Christ Revealed in Acts: In Resurrection vs. In Ascension

 

Christ Revealed in Acts: In Resurrection vs. In Ascension

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:9 And when he had thus spoken, he was taken up, and a cloud received him up out of their sight, while they were looking on.

Acts 1:10 As they looked steadily toward heaven as He was going up, they saw two men standing near them in white garments, saying,

Acts 1:11 Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will so come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

Acts 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are witnesses.

 

Aspect	Christ in Resurrection	Christ in Ascension	Distinctions and Interrelationships
Meaning	Christ passed through death, entered into the realm of resurrection, and became the life-giving Spirit	Christ was exalted to heaven to carry out what God ordained on earth and to administer God's government	Resurrection is the foundation of ascension; resurrection made Christ the life-giving Spirit, while ascension gave Him authority to execute God's administration
Realm	As the life-giving Spirit in the realm of resurrection, appearing to disciples and speaking of the kingdom of God	Executing God's economy in heaven and exercising authority over heaven and earth	The realm of resurrection primarily concerns life, while the realm of ascension primarily concerns authority; together they constitute the complete scope of Christ's work
Identity	The life-giving Spirit, abiding with disciples, becoming their essence and inner life	Established as Lord (Lord of all) and Christ (God's Anointed One)	In resurrection, Christ became the supplier of life; in ascension, Christ became the ruler and the accomplisher of God's mission
Accomplishments	1. Breathed Himself as the life-giving Spirit into the disciples 2. Appeared to disciples for forty days 3. Spoke of the kingdom of God 4. Trained disciples to recognize and become accustomed to His invisible presence	1. Poured out the Holy Spirit 2. Baptized believers into one Body 3. Gained all things (as Lord) 4. Accomplished God's mission (as Christ)	The accomplishments in resurrection focus on life indwelling; the accomplishments in ascension focus on the outpouring of the Spirit and the exercise of authority; both complement each other to fulfill God's eternal plan
Mode of Operation	Indwelling believers invisibly, becoming their life and essence	Executing authority on the throne and working through the outpoured Spirit upon believers	Distinction between essence and economy: resurrection emphasizes the indwelling in essence, ascension emphasizes the outpouring in economy; indwelling gives believers life, outpouring gives believers power
Relationship with Believers	Relationship in essence: dwelling in believers as the life-giving Spirit	Relationship in economy: as Head ruling over believers and pouring out the Holy Spirit upon them	Resurrection makes believers God-men, mingled with the Triune God; ascension enables believers to participate in executing God's economy; together they make believers divine persons with divine life and divine power
Continuity of Work	Training disciples to recognize  His invisible presence, making them realize  He has become their life and essence	Continuing through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the multiplication of life and the building of the church	The work in resurrection lays the foundation for the work in ascension; the work in ascension is the continuation and expansion of the work in resurrection; together they fulfill God's New Testament economy
Effects	Giving believers divine life, making them know  their new being, and mingling them with the Triune God	Giving believers divine power to execute God's economy and build the church	The effect of resurrection is the inward transformation of life, the effect of ascension is the outward power for ministry; their combination produces church life and the expansion of God's kingdom
Ultimate Goal	Making believers God-men, living and acting in the divine life	Building the church, completing God's eternal plan	Their common goal is to build the New Jerusalem as God's eternal habitation and expression, for God's eternal satisfaction
Related Scriptures	Luke 24:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Phil. 3:10; Acts 1:3; John 14:20	Acts 1:11-12; Acts 2:33, 36; Acts 10:36; Heb. 1:9; Heb. 12:2	The revelation of these two aspects together constitutes a complete portrait of Christ in the book of Acts

 

Conclusion:

l   The Christ revealed in the book of Acts is one who exists both in resurrection and in ascension. These are not two Christs but the same Christ in two different stages of His work. In resurrection, Christ became the life-giving Spirit to indwell believers, becoming their inner life and essence. In ascension, Christ was established as Lord and Christ, pouring out the Spirit upon believers to empower them for His work.

l   The distinction between Christ in resurrection and Christ in ascension is essentially the distinction between the essential aspect and the economical aspect of His work. In resurrection, Christ accomplished the essential aspect by breathing Himself into the disciples as life. In ascension, He accomplished the economical aspect by pouring out the Spirit upon believers for power and authority.

l   Together, these two aspects of Christ's work fulfill God's eternal plan by producing believers who are not only filled with divine life but also empowered with divine authority to build the church and expand God's kingdom, ultimately leading to the New Jerusalem as God's eternal dwelling place and expression.

 

*Please refer to the April 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training General Topic: Oneness and Vital Aspects of Acts Chapter 4: Resurrection, Ascension, and the All-inclusive Christ