Acts 1:1,2 - In my former book

1:1

“In my former book, Theophilus ...” Like His gospel (Lk 1:3), the book is dedicated to Theophilus, and his gospel is “my former book”.  In the gospel Luke “wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach”. This is significant, for it is clear that Luke did not think that the ministry of Jesus ended with the cross, resurrection and ascension. It was not merely that the disciples sought to continue the memory and teachings of Jesus after His death, but that Jesus continued His ministry through the church.

1:2

“After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit”. Jn 14:26 says that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things, and remind them of what Jesus taught them. It is interesting that it says that Jesus gave instructions through the Holy Spirit, for Jesus taught them personally. He was with them in the time up until the Ascension. So why does it say “through the Holy Spirit”? Remember how slow the disciples were to grasp anything that Jesus taught them in the gospels, and they often missed the point altogether. They needed the Holy Spirit in order to understand anything. The same is true for us today. We need to remember this both for ourselves, and for those we teach and preach to. We must preach and teach, but the Holy Spirit must also bear witness.