Why is witnessing Jesus' resurrection crucial for apostleship according to Acts 1:22? Setting the Scene Acts 1 finds the disciples in the upper room, prayerfully awaiting the promised Holy Spirit. Judas is gone, and Peter explains that another must take his place “to become a witness with us of His resurrection” (Acts 1:22). Only someone who actually saw the risen Christ qualifies. The Verse in Focus “beginning from John’s baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us, one of them must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” — Acts 1:22 Why an Eyewitness of the Resurrection Was Non-Negotiable • Central message, central witness – The heartbeat of apostolic preaching is that Jesus rose bodily from the dead (Acts 2:24; 3:15; 4:33). – Without a living Christ, there is no gospel to preach (1 Corinthians 15:14–15). • Firsthand credibility – In Jewish law, matters are established “by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). – Apostles were to stand in court-like fashion before the world, able to say, “We have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20; 1 John 1:1–3). • Continuity with Jesus’ own commission – Jesus told the Eleven, “You also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (John 15:27). – Luke 24:46-48 links “You are witnesses of these things” directly to the resurrection narrative. • Proof of the Messiah’s identity – Romans 1:4 declares Jesus was “appointed the Son of God in power…by His resurrection from the dead.” – Only someone who saw that definitive proof could affirm it with unshakable certainty. • Guarding doctrinal purity – Eyewitness apostles provided a fixed, historical anchor so later teachings could be measured against their testimony (Ephesians 2:20). – Myths and distortions would be silenced by those who could say, “That is not what we saw” (2 Peter 1:16). The Resurrection at the Core of Apostolic Preaching • Peter at Pentecost: Acts 2:32 • Peter at Solomon’s Portico: Acts 3:15 • Peter before the Sanhedrin: Acts 4:10 • Paul at Pisidian Antioch: Acts 13:30–31 The apostles never preached a moral code or philosophy; they proclaimed a Person who conquered death and whom they had encountered alive. Apostolic Authority Anchored in a Living Christ • Their commission came directly from the risen Lord (Matthew 28:18-20). • Their courage flowed from knowing death had been defeated (Acts 5:29-32). • Their miracles and writings bore witness that the same power that raised Jesus was now at work through them (2 Corinthians 4:14; Hebrews 2:3-4). Implications for Today • Our faith rests on solid, historical testimony, not wishful thinking (Luke 1:1-4). • The written apostolic witness (the New Testament) carries binding authority because it originates with those who saw the risen Christ (2 Peter 3:15-16). • The resurrection remains the centerpiece of evangelism: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). |
    |