Jesus goes up

Our Assurance from Christ’s Ascension

⁹ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹ who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

—Acts 1:9–11

A further preparation for the power of Pentecost was the Lord’s Ascension. This essential doctrine, which is a part of the Apostle’s Creed, makes an excellent springboard for the communicator from at least two vantage points. The first is the event itself and what happened to Jesus through it. The second is the response of the disciples and what happened to them because of it. Both are related to the descending of the divine to the human so that the human could be ascended to the divine. Put another way, in the sagacity of the church fathers, “Christ became what we are in order to make us what He is.”

First consider what the Ascension meant to Jesus. It was His ascent to heaven for glorification. The first part of the mighty work of the divine Word was completed. A small band of people were ready to receive the transformation of His Spirit in them. He had lived and died and risen from the dead for the birth of a new creation. Now the Lord’s ministry, which had been limited to the body of Jesus of Nazareth, was home with the triumphant company of heaven. His return would be with reigning power, ubiquity, and omniscience. His Spirit would be the master strategist of the movement of His people. In order to return as indwelling power in His chosen, called, and redeemed followers, He had to leave them as the self-limited Jesus who had taken on our humanity. As the glorified Christ He commanded all power in heaven and earth which He had promised would be released in prayer in His name. The Christ in the man Jesus, “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24), was liberated from the confines of locality to make His followers like Him.

And what did that mean for His followers? They could never disassociate what He had been for them as Friend, Companion, Master, Lord, and crucified and risen Savior. Just as our conception of what Christ is like will forever be focused in His incarnate life, the Gospels will be always our source of how he calls and ministers to us. In times of failure we will feel His gentle touch and hear, “Neither do I condemn you; go in peace.” In sickness we will pray and envision ourselves as one to whom He says, “Rise and walk.” In times of doubt He will come to us as He came to Thomas and offer to do whatever is necessary to get us moving forward again. When, like Peter, we are filled with self-incrimination, He will come to give us forgiveness for our denials—both of Him and ourselves—and give us new self-esteem rooted in His recall to the ministry of feeding His sheep. He will appear on our Emmaus road so that the banked fires of our hearts can be set ablaze again.

But just as our visualization of how Christ ministered is rooted in the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, it is multiplied by His ascended glory to equal the sum of infinite, ever-present, engendering and enabling power. We can sing with John Greenleaf Whittier,

Warm, sweet, tender, even yet

A present help is He;

And faith has still its Olivet,

And love its Galilee.

But we also join our voices with Edward Perronet,

All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all!

O that with yonder sacred throng

We at His feet may fall!

We’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all!

The disciples were soon to be released at Pentecost to join the everlasting song. But in the meantime, a spiritual principle was being imparted: Jesus Christ went in order to return. For His followers, life in Him would know that alternation in their relationship with Him. Just as He left them as Master and Friend in order to return as reigning, glorified Christ, so too there would be other times when He would leave, however much they had become accustomed to in their knowledge of Him, to return in a new and deeper way. The same is true for us. These withdrawals are to draw us on to the next stage of growth. It isn’t that He literally leaves us, for He promised that He would be with us always, but He brings closure to a phase of our pilgrimage in order to open new depth in our relationship with Him. It seems that we have lost Him; it is only that He’s down the road calling us to a new dimension of the adventure of knowing Him more profoundly. The transition sometimes seems to break our hearts. But hearts aren’t made of frail glass; they are more like clay on the Potter’s wheel. And our Potter has a magnificent design to follow: His own nature! It would have been sad to leave the disciples where they were as people, looking up as their beloved Master left them!

What shall we say in our communication of this passage about the two men in white apparel who gave comfort and a sense of expectation in the grief the disciples were experiencing? Who they were is explained by their attire. Obviously, they were messengers from heaven sent to cushion the shock of Jesus’ departure and to turn the disciples’ attention to the future. We are so earth-bound and limited in our perception of the spiritual world that our minds may well picture this scene as nothing more than a church pageant peopled by angelic characters. But these angels were what the disciples needed in those days before the infilling of Pentecost. It’s unnecessary to get bogged down in describing the angels; Luke has said all that he needed to say. The crucial issue is what the messengers of heaven said. It was the final clarification of Whom they were to expect. “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (v. 11).

That’s our message out of this passage. The disciples were told clearly that the One who would return would be the same Lord whom they had seen leave them. The word for “manner” is significant. In Greek it is trópos, meaning fashion, character, way of life. How would Christ return in the power of the Spirit that would be in the same trópos? I believe it meant the way Christ left, that is, unexpectedly, surprisingly, as His own decision, and in His own way. His return in the Spirit at Pentecost would be the same way. None of the disciples would be stage manager of the event to give His cue. The time and manner would be of His choosing. And that, as we shall see, was more than the disciples dared imagine as they stood there watching Him ascend. G. Campbell Morgan’s descriptive words add to our understanding: “He was received up—that is, onto a higher level of life; the life that is higher than the merely material, and manifest, and localized, and limited.”

¹

They Believed in the Risen Christ (Acts 1:1–11)

After His resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for forty days and ministered to His disciples. He had already opened their minds to understand the Old Testament message about Himself (Luke 24:44–48), but there were other lessons they needed to learn before they could launch out in their new ministry. Jesus appeared and disappeared during those forty days, and the believers never knew when He might show up. It was excellent preparation for the church because the days were soon coming when He would no longer be on earth to instruct them personally. We believers today never know when our Lord may return, so our situation is somewhat similar to theirs.

The Lord taught them several important lessons during that time of special ministry.

The reality of His resurrection (v. 3a). Some of the believers may have had their doubts forty days before (Mark 16:9–14), but there could be no question now that Jesus had indeed been raised from the dead. To strengthen their faith, He gave them “many infallible proofs” which Luke did not explain. We know that when Jesus met His disciples, He invited them to touch His body, and He even ate before them (Luke 24:38–43). Whatever proofs He gave, they were convincing.

Faith in His resurrection was important to the church because their own spiritual power depended on it. Also, the message of the Gospel involves the truth of the Resurrection (Rom. 10:9–10; 1 Cor. 15:1–8); and, if Jesus were dead, the church would be speechless. Finally, the official Jewish position was that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body from the tomb (Matt. 28:11–15), and the believers had to be able to refute this as they witnessed to the nation.

These believers were chosen to be special witnesses of Christ’s resurrection, and that was the emphasis in their ministry (Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:30–32). Most of the people in Jerusalem knew that Jesus of Nazareth had been crucified, but they did not know that He had been raised from the dead. By their words, their walk, and their mighty works, the believers told the world that Jesus was alive. This was “the sign of Jonah” that Jesus had promised to the nation (Matt. 12:38–41)—His death, burial, and resurrection.

The coming of His kingdom (v. 3b). This refers to the reign of God over the hearts and lives of those who have trusted Him (see Matt. 6:33; Rom. 14:17; 1 John 3:1–9). When you read the four Gospels, you discover that the Apostles had a strongly political view of the kingdom and were especially concerned about their own positions and privileges. Being loyal Jews, they longed for the defeat of their enemies and the final establishment of the glorious kingdom under the rule of King Messiah. They did not realize that there must first be a spiritual change in the hearts of the people (see Luke 1:67–79).

Jesus did not rebuke them when they “kept asking” about the future Jewish kingdom (Acts 1:7). After all, He had opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:44), so they knew what they were asking. But God has not revealed His timetable to us and it is futile for us to speculate. The important thing is not to be curious about the future but to be busy in the present, sharing the message of God’s spiritual kingdom. This is another emphasis in the Book of Acts (see Acts 8:12; 14:22; 20:25; 28:23, 31).

The power of His Holy Spirit (vv. 4–8). John the Baptist had announced a future baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; and see Acts 11:16), and now that prophecy would be fulfilled. Jesus had also promised the coming of the Spirit (John 14:16–18, 26; 15:26–27; 16:7–15). It would be an enduement of power for the disciples so that they would be able to serve the Lord and accomplish His will (Luke 24:49). John had spoken about “the Holy Spirit and fire,” but Jesus said nothing about fire. Why? Because the “baptism of fire” has to do with future judgment, when the nation of Israel will go through tribulation (Matt. 3:11–12). The appearing of “tongues of fire” at Pentecost (Acts 2:3) could not be termed a “baptism.”

Acts 1:8 is a key verse. To begin with, it explains that the power of the church comes from the Holy Spirit and not from man (see Zech. 4:6). God’s people experienced repeated fillings of the Spirit as they faced new opportunities and obstacles (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9). Ordinary people were able to do extraordinary things because the Spirit of God was at work in their lives. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity.

“Witness” is a key word in the Book of Acts and is used twenty-nine times as either a verb or a noun. A witness is somebody who tells what he has seen and heard (Acts 4:19–20). When you are on the witness stand in court, the judge is not interested in your ideas or opinions; he only wants to hear what you know. Our English word martyr comes from the Greek word translated “witness,” and many of God’s people have sealed their witness by laying down their lives.

We hear a great deal these days about “soul winning,” and the emphasis is a good one. However, while some of God’s people have a calling to evangelism (Eph. 4:11), all of God’s people are expected to be witnesses and tell the lost about the Saviour. Not every Christian can bring a sinner to the place of faith and decision (though most of us could do better), but every Christian can bear faithful witness to the Saviour. “A true witness delivereth souls” (Prov. 14:25).

Acts 1:8 also gives us a general outline of the Book of Acts as it describes the geographical spread of the Gospel: from Jerusalem (Acts 1–7) to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8–9), and then to the Gentiles and to the ends of the earth (Acts 10–28). No matter where we live, as Christians we should begin our witness at home and then extend it “into all the world.” As Dr. Oswald J. Smith used to say, “The light that shines the farthest will shine the brightest at home.”

The assurance of His coming again (vv. 9–11). Our Lord’s ascension into heaven was an important part of His ministry, for if He had not returned to the Father, He could not have sent the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (John 16:5–15). Also, in heaven today, the Saviour is our interceding High Priest, giving us the grace that we need for life and service (Heb. 4:14–16). He is also our Advocate before the Father, forgiving us when we confess our sins (1 John 1:9–2:2). The exalted and glorified Head of the church is now working with His people on earth and helping them accomplish His purposes (Mark 16:19–20).

As the believers watched Jesus being taken up to glory, two angels appeared and gently rebuked them. Angels play an important role in the ministry described in Acts, just as they do today, even though we cannot see them (see Acts 5:19–20; 8:26; 10:3–7; 12:7–10, 23; 27:23). The angels are the servants of the saints (Heb. 1:14).

The two messengers gave the believers assurance that Jesus Christ would come again, just as He had been taken from them. This seems to refer to His public “coming in clouds” (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Rev. 1:7) rather than to His coming for His church “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:51–52; 1 Thes. 4:13–18). Regardless of what views different people may take of God’s prophetic program, Christians agree that Jesus is coming again and that He can come at any time. This in itself is a great motivation for faithful Christian service (Luke 12:34–48).²

1:9–11 Jesus promised that He would not leave nor forsake us, but would be with us always, even to the end of the age (see Matt. 28:20; John 14:18). He fulfilled this promise in the form of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within believers (see John 16:4–7). taken up . . . cloud received Him . . . He went up: These three statements portray the gradual, majestic departure of Jesus from the earth. will so come: The Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom (vv. 6, 7) will occur the same way Jesus ascended: physically, visibly, and in the clouds.³

JESUS IS WITH US ALL THE TIME' HE IS NOT GOING TO FORSAKE US BUT HE IS INTERSEEDING BEFORE GOD ON OUR BEHALF

Having commissioned His disciples, the Lord was now prepared to disappear from their sight and make no further resurrection appearances. As the cloud received Him out of their sight, the Lord was once again restored to the glory which He had with the Father before the world began (Jn 17:4–5). As those gathered looked steadfastly toward heaven, two men in white appeared, whom Luke obviously intends his readers to understand as angelic messengers (cf. Mt 28:3; Jn 20:12). They gave to the followers of the Lord Jesus the tremendous promise, this same Jesus … shall so come in like manner. Not another and in a different way, but this same Jesus in the same way, would descend for believers as they had seen Him ascend from them. Between ascension and His return for them, however, would be an interval of time in which the Holy Spirit would empower His church to carry on the ministry of worldwide evangelization.⁴

The historical reality of the ascension: The period of forty days is drawn to a conclusion by a unique action, the ascension of Jesus. As the disciples look on, He is taken up into a cloud (Matt. 28:16ff; Luke 24:50f). The ascension has been regularly dismissed as a hangover from primitive belief in a three-decker world, with God’s home ‘above the sky.’ But its general historicity is perfectly defensible provided we allow for the Bible’s regular use of symbolism in conveying its message.

The disciples’ experience of seeing Jesus physically gathered up into a cloud—a memory which would have impressed itself on their minds for the remainder of their lives—taught them three important, highly relevant truths. First, its climactic nature at the end of the forty days would have indicated the conclusion of that period. They were not to anticipate further physical appearances of Jesus. Second, for men immersed in the Old Testament, the cloud was a revered symbol of the awesome presence of God, as for example at Sinai, or in the wilderness (Exod. 40:34, 13:21), at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:10f), or more immediately of the glory of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:34f); Jesus is ‘going’ into the very heart and centre of Godhead. Third, the movement of Jesus upwards into the cloud (he was taken up …) would have conveyed what such elevation does in every age (cf. ‘the king ascended to the throne …’; ‘she went up in my estimation …’), viz. his exaltation to a place of supreme dignity, respect, and authority.

Taken together these three implications coalesce in an ascension-mediated conviction that Jesus, though now and hereafter to be hidden from physical sight and tangible contact, is in the very presence of God, and exalted as Lord over all things.

The meaning of the ascension:

(1) For Jesus Himself: Ascension means reign, as we noted above. Paul explores this implication memorably in Philippians 2:9f, ‘God has highly exalted Jesus and given him the name which is above every other name,’ viz. the name ‘Lord,’ with all its Old Testament overtones of deity. Thus the risen one can claim, ‘All authority in heaven and earth is given to me’ (Matt. 28:18). Jesus is therefore the ‘Lord Jesus’ (cf. Acts 2:34), the one addressed as ‘Lord’ in the messianic Psalm 110:1 (cf. Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:13; 1 Pet. 3:22; Acts 10:36).

(2) For the mission of the church: We recall that Luke has already given an account of the ascension at the end of his Gospel (Luke 24:50f). There it acts as a fitting conclusion to the story of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He who was rejected and exposed to the horrors of crucifixion is not only raised again, the conqueror of death; but is vindicated in His claims, and in His divinely intended self-sacrifice, by being exalted to the right hand of God. So the Gospel ends with the disciples offering Him worship, and being filled with great joy (Luke 24:52).

However Luke repeats the ascension in some detail here in Acts 1, because the ascension is not only the fitting conclusion to the gospel story, it is also the supremely important presupposition and basis of the entire on-going life of the disciple-community, the church. It is in the light shed by the ascension that we are to view the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the whole course of the Christian centuries, and the entire mission of the gospel in the world. ‘Christ is ascended, but his abiding presence and energy fill the whole book of Acts, and the whole succeeding story of his people on earth … “He ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” ’

It is on the basis of the ascension that the church goes forth to the world with the gospel. It is His ascended presence which authenticates its testimony, and which again and again renews its life, inspires its servants, establishes its authority, directs its progress, and will culminate its work. ‘There is all the difference in the world between going out on mission with the motive of helping Christ to become King, and going out because the King has sent you … The command “go into all the world” has behind it the urge and power of that stupendous affirmation “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” The dynamic of the church’s unaccomplished task is the accomplished deed of God. Underneath the urgent imperative there rests, firm as a rock, the eternal indicative.’

Calvin notes a further lesson of the ascension: ‘He ascended to heaven to remain there until such time as he should come a second time to judge the world. Let us therefore learn … that Christ is not to be sought either in heaven or upon earth other than by faith; and also that we must not desire to have Him present with us bodily in the world. For the man who clings to either of these ambitions often moves further away from Him.’

(3) For our personal service of the mission of Christ. More generally, the ascension clarifies the conditions under which Christ is present for us in our personal lives. It is a relationship with Him that is real and living, for He is risen and alive forever. It a relationship which does not depend on sight but rather on faith, listening to His voice rather than straining for His physical presence; ‘this is my Son … listen to him’ (Luke 9:35). It is a relationship of confidence for He reigns in the world. It is a relationship of sympathy, ‘for he is not unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,’ and ‘he ever lives to make intercession for us.’ It is a relationship of hope because ‘he will come again’ (11). It is a relationship experienced in the context of mission, the command to be witnesses ‘until he comes.’ But He who comes will be ‘this same Jesus,’ and hence it is a relationship of love as we rest in the revelation of the Gospels and nurture a relationship with Him which is daily enlightened by their witness. Accordingly the ascension is no ‘tearful farewell’ as at some parting at a deathbed, or before a long journey with the prospect of a yawning separation and no certainty of ever renewing the contact of sight and touch. Hence Luke 24:52 … ‘they returned to Jerusalem with great joy.’ The implications of the ascension for Christian living as well as witness, have rarely been more defiantly, or thrillingly expressed, than in a passage in Calvin’s fourth sermon on the ascension:

‘Since he has gone up there, and is in heaven for us, let us note that we need not fear to be in this world. It is true that we are subject to so much misery that our condition is pitiable, but at that we need neither be astonished nor confine our attention to ourselves. Thus, we look to our Head Who is already in heaven, and say, “Although I am weak, there is Jesus Christ Who is powerful enough to make me stand upright. Although I am feeble, there is Jesus Christ Who is my strength. Although I am full of miseries, Jesus Christ is in immortal glory and what he has will some time be given to me and I shall partake of all his benefits. Yes, the devil is called the prince of this world. But what of it? Jesus Christ holds him in check; for he is King of heaven and earth. There are devils above us in the air who make war against us. But what of it? Jesus Christ rules above, having entire control of the battle. Thus we need not doubt that he gives us the victory. I am here subject to many changes, which may cause me to lose courage. But what of it? The Son of God is my Head, who is exempt from all change. I must, then, take confidence in Him.” This is how we must look to his ascension, applying the benefits to ourselves.’

(4) For the form of our Christian hope: A final point from these verses is to consider the intrinsic relationship established here between the ascension and the return of Christ. The incarnation of the Son of God was not a temporary phase of His being. His uniting to Himself a full human nature is a continuing reality, and hence, although His physical form remains hidden from us during the age of the church, it is realized in the present through His High Priestly intercession and sympathy (Heb. 4:14–5:10; 7:23–25; Rom. 8:34), and it is destined to reappear for us at His return. ‘We shall see him as he is!’ (1 John 3:2).

9–11 Reader! conceive with what astonishment the disciples beheld the ascension of Christ! What must have been their feelings! What their holy joy! How gracious was it in the Lord, not only to them, but for the sake of the whole Church, to send those two angels in human form, to explain to the wondering Apostles, what they saw? Their minds no doubt, were absorbed in contemplating the glorious sight, which so beautifully corresponded to the predictions of prophecy, concerning it. See Psalms 24 and 47 and 68 and probably some of them might recollect, what Jesus had said to Nathanael: John 1:51. and to the murmuring Jews: John 6:62. But be this as it might, the angels called off their attention, from attending to the mere splendour of the sight, to the blissful consequences of their Lord’s ascension. And oh! how sweet the scripture which follows: This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come, in like manner, as ye have seen him go into Heaven. Reader! ponder well these words. Your God, your Savior, in the same identity of Person; divine, and human, as he left the earth: so now remains, and so again will return, when his feet shall stand again on the very same mount from whence he went up. See Zech. 14:4. Acts 3:21. 2 Thess. 1:10. And in the mean time, for the full scope of faith, in every need and want, we should never, no, not for a moment, forget, that the Son of God in our nature, is now in heaven, and there exercising his office, of an unchangeable priesthood. Heb. 7:24. So that his mercies towards his people, are the mercies of both natures; and are manifested in this double way, and through such a medium as could not have been shewn had he been God only. His mercies are indeed infinite, because he is God: and his human nature in communicating them to us, renders them endless and unceasing from that Almighty power. But at the same time, they are all in One of our own nature, and they flow to us in, and through this nature, with a sweetness to endear them to our hearts. And hence the Apostle’s direction to go to him. Heb. 4:14, 15, 16. Reader! do you not believe this glorious article of our most holy faith? Do you not know, that our Emmanuel, God with us, God in our nature, is now in heaven? And do you not, if so, bring that belief into daily, hourly use? Are you not often at the heavenly court? And are you not, like the Apostles, looking for, and hastening unto, the coming of the great day of his return? 2 Peter 3:12–14. Philip. 3:20, 21.⁵

The Ascension of Jesus

Jesus’ ascension was His Father’s act of withdrawing Him from His disciples’ gaze upward (a sign of exaltation) into a cloud (a sign of God’s presence, Acts 1:9–11). This act was not a form of space travel, but the next step following the Resurrection of Jesus’ return from death to the height of glory. Jesus foretold the Ascension (John 6:62; 14:2, 12; 16:5, 10, 17, 28; 17:5; 20:17), and Luke described it (Luke 24:50–53; Acts 1:6–11). Paul celebrates it and affirms Christ’s consequent lordship (Eph. 1:20; 4:8–10; Phil. 2:9–11; 1 Tim. 3:16), and Hebrews applies this truth for encouragement of the fainthearted (Heb. 1:3; 4:14; 9:24). Jesus Christ is Lord of the universe, a source of enormous encouragement to all believers.

The Ascension was from one standpoint the restoration of the glory that the Son had before the Incarnation, from another the glorifying of human nature in a way that had never happened before, and from a third the start of a reign that had not existed in this form before. The Ascension establishes three facts:

1. Christ’s personal ascendancy. Ascension means accession. To sit at the Father’s right hand is to occupy the position of ruler on God’s behalf (Matt. 28:18; 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:20–22; 1 Pet. 3:22).

2. Christ’s spiritual omnipresence. In the heavenly sanctuary of the heavenly Zion (Heb. 9:24; 12:22–24), Jesus is accessible to all who invoke His name (Heb. 4:14), and powerful to help them, anywhere in the world (Heb. 4:16; 7:25; 13:6–8).

3. Christ’s heavenly ministry. The reigning Lord intercedes for His people (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). Though requesting from the Father is part of what He does (John 14:16), the essence of Christ’s intercession is intervention in our interest rather than supplication on our behalf (as if His position were one of sympathy without status or authority). In sovereignty He now lavishes upon us the benefits that His suffering won for us. From His throne He sends the Holy Spirit constantly to enrich His people (John 16:7–14; Acts 2:33) and equip them for service (Eph. 4:8–12).⁶

1 Ogilvie, L. J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983). Acts (Vol. 28, pp. 40–43). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 402–404). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

3 Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Ac 1:9–11). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

4 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (pp. 2128–2129). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

5 Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s New Testament Commentary: Acts–Ephesians (Vol. 2, pp. 6–7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

6 Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2005). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (p. 1505). Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries.