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J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Vernon McGee adds that His ascension did not cease His doing and teaching for "Now, from the vantage place of the right hand of God, He is continuing to work through the Holy Spirit. As in the army where commands pass from one man to another, so the Lord Jesus Christ is working through the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit operates through the apostles and on out to you and to me where we are today. This is a remarkable statement." (Thru the Bible). Marshall - The other point is the reference to the Holy Spirit as the source of guidance for Jesus in choosing the apostles. One of the concerns of Luke is to demonstrate how both Jesus and the church were directed by the Spirit to fulfil the purpose of God for them. (TNTC-Acts) A T Pierson - Here all the blessed intercourse between the risen Lord and his disciples, during the forty days between his resurrection and ascension, all the marvelous communications that he made to them as he spake to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God, are traced to the Holy Spirit. This prepares the reader to appreciate the importance of the commandment immediately following: that his disciples "should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father," the baptism of that same Holy Spirit for which Christ himself had waited thirty years, before beginning his public ministry. The disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord. If even he was indebted to the Holy Spirit for the power of his ministry, surely we cannot afford to attempt the work appointed us without the same anointing....The same Holy Spirit who abode in Christ, through whom he discoursed of the kingdom and gave the disciples both instruction and commandment, was to descend upon them, dwell in them, and be to them the source and secret of all power in working and witnessing. (Ibid) Orders to the apostles - This was Jesus' objective with the apostles during the 40 days after His resurrection. No, these men never went to seminary, but they received an education unlike anyone in the history of the world - straight from the Master Teacher Himself! Some of these "orders" undoubtedly include the "Great Commission" (Mt 28:18-20-+, Mk 16:15,16), as well as His charge to them in Luke 24:49-+ “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power (THE HOLY SPIRIT) from on high.” A T Pierson writes that "The disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord. If even he was indebted to the Holy Spirit for the power of his ministry, surely we cannot afford to attempt the work appointed us without the same anointing.” NET Note on orders - Although some modern translations render enteilamenos as "instructions" (NIV, NRSV), the word implies authority or official sanction (G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:545), so that a word like "orders" conveys the idea more effectively. The action of the temporal participle is antecedent (prior) to the action of the verb it modifies ("taken up").To the apostles whom He had chosen - Notice how even in this description we see that the first century apostles were unique for they were personally chosen by Jesus. Vincent on given orders - Special injunctions or charges. Compare Matt. 4:6; Mark 13:34; Heb. 11:22. Bock on orders - The commandment alluded to here (enteilamenos) refers to the call to a mission that these chosen apostles should lead. This mission represents the next phase of God’s work and takes place in fulfillment of Scripture about the Christ, as Luke 24:47 declares. (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Acts) The apostles whom He had chosen - These are not self-appointed leaders. They are not even volunteers, but were sovereignly chosen by Christ and were subject to His authority. The name they often given to themselves is "bondservants" or slaves (doulos - cf Paul = Ro 1:1, Peter = 2 Pe 1:1, James = James 1:1), men who had surrendered wholly themselves to the Lord and His will for their life. In the final analysis these men were witnesses who told others what they had seen and heard. Kistemaker notes that "Luke employs the term apostles, for in Acts he characterizes believers as disciples (learners) and the apostles as teachers." For example, we read... They (the believers, the disciples) were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42-+) Apostles ("Sent Ones")9652)(apostolos from apo = from + stello = send forth) (Click discussion of apostle) means one sent forth from by another, often with a special commission to represent another and to accomplish his work. The apostles were commissioned and sent out on a mission and with the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf Mt 28:18-20). Normally, the term apostles applies to the twelve (minus Judas, plus Matthias) and to Paul. There is one exception in Acts 14:14 where Luke describes "the apostles Barnabas and Paul." Bock adds that "In Judaism, such a representative speaks for the one who sends him. “A man’s agent is like to himself” (m. Berakot 5.5)." (Ibid) Luke has 34 of the 80 NT uses of the word apostle - Lk. 6:13; Lk. 9:10; Lk. 11:49; Lk. 17:5; Lk. 22:14; Lk. 24:10; ; Acts 1:2; Acts 1:26; Acts 2:37; Acts 2:42; Acts 2:43; Acts 4:33; Acts 4:35; Acts 4:36; Acts 4:37; Acts 5:2; Acts 5:12; Acts 5:18; Acts 5:29; Acts 5:40; Acts 6:6; Acts 8:1; Acts 8:14; Acts 8:18; Acts 9:27; Acts 11:1; Acts 14:4; Acts 14:14; Acts 15:2; Acts 15:4; Acts 15:6; Acts 15:22; Acts 15:23; Acts 16:4; Chosen (1586)(eklego from ek = out, out of, out from + légo = select, choose) (related word eklektos) means literally to select out, single out or choose out of. The idea in eklego speaks of the sizable number from which the selection is made. It implies the taking of a smaller number out of a larger. For example, in secular use, Virgil's Eclogues (from eklego) are short, selected excerpts taken from a more larger collection of poems. Luke used eklego 11 times (out of 20 NT uses) in his writings - Lk. 6:13; Lk. 9:35; Lk. 10:42; Lk. 14:7; Acts 1:2; Acts 1:24; Acts 6:5; Acts 13:17; Acts 15:7; Acts 15:22; Acts 15:25 Luke's first use of eklego describes Jesus' choice of the apostles after a time of prayer It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose (eklego) twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; 15 and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (Lk 6:12-16-+). Eklego is used again in this same chapter to describe the choosing of the replacement for Judas... And they prayed (EVEN AS JESUS HAD PRAYED BEFORE HE CHOOSE THE FIRST TWELVE) and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen. (Acts 1:24-+) Comment - Notice Who is still in control! The ascended Lord chooses Judas' replacement! The related word ekloge is used in Acts 9 by Jesus to describe Saul's calling as an apostle (cf Ro 1:1-+) But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he (Saul) is a chosen (ekloge) instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel (Acts 9:15-+) Comment - So clearly Jesus Christ the Lord though ascended was still in control! This begs a simple application question - Is Jesus Lord of my life? Am I daily surrendering my will to Him, so that He through His Spirit might direct and empower my life? Or am I kicking against the goads, so to speak (Acts 26:14)? Yielding yourself to Jesus is a great way to begin each morning! (cf Ro 12:1-+) Related Resources: What is an apostle? Is God restoring the offices of apostle and prophet in the church today? What is the difference between a disciple and apostle? Acts 1:3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. KJV Acts 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: To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs Acts 13:31; Mt 28:9,16; Mark 16:10-14; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21; 1 Corinthians 15:5-7; 1 John 1:1 appearing to them over a period of forty days Deuteronomy 9:9,18; 1 Kings 19:8; Mt 4:2 speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God Acts 28:31; Daniel 2:44,45; Mt 3:2; 21:43; Luke 17:20,21; 24:44-49; Romans 14:17; Colossians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:12 Acts Video - 3 hours - Luke's Introduction Acts 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Acts 1:3-11 Doing Jesus’ Work - Steven Cole Acts 1:1-5 Resources for Finishing Our Lord's Unfinished Work--1 - John MacArthur Acts 1:1-11 How to Finish Christ's Work - John MacArthur MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR FAITH To these - The 11 apostles. "He chose them and then also manifested himself to these very same men that they might have personal witness to give." He also presented Himself alive - The apostles received first hand proof of His resurrection. This was crucial. They must be firmly convinced Jesus had truly risen from the dead for that is the foundational truth of Christianity. Without the truth of the resurrection, Christianity fails for as Paul wrote "if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless (mataios); you are still in your sins." (1 Cor 15:17, context = 1 Cor 15:12-19, 20) Paul summarized Jesus' appearances noting that not only did Jesus present Himself to the apostles, but also to more that 500 individuals (After His Resurrection Jesus) appeared to Cephas (PETER), then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; (1 Corinthians 15:5-7-+) Presented (3936) (paristemi from para = near, beside + histemi = place, set) literally means to place beside or near or to stand beside. In the present context the idea is that Jesus made a visual demonstration to the apostles by standing beside or near them. He proved or demonstrated the truth of the Resurrection by appearing alive to the disciples. Note that while the Bible describes visions of angels, etc, this was NOT a vision but a literal appearance of Jesus in bodily form that could be seen and touched.
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Vernon McGee has an interesting comment - You will find that some of the commentators rebuke the apostles for asking this question—they feel the apostles made a mistake. I believe that the answer the Lord gives them indicates they made no mistake (Acts 1:7). Their question was a legitimate question, a natural question, and one that our Lord answered as such. He did not rebuke them. He did not call it a foolish question.The apostles were brought up and schooled in the Old Testament. They had waited for the coming of the Messiah. They understood that the Messiah is the One who will establish the kingdom upon this earth. That was their hope. It is still the hope for this earth. God is not through with this earth (nor is He finished with Israel!). God does not intend to sweep this earth under the rug. Although it is small enough to be swept under His rug, He is not going to do that. God has an eternal purpose for the earth. It was the kingdom of God that they talked about, which involves the re-establishment of the house of David. These were the things He talked about after His resurrection—we see in Acts 1:3 that He spoke of things “pertaining to the kingdom of God.” McLean notes that "Even Lenski, who does not accept a future for national Israel, maintains that the disciples thought of a glorious earthly rule for Israel, the Jewish people, through Jesus, the Messiah, when He would return. Jesus answered only regarding the times and the seasons and did not explain the kingdom (see v. 3) and how Israel (the remnant, Rom 9:27; 11:5) would have the kingdom restored. The fact that the apostles still expressed strong earthly conceptions by their question can scarcely be denied. Restoring (600)(apokathistemi from apo = from + kathistemi = to set in order, appoint) means literally to restore to an earlier condition. Meanings include to restore, to give or bring back, to reinstate. To return to a former condition, place or position. Apokathistemiin secular Greek was a medical technical term for restoring to health (to cure) (Mt 12:13, Mk 3:5, 8:5, Lk 6:10) In Mt 17:11 and Mk 9:12 Jesus told His disciples that "Elijah is coming and will restore all things." (see comments below). Rogers says apokathistemi is an "eschatological term for the restoration of the right order through God in the end time." (New Linguistic and Exegetical Key). The apostles surely were familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures which promised restoration of the Kingdom. Below are just a few of the many Old Testament passages that they could have referenced if Jesus had asked them to give Biblical support for their belief. Notice He does not accuse them of being too literal in their interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies that referred to the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel! Isaiah 1:26-+ “Then I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city (Jerusalem).” Isaiah 9:6-7-+ For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 35:1-10-+ (CONTEXT - A DESCRIPTION OF THE CONDITIONS THAT WILL PREVAIL DURING THE RESTORED 1000 YEAR KINGDOM BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE RETURN OF OUR MESSIAH) The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus 2 It will blossom profusely And rejoice with rejoicing and shout of joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, The majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, The majesty of our God. 3 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. 4 Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. 7 The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes. 8 A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. 9 No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, 10 And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. Jeremiah 23:5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 “In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ Comment: This is not a reference to heaven. The promise to dwell securely speaks of the nation of Israel on the earth. This statement would be superfluous if Jeremiah were describing Heaven. Mention of Judah (2 southern tribes taken into Babylonian exile in 605, 597 and 586 BC) and Israel (10 northern tribes taken into Assyrian exile in 722 BC) together indicates this is a reference to the united nation of Israel, which awaits a future fulfillment in His days (when Messiah returns). This cannot refer to the reborn (May, 1948) nation of Israel for it clearly does not dwell securely. I love the Name for it speaks of what He will accomplish in the believing remnant of Israel when He returns -- they will become righteous by grace through faith and recognize that it is not their works based righteousness that makes them acceptable to the Father, but it is as they will proclaim the "LORD our righteousness." Not their righteousness but His. They are safe forever in Christ and His perfect righteousness as is every believer whether Jew or Gentile. Notice that if one holds to the false teaching that the Church has replaced Israel in respect to the OT promises given to the literal nation of Israel, this passage creates a difficult with that genre of interpretation. Why? Because the promise is given also to Judah (see Israel of God). Jeremiah 29:14 (Read the preceding context Jer 29:11-13) ‘And I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
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Vernon McGee quips - The ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ is an important and significant miracle in the ministry of the Lord. This is especially true for our space age when eyes are turned aloft and we are talking about travel in space. Space travel isn’t really new. The Lord Jesus took off, and He didn’t need a launching pad or a space suit or a missile. Chrysostom says: “Of Christ’s resurrection the disciples saw the final part, not the first part, but of his ascension they saw the first part, not the final part.” He was lifted up while they were looking on - In the Gospel Luke says Jesus lifted His hands to bless them, and here we see this occurred as He Himself was being lifted up. And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, (Lk 24:50-52) In Acts 1:12 Luke records the location as "from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away." The Holman Apologetic Commentary on the Bible has this comment on Luke's mention of two locations - Bethany (Lk 24:50) and "mount called Olivet" (Acts 1:12) - When and where did Jesus ascend to heaven? Answers hinge on whether Luke was narrating the same event in Luke 24 and Acts 1. The difference in location (Bethany in Luke 24:50-51 and the Mount of Olives in Acts 1:9) is not a definitive indication that the events are distinct since the Mount of Olives stood between Jerusalem and Bethany with Bethany on the eastern side of the Mount. It is possible that in one case Luke was naming the closest town, while in the other he named the key topographical locale. F F Bruce - The place where their Master was taken from their sight, Luke tells us, was the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem, “a sabbath day’s journey distant.” This was a distance of 2,000 cubits or around one kilometer, ingeniously reckoned by interpreting Ex. 16:29 (“let no one go out of his place on the seventh day”) in the light of Num. 35:5 (where the Levites’ pasturelands are defined by a radius of 2,000 cubits from any one of the six “cities of refuge”). According to Luke 24:50, Jesus “led them out as far as Bethany”; but it is not certain that the same occasion is referred to there as here. Bethany lies on the eastern slopes of Olivet, about fifteen stadia (two and a half kilometers) from Jerusalem (cf. John 11:18). Luke had previewed this event in Acts 1:2-note writing "until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen." Lifted up (1869)(epairo) means to lift up, hold up ("lifting up holy hands" = 1 Ti 2:8, cf Lk 24:50 as a gesture of blessing; Lxx = Ps 134:2), in Lxx of Moses lifting up his hands and Israel prevailing in the battle (Ex 17:11), lift up a sail (hoist) (Acts 27:40). Figuratively, to rise up against, to be in opposition (2 Cor 10:5, cf Lxx = Ezra 4:19 "that city has risen up against the kings", Da 11:14 "many will rise up against the king of the South"). To lift up or exalt oneself (be arrogant, put on airs) (2 Cor 11:20; Lxx - Jer 13:15 - "do not be haughty"). The passive voice in Acts 1:9 means "to be taken up" and indicates that the ascension like the resurrection was an act of the Father, Who first raised Jesus from the dead and then exalted Him to heaven. As Chrysostom says ‘the royal chariot (was) sent for Him’. Epairo is used in several idiomatic expression - To lift up one's voice = speak loudly, cry out (Lk 11.27, Acts 2:14, Acts 14:11. Lxx - Jdg 2:4, Jdg 9:7); lift up one's head = take courage (Lk 21.28); lift up one's heel against = oppose someone (John 13.18 quoting Ps 41:9; cf Lxx = 1 Sa 20:33 = Saul lifted up his spear against Jonathan); lift up one's eyes = look upon, to notice (Mt 17.8, Lk 6:20, Lk 16:23, Lk 18:13, Jn 4:35, Jn 17:1; Lxx = Ge 13:10, Ezek 18:6) In classical Greek the most common meaning of epairō is “to lift up something,” such as as an object. Epairo was sometimes used figuratively in classic Greek of “exalting oneself.” Epairo - 19x in 19v - exalts(1), hoisting(1), lift(3), lifted(4), lifting(4), raised(5), turning(1). Matt. 17:8; Lk. 6:20; Lk. 11:27; Lk. 16:23; Lk. 18:13; Lk. 21:28; Lk. 24:50; Jn. 4:35; Jn. 6:5; Jn. 13:18; Jn. 17:1; Acts 1:9; Acts 2:14; Acts 14:11; Acts 22:22; Acts 27:40; 2 Co. 10:5; 2 Co. 11:20; 1 Tim. 2:8 Epairo - 84x in 83v in the Septuagint - Ge 7:17 (lifted up the ark); Gen. 13:10 (Lot lifted up his eyes); Ex. 7:20 (he lifted up the staff and struck the water); Ex. 10:13; Exod. 14:16; Exod. 17:11; Num. 6:26 (The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.); Nu. 20:11; Jdg. 2:4; Jdg. 9:7; Jdg. 11:1; Jdg. 21:2; Ruth 1:9 (they lifted up their voices and wept); Ruth 1:14; 1 Sam. 20:33; 2 Sam. 5:12; 2 Sam. 13:36; 2 Sam. 18:24; 2 Sam. 20:21; 1 Ki. 1:5; 1 Ki. 11:27; 1 Ki. 12:24; 2 Ki. 9:32; 2 Ki. 14:10; 2 Ki. 18:29; 2 Ki. 19:10; 1 Chr. 21:16; 2 Chr. 25:19; Ezr. 4:19; Ezr. 7:28; Neh. 8:6; Est. 3:13; Est. 8:12; Job 31:21; Job 41:26; Ps. 8:1; Ps. 24:7; Ps. 24:9; Ps. 28:9; Ps. 37:35; Ps. 47:9 (He is highly exalted); Ps. 73:18; Ps. 74:3; Ps. 75:5; Ps. 93:3; Ps. 102:10; Ps. 106:26; Ps. 134:1; Prov. 3:5; Prov. 19:18; Prov. 24:17; Prov. 30:13; Isa. 6:1; Isa. 6:4; Jer. 13:15; Jer. 47:6; Lam. 4:2; Ezek. 17:14; Ezek. 18:6; Dan. 11:14; Obad. 1:3; Hab. 3:11; Zeph. 1:11; Zech. 1:21; While they were looking on - While they were beholding. The point Luke stresses (and which he reiterates in Acts 1:10 with the phrase "they were gazing intently") is that the apostles actually witnessed Jesus' ascension and could testify to the truth of that event. Previous to this "disappearance," when Jesus had vanished from their presence during the 40 days after His resurrection, He vanished instantly from their sight (cf Lk 24:31), but here Luke records a gradual departure. William
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Vernon McGee - Matthew concludes with the Resurrection, Mark with the Ascension, Luke with the promise of the Holy Spirit, and John with the promise of the Second Coming. Acts 1 brings all four records together and mentions each of them. The four Gospels funnel into Acts, and Acts is the bridge between the Gospels and the Epistles. Related Resource: What was the practice of casting lots? Was Matthias or Paul God's choice to replace Judas as the 12th apostle? How can I know God's will for my life? What is divine providence? Is it true that everything happens for a reason? What does the Bible say about fate / destiny? What does the Bible say about luck? The Providence of God The Will Of God Proverbs 16:33 God is the Disposer of All Events Proverbs 16:33a He Is In Control Flipping a coin, drawing straws, or taking a number out of a hat have long been ways of resolving disputes. I once read of an election in an Oklahoma town where the two leading candidates each received 140 votes. Rather than go through the expense of another election, city officials used a chance method to decide the winner, and everyone accepted the outcome. What the writer of Proverbs said proved to be true: "Casting lots causes contentions to cease, and keeps the mighty apart" (Prov. 18:18). Many people view all of this as nothing more than a matter of chance. But the amazing thing about what the Word of God calls "casting lots" is that the Lord is ultimately the One who controls the outcome. This was true in the story of Jonah, where God showed Himself to be Lord even through the actions of superstitious, unbelieving sailors. Things don't just happen to those who love God, They're planned by His own dear hand, Then molded and shaped, and timed by His clock; Things don't just happen--they're planned. --Fields God is behind the scenes and controls the scenes He is behind. Proverbs 16:33