Questions for Research and Discussion

1. The accounts of the ascension of Jesus in Luke and in Acts do not appear to fit very well together. Why not? Can they be harmonized? Or is it better to simply live with the tension created by the various accounts?
2. In this chapter the claim is made that “Holy Spirit thus replaces the incarnate Jesus.” What is meant by this? What do you think about this statement?
3. Find all the places in Acts where the temple is mentioned. In what contexts does it appear? Does a pattern arise?
4. Discuss the so-called Jerusalem Council. Who were the major participants? When did it happen? What issues were discussed? What was the solution? How successful was the compromise that was reached, in your opinion?
5. How did the message about Jesus spread geographically in the book of Acts? Were there key events that helped this expansion?