimony of the early church fathers: Eusebius, Clement, Origen, Irenaeus, and Tertullian. Further both the Gospel of Luke and Acts are addressed to Theophilus seeming to make them two parts of a whole.

The book is dated to around 63 A.D. and covers the span of time from around 33- 63 A.D. when Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Neither Paul’s death (65 A.D.) or the fall of Jerusalem (70 A.D.) are mentioned.

Here is my first question for discussion:

Acts 1:1-8 mentions that Jesus taught many things after his resurrection. We see some of these teachings in Acts 1:1-8/ John 20:19-21:23/ Luke 24:13-49/ Mark 16:9-20/ Ma 28:16-18

Create a list of  things you see Jesus teaching post resurrection. If you could only sit in on one of these teaching which would you choose? Why?

I will give you a few days to ponder this first question before I post the next. I look forward to our discussion. 🙂