BRUCE C WEARNE, in his continuing series looking at the Acts of the Apostles, gives an overview of chapters one to 12…
Let’s pause and review the actions and decisions of the apostles which Luke has documented thus far in The Acts of the Apostles.
1. They obeyed Jesus’ command, reiterated by two messengers, to wait prayerfully in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit’s baptism.
2. While waiting they appointed Matthias to replace Judas.
SPREADING THE WORD: The “Good News” of the Saviour continued to spread throughout the region, the Book of Acts records. PICTURE: Tijmen van Dobbenburgh/www.freeimages.com
IN A NUTSHELL
The first 12 chapters of The Acts of the Apostles describes the way in which the message of Jesus started from Jerusalem until, due to changing circumstances, there were two major centres of Christian activity, concerned with the work of broadcasting the Good News.
3. They announced Divine amnesty to all involved in the death of Jesus who repented, believed and accepted God’s mercy.
4. They claimed that Jesus had been the One foretold by the promise to Abraham, by Moses and by David.
5. They decided not to keep quiet about what they believed God had done for them.
6. They led a community of believers, were superintendents of a Jerusalem synagogue who worshipped Jesus as Lord.
7. They uncovered duplicity in their own ranks.
8. They kept teaching in the face of Sanhedrin guile.
9. They decided that the congregation of believers should appoint seven deacons to manage the food distribution.
10. They remained in Jerusalem – in a somewhat protected position – when persecution following Stephen’s execution broke out.
11. They sent Peter and John to give apostolic authorisation to Philip’s work.
12. They united believers in Galilee, Samaria and Judea by visiting Samaritan towns, preaching the Gospel and encouraging those who believed.
13. They acknowledged Saul’s conversion.
14. They sent Peter to Lydda and Joppa and he went to Caesarea as well where he was directed by God’s Spirit to assure Gentile believers that they were accepted by God and the brothers and sisters without reservation.
15. They received the good news of the Gospel being received by Gentiles with joy, believing Peter’s actions to have been endorsed by the Almighty. They supported the work at Antioch and the mission work of Saul and Barnabas.
16. They received famine relief from the vigorous Gentile church in Antioch.
In this account, Luke is silent about most of the apostles. That does not mean that these servants of Jesus were inactive. Their task was to pray and teach. Luke’s account assumes they did this. The view that it is important people who get one’s name in print is at odds with what Jesus taught and it actually misrepresents the way human communities run. From this time another disciple named James, Jesus’ brother, of whom we have not heard much, took his place among believers in Jerusalem. Also, we have heard of another, Saul, who would become a famous apostle. And he had not been one of the original 12.
