Acts Summary & Overview

The Acts of the Apostles (summary & overview)

Suggested Author:  Luke 

• Acts 1:1- The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
• Former treatise = Gospel according to Luke

Suggested time of Acts:  A.D. 61 – middle of second century

Theme(s):  The resurrected Savior, Growth of the New Testament Church

• The OT, Resurrection, testimony of the Apostles, and the Holy Spirit all bear witness to the fact that Jesus is both Lord and Christ:
  • Acts 2:22-36, Acts 10:43, Acts 4:12
• Acts tells the story from Jesus’ ascension to the NT Epistles
• The Book of Acts is the historical link between the Gospels and the Epistles. 
• Acts was written to trace the development of the body of Christ from Jew to predominately Gentile membership:
  • Acts 1:8, Acts 2:42-47
• Acts 2 records the fulfillment of the Great Commission and growth of the NT church:
  • Matt. 19-20, Acts 5:14, Acts 6:7, Acts 9:31, Acts 12:24, Acts 13:49, Acts 16:5, Acts 19:20
• Acts records the history of Christianity from Christ’s ascension to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the progress of the Gospel starting in Jerusalem and spreading throughout the Roman Empire.
• Acts is a book of transitions:
  • Gospels to Epistles
  • Judaism to Christianity
  • Law to Grace
• Movements in Acts:
• Witness in Jerusalem (Acts 1:1-8:4)
  • Christ appeared to disciples for  40 days (Acts 1:3)
  • 3,000 souls converted to Christianity (Acts 2:41)
• Witness in Judea & Samaria (Acts 8:5-12:25)
  • Powerful preaching of Philip to those disliked by Jews (Gentiles)
  • Peter and John confirm Philips work & exercise their apostolic authority
  • God transforms Saul (Hebrew) the persecutor to Paul (Roman) the Gospel preacher
• Witness to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 13-28)
  • Focus of Acts shifts from Peter to Paul
  • Paul’s 3 missionary journeys begin in Antioch of Syria
    • 1^st journey:  Galatia (Pisidian, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe)
    • 2^nd journey:  Galatia, Macedonia, Greece
    • 3^rd journey:  Asia (Ephesus), Macedonia, Greece

Bro. Darrell Woodard (070419)

Hampton Avenue Church of Christ, Milwaukee, WI

July 07, 2019   darrellwoodard@rocketmail.com

                   DAWoodW0rx! ‘19