In Acts 1:8, we have the account where Jesus commands His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they have been empowered from on high by the Holy Spirit. The verse also describes the task of taking the gospel to the nations by the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ, namely, they were to be witnesses of Jesus beginning from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the world.
On the other hand, Acts 2 records for us the real event when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus thus empowering them to take the gospel to the nations just as Jesus had commanded them. The chapter also describes the setting in which the Pentecost happened–people from different ethnicities, groups, tribes and nationalities were all gathered at Jerusalem. This setting was not coincidental but a deliberate divine orchestration signifying that the gospel was intended for all humanity.
Read the assigned texts and answer the following questions:
- Explain why the disciples needed to be empowered before they could take the gospel to the nations?
- How does the Pentecost experience as recorded in Acts 2 inform how we do evangelism?
- What do you think are the implications of the words of Jesus, “ You shall be my witnesses”?
- What is the relationship between Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20?
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