‘Wait for what the Father had promised’

[Acts 1:1-5]

In a verse from a children's song, there are lyrics like this: ‘Promise with your pinky finger tightly crossed.’ It's a verse that young children enjoy singing when making promise. However, it seems they understand that promise can be easily broken, as the method and procedure for reaffirming promise continue to evolve. Initially, they would simply hook their pinky fingers, but at some point, after hooking their pinky fingers, they stamp it with their thumbs as a sort of "seal." Now, after making the promise and sealing it, they say "copy" to each other while pressing their palms together. This means that the promise has been duplicated, so it must be kept. Some children go even further and add a step of signing on the palm after copying the promise. It's their own triple or quadruple lock system for promises (Internet).

We live in an era where promises are not trusted. Especially politicians are notorious for not keeping their promises. A former mayor of Seoul once said that we are living in an era where many politicians present ambitious projects (as pledges) but fail to fulfill them. And he self-proclaimed, ‘But I am a person who keeps promises.’ I saw this response attached to his promise: 'He is the best politician in this era who makes promises and knows how to keep them. I respect him as one of the citizens. It's not blind admiration, but because he's someone who can take responsibility for this country, that's why I send my praise and like him. Go, Mayor!' (Internet). Nietzsche said the following about promises: ‘A man must have a good memory to keep the promises he made.’ Furthermore, the person who receives a promise must remember it well until the promise is fulfilled.

Starting today, I would like to meditate on the Book of Acts. There are three reasons for this:

The Book of Acts is a continuation of the ongoing work of the Lord Jesus Christ through His Spirit, as manifested by the apostles and other early church leaders (Sang-seop Yoo).

We believe that even now, seated at the right hand of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who governs heaven, continues to work on this earth through the Holy Spirit, both within our church and through the church. Meditating on the Book of Acts, we hope that our church will participate in the work of our Lord.

The themes of the Book of Acts, including prayer, the Holy Spirit, the church, God's sovereign order, and the expansion of His Word, are precious subjects that we believe our church members should learn.

As we prepare for this year's New Life Festival, we believe that the Book of Acts is suitable for next year's theme of "Evangelism and Mission/Service." Therefore, we want to meditate on this book.

Today, I would like to reflect on three key points from the introductory passage of the Book of Acts, Acts 1:1-5:

Who is the one giving the promise?
Who are the recipients of the promise?
What is the content of the promise?

First, who is the one giving the promise? It is none other than Jesus.

Look at Acts 1:4 – “Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me.’” The author Luke, also known as Doctor Luke, was a converted Gentile proselyte named Theophilus (meaning "one who loves God") who held a fairly high position as a "most excellent" Roman official sent to the Roman colony (Lk. 1:3). Luke sent both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts to Theophilus, briefly summarizing his first writing in the introduction of Acts (1:1-5). The core summary of Luke's Gospel is written in Luke 1:1b-2: “just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus.” In other words, the core summary of Luke's Gospel covers everything from the beginning of Jesus' actions and teachings (Yoo). The key word we should pay attention to here is "from the beginning," indicating that the author Luke is implying that Jesus' actions and teachings did not completely end. In other words, the Gospel of Luke is just the beginning of the record about Jesus, and it suggests that the ascended Jesus will continue His ministry in a different way, through the Holy Spirit. The ascended Jesus sends the Holy Spirit and continues His ministry through the disciples or the church. In Acts 1:4, before the ascended Jesus, Luke is talking about what happened after Jesus' resurrection. It was none other than Jesus who died on the cross, was resurrected after three days, and showed Himself to His disciples for "forty days" with many sure proofs, including eating a piece of broiled fish before them (Lk. 24:42-43), demonstrating His resurrection from the dead as He had promised. Luke records this to Theophilus, addressing him as "most excellent," and also conveys the commandment that the resurrected Jesus gave to His disciples. If we express this commandment as a verb, it would be to stay and wait (Acts 1:4). Why did He command them not to depart from Jerusalem? There are two reasons for this (Yoon-seon Park):

The reason is because Jerusalem is also prophesied as the starting point of the New Testament movement.

Look at Isaiah 2:3: "... For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

The reason is because the connection between the New Testament movement and Jerusalem seems natural even from the principles of general history.

The focal point is where the masses are moving, so it is only natural that the spreading of truth would begin there. Jesus, who commanded not to leave Jerusalem, where the truth of the Lord's word would be proclaimed, also instructed to wait for what God the Father had promised. After Jesus, who promised the resurrection, fulfilled that promise and showed it to the disciples, He told them to wait for what the Father had promised (Acts 1:4). We can see that the fulfillment of that promise is based on Jesus' faithfulness. In other words, Jesus' words assure that whatever God the Father has promised will surely come to pass.

Our Lord Jesus is The Giver of the Promises. He is both the Giver of the Promise and the Given One of the promise. He is not a man to lie, nor a son of man to change His mind. Will He not do what He has spoken and fulfill what He has commanded? (Num. 23:19) Look at Isaiah 55:11 - "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Second, who are the recipients of the promise? It is none other than the "apostles" or 'disciples'.

Look at Acts 1:2, 4: “… after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles … Gathering them together, He commanded them ….” During the forty days between resurrection and ascension, Jesus taught and commanded His disciples through the Holy Spirit (v. 2). This implies that in the future in Acts, the risen Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, will continue His ministry through His disciples. So, what did Jesus command His disciples through the Holy Spirit during the 40 days between resurrection and ascension? Look at verse 3: “To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” Jesus' teaching and command through the Holy Spirit have two aspects: firstly, the events Jesus continuously revealed to the disciples, and secondly, about the kingdom of God. Ultimately, the purpose of Jesus' appearance and teaching for 40 days was in His resurrection testimony. This emphasis anticipates the absolute importance of Jesus' resurrection event, which is continually emphasized in the proclamation of the message of the apostles in Acts. This is the core of the Gospel. In other words, Acts 1:3 is speaking of the essence of the Gospel, which is Jesus' suffering ("after His suffering") and resurrection. In the end, Jesus taught His disciples the Gospel for 40 days until His ascension to heaven. Having shown His resurrection with many sure proofs, Jesus, as the core of the Gospel, entrusted His disciples with the responsibility of proclaiming this Gospel, thus expanding the kingdom of God. In this sense, the proclamation of the Gospel centered on Jesus and the proclamation of the kingdom of God are one and the same. In other words, the kingdom of God explains the risen Jesus, and conversely, the content of the Gospel explains the kingdom of God (Yoo).

Here, there are three lessons for us. As believers who trust in the promise of the Lord given to our church in Matthew 16:18, (1) we must listen to the words commanded by the Lord through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2). We should listen carefully to the voice of the Holy Spirit commanding us through the Scriptures. (2) We must have abundant and sure evidence of the fulfillment of the promise spoken by the Lord to establish His body, the Church (v. 3). We should experience the manifestation of God's glory and grace. (3) We should be used as instruments by the Lord to proclaim the core of the Gospel - the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, in order to expand the kingdom of God. Is God’s kingdom being expanding through our church?

Third and last, what is the content of the promise? It is none other than the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Look at Acts 1:5 – “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? There are various opinions. Professor Gaffin describes the baptism of the Holy Spirit as, in a word, the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit. The Pentecost event is also known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the coming of the Spirit, or the gift of the Spirit. It also implies being baptized within the Spirit. Whether one chooses one interpretation or the other, the key point is that a believer receives spiritual baptism through the Holy Spirit.

Professor Young Bok Ahn stated that it is valid to refer to the event of the 'coming of the Holy Spirit upon each person' on Pentecost day as 'the baptism of the Holy Spirit.' Pastor Young Sun Park expressed it as the ‘outpouring of the Spirit,’ distinguishing between the baptism of the Holy Spirit bestowed by Jesus and the baptism of the Holy Spirit bestowed by the Spirit Himself. Additionally, Pastor Hee Young Woo argued that the baptism of the Holy Spirit means being immersed in the Holy Spirit, akin to being anointed with oil or being baptized with water, through the agency of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Pastor Lloyd Jones equated ‘the pledge of the Spirit’ or ‘the sealing of the Spirit’ with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Frederick Bruner asserted that being baptized is synonymous with receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, stating that there cannot be a separate baptism of the Holy Spirit. Similarly, Reformed theologian René Pache expressed the same view in his book "The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit." Calvin also identified water baptism with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These various perspectives can generally be categorized into two main claims, namely the views of the Pentecostal, Wesleyan, and Keswick movements on one hand, and the doctrine of Reformed (Calvinistic) theology on the other. The former interprets the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit after conversion as the baptism of the Holy Spirit, while the latter refers to something received at the time of conversion as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The term "baptism of the Holy Spirit" appears seven times throughout the Old and New Testaments. Looking at Acts 1:5 from today's passage, we can understand that the baptism of the Holy Spirit signifies the fulfillment of the prophesied and promised event that manifested in the Pentecostal event. The baptism of the Holy Spirit prophesied by John the Baptist and promised by Jesus Christ was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. In essence, the Greek meaning of being baptized in the Spirit signifies the sinner entering into a vital union with Jesus Christ, being made a member of the mystical body of Christ. It means being introduced or led into the mystery of the living headship of Jesus. The baptism of the Spirit is a historical-redemptive event distinct from any empowerment or charismatic experience and is different from being filled with the Spirit. While believers should rightly desire the gifts of the Spirit, there is no reason to seek the baptism of the Spirit (Internet).

Here, we need to consider the relationship between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. The reason is that we may be confused. We should consider two perspectives. One perspective equates the filling of the Holy Spirit with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, asserting that the same experience that the disciples had on Pentecost is still happening today, and views this experience as the filling of the Holy Spirit. Scholars who equate the filling of the Holy Spirit with the baptism of the Holy Spirit include R.A. Torrey, D. Gee, E.S. Williams, F.F. Bruce, and H. Ockenga, among others. They argue that the filling of the Spirit occurs by being immersed in the Spirit, much like the baptism of fire that occurs with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For them, the command to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) is based on the assumption that one has already received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In other words, they equate receiving the filling of the Spirit with having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit initially, as seen in Acts 1:4-5 and 2:1-4. Therefore, Bruce stated that the result of the baptism of the Spirit is the filling of the Spirit, and the filling of the Spirit continued multiple times thereafter. On the other hand, there is another perspective that distinguishes between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. According to this view, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a one-time event, while the filling of the Holy Spirit is seen as an ongoing process. However, equating the filling of the Holy Spirit with the baptism of the Holy Spirit poses many problems. This is because the expression "be filled with the Spirit" indicates that the Spirit occupies the hearts and minds of believers. The word 'filled' is used in Luke 5:26 in the context of being 'greatly amazed,' not in connection with the Holy Spirit. Bauer defines the verb used here in his Greek dictionary as 'to occupy the whole mind,' signifying that the mind is dominated by the Spirit. Furthermore, in Ephesians 5:18, the verb is in the passive voice, which means that the action of the verb is carried out by means of the agent. Here, the action of the verb refers to some instruction imparted to the believer, indicating that it can be interpreted as ‘be dominated by the Spirit.’ Therefore, it is more valid to view the filling of the Spirit as the personal dominance of the Spirit, distinct from the baptism of the Spirit. Many scholars support this perspective. Dr. Hyung Ryong Park does not deny that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred on Pentecost, but he states that "the filling of the Holy Spirit is different from the baptism of the Holy Spirit." J.S. Stott says, ‘The filling of the Spirit is the result of the baptism of the Spirit, and baptism is a unique initial experience, while the filling is the repeated extraordinary grace of the Spirit received during the ongoing spiritual life.’ Lloyd Jones also sees it as being under the influence of the Spirit, with the Spirit controlling us. Bill Bright also sees being filled with the Spirit as being under the domination of the Spirit and being filled with the power of the Spirit. Additionally, scholars like R. Pekson, J. Woolf Burt, and A. Murray view the filling of the Spirit as being under the personal dominance of the Spirit. This summarizes the doctrine of Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Filling of the Holy Spirit (Internet):

Baptism of the Holy Spirit:
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the immediate work of the Holy Spirit upon a believer in Jesus.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is signified by water baptism.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be accompanied by an experience, but it is not always the case.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a one-time event and does not occur again.

Filling of the Holy Spirit:
The filling of the Holy Spirit is a state where a person who has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit is completely captivated by the Holy Spirit.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is a recurring event.
The filling of the Holy Spirit can be lost due to laziness or sin.
The filling of the Holy Spirit can be restored through repentance and prayer.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is sometimes a means by which God specially equips His children for times of emergency.
The filling of the Holy Spirit may be accompanied by an experience, but it is not an absolute requirement.
It is incorrect to always seek evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit only through experiences; rather, it should be sought in a life characterized by holiness and obedience.

What have you and I received as the promise from the Lord? We have received the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. Look at Ephesians 1:13 – “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.” We are those who, upon hearing the word of truth and the gospel of salvation, believed in Jesus as our Savior and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now, as recipients of the baptism of the Holy Spirit through the promise, we should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us be filled with the Word and faith, holding fast to the promise of His return, and remain faithful to the Lord until that day.

One of the promises of Jesus is His Second Coming (His return). However, when we look at 2 Peter 3:4, the Bible mentions scoffers in the last days asking, "Where is the promise of His coming?" In such times, we must firmly hold on to the promise of the Lord. Especially, we should believe without doubt in the promises concerning eternal life. Look at 1 John 2:25 – “This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.”

Church-wise, this is the promise our Lord has given to our community: ‘I will build my church’ (Mt. 16:18). Let us all hold fast to this promise and, looking to our Lord who gave us this promise, let us be filled with the Holy Spirit and pour our strength into faithfully building the church, which is His body.

Relying on the Lord who faithfully fulfills His promises,

James Kim

(Guided by the Holy Spirit)