Acts 1:4

Wednesday, 29 September 2021 <p> </p> <p>And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; Acts 1:4</p> <p> </p> <p>Luke just noted that Christ presented Himself alive to the apostles through a forty-day period “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” The idea of a kingdom is that of a particular place and/or group that are ruled by a king. There is nothing stated in Scripture to negate the same term applying to more than one thing at the same time.</p> <p> </p> <p>For example, Paul speaks of the kingdom of God (as noted in the previous verse) in Acts. And yet, this was during a time when Rome ruled, where kings and kingdoms were in place, and where Christians were subject to those earthly rulers, such as Herod in the land of Israel. This fact that there are various meanings to the word “kingdom” will become important in just a few verses. For now, Christ Jesus has spoken of the kingdom of God. That is now immediately followed by the words of verse 1:4, beginning with, “And being assembled together with them.” </p> <p> </p> <p>Some translations say, “And eating together.” This is based on a variant spelling of the word. In one spelling, it signifies to “crowd,” or “throng.” In the other, it signifies “salt” (hence, eating salt, or dining together). Either translation is possible, because Luke’s words follow after those of his gospel. In Luke 24:43, it says that Jesus “ate in their presence.” In that same encounter, it then says –</p> <p> </p> <p>“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49</p> <p> </p> <p>Only after that does He lead them out to Bethany. As the accounts state the same events, but without specificity, either word (assembled or ate) is possible. With that analyzed, it next says, “He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem.” This is perfectly in ac