CHAPTER 2
“Una Go Tell People About Me”
How Jesus prepare im apostles to direct the preaching work
As e dey for Acts 1:1-26
1-3. How Jesus take leave im apostles go heaven and which questions we go answer?
FOR Jesus apostles, the weeks wey just pass really sweet! E just be like say make everyday de be like this! As Jesus don come back to life, this one don change their deep pain to joy. Jesus don appear many times for 40 days now to encourage and teach im followers. But this one na the last time wey Jesus go appear to them.
2 As all of them stand for the Mount of Olives, the apostles sofri de listen make them no miss any word wey Jesus de talk. Them want make Jesus continue, but e don talk finish. E raise im hand and bless them. Then, e start to de go up! Im followers just de look-am as e de go up until cloud cover-am and them no fit see-am again, but them still de look up.—Luke 24:50; Acts 1:9, 10.
3 This thing wey just happen go really change things for the apostles. Wetin them go do now as their Master, Jesus, don go heaven? We dey sure say Jesus don prepare them to fit continue the work wey e start. But how e take prepare them and wetin them do? How this one take concern us today? Acts chapter 1 get the answer to all this questions.
“E Use Plenty Proof” (Acts 1:1-5)
4. Wetin Luke write for the beginning of the book of Acts?
4 Luke write for Acts chapter 1 say e de write to Theophilus, the same person wey e write the book of Luke to. a Luke make-am clear say Acts continue from where the book of Luke stop because e start with the same story. But e write-am for different way and write more things wey happen.
5, 6. (a) Wetin go help Jesus disciples get strong faith more-more? (b) Which clear proof Christians get wey make them get strong faith?
5 Wetin go help Jesus disciples get strong faith more-more? Acts 1:3 talk say: Jesus “use plenty proof show imself to them so that them go really believe say e dey alive.” For Bible, na only Luke wey be doctor, use the word wey mean ‘proof wey go make person really believe.’ (Col. 4:14) Them de use this word when them de write about medicine. E de show something wey person fit dey sure of, wey dey clear and wey get strong proof. Na that kind proof Jesus show. E appear to im followers many times, sometimes, to one or two of them, but for other time, to all the apostles. One time, e even appear to more than 500 people. (1 Cor. 15:3-6) True-true, e really prove say e dey alive!
6 Today too, true Christians get strong faith because e get many things wey make them dey sure of wetin them believe. We get any proof say Jesus live for this earth, e die for our sin, and come back to life? Yes! The story of people wey see wetin happen, dey inside Bible. This na better proof wey make us dey sure. When we de pray and de read about all this story, e go make our faith really strong. Remember say, for us to get real faith, we need strong proof. We need this kind faith to fit get life wey no go end.—John 3:16.
7. Which example Jesus set for im followers about wetin them go preach and teach?
7 Jesus “talk about the Kingdom of God.” For example, e explain different prophecy wey talk about how the Messiah go suffer and die. (Luke 24:13-32, 46, 47) When Jesus de show say na im be the Messiah, e talk about God Kingdom well-well because na im go be the King of that Kingdom. God Kingdom na the number one message wey Jesus preach about and na wetin true Christians still de preach about today.—Matt. 24:14; Luke 4:43.
Acts 1:6-12)
“For Every Corner for the Earth” (8, 9. (a) Which two ideas the apostles get wey no correct? (b) How Jesus take correct them and wetin this one teach us today?
8 The last time wey the apostles gather do meeting with Jesus when e dey earth, na when them dey with-am for Mount Olive. Them ask-am say: “Lord, you de bring the kingdom back to Israel for this time?” (Acts 1:6) This question wey the apostles ask show say them get two ideas wey no correct. The first one be say, them think say e go bring the Kingdom back to Israel for earth. And the second one na say, them de think say the Kingdom go just start to rule ‘that time.’ How Jesus correct them?
9 Jesus know say them go soon understand say their first idea no correct. This na because ten days after this time, the disciples go see the start of one new nation. God go soon stop to see the nation of Israel as im special people and im new people go be the Israel of God. For the second idea wey them get, Jesus tell them say: “E no dey una hand to know the time or season wey only the Papa get the right to decide.” (Acts 1:7) Na only Jehovah get the authority to decide when e go do wetin e want. Before Jesus die, e talk say even im wey be the Son no know the “day and hour” wey the end go come, but “na only the Papa.” (Matt. 24:36) Na the same thing today, if we start to overworry about the time wey this world go end, e mean say we de worry about wetin we no need to know.
10. Which good thing the apostles do wey we suppose follow and why?
10 Make we dey careful and no judge the apostles. Them be people wey really get strong faith. Them carry body down and accept correction. Even as them ask question wey show say them get wrong thinking, their question still show say e get something wey them de do well. Jesus tell im followers many times say: “Make una continue to watch.” (Matt. 24:42; 25:13; 26:41) The apostles continue to de look for proof wey go show say Jehovah go soon do wetin e want. Na this kind character we suppose get especially now wey we dey for “last days.”—2 Tim. 3:1-5.
11, 12. (a) Which work Jesus give im followers? (b) Why e make sense say na after Jesus promise im followers holy spirit e send them to go preach?
11 Jesus remind the apostles of the work wey really concern them. E talk say: “Una go get power when una receive holy spirit, and una go tell people about me for Jerusalem, for everywhere for Judea and Samaria, and for every corner for the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Na for Jerusalem them kill Jesus, so na there them go first start to preach to people say Jesus don come back to life. From there the message go spread reach Judea, Samaria, and other place.
12 E really make sense say Jesus send im followers to preach and make disciples after e remind them say holy spirit go help them. Them use the word “holy spirit” for the book of Acts more than 40 times and this na one of them. Many times the book of Acts make-am clear say, if the holy spirit no help us, we no go fit do Jehovah work and wetin e want. Na im make we need to de pray every time make Jehovah give us holy spirit. (Luke 11:13) We need-am now pass before.
13. Where Jesus want make we preach reach today and why e good make we de really put body for the preaching work?
13 Wetin “for every corner of the earth” mean that time, no be the same with wetin e mean for this our time. As we see for chapter 1, Jehovah people today de use all their heart obey this command to preach because them know say God want make all kind of people learn about the Kingdom. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) You de put body for the preaching work? E no get any other work wey better pass and wey go make you happy like this one. Jehovah go give you the power wey you need to fit do-am. The Bible book of Acts go help you see better-better way to do this work and the kind mind wey we suppose get to fit do-am well.
14, 15. (a) Wetin the angels talk about how Jesus go take come back and wetin them mean? (Still check footnote.) (b) How Jesus take go and come back “for the same way”?
14 As we see for the beginning of this chapter, Jesus go up and them no see-am again. But the apostles continue to de look even after the cloud don cover-am and them no fit see-am again. Small time, two angels come tell them say: “People of Galilee, why una de stand de look the sky? This Jesus wey be dey with una and wey don go up enter the sky go come for the same way as una don see-am de enter the sky.” (Acts 1:11) The angels de talk say Jesus go come back for the same type of body as some religions de teach? No! How we take know?
15 The angels talk say Jesus go come back “for the same way” b no be for the same body. But how Jesus take go? The apostles no fit see Jesus again when the angels de talk to them. Na only the apostles see and understand say Jesus don comot from earth and e don de go meet im Papa for heaven. Na the same way Jesus go come back and e don happen like that. Today, na only people wey really understand Bible know say Jesus don de rule as king now. (Luke 17:20) We need to understand the things wey prove say Jesus don de rule and help other people understand say them need to serve God now.
‘Show Us Who You Don Choose’ (Acts 1:13-26)
16-18. (a)Wetin we learn about how Christians de gather for worship from Acts 1:13, 14? (b) Wetin we fit learn from the example of Mary, Jesus mama? (c) Why our meetings dey important?
16 E no surprise us say the apostles “go back to Jerusalem and them happy no be small.” (Luke 24:52) But wetin them do after Jesus don give them direction? Acts chapter 1 verse 13 and 14 talk say, “them go the room for up.” This place teach us some things about how their meeting de be that time. Many house for Palestine that time de get room for up with staircase for outside. Na the “room for up” wey dey for Mark mama house wey Acts 12:12 talk about be this? Anyone wey e be, we know say na simple place wey Jesus disciples de gather. But which people come here and wetin them do?
17 Notice say no be only men or only the apostles gather for that meeting. “Some women” dey there, and Mary, Jesus mama, dey there too. This one na the last time wey Bible mention Mary wey be Jesus mama. E make sense to see say Mary carry body down, de worship Jehovah with other brothers and sisters and e no de do like say na im dey important pass. Mary go really happy say four of im sons wey no de follow Jesus before e die, dey this meeting with-am as Jesus followers. (Matt. 13:55; John 7:5) Since when Jesus wey be their half brother die and come back to life, this men don really change.—1 Cor. 15:7.
18 Why the disciples gather that day? Acts 1:14 talk say: “With one mind, all of them continue to pray plenty times.” No be today Jehovah people start to gather together and this one na important part of our worship. When we meet together, Jehovah de teach and correct us, and we de encourage each other. The one wey big pass na say, we de worship Jehovah together. Jehovah de really happy when we de sing and pray for our meeting and this one dey important for us too. Make we no ever stop to de meet together!—Heb. 10:24, 25.
19-21. (a) Wetin we fit learn as Peter take the lead to solve one important matter? (b) Why them need to replace Judas and wetin we learn from the way them handle the matter?
19 That time, Jesus followers get reason to solve one important matter and Peter take the lead to find solution to the problem. (Verse 15-26) We no happy to see say Peter don start again to de put body for work, since the time wey e deny im Lord three times? (Mark 14:72) All of us de make mistake, so we need to de remember say Jehovah dey good and ready to forgive anybody wey repent from im heart.—Ps. 86:5.
20 Peter see say as Judas don betray Jesus, another person need to replace-am. But who that person go be? Na person wey don de follow Jesus the time wey e de preach for earth and wey use im eye see Jesus when e come back to life. (Acts 1:21, 22) This one agree with wetin Jesus promise when e talk say: “Una wey follow me go sitdown for 12 thrones and judge the 12 tribes of Israel.” (Matt. 19:28) E clear say Jehovah want make Jesus get 12 apostles that time wey go form the “12 foundation stone” of New Jerusalem for future. (Rev. 21:2, 14) Jehovah allow Peter understand say the prophecy wey talk say: “Make another person take im work as overseer” de talk about Judas.—Ps. 109:8.
21 How them take choose the person wey go replace Judas? Them cast lots. (Prov. 16:33) For Bible time, them de cast lots well-well, but this na the last time Bible talk say them do-am. E fit be say, after them receive holy spirit, them no need to de cast lots again. But why them cast lots? The apostles pray say: “O Jehovah, you wey know wetin dey inside everybody heart, make you show us which of this two men you don choose.” (Acts 1:23, 24) Them want make Jehovah choose who e want. Na Matthias Jehovah choose. Matthias fit be one of the 70 disciples wey Jesus send go preach. So Matthias come be one of the 12 apostles. c—Acts 6:2.
22, 23. Why we need to obey and follow as the elders de direct us?
22 This one remind us say Jehovah want make im people get better arrangement wey them de follow for everything wey them want do. Till today, them de select brothers wey be better example to serve as elders for congregation. Elders de pray for holy spirit and de follow wetin Bible talk before them choose who qualify to be elder. So people for congregation de see them as men wey holy spirit choose. We need to de obey and follow how them de direct us and this one go make everybody for congregation get one mind.—Heb. 13:17.
We need to de obey and follow as the elders de direct us
23 As Jesus disciples don see Jesus different times after e resurrect and see some better things wey happen for the organization, their faith don dey strong to fit face anything wey de come for front. The next chapter go tell us wetin happen.
a For the book of Luke, e call this man “honorable Theophilus.” This one make some people believe say Theophilus get high position before e become Christian. (Luke 1:3) For the book of Acts, Luke just call-am, “O Theophilus.” Some expert for Bible matter talk say Theophilus become believer after e read the book of Luke, na im make Luke no use any big title call-am again, instead e talk to-am as im Christian brother.
b For this place, Bible use the Greek word troʹpos wey mean “the kind way,” e no use mor·pheʹ wey mean “type of body.”
c Later Paul come be “apostle to the nations.” But e no be part of the 12 apostles. (Rom. 11:13; 1 Cor. 15:4-8) Them no count-am among the 12 apostles because e no follow Jesus preach when Jesus dey earth.