Acts 1:8: Edit history
Revision #9350
Acts 1:8
English baseline before localization
Status: approved
Changes from the previous English revision
The passage in which Jesus, just before his ascension, tells the disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes upon them they will receive power and be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The verse previews the narrative of the entire Book of Acts and serves as a leading watchword for missions. The nature of the experience of the Spirit implied by "receiving power" is debated.
Full revision
The passage in which Jesus, just before his ascension, tells the disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes upon them they will receive power and be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The verse previews the narrative of the entire Book of Acts and serves as a leading watchword for missions. The nature of the experience of the Spirit implied by "receiving power" is debated.
Context
The risen Jesus appears to the disciples over forty days, speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He commands them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Holy Spirit promised by the Father (vv. 4–5). When the disciples ask, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (v. 6), Jesus answers that the times and seasons lie within the Father's own authority and then speaks the words of verse 8: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." He is then taken up into heaven as they watch (v. 9).
Interpretation
- Outline of Acts: A widely accepted interpretation holds that this verse contains the structure of the Book of Acts, which moves from Jerusalem (chs. 1–7) to Judea and Samaria (chs. 8–12) and then to the ends of the earth (chs. 13–28, covering Paul's missionary work and his arrival in Rome).
- Command or promise?: "Ye shall be witnesses" is grammatically in the future tense, and some interpreters point out that, before it is a command, it is a promise of what will come to pass when the Holy Spirit comes.
- Witness: A "witness" (martys) is one who testifies to what he has seen. In later usage this word gave rise to the term "martyr."
Debates and Issues
Denominations differ on how to understand the coming of the Spirit spoken of here. Pentecostalism holds that a baptism in the Holy Spirit, received as a distinct experience after conversion, imparts power for witness, and it cites this verse together with the Pentecost event of chapter 2. Most Reformed and Baptist interpreters hold that Spirit baptism is received by every believer at conversion, that the Pentecost event was a once-for-all occurrence in redemptive history, and that believers thereafter repeatedly seek the filling of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The Holiness and Wesleyan traditions have understood Spirit baptism in connection with the experience of sanctification.
Regarding the question in verse 6, dispensationalism holds that the restoration of the kingdom to Israel was not canceled but postponed to the future, while others read Jesus as redirecting that expectation toward the Holy Spirit and world mission.
In Korean Churches
This is a signature verse for Mission Sunday, missionary commissioning services, and short-term mission send-off ceremonies, and the phrase "ends of the earth" is widely used in the names and mottoes of mission organizations and churches.
Related Passages
- Luke 24:46–49
- Matthew 28:18–20
- Acts 2:1–4
- John 15:26–27
| Revision | Time (UTC) | Contributor | Summary | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9351 | 2026-11-05 01:48:32 | AI localization | Localized for English-speaking readers | approved |
| #9350 | 2026-11-05 01:48:32 | AI localization | English baseline before localization | approved |