The book of Acts was written by Luke the physician, who also wrote the Gospel of Luke. He was a friend and traveling companion of Paul in Col 4.14 and 2 Tim 4.11. He was writing to Theophilus and this book was circulated to other believers in the Eschatological Kahal. This book tells us about what Yeshua and the Ruach Ha Kodesh continued to do and preach through the Shaliachim (meaning “sent ones” or “agents”) about how the Torah and the Renewed Covenant is applied to the believer after Yeshua ascended to heaven. The book itself was written about 63 AD and it was a bridge between the Gospels and the Epistles. The twelve were called “talmidim” or “students” until Yeshua was taken into heaven. At that point, he sends them out as “shaliachim” for the kingdom of God, or his movement and rule in action. So, with that in mind, we are going to set the stage for what is happening and get a basic understanding of events. These concepts will apply to all the books we will read from this point on. First of all, let’s get a basic definition for the “Basar” or “gospel” and what it really is.
The Basar means “good news, flesh or bread.” When one is hungry, to hear that food was on the way was good news. For example, in its simplest form, basar means good news. In the eschatological sense, the basar has certain concepts associated with it. The basar means the golden age of Israel, David’s throne is re-established, the Messiah has come and God reigns through him over the world, peace has come to man and nature in a restoration, the resurrection of the just has occurred, righteousness is in the earth, the Day of the Lord has come, the Torah goes forth to all the nations, idolatry is non-existent, the exiles have come back to the land, true worship of God has been restored, the non-Jews believe and so on. The Messiah is the agent of God empowered to bring all of this about. His task is to redeem man and nature in a restoration. We enter into that redemption by emunah (faith, confidence in action). The “gospel” message is that Yeshua has come to initiate this redemption, but the Messiah is not the basar, but he is the agent of the basar. So, with that said, let’s look at what happened starting after Yeshua.
During the aftermath of Yeshua’s resurrection the book of Acts relates that tens of thousands of Jews became believers in Yeshua. It is further recorded that these Jewish believers were devoutly observant of the Torah, which would include the Temple and the sacrifices called korbanot, keeping the Sabbath and the festivals, eating permitted animals in Lev 11 and so on. It is further stated that Paul (Shaul) who is accused wrongly of creating a different faith separate from the Torah, himself observed the Sabbath, went to the Temple, and performed animal sacrifices, and kept kosher. The major issue that divided these believers from the rest of the Jewish world was not whether Yeshua was or was not the Messiah, but it concerned the 18 Edicts of Beit Shammai that said a non-Jew, called a God-fearer, must be circumcised and become Jewish in order to have a place in the kingdom of God. A God-fearer was a non-Jew who believed in the God of Israel and kept the Torah commands that applied to him. So, let’s look at the two “houses” or “schools” of the Pharisees we will be dealing with in this book, as well as the Gospels and Epistles and gain some understanding.
The two main schools we will be dealing with are called the School, or Beit (house) of Shammai and the School (Beit/house) of Hillel. Beit Shammai was vice president of the Sanhedrin called the “Av Beit Din” or “father of the house of judgment” until Hillel died in 10 AD, who was the “Nasi” or president of the Sanhedrin. After that, Shammai was Nasi. They were more powerful in their influence from about 20 BC to about 70 AD. They issued what is called the Eighteen Edicts that governed the intercourse between Jews and non-Jews and was more “radical.” Jewish Zealots agreed with Shammai because they hated Rome. The status of non-Jews will be a major point of contention with Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel. Beit Shammai will be opposed to proselytes and rebuffed them unless they became Jewish through ritual circumcision. If not, they had no place in the Kingdom of Heaven or the World to Come. Hillel did not agree with this stand. Hillel accepted non-Jews and believed they could be righteous non-Jews and merit salvation. The Jewish Zealots did not like this stand because they allowed non-Jewish fellowship. Yeshua agreed with Beit Shammai at least once that we know of. Shammai died the same year Yeshua did, 30 AD. Hillel disagreed with the Eighteen Edicts and Beit Shammai, especially about conversion. Hillel taught that a non-Jew could be saved if they followed the Ten Commandments and the Noahide Laws, and were much more conservative than Beit Shammai. Yeshua agreed with Beit Hillel many times, and Paul was a Pharisee from Hillel. Hillel himself died about 10 AD.
Up to about 70 AD Halakah, or how to walk in the Torah, was according to Beit Shammai. A non-Jew can be saved, but they had to be ritually circumcised to become Jewish, a full conversion. After 70 AD and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, the halakah was according to Beit Hillel after Judaism was reformed at Yavneh. They did not require a non-Jew to be circumcised to be saved, and Hillel’s view of converts was adopted. In Acts 10 God will show the believers in Yeshua that Shammai was wrong, and this issue will come up again in Acts 15 and later in Galatians. Now, one concept should be kept in mind about dissension. Some of the “joys” of an argument is arriving at the truth. Though these two houses disagreed we will see them fellowshipping with one another, which is not a western concept. After Paul became a believer, he did not totally agree with either side, but was only interested in the “Halakah of God” and we will see his teachings on this starting with the book of Acts. His letters to the assemblies, called “Epistles”, were halachic commentaries on the Torah as it applied to believing Jews and non-Jews. Paul will settle the issue of whether a non-Jew should be ritually circumcised to be saved in 1 Cor 7.17-19 and in the book of Galatians.
Now we are going to discuss the relationship between the Jewish believers and the God-fearers a little further. The history begins in Acts 10 when Cornelius, a God-fearer and a Roman Centurion, became a believer in Yeshua. It was obvious at this point that non-Jews could enter into the kingdom of heaven by faith. It was further established that it was not necessary for God-fearers that believed in Yeshua to become Jewish through ritual circumcision to maintain their status within the kingdom. This issue was hotly debated in the messianic congregations as opposed to those Jews who did not accept Yeshua. The problem was further complicated as the faith spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire, often into areas where the Jewish population was sparse. More and more non-Jews were becoming believers and eventually they far outnumbered their Jewish brethren in the faith. These non-Jews were coming from a background of pure paganism. Because of the Roman wars with the Jews, anti-Jewish sentiment was rampant. More and more pagan influences were showing up within the faith. Historically, during the fourth century AD the Romans, under Constantine, converted enmasse to what became known as Christianity and it became the state religion of the empire. The only problem is that the practices of this “faith” was far removed from Torah observance and God’s halakah and became based on pagan ideals and Greek philosophy. The Jewish understandings were being cast aside, and pagan beliefs and practices took over. Many times the beliefs of Christianity were precisely forbidden by the Torah. These forbidden beliefs and practices continue to this day and are accepted and favored in Christian practice. In addition, those so bold as to observe anything that could be interpreted as Jewish practices and ceremonies were persecuted.
After Acts 2, all the members of the eschatological kahal were either Jewish or God-fearers. The believers in Yeshua met in synagogues, ate kosher, observed the Sabbath and festivals, spoke Hebrew and lived according to the Torah as it applied to both groups. Both groups knew the idioms, phrases and concepts of the Jewish people at the time. The writers of the “new testament” were Jews, and all believers and were part of the eschatological kahal and were a sect within Judaism. It is from this context that we will interpret the book of Acts.
Acts 1.1-26 tells us about the last works of Yeshua before his ascension into heaven, his ascension and the choosing of Matthias to replace Judas.
v 1…The first account I compiled (the gospel of Luke) O Theophilus (friend of God), about all that Yeshua began to do and teach (Yeshua was a doer of the word, meaning Torah observant, and a teacher-Jam 1.22-25, 2.12),
v 2…until the day when he was taken up, after he had by the Holy Spirit (Ruach Ha Kodesh) given orders to the shaliachim whom he had chosen (Matt 28.11-20; Mark 16.15-18).
v 3…To these he also presented himself alive, after his suffering, by many convincing proofs (technical proofs certified, that would be accepted by doctors of the Torah, medical doctors and those who examine evidence), appearing to them over forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God (God’s rule in action and power- these forty days involved the counting of the omer, from first fruits leading up to Shavuot-Lev 23.15-16).
v 4…And gathering them together, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem (because Shavuot was coming and they had to be there anyway), but wait for what the Father had promised (Luke 24.49, “Which you heard from me;
v 5…For John indeed immersed in water, but you shall be immersed with the Holy Spirit not many days from now (ten days later on Shavuot to fulfill the spring festivals in his first coming. He was crucified on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, rose from the dead on First Fruits, and now will send the Holy Spirit on Shavuot. Yeshua will also fulfill the fall festivals concerning his second coming as well. The Natzal, or the catching away of the believers and resurrection of the righteous dead, will occur on Rosh Ha Shannah, Tishri 1, year 6001 from Creation. His second coming to the earth will happen on Yom Kippur, Tishri 10 at the end of the seven year birth-pains, and Sukkot five days later will initiate the Messianic Kingdom on earth).”
v 6…And so when they had come together, they were asking him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel (the return of the kingdom of God and his movement in action is the restored kingdom of Israel-1 Chr 28.5; 2 Chr 13.8)?”
v 7…He said to them, “It is not for you to know times and epochs (seasons) which the Father has fixed (set chronologically in his secret counsels before the world was( by his own authority (power-Isa 60.22),
v 8…but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit (Ruach Ha Kodesh) has come upon you (the people were expecting the Ruach when Messiah came-Joel 2.28; Isa 32.15; Isa 59.20-21), and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth (the non-Jews have a part in the kingdom of God-John 7.35, 10.16; Isa 56-6-8; Eph 2.11-22. The first born (Bekor) Israel was to go out and pass on Yeshua’s values to the nations, the “other children.” The non-Jews had no concept of Yehovah and his Torah, but these concepts were for all nations-Num 15.14; Jer 12.16; Isa 56-6-9; Paul taught the Torah to non-Jews-1 Cor 11.1-2; 2 Thes 2.15; Phil 3.17).”
v 9…And after he had said these things, he was lifted up (the same idea as the Shekinah departing in Ezek 10.1-22, 11.23 at the same place) while they were looking on, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
v 10…And as they were gazing intently into the sky while he was departing, behold (take note), two men (two witnesses) in white clothing stood beside them (in the midst of their group);
v 11…and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky (gazing in awe)? This Yeshua (not some other), who has been taken up from you into heaven (the third heaven), will come in just the same way as you have watched him go into heaven (he ascended at the same place the Shekinah departed in Ezek 11.23).”
v 12…Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away (about 4800 feet).
v 13…And when they entered, they went up to the upper room (perhaps the same room they had the last supper-Luke 22.12) where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot (a member of the Zealot party, who were closely aligned with Beit Shammai) and Judas the brother of James (son of Alphaeus).
v 14…These all with one mind (in the harmony of spirit) were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Yeshua, and with his brothers (they were believers now).
v 15…And at this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together (there were one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in 2 Chr 5.12; one hundred and twenty years in Gen 6.3; one hundred and twenty letters in the Ten Commandments) and said,
v 16…”Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled (given meaning), which the Holy Spirit (Ruach Ha Kodesh) foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Yeshua.
v 17…For he was counted among us, and received his portion in this ministry (he had a part in the preaching, immersing, the healings and was the treasurer).”
v 18…Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness (Zecj 11.11-14 alludes to this); and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
v 19…And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem (of the fate of Judas); so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, field of blood (it was called this because in the Hinnom Valley, south of the city, there was a place called Tophet or “place of cursing”; blood from the Temple flowed through a conduit called the “amah” to the Kidron Valley, then south to the southern bank where the Valley of Hinnom met the Kidron Valley-Mishnah Yoma 5.6; Middot 3.2).
v 20…”For it is written (already recorded) in the book of Psalms (Tehillim), ‘Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no man dwell in it’; and, “His office let another man take’ (Psa 69.25 with Psa 109.8).
v 21…”It is therefore necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Yeshua went in and out among us-
v 22…beginning with the immersion of John, until the day that he was taken up from us-one of these should become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
v 23…And they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias (gift of Yehovah.
v 24…And they prayed, and said, “Thou Lord (Yehovah) who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two thou hast chosen
v 25…to occupy this ministry and apostleship (to be a shaliach) from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place (an idiom for destruction, or his destruction-Gen 31.55; Num 24.25).”
v 26…And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias (according to God’s plan), and he was numbered with the eleven shaliachim (this is in harmony with the Torah-the two goats on Yom Kippur in Lev 16.8; Prov 18.18; Num 26.55; with Achan in Josh 7.14; the daily Tamid service participants were chosen by lot (Luke 1.9; there were several ways to do this).
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