The Book of

Acts
 • The Book of Acts captures for us the movement of the
gospel of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem to the ends of the
earth. The work and words of Jesus are entrusted to faithful
disciples who, upon receiving the Holy Spirit, are empowered
to preach the news of Christ to the world.
• The Book of Acts could be titled The Acts of the Holy Spirit, or
The Book of the Spirit, or The First Christian History Book
Act Ever Written.
s • It is the earliest selective account of the expansion of the
Christian Church after the ascension of Jesus.
• The Book of Acts is a concise history of the advance of the
gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of earth through Spirit-
empowered disciples. Proclaimed first in Jerusalem, the good
news of Jesus then moves into the surrounding regions of
Samaria and Galilee. Finally, the gospel arrives with Paul in
Rome, the end of the known world.
 Acts reads like historical narrative and can rightly be
considered the first selective history of Christianity. However,
the fact that it is a history raises at least one interpretive
issue that should be noted.
Description versus Prescription: Some passages are
concerned with describing what occurred, without giving
Note: approval of the event or calling for imitation in the life of the
reader. Other passages are prescribing actions. Even further,
an author may describe something more than once, possibly
implying that the description should understood
prescriptively.
 • Acts 1:8—it has been argued more than once that this
verse can serve as the structural paradigm for entire book.
The gospel is to move throughout Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth by means of our
Structural witness.
• The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts—when these two
Issues: works are viewed together, it is apparent that Luke hinges
his works together at the Cross of Christ. The Gospel takes
us to the cross, while Acts takes the message of the cross
to the ends of the earth.
Thematic Issues:

• The Holy Spirit is the person who is empowering the disciples for ministry. Acts could be
understood as the Acts of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 2 and Pentecost: This text is hugely important as it sets the stage for the ministries
that are described in the rest of the book. Take time to show the students that the coming
of the Holy Spirit is the watershed moment that stands at the beginning of the apostolic
witness.
 • Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke, is also the author of
Acts.
• This was the testimony of the earliest Christians and is
held to be true today by most scholars.
• It seems to be the second volume of a two–volume work
Author presented to Theophilus.
• When you read Acts there are times when the narrator
seems to be present in the story itself. See: Acts 16:10–17;
Acts 20:5–21:18; Acts 27:1–28:16
 Recipients
The opening of Luke and the opening of Acts both record
Theophilus as the recipient of the letter
 Acts’ literary genre is historical

Interpretative Description vs. Prescription-

Issues: • Description: “On Sunday afternoon my wife

and I took our two children to the park next to
Literary Genre our home. We walked along the sidewalk until
we reached the paths in the park. Then, my
and oldest son wanted to race. I raced him along
the path until we reached the playground while
Prescription my wife walked with our youngest son behind
us. Once we reached the playground my two
versus sons played on the slides while my wife sat on
the park bench and watched. As I sat next to
Description her I had the inclination to climb a nearby tree
and watch the kids play.”
• It tells a person what happened or what
transpired not what a person must do.
 • Prescription:
• “Ugaliing maghugas ng kamay upang tayo ay makaiwas
sa mikrobyo.”
• Prescription tells the need to do something.
Cont. • There are times when something is described while at the
same prescribing an action or belief (Acts 4:12).
 Acts 1:8 being paradigmatic
for entirety of Acts.

Structure
There are basically two
primary individuals within the
narrative and the book could
be structured around them.
 • 8:1–5- in this passage the gospel begins to move outside of
Jerusalem and into the surrounding regions.
• 10:1–48- this passage recounts how the gospel has moved
out of the primarily Jewish population of Jerusalem and is
taking root among the Gentiles.
• 13:1–3- in this passage Saul (Paul) and Barnabas are sent
out from the Antiochene church and their missionary
Acts 1:8 As journeys follow. The rest of Acts is primarily concerned
with the ministry of Paul.
Paradigmatic • 16:6–10- the Macedonian Call leads Paul to take the gospel
even further into the Western part of the world and ever
closer to Rome.
• 27:1- at this point in the narrative the final move to Rome
(the ends of the earth) begins.
• 28:11–16- after the final travel narrative in which Paul sails
for Rome, he finally arrives at the end of the known world.
 • The theme of the fulfillment of God’s plan in Luke is carried on the book of
Acts.
THEMES: • “The specific mechanisms by which the plan of God is announced in the

Theme 1—
gospel are continued in the book of Acts: the note of divine necessity…
angelic intervention…visions…the fulfillment of Scripture”- Moo and
Carson

The • Divine Necessity

•Acts 1:16
Fulfillment of answer.· — the ESV says that the Scriptures “had to be fulfilled.” This is the
past tense of the Greek verb meaning “it was necessary.” The Old Testament
God’s Plan passage in view is Ps. 69:25, which contains a prophetic emphasis.
•Acts 9:15–16
answer.· — not only does God choose Saul, who becomes the Apostle Paul,
but God has decreed that Paul would “suffer for the sake of [Jesus’] name.”
This suffering “must” take place. Again, the note of necessity is clearly
perceived.
•Acts 14:21–22
answer.· —yet again we find the Greek term for necessity employed by Luke
in this passage. As Paul and Barnabas return to Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian
Antioch, they strengthen the disciples and tell them what they “must” suffer.
Cont.: Angelic interventions

• Acts 5:19-21
answer.· The Jewish religious leaders attempted to put an end to the preaching of the Apostles in chapter 5. Yet, through the agency
of “an angel of the Lord,” the Apostles were freed and commanded to return to the Temple and “speak to the people all the words
of this Life” (5:20).
• Acts 12:7-11
answer.· Once again Peter finds himself in prison for his preaching. This time Herod is behind the imprisonment. James is killed and
Peter is tossed into jail. The night that Herod intended to bring Peter out, an “angel of the Lord” appeared and rescued Peter from
prison. The Apostle would be freed and return to preaching the message of the gospel.
• Acts 27:23-24
answer.· Paul has been taken prisoner and after his appeal to Caesar is on his way to Rome. During the voyage across the
Mediterranean Sea a violent storm threatens to destroy the boat. Paul takes the lead in encouraging the ship’s passengers after “an
angel of the Lord” assures Paul that “God has granted [him] all those who sail with [him]” (27:24). Paul uses this angelic
announcement to calm the sailors by telling them that God has planned for Paul to stand before Caesar. And this must come to pass
(27:24).
Cont.: Visions

• There are a number of passages in Acts that record the visions of certain individuals. An
important vision is found in 10:9–33. This passage recounts the vision of both Peter and
Cornelius and sets the stage for the Spirit to fall upon the Gentiles. The plan of God for the
seed of Abraham (cf. Matthew 1:1) to be a blessing to the nations (cf. Gen. 12:1–3) is
coming to fruition.
Cont.: The Fulfillment of Scripture

• Acts 2:16-21
• answer.· After the coming of the Holy Spirit, which fulfills the promise of Jesus in John 16:7, the disciples begin to speak in
tongues. As the crowds wonder what is happening, Peter stands up and delivers his first recorded sermon in Acts. He points to a
text in Joel and asserts that what Joel had written about was taking place before their very eyes.
• Acts 4:11 answer.· This passage is a reference to Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 28:16. In the rejection of Jesus these two passages
have come to their ultimate fulfillment.
• Acts 8:32-22 answer.· The Ethiopian eunuch is found reading a passage from Isaiah 53 (53:7, 8). Philip comes up to the eunuch
and explains that the passage finds its ultimate referent in Jesus Christ.
• Acts 13:32-35 answer.· The good news that Paul and his companions bring is that “what God had promised to the fathers, this
he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus…” (13:32–33). Paul then quotes Ps. 2:7; Is. 55:3; and Ps. 16:10.
• Acts 28:25-28 answer.· Luke closes his two–volumes by once again referencing the Old Testament. A speech of Paul is recorded
in which he quotes from Isaiah 6:9, 10. Here the plan of God to extend the gospel to the Gentiles, who “will listen” (28:28), is
emphasized.
Theme 2—Salvation • Luke has presented the work of Jesus in his Gospel and now in Acts
he begins to trace the movement of the gospel to the ends of the
earth. As the gospel moves out from Jerusalem, men and women
repent of their sins, trust in Jesus, and take hold of salvation.
• The theme of salvation “is considered by most scholars to be the
central theological theme in both Luke and Acts” (Introduction to the
New Testament, 322).
• This is the reason that the disciples are empowered by the Spirit in
Acts 2 at Pentecost. At Pentecost they “receive power” (1:8) and are
now ready to be the “witnesses” that Jesus had called them to be. As
they witness to the death, burial, and especially the resurrection of
Jesus, the disciples call for repentance and belief. This is the response
that should follow the preaching of the gospel (cf. 2:37–38).
Cont. Passages

• 2:21 answer.· — calling on the name of the Lord is specifically tied to salvation.
• 2:47 answer.· — there were those who “were being saved.”
• 4:12 answer.· — as we mentioned above, only in Jesus is salvation found.
• 5:31 answer.· — Jesus is exalted as “Savior” and brings “forgiveness of sins.”
• 13:23 answer.· — once again Jesus is designated as “Savior.”
• 13:26 answer.· —salvation is a “message” that has been sent.
• 13:47 answer.· — salvation is not only for the Jews, but also for those at the ends of the earth.
• 16:31 answer.· — if you “believe in the Lord Jesus…you will be saved.”
• 28:28 answer.· — “…God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles…”
• Luke focuses on Jesus as the “Savior” and a “message” of salvation. Can
you describe why mankind needed a savior? What is the content of the
“message”?
 • The Holy Spirit is named forty–one times within the book
itself (not counting the references of just the “Spirit”).
From the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, to

Theme 3— empowering Paul for ministry, the early church was a

Spirit– empowered church.
The Holy • Pentecost and The Coming of The Holy Spirit- Jesus has
sent the Spirit to take up residence within us. God is with
Spirit us and in us! While he resides within his people he
empowers them for ministry.
• Fulfillment of the Promise Advocate: Promise Made (John
15:26) ► Patience Required (1:4–8) ► Promise Kept
(2:1–4)
Cont.

• Spirit–Empowered Disciples—When the Spirit of God comes upon people in Acts, one
result is that people become powerful preachers.
• Peter preached as he did because he was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (2:4).
• Stephen is “full of the Holy Spirit” (7:55) and delivers a Christocentric Old Testament
sermon (7:1–53) that cuts the hearers to the heart.
• Paul would himself receive the Holy Spirit (9:17) and be empowered to preach the gospel
as far as Rome.
• God has sent the Holy Spirit just as Jesus had promised. And as the Spirit has come, he
has empowered the Church to be “witnesses” for Christ.
Theme 4—Witness

• The term “witness” occurs eleven times in Acts. The early believers were
“witnesses” for Jesus (1:8). They had been told to wait in Jerusalem for the
Spirit to come, and through his empowerment they would carry the gospel
to the ends of the earth.
• The disciples were to be those who testified to what they had seen and
heard. It is also where our English term “martyr” comes from.
• Acts 1:22; Acts 2:40; Acts 7:44; Acts 10:43; Acts 14:3; Acts 14:17; Acts 15:8;
Acts 22:5; Acts 22:15; Acts 22:20; Acts 26:16;
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like in your own life? Take a moment and record how you can be a witness for Jesus.
• Consider five people in your life to whom you are able to witness. Write their names in the spaces provided. Commit to praying for them and sharing the gospel when you are able.
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