Acts 1-5

Note: For several years each Sunday I have posted on social media using the hashtag #WhatIlearnedatChurchtoday. The idea is that I want to show that I go to church not just to worship but to be instructed, uplifted, improved, edified, educated. A lot of teaching happens in our church on a Sunday, and I do a lot of learning as a result, and wanted to note down all the things I learn each week so that I didn't forget them, and for the benefit of those  who couldn't make it to church that day.

Today (7th July 2019) I was called as the Adult Sunday School teacher for my ward, and this has rather changed things. For one thing it's hard to take notes when you're the teacher, and for another I learn less on a Sunday because mostly I've been learning it over the past week or so as I prepared the lesson.

So I'm going to give the What I learned at Church today posts a bit of a rest, and instead put my Sunday School lessons here for those that miss them and want to learn from the scriptures.
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The book of Acts - properly called The Acts of the Apostles - is the boys' adventure tale of the New Testament. It's got it all: drama, danger, shipwrecks, prison breaks, sudden deaths, and some really big characters.

Acts is actually part 2 of a two-parter - the sequel, if you like, to the Gospel of Luke. It is believed that Luke was someone who spent a lot of time around Jesus and the apostles and knew them well. He may have been a doctor; his text certainly shows that he was well educated and of a higher class, but had respect and admiration for those of a lower class.

The book of Acts has two main themes or purposes:

1. To explain how Christianity came to spread  among the gentiles rather than the Jews
2.  To highlight the work of the Holy Spirit, especially its transforming power.

Most scholars believe Acts  was written between 80 and 90 AD. This is pretty good, because there would have been people still alive at the time who were witnesses to the events contained in it, and maybe also to Jesus's ministry and resurrection. However, there is also a school of thought that it was written even earlier, around 62AD. This is simply because the story it tells ends in 62AD, with Paul in prison. Luke was a good friend of Paul's, and Paul died in 64AD, so it's reasonable to assume that Luke would have mentioned this detail in the book if he had known it at the time.

Acts 1:1-11

Luke opens with a brief introduction and recap of "the story so far", and note that in verse 3 he speaks of the "many infallible proofs" to the resurrection of Jesus. When we join the action in verse 4, the resurrected Jesus is standing with his apostles, and commands them to remain in Jerusalem and "wait for the promise of the father". We know what that is, of course, but the apostles don't quite yet

Remember that the Jews believed that their messiah was going to be some great military figure who would save them from the oppressive rule of the Romans, restore the lost tribes, and generally reestablish the might of the kingdom of Israel. Apparently the apostles still haven't really grasped that that's not Jesus's purpose, because now that he's back with them following his crucifixion they want to know whether this is now the time he will do that, now that he's shown himself to be invincible. "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (6)

Well, frankly, no, but Jesus does tell them that once they "receive power...ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (8) Remember that in verse 4 he commanded them to stay in Jerusalem until this power was received, but afterwards they were to travel the world witnessing of Christ, even to such places as Samaria and even further afield. This gospel is not just for Israel, but they need the Holy Spirit before they can preach it.

In verse 9 Jesus is taken up to heaven, and the apostles, somewhat dazed and bemused, stand like lemons gazing up after him until two angels appear and essentially tell them to get a grip. To me they seem to be saying, "Jesus will be back in his own good time, but meanwhile he's given you a job to do. Get on with it."

Thank you Sheila Wheeler who told us in class that this painting used to be in the foyer of the temple. It's a reminder to all of us to stop gazing into heaven, and get to work on our great commission of building the kingdom of God on earth, and witnessing for Christ to the world, as He commanded us to do.

Acts 1:12-26 - A  new apostle

Judas has died, and a new apostle must be chosen. Twelve is one of the Jewish perfect numbers, and occurs in numerous places in the Bible, and this suggests that it was important that there should  always be twelve apostles.The qualification required is that it must be someone who has "companied  with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us" (21) and the job description is "to be a witness with us of his resurrection." (22)

Ours is (as far as I'm aware) the only church in the world still led by twelve apostles, and while all of them fulfil that job description, none of them were on the earth in the time of Jesus. Critics have said that this is a necessary qualification for apostles, and therefore Latter-day Saint apostles can't really be called that. However, later in the New Testament we see other men called apostles who were not part of the group which followed Jesus during his ministry - most notably Paul.

Acts 2:1-12 - Pentecost and the gift of tongues

The moment comes, the Holy Spirit is poured out on the apostles, and "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance." (4)

In many churches, speaking in tongues, whether earthly or heavenly, is seen as a necessary gift for all Christians. I laboured under that misconception myself in my younger days. However, it's important to note that here it has a specific purpose. There was a "multitude" in that place, and "every man heard them speak in his own language." (6) The tongues were given in order that the apostles might preach to "devout men out of every nation under heaven." (5) This, like other spiritual gifts, is given with a purpose, and should not be sought for its own sake. Missionaries may be given the gift of tongues. Jonny Bleakley explained in class about when that happened to him, and Roderic told us of witnessing one Russell M. Nelson bearing testimony in Russian, a language he had never learned, 25 years ago.

Peter

I love Peter. What do we know of him? He was a fisherman, originally called Simon. He fell asleep while on watch (Mark 14:37), denied Jesus three times (Luke 22:56-62), and tended to speak before he thought. I love that at the transfiguration Peter made a fool of himself with a comment about making tabernacles, "not knowing what he said." (Luke 9:33) Who can't identify with that? Peter was ordinary, fallible, relatable. 

But that same Peter is now chief among the apostles and has a great commission, and he steps up right away leading 120 people in choosing a new apostle with an eloquent explanation of what must be done (1:15-22). He then steps up again with a powerful sermon before many people (2:14-36) as a result of which 3,000 people are baptised (41).

In 3:6 he heals a lame man (note that he does so "In the name of Jesus Christ - Peter knows who he serves) and then preaches yet another powerful sermon (12-26) and then another before the rulers (8-12).  Another 5,000 people believe, making 8,000 altogether. All this stirs up trouble. The council note that "a notable miracle hath been done by them … and we cannot deny it." (16). Since they can't deny it, and it "is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem" (16) they instead call Peter and John and command them "not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." (18)

But Peter isn't bowed. He and John respond "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (4:20)

So what has happened to Peter? How did our humble, foot-in-mouth fisherman become this articulate, bold, confident, charismatic teacher? 4:8 has the answer. Peter was "filled with the Holy Ghost."

Whether it's the gift of tongues, of leadership, of teaching, of speaking, the gifts of the Holy Ghost always change us, and they are always powerful and dramatic.

We didn't get on to chapter 5, but that's worth reading partly for the lesson on integrity, and partly for the boys' adventure tale involving sudden death.

Finally, Aaron Lamb kindly did the classwork for me of looking up how Jewish time worked, and what Peter meant when he said "It is but the third hour of the day" in Acts 2:15. The Jewish day started at sunrise and ended at sunset, and there were always deemed to be twelve (perfect number, remember) hours between those two times, so hours actually changed in length depending on the time of year. So  the third hour was around 9am. and in Acts 3:1 when Peter and John went to the Temple it was the "ninth hour", or around 3pm. The sixth hour was always noon.

In two weeks' time I'll be teaching from Acts 6-15. Here's the link to the Come, Follow Me home study manual.