Lesson #01

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
LESSON #01
INTRODUCTION

• THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:
• THE WRITER OF THE BOOK OF ACTS WAS DOCTOR LUKE WHO ALSO WROTE THE GOSPEL OF LUKE.
• WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT DOCTOR LUKE?
• HE WAS A GREEK GENTILE FROM ANTIOCH IN MACEDONIA.
• HE WAS HIGHLY QUALIFIED AS A HISTORICAL WRITER.
• LUKE WAS HIGHLY EDUCATED AND WROTE IN PERFECT GREEK, HIS NATIVE LANGUAGE.
• LUKE WAS AN EYE WITNESS TO THE BEGINNINGS OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH MOVEMENT
• HE WAS ALREADY A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST WHEN HE MET THE APOSTLE PAUL.
• WE DO NOT KNOW HOW LUKE CAME TO KNOW JESUS AS HIS PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR.
• MANY BELIEVE THAT HE WAS A PROSELYTE TO JUDAISM BEFORE HE BECAME A CHRISTIAN.
• LUKE OFTEN TRAVELED WITH THE APOSTLE PAUL AS PAUL’S PERSONAL PHYSICIAN, FRIEND, AND TRAVELING COMPANION.
• HE DEDICATED BOTH OF HIS HISTORICAL VOLUMES (THE GOSPEL OF LUKE AND THE BOOK OF ACTS) TO ANOTHER FRIEND, WHO WAS A ROMAN NOBLE NAMED THEOPHILUS.
• THEOPHILUS WAS A CONVERT FROM PAGANISM.

• THE DATE, THE DURATION, AND THE PLACE OF THE WRITING OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:
• LUKE WROTE THE BOOK OF ACTS AROUND 60-63 AD, BEFORE THE DEATH OF PAUL AND BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM BY THE ROMANS.
• LUKE WROTE THE BOOK OF ACTS PRIMARILY IN THE CITY OF ROME AND POSSIBLY ALSO IN CAESAREA.
• PAUL’S RELEASE FROM PRISON HAD EITHER JUST OCCURRED OR WAS JUST ABOUT TO OCCUR.
• THE DURATION OF TIME COVERED IN THE BOOK OF ACTS IS ABOUT 30 YEARS.
• THE TITLE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:
• LUKE DID NOT GIVE A TITLE TO HIS HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF JESUS IN HIS GOSPEL OR TO THIS BOOK THAT WE CALL, ACTS.
• IN REALITY, LUKE WROTE THESE TWO BOOKS AS A SINGLE UNIT IN 2 VOLUMES.
• THE BOOK OF ACTS BEGINS RIGHT WHERE THE GOSPEL OF LUKE ENDS.
• HOWEVER, THE GOSPEL OF LUKE IS JESUS’ MINISTRY ON EARTH, WHILE THE BOOK OF ACTS IS JESUS’ MINISTRY FROM HEAVEN THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• EARLY THEOLOGIANS, WHO ARRANGED THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE, DIVIDED LUKE’S WRITINGS AND NAMED THEM, “THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE” AND “THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES”.
• WHILE THE BOOK IS OFFICIALLY CALLED, THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, IT IS REALLY THE ACTS OF JESUS CHRIST BY THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH THE APOSTLES.
• THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:
• LUKE HAD IN MIND THE WRITING OF AN ACCURATE HISTORICAL ACCOUNT, BUT NOT A COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF EVERY DISCIPLE AND EVERY EVENT THAT CAUSED THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST TO GROW:
• HE GIVES AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF JESUS BASED ON EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS. (THE GOSPEL OF LUKE)
• HE GIVES AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF THE EARLY CHURCH AND THE MINISTRIES OF PETER AND PAUL BASED ON HIS OWN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT (THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES), AND AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL.
• IN REALITY, THE BOOK OF ACTS SERVES AS A BRIDGE FROM THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS TO THE WRITINGS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL.
• THE BOOK OF ACTS HELPS US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND SOME OF PAUL’S SUBSEQUENT LETTERS.
• THE BOOK OF ACTS HELPS US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE VERY PRACTICAL PROBLEMS, FRUSTRATIONS, PERSECUTIONS, TRIUMPHS, AND STRUGGLES OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
• THE BOOK OF ACTS HELPS TO VALIDATE PAUL’S MINISTRY AS THE GOSPEL SPREAD TO THE GENTILES.
• ACTS LAYS OUT THE TRANSITION FROM A JEWISH MINISTRY DOMINATED BY PETER TO A GENTILE MINISTRY DOMINATED BY PAUL.
• THIS BOOK HELPS US UNDERSTAND HOW CHRISTIANITY CAME TO BE A PRIMARILY GENTILE RELIGION WHEN IT ACTUALLY BEGAN WITH THE JEWS.
• THE BOOK OF ACTS HELPS US TO SEE THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE GOSPEL AS THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS DEATH AND RESURRECTION SPREAD FROM JERUSALEM TO THE FAR REACHES OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND BEYOND, THROUGH ALL TIME.
• THE BOOK OF ACTS SEEMS TO HAVE NO CONCLUSIVE ENDING. IT JUST SEEMS TO QUIT. WHY?
• BECAUSE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS STILL AT WORK DURING THIS PERIOD OF THE CHURCH AGE, WE ARE TECHNICALLY STILL LIVING THE ENDING TO THE BOOK OF ACTS.
• LUKE CONCERNS HIMSELF IN THE BOOK OF ACTS WITH END TIME EVENTS.
• THE BOOK BEGINS WITH A PROMISE OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST (1:6-7, 11) AND ENDS WITH THE PROMISE OF CHRIST’S KINGDOM ON EARTH. (28:31)
• MANY BELIEVE LUKE’S MAJOR PURPOSE WAS TO WRITE AN APOLOGETIC FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
• WHAT IS AN APOLOGETIC?
• IT IS A WRITING THAT IS IN DEFENSE OF OR A PROOF FOR A PARTICULAR BELIEF…IN THIS CASE, THE BELIEF IS THAT OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY.
• THE PURPOSE OF OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:
• WHILE IT IS INTERESTING TO FOLLOW HISTORY AND SEE THE PROGRESSION OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST GEOGRAPHICALLY AND THROUGH TIME, IT IS NOT OUR MAIN PURPOSE FOR STUDYING THE BOOK.
• WHAT IS MORE INTERESTING IS TO OBSERVE THE MOVING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT CHANGES LIVES AND TOUCHES OTHERS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD DESPITE PERSECUTION AND OPPOSITION. THIS WILL BE OUR MAIN PURPOSE IN OUR STUDY OF THIS BOOK.
• OUR SECONDARY PURPOSE WILL BE TO LEARN HOW TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST USING ONLY OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES. THIS IS WHAT THE DISCIPLES DID THAT CAUSED SUCH GROWTH IN THE EARLY CHURCH.
• THE MAJOR THEME OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:
• THE MAJOR THEME IS THE ORDERLY PROGRESSION OF THE GOSPEL BY THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD FROM JEWS TO GENTILES AND FROM JERUSALEM TO ROME.
• IN THIS PROGRESSION OF THE FAITH, LUKE PERIODICALLY GIVES PROGRESS REPORTS THAT HELP US DIVIDE THE BOOK FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR STUDY.
• THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:
• WITHOUT THE BOOK OF ACTS, THERE WOULD BE SEVERAL VERY IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT WOULD BE MISSING FROM THE BIBLE. FOR EXAMPLE, HERE ARE ONLY A FEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES:
• THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST INTO HEAVEN OCCURS ONLY IN THE BOOK OF ACTS.
• THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE OF THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS FOUND NO WHERE ELSE IN THE BIBLE.
• THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS DOCUMENTED ONLY IN THE BOOK OF ACTS.
• THE VERY IMPORTANT DECISION MADE IN ACT 15 WHICH SAID THAT CHRISTIANS DID NOT HAVE TO BECOME JEWS FIRST IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.
• THE FOUNDING OF MANY OF THE CHURCHES, TO WHICH PAUL LATER WROTE HIS LETTERS THAT MAKE UP THE NEW TESTAMENT, IS FOUND ONLY IN ACTS.
• THE KEY VERSE FOR THE BOOK OF ACTS:
• ACT 1:8 IS THE KEY VERSE BECAUSE IT EXPRESSES THE THEME OF THE BOOK AS WELL AS GIVING US A GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE BOOK:

• “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

• OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:

• THE BOOK OF ACTS DIVIDES ITSELF INTO TWO MAJOR PARTS:
• THE FIRST PART FEATURES THE DISCIPLE, PETER. (ACTS 1-12)
• THE LAST PART FEATURES THE APOSTLE, PAUL. (ACTS 13-28)
• THE WITNESS IN JERUSALEM (1:1-6:7)
• THE EXPECTATION OF THE CHOSEN ONES (1-2)
• PROGRESS REPORT #1:
• “…and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (2:47b)
• THE EXPANSION OF THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM (3:1-6:7)
• OPPOSITION (3:1-4:31)
• CORRECTION (4:32-5:11)
• PROGRESSION (5:12-42)
• ADMINISTRATION (6:1-7)
• PROGRESS REPORT #2

:

• “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

(6:7)

• THE WITNESS IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA (6:8-9:31)
• MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN (6:8-7:1)
• MINISTRY OF PHILIP (8:1b-40)
• MESSAGE AND CONVERSION OF SAUL (PAUL) (9:1-31)
• PROGRESS REPORT #3:

• “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.”

(9:31)

• THE WITNESS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (9:32-28:31)
• THE EXTENSION OF THE CHURCH IN ANTIOCH (9:32-12:24)
• PROGRESS REPORT #4:

• “But the word of God grew and multiplied.”

(12:24)

• THE EXTENSION OF THE CHURCH IN ASIA MINOR (9:25-16:5)
• PAUL’S FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (13-14)
• PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (15:36-18:22)
• PROGRESS REPORT #5:

• “And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.”

(16:5)

• THE EXTENSION OF THE CHURCH IN THE AEGEAN AREA (16:6-19:20)
• PAUL’S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY (18:23-21:16)
• PROGRESS REPORT #6:

• “So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed”

(19:20)

• THE EXTENSION OF THE CHURCH TO ROME (19:21-28:31)
• THE COMPLETION OF THE THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY (19:21-21:16)
• CAPTIVITY (21:17- CHAPTER 28)
• PROGRESS REPORT #7:

• “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.”

(28:30-31)

• SOURCE MATERIAL FOR OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS:

• COMMENTARY ON ACTS

BY HORATIO B. HACKETT

• THRU THE BIBLE COMMENTARY SERIES: CHURCH HISTORY: ACTS

; BY J. VERNON MC GEE.

• ACTS: PERSONAL NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY

; BY C. S. LOVETT

• THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY: NEW TESTAMENT

; JOHN F. WALVOORD AND ROY B. ZUCK, EDITORS.

• THE LAYMAN’S BIBLE STUDY NOTEBOOK

BY IRVING JENSEN

• MISC. NOTES.

HOMEWORK
ACTS 1:1-14
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• PREPARATION FOR ACTS 1:1-14
• READ ACT 1:1-14
• WHAT VERY IMPORTANT TOPICS OR EVENTS ARE MENTIONED IN THESE VERSES?
• WHAT DOES LUKE MEAN WHEN HE SAYS THAT JESUS “BEGAN TO DO AND TO TEACH”? (1)
• HOW LONG WAS JESUS ON EARTH AFTER HIS RESURRECTION?
• WHAT IMPORTANT DETAILS DO THE TWO MEN IN WHITE TELL US ABOUT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST?
• WHAT DOES THE WORD, PENTECOST, MEAN? AND WHY IS THE MEANING SIGNIFICANT?

• MEMORY VERSE: ACT 1:8