How to Read the Acts of the Apostles

St. Paul Center ^ | Tim Gray

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How can Jesus still be active, given that He is dead (albeit now resurrected)? This is Luke’s starting point in Acts. Jesus’ Resurrection is more than simply a return of life from death...Rather, His victory over death is followed by a royal Ascension through which He is exalted and enthroned at the right hand of God, from where He sends out His Spirit and begins an active reign.

For Luke and the early Christians, Jesus’ Ascension was more than an exit; it was an entry into the heavenly throne room from which He directs the course of history and the life of the Church...

The kingship of Christ and the realm of His dominion, which is the Church, are some of the many themes of Acts. At the outset of Acts, the apostles ask Jesus if now is the time that He will “restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6)

Astonishingly, the Gospel that began to be proclaimed in Jerusalem has now reached the very capital of the Roman Empire, thereby suggesting that the kingdom of Christ is eclipsing Caesar’s kingdom...

In short, Paul answers the apostles’ question by showing that the time of the kingdom has already begun, but its borders stretch out past the limited borders of Israel. The kingdom is not restored to ethnic Israel, but rather ethnic Israel is renewed so as to restore all people into the kingdom of God. Thus the ethnic and geographic limitations set out in the Old Covenant are transformed into the limitless boundaries of the New Covenant...

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TOPICS: Theology
KEYWORDS: acts; actsoftheapostles; apostles; ascension; bible; biblestudy; god; holyspirit; jesus; luke; newtestament; paul; saintluke; saintpaul

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Christ being alive and directing the apostles after his ascension. Difficult point for people to accept

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They are not able to believe it until the Holy Spirit opens their eyes.