Recently I've been studying for a Bible study that I will be leading at my church for college age people. I'm doing the study on Acts 1:1-11 and I noticed something in the very first verse that I found quite amazing. Acts 1:1 simply reads:

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach.

Just this passage alone has so much "preaching material" that I've grown giddy with excitement. For this blog I simply wish to give you an exposition of this single passage.

"In my former book," - Here we see that this book is the second of two books, the first being the Gospel of Luke. Simple enough.

"Theophilus," - This is the name of the person Luke writes to in both this book and his previous. The introduction to Luke reads as follows:

(1) Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, (2) just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. (3) Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, (4) so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

We see that in both books the person Luke is writing to is both the same individual, Theophilus. Some try to argue that this is but a title, one given to any who is a friend of God. The very name literally means "friend of God." 'Theo' means God while 'philus' comes from the same root as Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. This could very well mean that Luke is addressing any who describe themselves as a friend of God, or one who is seeking after God in some manner.

I take a different view. As seen in Luke 1:3, Theophilus is given the title of "most excellent." This would imply that this is not only a singular individual but is also someone of political influence. The only other times Luke uses this phrase is in Acts 24:3 and Acts 26:25, both times speaking of an individual of high political standing. Because of this I do believe Theophilus is an actual and singular person, possibly the one who financed Luke's investigations as mentioned in the introduction to his first book. However, Theophilus might not be his true name but merely a title given to him for safety reasons as converting to Christianity would not be of benefit to anyone in politics until the time of Constantine many years later.

However, one could also argue that this title has double meaning. It could very well mean that the books are both specifically addressed to this singular individual and any who might be searching after God. If the latter is not true then that does not mean the book was not intended for anyone else however. One can see this from looking at Acts's universal acceptance as divine Scripture throughout the early church.

"I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach." - Now here is where I truly become giddy. We see here that Luke did not say, "I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught." Rather, he points out that the work of Jesus Christ from birth, to death, to resurrection was only the beginning of his work and teaching as it continues through the book of Acts until today. This is something to be excited about!

You see, Jesus did not merely live a life of miracles and resurrect from the dead but he is alive and well, continuing a good work in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. This introduction is extremely fitting for a book such as Acts, a book that addresses some of the actions of the early church as they first work in Jerusalem, then in all Judea and Samaria, and finally with Paul to "the ends of the earth."

We see clearly here that in his life, Jesus had only just begun his work. But what did he begin to do? Well let's see what Doctor Luke says about it in Luke 24:26-27:

He [Jesus] told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

He obviously did more in his life as be performed miricles and taught but this passage in his conclusion to his previous book certainly does give an overview verly much related to Acts 1:1.

If you were to study the book of Acts, you can see quickly that throughout the book the Apostles first start in Jerusalem and eventually spread out all across the Roman Empire. Some early church documents even say that some even went as far as India and parts of Africa.

This growth of the kingdom of God does not end in the book of Acts but has continued to this day. Jesus Christ has not yet finished his work upon the earth and has not yet finished teaching through his Word and Holy Spirit. Not until repentance and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ is preached to every nation, every tongue, every tribe, every person, will this be finished.

With that, I shall leave you with one of Jesus' many parables from Mark 4:30-32:

What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.