ACTS 1 1-26

 Universalism in the New Testament

    BooK of Acts of the First Believers

               (Paraphrased)

1 - In the first book, O Theophilus, I (Luke) have dealt with all that Jesus did and taught 2 until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit{/Presence of God} to the apostles he had chosen. [Luke is a Greek doctor who met Paul when Paul was traveling. Like the gospel account he wrote, some in this book must have been compiled by interviews. He traveled some with Paul, we can see by where he uses the word “we”.]

     3 Jesus - with proofs - presented himself alive after his suffering (after his execution) having appeared to them over forty days, speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while he was still here, he told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. “The promise I have told you about” Jesus said [Jn.14:16, Lk.24:49]. 5 “For John baptized with water, but you’ll be baptized with the Holy Spirit (with God’s veRy Presence!) a few days from now.” 6 And they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”7 He answered, “It’s not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father has fixed. 8 But you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit(/Presence of God with you) has come upon you, and then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in (neighboring) Samaria, and to the very ends of earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, they saw him lifted up, for a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven watching as he went, behold, two men stood nearby in white (aka, radiant?) robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you, will come in the same way, as you saw him, go up.”

     12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called “of Olives” which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 They were spending their time in prayer, with the women and Mary, mother of Jesus, along with his (birth) brothers.

     15 And during those days Peter stood up among the believers (the number of which was about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture was fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke in earlier times by (king) David concerning Judas, who is the one who became guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and allotted his part in this ministry.” 18 Now this man [Judas] acquired a field with the reward (coins) of his wickedness, and then fell upon a sword and 19 all Jerusalem heard of it, and so in their language they named the field Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood — {This is one way it was remembered and thought of by the time of this writing, which was some time later. Paul writes it as occurring differently.) 20 “For it’s written” Peter continued, “in the Book of Psalms, ‘May his place (seat, office) become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’ and ‘Let another take his place.’ 21 So one of the men who have been with us during all the time when the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up - one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

     23 And so they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, saying, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” [Topos - place, region, seat, part] (“all the world is a stage”.. Shakespeare.) 26 And then they cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven. {“Chosen” anybody chosen is by a lucky shake of the heavenly dice? For it’s not according to any sort of worth. He simply decided for his purposes to call/wake up some now, and the rest later - Lev.23:23-36.}

  🗝️ [  ] - word/language insights, cross references, etc.

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