ActsActs

A Witness to the World

The Book of ActsThe Book of Acts

The Author: Luke– Acts is a sequel.– Luke begins by referencing his first book.– Both books are dedicated to Theophilus.

The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. (Acts 1:1-2).

Bridging the GapBridging the Gap

The Gospels

The Epistles

Observations on ActsObservations on Acts

• Acts is a book of Victory

• Acts is essentially about the ministries of Peter and Paul– Mistakes and successes– Discouragement and great courage

• Narratives are not necessarily normative

• Preaching in the Book of Acts

• Prayer in the Book of Acts

LukeLukeBegins with an address to most excellent Theophilus

ActsActsBegins with an address to Theophilus

Announcement made by angel Gabriel

Announcement made by two angels

Begins in Jerusalem Begins in Jerusalem

Birth of Jesus as the Spirit comes on Mary

Birth of the Church as the Spirit comes on believers

There is a movement toward Jerusalem

There is a movement away from Jerusalem

Acts 1:6-8Acts 1:6-86 And so when they had come

together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

JerusalemJudea

Samaria

1 Primarily Peter

Church Established

Preparation Church Foretold2 Church Born

3 Church Dispersed

Church Witnessing6 Church Organized

7 Peter & Others

Church Scattered

Church Expanding9 Church Dispersed10 Gentiles in the Church13 Primarily

PaulChurch Extended

First Missionary Journey15 Church in Conference16 Second Missionary Journey19 Third Missionary Journey21 Paul

ImprisonedPaul in Jerusalem

24 Paul in Caesarea27 Paul in Rome

Witness to the ResurrectionWitness to the Resurrection• This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are

all witnesses (Acts 2:32).• But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One,

and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. (Acts 3:14-15).

• With great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all (4:32).

• And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. (Acts 5:32).

Damascus

Jerusalem

Joppa

Antioch

Tarsus

Salamis

Seleucia25 And he left for Tarsus to look

for Saul; 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.(Acts 11:25-26)

SyrianAntioch

Tarsus

Salamis

Seleucia

Paphos

SyrianAntioch

Tarsus

Salamis

Seleucia

Paphos

Syrian Antioch

Perga

Antioch inPsidia

Temple of Augustus

SyrianAntioch

Tarsus

Salamis

Seleucia

Paphos

Pisidian Antioch

Iconium

Lystra Derbe

Perga

SyrianAntioch

Tarsus

Salamis

Seleucia

Paphos

Pisidian Antioch

Iconium

Lystra Derbe

Perga

Acts 15Acts 15

Must Christians be circumcised in order to be saved?

Troas

Thessalonica

Philippi

Berea

Athens

Corinth

Troas

Thessalonica

Philippi

Berea

Athens

Corinth

Acts 17:11-12Acts 17:11-12

11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.

12 Many of them therefore believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

Troas

Thessalonica

Philippi

Berea

Athens

Corinth

Areopagus

Troas

Thessalonica

Philippi

Berea

Athens

Corinth

Acts 18:2-3Acts 18:2-3

theJews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working; for by trade they were tent-makers.

And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all

In the In the SynagogueSynagogue

In the house of In the house of Titius JustusTitius Justus

BibleStudies

SyrianAntioch

Ephesus

Caesarea

SyrianAntioch

Ephesus

Caesarea

Jerusalem

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which

the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the

church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

(Acts 20:28)

Acts 28:30-31Acts 28:30-3130 And he stayed two full years in

his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.