The Book of Acts

© John Stevenson, 2009

Who is the Author of the Book Who is the Author of the Book of Acts?of Acts?

What do we know of Luke?What do we know of Luke?

The Book of ActsThe Book of ActsThe 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

What type of What type of literature is Acts?literature is Acts?

How might a recognition of How might a recognition of the genre of Acts affect the genre of Acts affect

one’s interpretation of the one’s interpretation of the book?book?

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 1:6-86 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.

Witness 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).

JerusalemJudea

Samaria

Mostly Peter

Chapters 1-6 Chapters 7-12 Chapters 13-28

Peter & others

Primarily Paul

Church Established

Church Scattered

Church Extended

Witness to Jerusalem and surrounding areas

Witness to the world

The Pentecost The Pentecost IncidentIncident

• The Jewish Feast of Pentecost

• The Filling of the Spirit

• Tongues

• Peter’s Address

Acts 2:17Acts 2:17‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind;

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

And your young men shall see visions,

And your old men shall dream dreams;

Acts 2:18-19Acts 2:18-19Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women,

I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit

And they shall prophesy.

19 And I will grant wonders in the sky above,

And signs on the earth beneath,

Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.

Acts 2:20-21Acts 2:20-21The sun shall be turned into darkness,

And the moon into blood,

Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.

21 And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

Giving of the Law at Giving of the Law at SinaiSinai

(Exodus 19)(Exodus 19)

Sons of Israel came together at Mount

Sinai

Filling of the Spirit at Filling of the Spirit at PentecostPentecost

(Acts 2)(Acts 2)

Believers were gathered in an upper

room

Loud trumpet sound (19:16)

Noise like a violent, rushing wind

Smoke of a furnace Tongues of fire

3000 killed by Levites for engaging in idolatry (32:28)

3000 made spiritually alive through faith in

Christ

Distress in the

Church

Chapter

Growth in the

Church

3:1 - 4:22 5:1-11 5:12-42 6:1-7External problem

Peter & John• Arrested• Tried• Released

External problem

Number of men rises to 5,000

Internal problem

Sin within

the church

They kept on teaching

Apostles• Jailed• Tried• Released

Internal problem

Partiality between Hebrew versus Greek

speaking widows

Many added

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 Must Christians be circumcised in order to be circumcised in order to be

saved?saved?

What forms does this question What forms does this question take in today’s church?take in today’s church?

Second MissionarySecond MissionaryJourneyJourney

SyrianAntioch

GalatiaPisidia

Asia

Mysia

Bythinia

Troas

Troas

Philippi

Athens

Forum ShopsForum

Krenides River

Troas

Thessalonica

Philippi

Berea

Athens

Corinth

Troas

Thessalonica

Philippi

Berea

Athens

Corinth

Troas

Thessalonica

Philippi

Berea

Athens

Corinth

Acts 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

Areopagus

““To the Unknown God”To the Unknown God”

• Famine in Athens• Epimenedes• Flock of sheep

turned loose on the Aereopagus

• Altar erected when one would lie down and not eat

Troas

Thessalonica

Philippi

Berea

Athens

Corinth

Bema Seat

Main Street

Shops by Forum

Acts 18:2-3

The Jews 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

PaulPaulCrispusCrispus(Synagogue leader)(Synagogue leader)

PaulPaulSosthenesSosthenes(Synagogue leader)(Synagogue leader)

CrispusCrispus

GallioGallio(Proconsul)(Proconsul)

SyrianAntioch

Ephesus

Caesarea

Paul’s First Visit to Ephesus

19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

20 And when they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21 but taking leave of them and saying, "I will return to you again if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus. (Acts 18:19-21).

SyrianAntioch

Ephesus

Caesarea

Odium

Baths

SidewalkMosaic

In the Synagogue

In the house of Titius Justus

BibleStudies

A certain man named Demetrius, a silver-smith, who made shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen…

(Acts 19:24)

"And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship should even be dethroned from her magnificence." (Acts 19:27).

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.