Ascension, Final Instructions

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Ascension, Final Instructions

Ascension, Final Instructions
Luke 24:45-49

45 Then [tote] opened he [dianoigo] their [autos] understanding [nous] , that they might understand [suniemi] the scriptures [graphe] ,
46 And [kai] said [epo] unto them [autos] , Thus [hoti] [houto] it is written [grapho] , and [kai] thus [houto] it behoved [dei] Christ [Christos] to suffer [pascho] , and [kai] to rise [anistemi] from [ek] the dead [nekros] the third [tritos] day [hemera] :
47 And [kai] that repentance [metanoia] and [kai] remission [aphesis] of sins [hamartia] should be preached [kerusso] in [epi] his [autos] name [onoma] among [eis] all [pas] nations [ethnos] , beginning [archomai] at [apo] Jerusalem [Hierousalem] .
48 And [de] ye [humeis] are [este] witnesses [martus] of these things [touton] .
49 And [kai] , behold [idou] , I [ego] send [apostello] the promise [epaggelia] of my [mou] Father [pater] upon [epi] you [humas] : but [de] tarry [kathizo] ye [humeis] in [en] the city [polis] of Jerusalem [Hierousalem] , until [heos] ye [hos] be endued [enduo] with power [dunamis] from [ek] on high [hupsos] . KJV-Interlinear

45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 'You are witnesses of these things. 49 'And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.' NASB

Matt. 28:16-20
16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. ' NASB

Mark 16:15-18
15 And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 'He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. 17 'And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. ' NASB

Jesus meets with the apostles in Galilee, and here gives them their instructions, along with a commission for certain powers (for the apostolic era only) that they will possess until their reputations will be established as 'the' authorities in the scriptures and 'the' representatives from God. Once their credentials are established and have taken root by humanity, then their special powers will leave them. The special powers of tongues (languages not gargling sounds), healing, and such are temporary, and were designed to give their message credibility. It is their message of the gospel, and of scriptural teaching that is important, not the special powers they have. These powers were limited to the apostles and their era only, and do not exist today.

2 Cor. 12:12
12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. NASB

These powers lasted until the Bible was completed (the perfect). Once the Bible was completed with the writing of the book of Revelation, then all the special powers ceased.

1 Cor. 13:8-10
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. NASB

The scriptures were intended for all peoples of the earth, not to just one race of people. Gods word originates from God. He placed a mountain on earth which illustrates that content of wisdom, Zion. That mountain is placed within a city, a place of interactive fellowship, Jerusalem. The foundation of the city of peace is Gods word, the mountain. So His word springs forth from Jerusalem.

Isa. 2:3
3 And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways, And that we may walk in His paths.' For the law will go forth from Zion, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. NASB See also Joel 2:32; 3:16; Obad. 21; Zech 14:8.

The apostles were commanded to go to Jerusalem and to remain there until the Holy Spirit was given to them. That will occur on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the Cross. Then from there, they were to go out to the world and evangelize it.

He who believes in God through His Son, is called a chosen son, an adopted son,
Gal 4:5
5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

We are also called Hebrew, 'one who has crossed over,' after the pattern of Abraham. Crossed over from sin and death, to salvation and life. A collection of saved individuals becomes a nation - Israel, the chosen nation of God - believers in Christ.

With all of these concepts, God gave us historical illustrations by means of race, culture, tribes, families and individuals - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and such. Though there are many races on earth, no one of them was made exclusive to God at the expense of the others. But rather Gods Word is supposed to be made available to all people, all of the time. Mankind failed miserably in this responsibility, but despite mans failure, Gods Word is alive and powerful and has been since eternity past, and always will be.

Life begins with Gods Word, and from that all things spring forth. To think otherwise is a fools wisdom.