THE RESURRECTED SAVIOR

Acts 1:1-3 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after that He, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen: to whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Here we have the divine record of the acts, that is, the things done by the apostles of the Son of God in establishing the church of Christ through which the gospel message of salvation was to be spread to all men and women throughout the world. Indeed, this was the will of our Savior. After His resurrection, and immediately before He ascended into Heaven, this was the commission He gave to His apostles: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matt. 28:19-20; also see Mark 16:15-16).

The fact that the Acts of the Apostles is addressed to a man named Theophilus assures us that, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it was written by Luke, since his gospel message was addressed to this same person (Luke 1:3). Who was this man referred to as the most excellent Theophilus? Translators tell us that the name itself means "a friend of God," but there is no further biblical identification of this man. Some say that he was not a real person, but these letters were addressed to all friends of God. Others say that he was a close friend of Luke, or, by heritage, a Gentile Christian, even an influential Roman official that had been converted to Christ. Certainly we know that both letters, although addressed to him, were not intended for him only, but, by inspiration, were written for all men and women of the world, that they may have knowledge of the life of Jesus Christ and the founding of the church which bears His name.

Then the former treatise, book, or narrative, refers to the gospel penned by Luke, which contained all that Jesus began both to do and teach, that is, all things that held spiritual significance to mankind, until the day in which He was taken up, after that He, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen. No doubt the commandments referred to here include the great commission made to the apostles quoted from the Gospel of Matthew 28:19-20, noted above. In order to obey this commandment, the apostles were given this assurance by Christ when he told them that these are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me (Luke 24:44). Jesus then revealed to them that which they must fully understand in order to carry out the commission assigned to them. He told them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47).

It was also necessary that the apostles understand, believe, and teach the resurrected Savior as the Son of God, who died as the atonement for the sins of all men and women of the world, who access His saving power by baptism into His body, the church of Christ. We, as Christians, also believe that Jesus arose from the grave because we have His inspired word which tells us that He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. We know this because we have scriptural records, too numerous to list here, that the apostles, as well as numerous other disciples, witnessed Jesus at least on eleven occasions. These are infallible proofs that He was, and still is, an eternal, living Savior. It is on this vary fact, His resurrection, that we accept, and believe, the truths found in God's, which promises eternal salvation to the world. This promise is made to all that, after hearing and believing His Holy Word, repent of their past sinful life, believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, are willing to make that confession before the world, and are baptized for the remission of their sins. By these obedient acts, one becomes a Christian. At that very moment, God adds them to the church of Christ, which is His kingdom on earth, and through which we have the hope of eternal salvation. Thanks be to God for giving us the resurrected Savior!