Acts 1 Bible Study Guide Handout

Who wrote the Book of Acts? ___________________________________

Who was Luke? _____________________________________________________
Where did Luke and Paul meet? ________________________________
Luke was called the beloved physician by Paul. He was a doctor that Paul met in Troas.
He cared for Paul during the illnesses he suffered on his missionary endeavors. He was
also a faithful traveling companion to Paul. Their friendship continued until Pauls death
in Rome. Luke was one of the few people who did no dessert Paul.
How does a believers faith rest on history?
___________________________________
The early Christians did not testify about a dead Christ, but one that was a
__________________ Christ whom they had seen and witnessed with their own
eyes.
The book of Acts is a condensed history of the early church. It has examples for us to
follow. The believers were empowered with the Holy Spirit and this same poser is
available to us today. When a believer sees firsthand a Christ who is living, when they
have seen his death on the cross, when they saw his healings, how can we not believe.
If Christ is not living then our faith is in vain. Then we are still in our sins.
Where is Troas? ___________________________________________
It was a Macedonian and Roman colony of considerable importance, and was called
Alexandria Troas. It is now in ruins and a forest of magnificent oaks has sprung up
around it. It was visited several times by the Apostle Paul. It was here that he restored
Eutychus to life. Troas is a port city near the northwestern corner of Turkey. Its ancient
name is Troy.
Who was Theophilus, the individual whom this book was addressed to?
______________________________________________________________________
Luke addressed Theophilus as most excellent in (Luke 1:1). This could indicate that
this person was of some sort of high rank. This formal title is dropped here in this
chapter of Acts.

SCRIPTURE READING: ACTS 1:2-5 V2 the day in which He was taken up, after He
through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
V3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible
proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to
the kingdom of God. V4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded
them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which,
He said, you have heard from Me; V5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall
be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
What does "taken up" (Acts 1:2) refer to? _________________________________
Jesus' ascension into heaven, was the end of Jesus earthly ministry. The disciples were
present and witnessed this ascension, not the rest of the world. They were chosen by
God as His witnesses. It is record that Jesus appeared 10-11 times to believers
confirming His resurrection from the dead.
How long did Jesus stay on earth between His resurrection and ascension?
_____________(Acts 1:3).
How many people saw Him during those 40 days? _________________________
"Over five hundred" as indicated in 1 Corinthians 15:3-6: "For I delivered to you first of
all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the
Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was
seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the
present, but some have fallen asleep."
Why were the disciples assembled together and waiting for in Jerusalem?
_________________________________ (V.4)
SCRIPTURE READING: ACTS 1:6-11 V6 Therefore, when they had come together,
they asked Him, saying, Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? V7
And He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has
put in His own authority. V8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth. V9 Now when He had spoken these things, while
they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. V10 And
while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by
them in white apparel, V11 who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up
into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in
like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.

What do you think about their asking, "Lord, will you at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel?" ___________________________________________________
The disciples still don't grasp that He had come on a spiritual mission for the world, not
to restore Israel politically. Despite Jesus' patient reminder, this may have been was a
disappointing question based on what they should have known by now and what Jesus
already had said on this particular issue: But of that day and hour no one knows, not
even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. The popular thing would have been for
Jesus to establish His kingdom immediately. The disciples were not to know when
Christ would set up His kingdom and neither do we know. Only one person knows
this.the Father. Jesus will return when we least expect it to happen.
What is the "Great Commission" in Verse 8, which applies to Christians today as
it did to the Apostles 2000 years ago. ____________________________________
Who were the "two men" mentioned in Acts 1:10? _____________________________
SCRIPTURE READING: ACTS 1:12-14 V12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the
mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath days journey. V13 And when
they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter,
James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the
son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. V14 These all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the
mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
What was a Sabbaths day journey? _________________________________
The Mount of Olivet, also called, "Mount of Olives" is located directly east of Jerusalem.
A Sabbath days journey wasn't the distance a person could cover by journeying for a
day; it was just a unit of distance, equal to about 2/3 of a mile. The Jewish leaders
limited peoples travel on the Sabbath, considering too much to be work". It was
referred to as the amount of time a Jew could travel without breaking the law. Jesus
was not for legalism as we find out in the New Testament.
Who are Jesus brothers?_______________________________________(Matthew
13:55)
SCRIPTRUE READING: ACTS 1:15-19 V15 And in those days Peter stood up in the
midst of the disciples, and said, V16 Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled,
which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who
became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; V17 for he was numbered with us and
obtained a part in this ministry. V18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of
iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed
out. V19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called
in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)

How many disciples were there? _______________________________

Why is the field called A Field of Blood? _________________________________
There were 120 assembled that day in the Upper Room. This could possibly have been
the same room in which Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples. The
majority of them were probably among those who has seen the risen Christ. Christ
spent most of his time with the 12 disciples, but there were many others who traveled
with Him. The field was purchased with the money that Judas sold Jesus for by the
priest after he hung himself. It is called the Field of Blood because apparently the noose
Judas used to hang himself broke and his body fell rupturing in the middle.
SCRIPTURE READING: ACTS 1:20-26 V20 For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it; and, Let another take his
office. V21 Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the
Lord Jesus went in and out among us, V22 beginning from the baptism of John to that
day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His
resurrection. V23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed
Justus, and Matthias. V24 And they prayed and said, You, O Lord, who know the
hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen V25 to take part in this ministry
and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own
place. V26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered
with the eleven apostles.
What does it mean to cast their lots? ____________________________________
There were two qualifications to be disciples They had to accompany disciples from
the beginning of Jesus ministry and they had to be an eyewitness to Jesus
resurrection. The Jews cast lots to determine the will of God on certain questions. What
fell out of the lot was determined not by chance but by Gods sovereignty.

Resources: NKJV Study Bible and Bible Verse Study.com