Acts 1:6-8

Acts 1:6-8

[6] When  they therefore  were come together,  of him,  saying,  Lord,  at  time  restore again  the kingdom  to Israel?  [7] And  he said  unto  them,  not  to know  the times  or  the seasons,  which  the Father  hath put  in  his own  power.  [8] But  ye shall receive  power,  after that the Holy  Ghost  is come  upon  and  witnesses  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judaea,  and  in Samaria,  and  unto  the uttermost part  of the earth. 

What does Acts 1:6-8 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The key to the apostles" successful fulfillment of Jesus" commission was their baptism with and consequent indwelling by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine enablement they would only have been able to follow Jesus" example, but with it Jesus could literally continue to do His work and teach His words through them. Consequently their preparation for the baptism of the Spirit was very important. Luke recorded it to highlight its foundational significance.
Acts 1:6-8 announce the theme of Acts and set the stage for all that follows.
"The concept of "witness" is so prominent in Acts (the word in its various forms appears some thirty-nine times) that everything else in the book should probably be seen as subsumed under it-even the primitive kerygma [1] ..." [2]