Day 316 Reading Schedule: Acts 1~2

Acts 1: The Resurrection of the Lord

[Overview]

This chapter records the ascension of Jesus and the promise of the descent of the Holy Spirit. Following the evidence of Jesus’ earthly ministry in the Gospel of Luke, the author of this book vividly describes the growth process of the early church that began with the descent of the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ ascension. This chapter therefore contains Jesus’ final earthly command, which can be said to be a summary of the entire book, and the content of this book develops according to that command. When this book is understood as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, this chapter marks a new turning point, and it can be said that the history of the church centered on the apostles begins with this chapter. Therefore, this chapter is the key to understanding the entire book. This chapter consists of the introduction (verses 1-5), the ascension of Jesus (verses 6-11), the prayer in the upper room (verses 13-14), the end of Judas Iscariot (verses 15-19), and Matthias being chosen as an apostle (verses 20-26).

Acts 2: The Pentecostal Descent of the Holy Spirit

[Overview]

This chapter records the amazing event of the Holy Spirit descending on Pentecost as promised by the Lord. The descent of the Holy Spirit marked the beginning of the full-scale missionary work of the disciples. Just as Jesus experienced the Holy Spirit after being baptized in the Jordan River at the beginning of his public ministry, the disciples, including Peter, also experienced the Holy Spirit on Pentecost before beginning their ministry. This chapter consists of the first half (verses 1-13) that deals with the Pentecostal descent of the Holy Spirit, the middle half (verses 14-41) that includes Peter’s sermon following the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the second half (verses 42-47) that describes the changed atmosphere of the church after the descent of the Holy Spirit.