Acts
📘 New Testament
🗺️ Overview
The Book of Acts records the spread of the gospel and the growth of the early Church through the power of the Holy Spirit. Beginning with Jesus’ ascension, it follows the apostles—especially Peter and Paul—as they proclaim Christ from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Acts shows how God fulfills His promise to build a Spirit-empowered, global, and unified Church.
💡 Acts encourages believers to live boldly through the Spirit’s power. The Church is a global, Spirit-filled movement on mission. Despite trials, opposition, and barriers, God’s Word advances, and His people are called to faithful, courageous witness.
🏛️ Historical & Cultural Notes
Insights into the cultural, historical, or geographical background of the book.
Pentecost
Pentecost was a Jewish festival, but in Acts it becomes the moment when the Spirit descends and the Church begins.
📚 Source: ESV Study Bible
The Roman Empire
The roads, trade routes, and peace of the Roman world helped spread the gospel more effectively in the first century.
📚 Source: The Bible Project
Gentile Inclusion
The Church’s shift from Jewish-only to multi-ethnic was a radical fulfillment of God’s promises to bless all nations.
📚 Source: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary
📊 Book at a Glance
- 📝 Author
- Luke (as a sequel to his Gospel)
- 📅 Date
- c. AD 62
- 📖 Chapters
- 28
- 🏷️ Genre
- Narrative / History
- 📍 Location
- Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the Roman world
- 🧵 Main Themes
- The power and presence of the Holy Spirit, The bold witness of the apostles, The inclusion of Gentiles into God’s people, The suffering and perseverance of the Church, The unstoppable progress of the gospel, Jesus as risen Lord and Messiah
📚 Outline
- Ascension and Pentecost (Ch. 1–2)
- Gospel in Jerusalem (Ch. 3–7)
- Persecution and Expansion to Samaria (Ch. 8–9)
- The Gospel to the Gentiles (Ch. 10–12)
- Paul’s Missionary Journeys (Ch. 13–21)
- Paul’s Imprisonment and Rome (Ch. 22–28)
📖 Key Stories
The Ascension and Pentecost (Acts 1–2)
Jesus ascends to heaven, and the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples with power, launching the Church’s mission.
Healing at the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3)
Peter heals a lame man in Jesus’ name, leading to gospel preaching and opposition.
Stephen’s Martyrdom (Acts 7)
Stephen boldly proclaims Christ before the Sanhedrin and becomes the first Christian martyr.
Conversion of Saul (Acts 9)
The enemy of the Church encounters the risen Jesus and becomes its greatest missionary — the apostle Paul.
Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10)
God shows that the gospel is for all people as Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit just as the Jews had.
Paul’s Missionary Journeys (Acts 13–21)
Paul preaches Christ across the Roman world, planting churches and enduring trials for the gospel’s sake.
Paul’s Trials and Journey to Rome (Acts 21–28)
Despite arrest, threats, and shipwrecks, Paul remains faithful to proclaim Christ, even in Rome.
👤 Key Figures
🔍 Christ Connections
How this book anticipates or reflects the person and work of Christ.
- FulfillmentActs 1:4–5, Matthew 16:18
Jesus fulfills His promise to build His Church and send the Holy Spirit to empower His people.
- ThemeActs 1:8, Isaiah 49:6
The gospel of the risen Christ spreads from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, fulfilling God’s redemptive plan.
- PromiseActs 2:33–36, Ephesians 1:20–23
Jesus reigns as ascended Lord and continues His work through the Spirit and the Church.
🧠 Key Verses
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” — Acts 1:8
“There is no other name under heaven… by which we must be saved.” — Acts 4:12
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” — Acts 16:31
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