Facts

Program No. 0354

Introduction–Chapter 1:3

Our biblical bus departs today from the route of the Old Testament to return to the New.
Will and begin to browse through the pages of this book that narrates the Acts of the Apostles.
This book of the Acts of the Apostles has been called the fifth gospel. It is a continuation
from the Gospel of Luke. But it is interesting to note something else. Something quite remarkable.

Let's look at the last event recorded about Jesus in each of the gospels.
First, in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, we will notice that the last event recorded regarding
Jesus is His resurrection. The resurrection is also recorded in Acts chapter one. In second
Place, we see that in the gospel according to Saint Mark, the last event recorded is the ascension.
of Jesus; a fact that also appears in chapter one of Acts. Then, the gospel of
Lucas concludes with the promise of the Father regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit. And that promise is

it is also found in Acts chapter one. Finally, we see that the last fact recorded in the
The gospel according to St. John is the promise of the Second Coming of our Lord. And dear listener, that

The promise is also found in Acts chapter one.

It seems that the four gospels have been poured, so to speak, into a funnel, and all
they fall into this bottle or jar from the first chapter of the book of Acts. The great missionary commission

what is given in the four gospels is also confirmed in the Acts. This book of the Acts
Place a ladder on which we can place the epistles that follow in the New Testament.
The New Testament without the book of Acts would have a very large void. Dr. Howson, a
A scholar in biblical studies has declared: "If the book of Acts were removed, there would be nothing to compare."

replace it.

In the Book of Acts, the principles of the Church appear, that is, the birth of the Church.
While the book of Genesis recounts the origin of the physical universe, the book of Acts of the
Apostles recount the origin of the spiritual body, which is the Church.

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Now, in almost all the books we have studied, we have taken a verse from the book that
summarize the theme of the book. In the book of Acts of the Apostles, the verse
we find the key in chapter 1, verse 8 where it says: "But you will receive power, when there is
the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and

to the ends of the earth.

We have divided the book of Acts of the Apostles according to the key verse, that is from the
following way:

First, the Lord Jesus Christ working through the Holy Spirit through the apostles in
JERUSALEM, which includes chapters 1 to 7.

Secondly, the Lord Jesus Christ working through the Holy Spirit through the
apostles in JUDEA and in SAMARIA, which includes chapters 8 to 12.

And in third and last place, the Lord Jesus Christ working through the Holy Spirit through the
apostles TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, in chapters 13 to 28.

Now, we find it appropriate to clarify that the book of Acts has not been concluded. Simply
ends without a conclusion, mentioning that the apostle Paul is in his own rented house in
Rome. There is no formal end. Do you know why there isn't one? Because the book of Acts is still
writing now from heaven. Perhaps the Lord has Doctor Lucas there writing the rest of the book.
of the Facts. Perhaps you and I are included. We do not know that, but we hope so.
Let's say that what is written is not the book of Acts. But the Bible itself says that there is a
book up there, in which everything you and I, dear listener, are doing is being recorded
by Him. And God says that on the final day this book will be opened. Perhaps this may cause alarm to some.
of us.

Well, we have given a somewhat simple outline of this book, but we believe that it is better that

let's follow a simple method in our study. We do not believe that the Word of God should be

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presented with sketches and studies that are too convoluted. We do not intend to approach the study
from the Bible from a philosophical point of view, in no way. Our study is from a point
from a purely practical, historical, and biblical perspective.

We believe that the Spirit of God can speak, and that He speaks to us in that way, or
sea through the Bible itself. We thank God that we receive so many letters from our listeners,
that represent almost all possible trades and professions. We receive letters from teachers in the
universities, and in other schools, and we also received letters from many people who just
They can read and write. And everyone testifies that these studies are quite understandable to them. And for that reason

we give glory to the Lord.

We believe that the Word of God is understandable and that we must do everything possible to ensure that

continue being understandable. Unfortunately, many teachers in our schools and

Bible institutes misunderstand the words of our Lord. When He says: 'Feed my sheep.'
sheep," they misinterpret it as if it said, "tend to my giraffes." We try
to put the cookies on the lowest shelves of the pantry so that even the children can
to reach them. By the way, we have already received some letters from some children indicating that
They also listen to the program and understand the Bible study very well. And for this reason, once
more, we give thanks to God.

Well, let's now look at the distinctive features of the book of Acts:

First of all, we have the Prominence of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has already left

his disciples. He has gone. He ascends to heaven, as recounted in the first chapter of this book. But
He is still working! He has simply changed His position, His situation. He has changed His center.
of operations. While He was here on earth, His center of operations was located in
Capernaum. Now, His center of operations is at the right hand of the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ has

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Well, a place of great prominence in this book. He is working from the advantageous position of heaven.
same.

Secondly, we have the Prominence of the Holy Spirit. Christ promised to send the Spirit.
Saint. This promise is mentioned four times in the Gospel according to Saint John in chapters 1, 7,
14 and 20. The same promise is given in the book of Acts chapter 1, verse 8. You and I, friend
listener, we live in the age of the Holy Spirit. The great fact of this age is that the Holy Spirit
dwells in believers. That is, in every person who has personally accepted as the only and
all sufficient Salvador, to Lord Jesus Christ.

Then we have the Power of the Church. The church has power and of course this power is through
the operation of the Spirit of God. That power of the early church is not manifested today in
our churches. Some people say that there is a revival over here and that there is another one over there

revival. However, it seems that it doesn't last long, because after a little while, they...
the revival ends. Why? We do not know. But the truth is that we have not witnessed any
another revival, just like those recorded in the book of Acts.

Then in fourth place, we have the Prominence of the visible and invisible Church. The church is a
new institution and has its beginnings in the book of Acts.

In fifth place, we have the Prominence of Geographical Locations that are mentioned by
name. Recently we gave a sketch. The book begins in Jerusalem and ends in Rome. The famous
Archaeologist Sir William Ramsey has verified the accuracy of all the places that are mentioned.
by Dr. Lucas and has found them to be accurate.

We have in sixth place, the Prominence Given to People. Doctor Lucas specifically names.
to about 110 people, in addition to their references to crowds or groups. We believe that, by the end of the first

century, there were millions of believers in the world. The church experienced phenomenal growth during

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those first 200 or 300 years. And we have to, compared to then, today in its growth
has been delayed.

In seventh place, we have the Prominence of the Resurrection, the central point of preaching.
of the gospel.

The resurrection is the very heart of the preaching of the gospel. In many of our
churches nowadays only present a sermon about the resurrection once a year. And that's it.
usually, on Easter Sunday. In some churches, if the Pastor or an evangelist preaches
a special sermon regarding the Resurrection in the month of August, many believe that something has
passed to the preacher. They think that perhaps the heat has driven him mad. And they even comment, well, and who

Have you ever heard a sermon preached about the Resurrection in the month of August?

But in the early Church, dear listener, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the center and the heart.
same as the message, and we believe that no sermon was preached without mentioning the resurrection. The theme

The great sermon of the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost was about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He explained

the apostle Peter that what was happening was due to the fact that Jesus was already at the right hand of
God and that He had sent His Holy Spirit into the world, and that all this was due to the resurrection.

You will also notice that the resurrection is the very heart of the apostle's messages.
Pablo.

Now, there are many men and preachers who like to specialize in a topic.
particular of the Bible. Some like the topic of prophecy. Others like to deal with some other
phrase or aspect. Well, if you want to specialize in a certain topic, let us offer you one, and it is
the Resurrection of Christ. In the early Church, every Sunday was a day of resurrection, days
to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus. He has risen! They proclaimed this message everywhere.
And this is the message that we found here in the book of Acts.

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Now, in eighth place, we notice that there is a Prominence of the apostle Peter in the first
section of the book, and of the apostle Paul in the last section. There is instead a strange omission of the

other apostles.

We believe that there is a very defined reason for the emphasis to be placed on the ministries of the

apostles Peter and Paul. We believe that Dr. Luke was well acquainted with the ministries of these two men.
And let's not forget that Luke was even a companion of the apostle Paul on some of his journeys.

Some hold the idea that there was some discord between Peter and Paul. But frankly,
We are of the opinion that Dr. Lucas, Pedro, and Pablo met many times and that they talked.
a lot among themselves. There are actually many things that happened that we are sure have not been
registered in the Scriptures.

And now, a word regarding the title. The very title of this historical book has always been
Discussion topic. The Bible we are using in our Bible studies is the Reina Bible.
Valera and this Bible call this book, Acts of the Apostles. Now, the Vaticanus Codex and others
versions also call it Acts of the Apostles. But Roberto Lee another scholar in studies
Biblical texts refer to it as the Acts of the Ascended and Glorified Lord. And the Bantu title designates it as Words.

regarding the Acts. But it seems that in Spanish the most accepted title is Acts of the
Apostles.

And we are now ready to enter the first chapter of this book of Acts.
to begin, we would like to suggest that our title for this book be: The Lord Jesus Christ Working
Through the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. Write them down, if you wish: 'The Lord Jesus Christ, working
through the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.” The first section of the book of Acts
Includes chapters 1 to 7, and shows that the Lord Jesus Christ is working through the Holy Spirit.
through the apostles in Jerusalem.

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The central theme of chapter 1 is the preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. It includes a
Introduction to the Book of Acts. The ministry of Jesus for 40 days after His resurrection.
The ascension and promise of the return of Jesus. The waiting for the Spirit. And the appointment of an apostle.

Let us then read the first two verses of this chapter 1 of the Acts:

Acts 1:1-2 ". . . Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen."

It is clear that the first treaty mentioned here is a reference to the Gospel according to Saint Luke.

Now, Theophilus is the name of the man who was also mentioned in the gospel of Luke. His
The name means 'lover of God.' Dr. Luke did not write his gospel or the book of Acts to
any lover of God. We believe that he actually knew a man named Theophilus. This was
a fairly common name back then and we are sure that the meaning of the name
He fell well to this man to whom the book is directed. Lover of God!

Dr. Lucas tells him that he has written a treatise, which is the Gospel of Luke and that in that
I had spoken to you "about all the things that Jesus began to do and teach." This
It implies that the Book of Acts would be a continuation of that story, and it would recount what Jesus
He continued doing and teaching. And, Jesus is still working! He will continue with this program until
when I brought the world to the Church. This is the description that is presented to us here.

Now, the second part of verse 2 says that: "...until the day he was taken up,
after having given commandments by the Holy Spirit..." Simply because Jesus had been
Received above in heaven, it did not mean that he would stop working. And even today, He continues to work.
and teaching. Now he is in the advantageous place at the right hand of God, and works through the Spirit
Holy. It was through the Holy Spirit that he gave commandments to the apostles.

In the army, it is customary to pass orders from one man to another. Here we have a
similar idea. The Lord Jesus Christ is working through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in
through the apostles and continues to work through us, right here where we are today.

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The statement: '...after having given commandments by the Holy Spirit...' here, is very
interesting.

Let's now look at the ministry of Jesus during the 40 days after the resurrection. Dr. Luke
Here presents a rather long sentence. Let's read here verse 3 of this chapter 1 of Acts:

...and speaking to them about the kingdom of God

He appeared alive with many undeniable proofs after His suffering and death. In the
The Bible mentions ten specific cases in which Jesus appears after His resurrection. His
ministry after the resurrection, as revealed in his appearances, has a closer relationship
important with the lives of Christians today, that his three-year earthly ministry as
it appears detailed in the four gospels.

Now, regarding the ministry of the Lord Jesus after His resurrection, the Apostle Paul
Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh.
From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once regarded Christ according to the flesh.
meat, we no longer know it like this.

In other words, you and I, dear listener, do not know Jesus Christ today as the man.
who walked on this earth 2000 years ago. We know him as the Man in glory. He is there.
right now, while I am talking to you and you are listening to me. He is there and this is a fact
checked. How many times the Church loses sight of this aspect!

Allow us to share with you a statement that came in a letter from a man who said
that he had been a member of a church his entire life. He had fulfilled all his rites and
ceremonies, and he believed he was a good Christian. However, as he approached the Word of God, he could realize

It accounts for the fact that he didn't even know Jesus. He had to learn that Jesus not only walked on earth.

not only did it happen 2000 years ago, but it also lives today and is at the right hand of God. He had to approach

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to the living Christ and accept Him as your Savior and Lord. How wonderful is that! '...He presented Himself alive

–says here–with many undeniable proofs. . .

The problem nowadays, dear listener, is not in the facts but in man's disbelief.
The facts are available for anyone who wants to examine them. We wonder if anyone who...
Listen to the doubt about the reality of the Battle that was fought at Waterloo. Frankly, I believe it is a fact.

that Napoleon lived, and I also believe that he fought the Battle of Waterloo. But, at the same time, I confess

that I personally have very little evidence of it.

Let me tell you, dear listener, that there are about ten thousand times more evidences regarding the

the death and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, which has more evidence than the Battle of Waterloo. And,

However, there are those today who say they do not believe that the resurrection of Christ is a fact.
So where is the problem? The problem, dear listener, is with you. The problem is not with the...
Word of God. Jesus – says here – presented himself alive with many undeniable proofs. You can
Know this, if you really want to know it. The problem, dear listener, is that you don't want to know it.
The problem is not in the mind but in the will. As the saying goes: "There is no worse blind man than...
the one who does not want to see.

We would like to make a brief comment here regarding the resurrection. There is a verse that
we believe it has been twisted and turned to the point of not understanding its original meaning. In the gospel according to

John, chapter 12, verse 32, the Lord Jesus Christ said: "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself"

I will draw myself.

He was raised from the dead. That is the message. It doesn't matter how much you talk about Jesus,
How kind you say He is. The message is that Jesus has been raised from the dead. He has
resurrected! The reason why more people are not attracted to Christ is because He is not preached.
Risen Christ. The Book of Acts puts much emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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Well, dear listener, our time for today has run out, so we have to stop.
Here. We will continue, God willing, in our next program with this study on the book of
the Acts of the Apostles. We invite you to tune in.

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