Bible Study - Acts 1

S - Scripture
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 1:8 ESV

O - Observation (Commentary)
The disciples are thus to serve as the prophetic remnant within Israel, and Isaiah's witnesses for God here are witnesses for Jesus. (When Israel had disobeyed God, he had always kept a remnant; see comment on Rom 11:1–5.) In Luke-Acts, "power" is often expressed in healings and exorcisms (Luke 4:36; 5:17; 6:19; 8:46; 9:1; Acts 3:12; 4:7; 6:8; 10:38), which can be construed as signs of the kingdom era (Is 35:5–6 in Luke 7:22). Different ancient texts referred to different places by the phrase "ends of the earth." Writers commonly meant Ethiopia (8:27; cf. Luke 11:31), but in Acts the short-term strategic goal is Rome.

Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 319.

A - Application
The disciples were empowered to be Christ's ambassadors by the Holy Spirit — and that same Spirit lives in believers today with the same power and presence. It's worth noting that Jesus gave them a geographic assignment: right where they lived and did daily life (business, shopping, social circles), people they didn't like (Samaria), and people they hadn't even met yet (Rome). We carry the same mandate to represent Christ wherever we go. You will interact with people I will never meet, and I will do the same in relationship with you. If we each share Jesus in our own circle, together we reach the world.

R - Response
Heavenly Father, You are the Spirit of Power, Presence, and Peace. Empower us today to share Your gospel so others will know You. Wherever we go, we carry Your Holy Spirit in us to be Your witness and share Your love with others.