United In Jesus
May 11, 2025
Acts 1:12-14
1. After the Resurrection and Ascension: The Disciples
. (Vs. 12-13, Acts 16:13, Matt 18:18-20, Acts 2:46-47)
Sotah 5:3, “On that day, Rabbi Akiva also expounded Numbers 35:5, “You shall measure from outside the city, the east side 2,000 cubits” and Numbers 35:4, “From the city wall outward, 1,000 cubits all around.” 1,000 cubits and 2,000 cubits are mutually exclusive so how are we to understand these verses? Rabbi Akiva explained that the 1,000 cubits refers to the empty outskirts of a city while the 2,000 cubits refers to the Shabbos boundary. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yosi HaGlili says that the 1,000 cubits are the empty outskirts and the 2,000 cubits are fields and vineyards.” (From the Mishnah which contains hundreds of
years of Jewish Commentary which lead to the formal commentary of the Old Testament called the Talmud…this is NOT Scripture)
Acts 16:13, “On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there.”
Matthew 18:18-20, “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.””
Acts 2:46-47, “Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
2. After the Resurrection and Ascension: The Disciples
in
. (Vs. 14a; Luke 18:1, 22:44)
Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”
Luke 18:1, “Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up.”
Luke 22:44, “Being in anguish, he [Jesus] prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
3. After the Resurrection and Ascension: The Disciples
in
. (Vs. 14, Matt 13:55-56, Mark 3:21, 1 Cor 15:6-7)
Matthew 13:55-56, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all these things?”
Mark 3:21, “When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.””
1 Corinthians 15:6-7, “Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.”