Acts 1: 1 11 – Holy Spirit, The Ascension

Target year level: Year Eight

Scripture text

Introduction

This text is the opening passage of the Acts of the Apostles, which is the second part of a two-part work, Luke-Acts. Luke-Acts is sometimes thought of as a novel in two parts: the Gospel gives an account of the life and mission of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the rapid expansion of the early church.

The two books were probably written in the latter decades of the first century. Even though the works are anonymous, authorship is traditionally attributed to Luke, whose sophisticated and elegant Greek writing is much admired by scholars. Today, many scholars accept that the author was an inhabitant of Antioch in Syria and a companion of Paul.

Luke was writing for Greek speaking, Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians. Luke’s interpretation of events is influenced by his desire to show how Christianity is compatible with citizenship in the Roman Empire, that is, how one can believe in Jesus and, at the same time, be loyal to (if not worship) the emperor.

The author paints a portrait of Jesus who is the fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel. The promises are fulfilled in unexpected ways, in that they include everyone: Jews and gentiles, men and women, tax collectors and outcasts. In the gospel, Jesus is hospitable and caring for the poor and the marginalised.

Luke emphasises the role of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel and Acts. He also gives significance to the parts played by Mary and a number of women disciples.

For further information, see the Teacher Background information, Who wrote the Gospels and when? and the The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), Introduction to Acts.

World behind the text

Luke lived in Antioch in Syria (now Turkey) which was an important centre in the Roman Empire. Also, Antioch was one of the earliest centres of Christianity and it was there that the followers of Christ were first called Christians. The city had a pluralistic society and the Christians who lived there were both Jews and gentiles. There were tensions between the two groups, who disagreed about how to be faithful followers of Jesus: the Jews believed it essential to follow traditional devotions and practices, including circumcision, Sabbath observance as well as dietary and purity regulations; the gentiles, on the other hand, saw no need for these old ways.

The destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans was a major blow to the confidence of both groups. This catastrophe shook their faith in the God of Israel, who made so many promises to the chosen people and whose Kingdom was proclaimed by Jesus. So, it was important for Luke to write about Jesus in a way that showed that he was the fulfilment of God’s promises.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke’s aims were to show how the work of Jesus continued in the early church and to help his community to understand their role in salvation history. It was especially important for gentile Christians to understand that God’s plan – foretold in the history of Israel - was still unfolding in the life of the church, as it expanded to include both Jews and gentiles.

World of the text

This text is the opening passage of The Acts of the Apostles and Luke shows how the events of the Gospel, namely the life and works of Jesus, flow over into the life of the early Church. The Gospel ends with Easter and Acts begins with the Ascension – a new beginning for the young community. Here, God is still at work - even after the death of Jesus - fulfilling promises, through the church, for the whole world. Now it is the Holy Spirit who empowers and sustains the community, just as Jesus foretold.

World in front of the text

The story of the Ascension in this passage is somewhat like the theory of a black hole. Within a black hole, the laws of physics cease to apply. The language that Astronomers use when describing black holes is akin to poetry. What else can they do when the normal rules of their discipline prove useless?

Luke had the same problem describing the Ascension: he writes that Jesus was ‘lifted up … and a cloud took him from their sight’ and the disciples were left gawking at the sky. Did Jesus really ‘go’ anywhere? Where is heaven – is it really in the sky, or even ‘up’? Surely Luke is bending language in order to express the inexpressible about the shift in the disciples’ perception of Jesus in that strange (fourth dimensional) time between Easter and Pentecost.