Acts 1:8—“You Shall Receive Power”

“You will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.”—Acts 1:8, New World Translation.

“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”—Acts 1:8, New King James Version.

Meaning of Acts 1:8

Jesus promises his followers that they will be empowered by God’s holy spirit to carry out their ministry in the most remote parts of the world.

“You will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you.” Jesus reaffirms the promise he had previously made to his disciples that they would receive help by means of God’s spirita after his return to heaven. (John 14:16, 26) Ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven in the year 33 C.E., his followers received the promised holy spirit. (Acts 2:1-4) God’s holy spirit not only enabled them to speak in different languages and perform miracles but also gave them the ability to preach boldly about their faith in Jesus.—Acts 3:1-8; 4:33; 6:8-10; 14:3, 8-10.

“You will be witnesses of me.” The word translated “witness” means “one who testifies” or “attests something” from firsthand or personal knowledge. As eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life, the apostles could attest to the events that took place during his ministry as well as at his death and resurrection. (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39) Their irrefutable testimony convinced many others that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah. (Acts 2:32-36, 41) Those who believed the apostles became witnesses of Jesus, and they, in turn, proclaimed the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.—Acts 17:2, 3; 18:5.

“To the most distant part of the earth.” This expression can also be rendered “to the ends of the earth” or “to other countries.” Jesus’ words indicate the extent to which his followers would be witnesses of him. They would go far beyond Judea and Samaria to proclaim what they believed. In fact, they would cover a greater territory and reach a greater number of people than Jesus ever did. (Matthew 28:19; John 14:12) Less than 30 years after Jesus spoke these words, the apostle Paul wrote that the good news about Jesus had been “preached in all creation under heaven,” even in such remote places as Rome, Parthia (southeast of the Caspian Sea), and North Africa.—Colossians 1:23; Acts 2:5, 9-11.

Context of Acts 1:8

The book of Acts picks up where the Gospel of Luke leaves off. (Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:4, 5) Its writer, the disciple Luke, begins his account by describing how Jesus appeared to his followers after his resurrection. (Acts 1:1-3) He then relates how the Christian congregation was founded and how it grew during the period from 33 C.E. to about 61 C.E.—Acts 11:26.

The context of Acts 1:8 shows that Jesus’ followers were wondering whether Jesus would begin ruling as King of God’s Kingdom during their lifetime. (Acts 1:6) In response, Jesus tells them not to be overly concerned about when the Kingdom will be established. (Acts 1:7) Instead, his followers should focus on bearing witness about Jesus “to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Christians today follow the same pattern, zealously preaching the good news about God’s Kingdom.—Matthew 24:14.

Watch this short video to see an overview of the book of Acts.