AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ACTS
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:1-4).
W. Graham Scroggie said concerning the Book of Acts, “Christ is the theme, the church is the means, and the Spirit is the power.” J.B Phillips declared that at no other time in human history has “any small body of ordinary people so moved the world that their enemies could say, with tears of rage in their eyes, that these men ‘have turned the world upside down!’ ”
The Apostles and other servants in the early church certainly turned the world upside down in the name of Jesus Christ. Likewise, you and I have the opportunity and the responsibility to have an impact for Christ in our own specific “spheres of influence”. I can think of no better way for us to prepare for this task than by studying the Book of Acts.
Acts is foundational to the Christian faith. It gives us a detailed account of the birth, growth, purpose and proper organization and function of the Church. Writing to Theophilus, Luke said of his Gospel account: “it seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed. (Luke 1:3-4 CSB)
Luke continues his narrative of the works of Jesus in The Book of Acts. Whereas the Gospel of Luke details the ministry of Jesus as He walked the earth, Acts shows us how Jesus continued to move in the lives of His followers even after His ascension. We are encouraged by the reality that our Lord is still moving in the lives of His people today.
Before examining the contents of chapter one, it would be beneficial for us to take some time to do a brief overview of the book and to preview the themes that we will cover in this study of Acts. Let us begin with:
AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF ACTS
Just as a single spark can start a wildfire, the descending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost ignited a fire that began to spread throughout the world and it is a fire that is still burning today.
The Church began with a small group of faithful Christ followers and it has grown to an innumerable multitude and that number continues to increase, and it will do so until the Lord returns in great power and glory. Just as Jesus predicted, the process of growth began in “Jerusalem”, and spread to “Judea”, then “Samaria” and to the “uttermost parts of the earth”. Jesus declared that His followers would be empowered by the Holy Spirit and they were to be His witnesses. That promise was fulfilled and the Apostles preached the Gospel, baptized, made disciples, performed miracles and demonstrated the love of Christ throughout the land.
This great process of evangelism continues today with faithful followers of Jesus sharing their faith and proclaiming the Gospel all over the world. We are privileged to be a part of Christ’s Church and we are responsible for continuing the work that began over two thousand years ago.
Not only is this book a historical record of the birth, establishment and growth of the Church, it is also a book of theology. It tells us how to live and what we should to until Christ returns. Acts begins with the ascension of Jesus; it contains proof of His resurrection and evidence of His great work in the establishment of His Church. This book chronicles the proper methods for: church planting, church growth, church organization and church revitalization.
Acts also shows the intense persecution that will come when God’s people are vibrant and fervent witnesses of the risen Savior. The Apostles and other members of the early church faced extreme opposition and persecution. The enemies of Christ sought to destroy the church in its infancy; however the opposite happened. As the persecution spread, the Christians scattered and so did the life changing message of the Gospel.
We also see a major transition take place in the early days of the church. In the beginning the Gospel was sent to the Jews; however, the Jewish people rejected the Gospel just as they rejected Christ when He walked among them. There was a remnant of Jews who heard, received, and accepted the Gospel message, they surrendered to Christ and lived the remainder of their lives with and for Him.
But the continual rejection by the majority of the Jews and the opposition that followed caused the Apostles to turn their attention to the Gentiles. This was not an afterthought; God had a plan for the Gentiles from the very beginning. This reality is seen in Jesus’ instructions to the Apostles just before He ascended: The gospel was to go from “Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (1:8).
- Acts 1:8 gives us an accurate outline of the entire book:
1. The work of the Apostles began in Jerusalem (Chapters 1-7)
2. Their work continued in Judea & Samaria (Chapter 8-28)
3. Their Gospel ministry continued to the uttermost parts of the earth (Chapters 11-28)
The first half of Acts is primarily focused on the work that the Holy Spirit did through the Apostle Peter. His story dominates the first 12 Chapters of the book. These chapters describe how the church was established and how it expanded. Peter was essential in this process; God used him to preach that powerful sermon at Pentecost which resulted in the conversion of over 3,000 men. We also see Peter perform many amazing miracles, but as he pointed out to the witnesses of the healing of the lame man in Chapter 3, it was not Peter who performed these miracles, it was Jesus! Peter was merely the vessel that Jesus used to accomplish these supernatural acts.
The Holy Spirit empowered Peter and many others to accomplish the tasks that had been assigned to them. The Holy Spirit is still empowering servants of Christ today. If we will surrender to the Holy Spirt and when we are willing to be used by Him, we can do things that will advance the Kingdom of Christ and bring the Father glory.
The second half of Acts records the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul. Like Peter and John, Paul and his fellow laborers also began with the Jews and then transitioned to a ministry mainly focused on the Gentiles. We are encouraged throughout Acts by the testimonies of many Jews & Gentiles who believed in Christ, repented and were saved. As the Gospel spread and sinners were converted, many local assemblies were born. The Christians worshiped together, praised together, served together and grew in their faith together. This is the blueprint for how Christ’s church should operate today.
It is important to note several important factors that are recorded in Acts; there are several key people, places and themes that are found throughout the book. Let’s consider some of the:
KEY PEOPLE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
As we study this great book we will learn about some faithful and important servants who were essential to the growth of the Church. Men and women such as: Peter, John, James, Stephen, Philip, Paul, Barnabas, Cornelius, James (Jesus’ brother),Timothy, Lydia, Silas, Pricilla, Aquila, Titus, Apollos, Agabus, Ananias, Felix, Festus, Agrippa, Luke and many more.
- There are also some:
KEY PLACES IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
Through the scriptures we will visit such places as: Jerusalem, Samaria, Lydda, Joppa, Cyprus, Pisidian, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Caesarea, Malta, Rome and beyond.
- There are several:
KEY THEMES IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
There are several key themes that are expounded upon in the book of Acts; themes such as: the inception of the Church, the growth of the Church, the mission of the Church, and the opposition of the Church. This is not an exhaustive list of the contents of the book, but it is a summary of some of the most important subjects that are covered therein.
One of the most exciting and important themes in Acts is the inception, (the beginning) of the church. Christ’s Church began in an amazing and supernatural way. It began on the Day of Pentecost and what God started back then continues today. We are blessed to be a part of Christ’s Bride, the Church!
- I would like to give a brief overview of:
THE INCEPTION OF THE CHURCH
As we have already noted, Acts is a historical record of how the Church was founded. It goes into great detail concerning the birth and rapid growth of Christianity. It also describes several “growing pains” that the early church experienced. God used Luke to pen an accurate account of these problems and the proper way to address them.
There are numerous books available today on church planting, church growth and church revitalization. Without a doubt, there are some great resources available to ministers and laymen concerning the structure and success of the church, however, none are as important and the 5th book in the New Testament; for it gives us God’s plan for His church. It all started on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended and began a great work in the hearts and lives of a few faithful followers and a great number of new converts.
Those first Christians: put their faith in Jesus Christ, they believed in the reality of the resurrection, they were indwelt by the power of the Holy Spirit and they sought to bring honor and glory to the Father in Heaven. The Holy Spirit not only saved and transformed a multitude of people in the early days of the Church, He also equipped them and used them to witness to others, love their neighbors, and serve the Lord.
God’s plan for His Church has not changed. He is still saving lost souls; He is still quipping believers and His is still moving mightily in the lives of His people. It is important for us to remember that Christ is the Head of the Church.
The rapid growth of the early church cannot be attributed to the work of the Apostles, the enthusiasm of the Christians or any other human factor, the Church grew and the Gospel spread through the power of the Holy Spirit. Granted, the Apostles, Elders, Deacons and other servants of Christ were vessels that He used as agents of change, but the source of the Church’s power was, always has been and always will be God Himself.
We have the opportunity to experience the very things that we read about in the Book of Acts, but in order for this to happen, we must surrender ourselves to Christ and follow the instructions that He has given us in His Word. If we will do this, there is no limit to what God can do in and through us.
- One of the major themes in the early chapters of Acts is:
THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH
The Church that is described in Acts was more than just a local assembly of Christ followers. It was a community of devoted believers that obeyed God, shared the Gospel, cared for one another, and reached the world in the name of Jesus.
Christianity began in Jerusalem with a handful of believing Jews and then spread to some 39 cities, 30 countries, islands and provinces. In the process, Jews & Gentiles alike came to faith in the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. This growth was possible because Christ was the focus.
If we desire to see growth in our own churches today, we must ensure that we “keep the main thing the main thing”, namely Jesus. If we lose sight of our purpose, if we become inward focused and seek the things that we desire, we will never experience true church growth. That is not to say that our numbers will not increase, but we must never forget that God did not commission us to grow local assemblies, He wants us to be focused on the advancement of His Kingdom.
- The Christians in the early church had this focus and the Kingdom was impacted in a great way. This leads us to:
THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
The growth the church was made possible because the members of the Church were involved in the mission of the Church, they were active in evangelism. There are two main passages where Jesus’ instructions to His followers are recorded. One is what we refer to as “The Great Commission”. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. The second passage is one of the key verses in the Book of Acts; just before He ascended to Heaven Jesus gave some final instructions to His Disciples about what they should do until He returns: Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Peter, John, Phillip, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, John Mark, Timothy and many others were obedient and enthusiastic about telling others about the saving power, loving compassion and glorious benefits of surrendering to Jesus.
On many occasions the servants of Christ were persecuted for their faith, in spite of this, they did not compromise or retreat; in fact there are several instances in Acts where we see the early Christians making a defense of their faith before religious and governmental leaders. Rather than being discouraged or defeated by their situation, these men seized the opportunity to share the Gospel with their oppressors.
Like those early Christians, we have been tasked with the responsibility of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. God could have used any method He wanted to evangelize the lost, in His divine wisdom, He chose us! God did not burden us with the responsibility of evangelism; He blessed us with the opportunity to represent Him. There is no greater privilege than telling the world about the fact that God loves them and has made a way for them to experience salvation, eternal life, and to have a personal relationship with Him. Furthermore, if you have ever had the privilege of leading someone to faith in Christ, you know that the joy that is experienced in these moments is simply indescribable.
- Things were not always easy for those Christians that were involved in the mission of evangelism. Let’s examine:
THE OPPOSITION OF THE CHURCH
While evangelism is a great blessing it is not always easy, in fact it is often very difficult, especially considering the fact that we have an Adversary who will do anything he can to prevent us from reaching others with the Gospel. Evangelism is difficult because anytime you are engaged in this process, you will face spiritual attack. In spite of the opposition we face, we must press forward and be obedient to the commission that we have received from our Lord. Acts gives us great encouragement in this process.
The Christians in the early Church did not enjoy the “freedom of religion” that we possess here in America. Throughout this book we see God’s people seized, imprisoned, beaten and killed because of their bold witnessing and refusal to cease telling others about salvation through Christ. They were opposed and persecuted by Jews & Gentiles alike. However, this persecution served as a catalyst for the spread of the Gospel.
As the persecution intensified, the Christians were scattered; consequently as the Christians scattered, the Gospel spread from Jerusalem to “the uttermost parts of the earth”. There are 28 chapters in the Book of Acts, you will notice that the book comes to an abrupt end. Acts 28:30-31 says “Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
It is somewhat fitting that there is no formal conclusion to Luke’s letter, for the work of the Holy Spirit and the mission of the church continues today. We are tasked with the responsibility of carrying out the ministry of the Church; therefore, we should resolve to be actively involved in the commission to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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