Journal

Please use one of the prompts below to get your journaling started.

• Explore your fears and what’s behind them.
• Write about a relational conflict you are experiencing.
• List out all that you are grateful for.
• Recall a significant reaction, conversation or event.

• Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:
  • • A Guide to Journaling & Prayer
    • A Guide to Self-Reflection
    • A Chart to help articulate feelings

Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ACTS

CHAPTER 1 COMMENTARY

Bible Text

Acts 1:12-26 (ESV)

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³ And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, ¹⁶ “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” ¹⁸ (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. ¹⁹ And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ²⁰ “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

“‘May his camp become desolate,

    and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and

“‘Let another take his office.’

²¹ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” ²³ And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ And they prayed and said, “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.” ²⁶ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Go Deeper

Acts 1:12-26

• Consider Peter’s wisdom in dealing squarely with the painful issue of Judas. What can I learn from the interaction between prayer, Peter’s leadership, scripture and God’s guidance in this text?
• Reflect on the tragedy of Judas, especially highlighted in verses 17 and 25. Think of what Judas had, and the act of turning aside to “go to his own place.” What are the parallels, warnings, or lessons for me, as a follower of Jesus who has also received a “share in this ministry”?

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[1] Ajith Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998), 21.

[2] Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary Series, 40-41.

[3] Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary Series, 50.

[4] Ibid.

[5] F.F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988), 31.

[6] Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary Series, 51-52.

[7] John B. Pohill, The New American Commentary: Acts. vol.26 (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1992), 84-86.

[8] Pohill, The New American Commentary: Acts. vol.26, 93-94.

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Prayer