Introduction

The Gospels gave undeniable proofs that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.  "The Christian church is built on this rock." Acts tells us how it began to be built on this rock. "Christ had told his disciples that they would be his witnesses, and this book sees them witnessing for him; he had told them that they would be fishers of men, and here we have them catching very many in the Gospel net; he had told them that they would be the lights of the world, and here we have the world enlightened by them."

Acts 1

v1-5: The apostles were to continue what Jesus began to do, and to teach the same things.  He instructed them about the work they were to do and in the message they were to preach.   He then assured them that they would receive His Spirit to empower them for this task and enable them to infallibly "tell... and record for future generations the message of Christ and its proof," for which we, as recipients of the New Testament should be grateful.

v6-11: "Christ’s witnesses will receive power for the work to which he calls them; he will equip for his service those he employs, and he will support them in it."

v12-14: God's people are to give themselves to prayer.  "Praise for the promise is a proper way to seek its fulfilment, and praise for former mercies is a proper way to seek further mercy, so, in seeking God, we give him the glory for the mercy and grace we have found in him."

v15-26: Those who are set apart to serve as ministers of Christ, preachers of His gospel, and elders in His church, should be "those who are familiar with his teaching and actions, from first to last."

Acts 2

v1-4: It was on the Lord's Day that those two great blessings - the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit - took place. "This serves not only to justify us in observing that day using the expression the Lord’s day but also to direct us... to give God praise especially for those two great blessings. On every Lord’s Day in the year... full and particular notice should be taken of these two blessings in our prayers and praises."

v5-13: It is not surprising that those who called Jesus a drunkard would accuse His followers of the drinking too much wine.  There will always be those who, just as they refused to believe the miracles that Christ did, will refuse to believe the work His Spirit has done and is doing in His people.

v14-36: The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was evidence that Jesus, who died and rose again, had been exalted and is the true Messiah and Saviour of the world. "This is the great truth of the Gospel that we are to believe, that that same Jesus, the very same that was crucified at Jerusalem, is the One to whom we owe allegiance and from whom we are to expect protection, because he is Lord and Christ."

v37-41: Here we see "the exalted Redeemer riding out, in these chariots of salvation, conquering and to conquer."  Those who are "truly sorry for and ashamed of their sins, and afraid of the consequences of them," are to "firmly believe the message of Christ and submit to his grace and government" and "make an open and sacred profession of this and commit yourself to stand by it by submitting to the ceremony of baptism."

v42-47: Believers are devoted to the apostle's teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.  They are "conscientious about hearing his word, for that is how we honour him and build ourselves up in our most holy faith."  When they "withdrew from the corrupt generation, they did not become hermits, but associated very closely with one another, taking every occasion to meet." They did not forget the death of Christ, and they were committed to prayer, "because prayer will never be superseded until it comes to be swallowed up in eternal praise."