Acts

Part One: Introduction to Acts

The Book

Acts is the second volume of Luke's two-part work, the sequel to his Gospel. It opens: "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up" (1:1-2). The Gospel records what Jesus began to do; Acts records what the risen, ascended Jesus continued to do through His Holy Spirit in His apostles and churches. The traditional title is "The Acts of the Apostles," but it could equally be called "The Acts of the Holy Spirit" or "The Acts of the Risen Christ." It is the only historical record of the first thirty years of the church, and it provides the setting for most of Paul's letters.

The Author and Date

Luke, the beloved physician and companion of Paul, wrote Acts (see the Luke study). In several passages the narrative changes from "they" to "we" (16:10-17; 20:5-21:18; 27:1-28:16), showing that Luke himself was present. Acts ends with Paul spending two years under house arrest in Rome (28:30-31), around AD 60-62. It does not mention Paul's trial or death, Nero's persecution of Christians (AD 64), or the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70), events Luke would surely have recorded had they already happened. So Acts was probably written around AD 62.

Purpose and Theme

Acts records how the gospel of Jesus Christ spread, by the power of the Holy Spirit, from Jerusalem to Rome, from Jews to Gentiles, and from a small group in an upper room to churches throughout the Roman Empire. Its outline is given in the risen Lord's final words:

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.

Acts 1:8

Progress Reports

Luke punctuates the story with six summaries of the gospel's advance, each marking a new stage:

The Accuracy of Acts

Luke's details have been confirmed again and again by archaeology and ancient records. He correctly names local officials with their exact titles: the proconsul Sergius Paulus of Cyprus (13:7), the "politarchs" ("rulers of the city," 17:6) of Thessalonica, the "Asiarchs" ("chief of Asia," 19:31) and "town clerk" (19:35) of Ephesus, Gallio the proconsul of Achaia (18:12, whose term is dated to AD 51-52 by an inscription at Delphi), and the "chief man" (protos) of Malta (28:7). The scholar Sir William Ramsay began his research doubting Acts and ended by calling Luke a historian of the first rank. The account of the voyage and shipwreck in chapter 27 is so precise that it has been studied by experienced sailors as a record of ancient navigation.

A Book of Transition

Acts records a unique period: the transition from the Old Covenant to the New, from a Jewish to a largely Gentile church, and from the ministry of Christ on earth to His ministry from heaven through the Spirit. Some events were unrepeatable, such as the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles' sign miracles confirming their message (2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4), and the special outpourings of the Spirit that marked the gospel's reaching Samaritans (8) and Gentiles (10). Bible teachers therefore distinguish between what Acts describes and what the rest of the New Testament prescribes for all churches. Acts also gives the clearest picture of the New Testament church: believers baptized after faith, local congregations led by elders and served by deacons, gathering on the first day of the week, devoted to the Word, fellowship, the Lord's Supper and prayer, and sending out missionaries.

Paul's Letters in the Setting of Acts

Outline of Acts

Part Two: Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis

Section I: The Church in Jerusalem (Chapters 1-7)

Chapter 1 — The Ascension and Waiting

For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus "shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs," speaking of the kingdom of God (1:3). He commanded the apostles to wait in Jerusalem "for the promise of the Father," for "ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (1:4-5). They asked, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" He did not deny that He would, but said, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power" (1:6-7). Their task was to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (1:8).

Then "while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight" (1:9). Two men in white apparel said:

Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Acts 1:11

He will return personally, bodily, visibly and in the clouds, to the Mount of Olives from which He ascended (1:12; Zechariah 14:4).

Back in the upper room, about 120 disciples, including the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers, now believers, "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication" (1:13-15). This is the last mention of Mary in Scripture: praying with the other believers, not as an object of prayer. Peter explained that Judas' betrayal and death fulfilled Scripture (Psalm 69:25; 109:8). (Judas hanged himself, Matthew 27:5; Acts adds that "falling headlong, he burst asunder," evidently when the body fell.) The disciples chose Matthias by lot to replace Judas as a witness of the resurrection (1:16-26).

Chapter 2 — Pentecost

The coming of the Spirit (2:1-13). On the day of Pentecost, fifty days after Passover, the harvest feast:

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:2-4

The "tongues" were real languages: Jews from fifteen regions, from Parthia to Rome, heard "every man... in his own language" the wonderful works of God (2:6-11). At Babel, God confused human languages in judgment (Genesis 11); at Pentecost, He overcame the language barrier in grace. Some mocked: "These men are full of new wine" (2:13).

Peter's sermon (2:14-40). Peter explained that it was only nine in the morning, and that this was what Joel had prophesied: "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh... whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (2:16-21; Joel 2:28-32). Then he preached Christ:

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs... Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Acts 2:22-24

God planned the cross, yet those who crucified Christ were fully responsible. Peter quoted Psalm 16:8-11, where David said, "thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." David's tomb was still with them, so David spoke as a prophet of the Messiah's resurrection (2:25-31). "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses" (2:32). Exalted at God's right hand, Jesus had poured out the Spirit (2:33), fulfilling Psalm 110:1 (2:34-35).

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Acts 2:36

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (2:37).

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:38

Some read this verse as teaching that baptism is necessary for forgiveness. Baptists and many others understand the forgiveness to be received through repentance and faith, with baptism following as its public confession. The Greek word translated "for" (eis) can mean "because of" or "with reference to," as when the men of Nineveh "repented at [eis] the preaching of Jonas" (Matthew 12:41). Elsewhere in Acts, forgiveness is promised to repentance and faith without mention of baptism (3:19; 10:43; 13:38-39; 16:31; 26:18), and Cornelius' household received the Spirit before being baptized (10:44-48). "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (2:39). "Save yourselves from this untoward generation" (2:40).

The first church (2:41-47).

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Acts 2:41-42

Those who received the word were baptized; the order is faith, then baptism. The church devoted itself to four things: the apostles' teaching (now preserved in the New Testament), fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and prayer. They shared generously with those in need, met daily in the temple and in homes "with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (2:44-47). Their sharing was voluntary (5:4), not compulsory communism.

Chapter 3 — The Lame Man Healed

At the hour of prayer, Peter and John met a man lame from birth begging at the Beautiful gate of the temple (3:1-3).

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Acts 3:6

Peter took him by the hand, and immediately his feet and ankles received strength; "he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God" (3:7-8; Isaiah 35:6).

In Solomon's porch, Peter preached to the astonished crowd. The power was not theirs but Jesus', whom they had "denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead" (3:14-15). "His name through faith in his name hath made this man strong" (3:16). They had acted in ignorance (3:17).

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things

Acts 3:19-21

Jesus is the prophet like Moses whom all must hear (3:22-23; Deuteronomy 18:15-19), and the Seed of Abraham in whom all families of the earth will be blessed (3:25; Genesis 22:18).

Chapter 4 — Boldness Before the Council

The priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees, "grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead," arrested Peter and John. Yet many believed, and the number of men reached about five thousand (4:1-4). Before the council, including Annas and Caiaphas, they were asked, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" (4:5-7). Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, answered:

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Acts 4:10-12

Salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (4:13). Forbidden to speak in Jesus' name, they replied, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (4:19-20).

Released, they reported to the church, which prayed, quoting Psalm 2 about the nations raging against the Lord's Anointed. They did not ask for safety but for boldness: "grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word" (4:24-30).

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31

The believers "were of one heart and of one soul," shared freely, and "with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all" (4:32-33). Joseph, called Barnabas ("son of consolation"), sold land and gave the money (4:36-37).

Chapter 5 — Purity and Persecution

Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11). Ananias and his wife sold a property and kept back part of the price while pretending to give it all. Peter said, "Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost...? While it remained, was it not thine own?... thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" (5:3-4). Lying to the Holy Ghost is lying to God: the Spirit is God. Ananias fell down dead, and three hours later his wife, telling the same lie, also died. "And great fear came upon all the church" (5:11), the first use of "church" in Acts. The sin was not keeping back money, which was theirs to keep, but hypocrisy and lying to God. God guarded the purity of the young church.

Signs and prison (5:12-42). Many signs were done; people laid the sick in the streets so Peter's shadow might fall on them, and believers were "the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women" (5:12-16). The jealous high priest imprisoned the apostles, but an angel opened the prison: "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life" (5:17-20). Brought again before the council, they answered:

We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 5:29-31

The council wanted to kill them, but the respected teacher Gamaliel advised caution: "if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God" (5:38-39). They were beaten and released. "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ" (5:41-42).

Chapter 6 — The Seven

As the church grew, Greek-speaking Jewish believers complained that their widows were neglected in the daily distribution (6:1). The apostles said, "It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables" (6:2). The church chose "seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom," to oversee the work, "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word" (6:3-4). The apostles laid hands on them (6:6). These seven are generally regarded as the forerunners of the office of deacon (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13). The result: "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).

Stephen, "full of faith and power," did great wonders. His opponents "were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake," so they produced false witnesses accusing him of speaking against the temple and the law (6:8-14). "And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel" (6:15).

Chapter 7 — Stephen's Defence and Martyrdom

Stephen answered with a survey of Israel's history, the longest speech in Acts. His points were:

• God is not confined to the temple or the land. He appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia (7:2), was with Joseph in Egypt (7:9), and spoke to Moses in the wilderness at the burning bush (7:30-34). "Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (7:48; Isaiah 66:1-2).
• Israel always rejected God's deliverers. Joseph's brothers sold him (7:9); Israel rejected Moses: "Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?" (7:27, 35). Moses foretold the prophet like himself (7:37), yet the people turned to the golden calf (7:39-41).

Then he applied it:

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers

Acts 7:51-52

"They were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth" (7:54).

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Acts 7:55-56

Elsewhere Christ is seated at God's right hand; here He stands, as if to welcome His first martyr. They dragged Stephen out and stoned him, and "the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul" (7:58).

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 7:59-60

Stephen died like his Lord, committing his spirit and praying for his killers (Luke 23:34, 46). For the believer, death is "falling asleep." His prayer was answered in part when the young man watching became the apostle Paul.

Section II: The Church in Judea and Samaria (Chapters 8-12)

Chapter 8 — Samaria and the Ethiopian

"And Saul was consenting unto his death." A great persecution scattered the church throughout Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (8:1). Saul "made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison" (8:3). "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word" (8:4). Persecution spread the gospel, just as Jesus had said (1:8).

Philip in Samaria (8:5-25). Philip, one of the seven, preached Christ in Samaria, with miracles, "And there was great joy in that city" (8:5-8). "When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (8:12). Simon, a sorcerer who had amazed the people, also "believed" and was baptized (8:9-13). The apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John, who prayed and laid hands on the Samaritans, "and they received the Holy Ghost" (8:14-17). This unusual delay was part of the transition: the apostles' presence confirmed that the despised Samaritans were part of the one church, not a rival sect. When Simon offered money for the power to give the Spirit, Peter said, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money... for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore" (8:18-22). (From his name comes "simony," the buying of spiritual office.) His profession had been outward only.

The Ethiopian (8:26-40). An angel sent Philip to the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza, where an Ethiopian official, treasurer to Queen Candace, was returning from worship, reading Isaiah in his chariot (8:26-28). "Understandest thou what thou readest?" "How can I, except some man should guide me?" (8:30-31). He was reading Isaiah 53:7-8: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter" (8:32-33).

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Acts 8:35

They came to water. "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (8:36-37). Faith is the requirement for baptism. (Verse 37 is in the King James Version and the Received Text, though missing from some manuscripts.) "And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip... and he went on his way rejoicing" (8:38-39). Going down into and coming up out of the water describes immersion. The gospel was heading toward Africa.

Chapter 9 — The Conversion of Saul

"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," obtained letters to arrest any believers ("any of this way") in Damascus (9:1-2). Near Damascus a light from heaven flashed around him, and he fell to the ground.

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

Acts 9:4-6

To persecute Christ's people is to persecute Christ Himself. The proud Pharisee, blinded, was led by the hand into Damascus, where he fasted and prayed for three days (9:8-11). The Lord sent a disciple, Ananias, who was understandably afraid. The Lord said:

Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Acts 9:15-16

Ananias went, laid hands on him, and said, "Brother Saul" (9:17). Something like scales fell from his eyes; he received his sight and was baptized (9:18). "And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God" (9:20). When the Jews plotted to kill him, the disciples let him down over the wall in a basket (9:23-25). In Jerusalem the disciples were afraid of him, "But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles" and vouched for him (9:26-27). When Greek-speaking Jews sought to kill him, he was sent home to Tarsus (9:29-30).

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.

Acts 9:31

Peter, travelling among the churches, healed Aeneas, paralysed eight years, at Lydda (9:32-35), and at Joppa raised Tabitha (Dorcas), a disciple "full of good works and almsdeeds" (9:36-42). He stayed in Joppa with Simon, a tanner (9:43), a trade considered unclean by strict Jews, a sign that Peter's barriers were already coming down.

Chapter 10 — Cornelius: The Gospel to the Gentiles

Cornelius, a Roman centurion at Caesarea, was "a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway" (10:1-2). Yet he was not saved; he needed to hear "words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (11:14). An angel told him to send for Peter at Joppa (10:3-8).

The next day, on the housetop at prayer, Peter saw a vision: a great sheet let down from heaven, full of all kinds of animals, clean and unclean. "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat." "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean." "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" (10:9-15). This happened three times. As Peter puzzled over it, Cornelius' messengers arrived, and the Spirit told him to go with them (10:17-20).

At Caesarea, Peter explained: "Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (10:28). The vision about food was really about people.

Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Acts 10:34-35

God welcomes people of every nation on the same terms. Peter preached Jesus, "Lord of all" (10:36): anointed with the Holy Ghost, He "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (10:38). They killed Him by hanging Him on a tree; God raised Him the third day; He is ordained "to be the Judge of quick and dead" (10:39-42).

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 10:43

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

Acts 10:44

The Jewish believers were astonished that the Spirit was poured out on Gentiles, for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God (10:45-46). Peter asked, "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" (10:47). They received the Spirit, and therefore salvation, the moment they believed, before baptism; then they were baptized. Baptism is the response of the saved, not the means of salvation.

Chapter 11 — The Church Accepts the Gentiles; Antioch

The believers in Jerusalem objected that Peter had eaten with uncircumcised men (11:2-3). Peter recounted everything: "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" (11:17).

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Acts 11:18

Meanwhile, believers scattered by persecution reached Antioch in Syria, the third-largest city of the Roman Empire, and some began preaching the Lord Jesus to Greeks. "And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord" (11:19-21). The Jerusalem church sent Barnabas, who "when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith" (11:22-24). He fetched Saul from Tarsus, and they taught there for a whole year. "And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (11:25-26). The name means "belonging to Christ." When the prophet Agabus foretold a great famine, which came under the emperor Claudius, the Antioch believers sent relief to Judea by Barnabas and Saul (11:27-30), the first missionary church also showing practical love to the mother church.

Chapter 12 — Herod's Persecution and Death

Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, killed James the brother of John with the sword (12:1-2), the first of the twelve to be martyred. Seeing it pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter during the Passover, intending to execute him afterward (12:3-4). "Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him" (12:5).

On the night before his trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. An angel woke him; the chains fell off; they passed the guards, and the iron gate "opened to them of his own accord" (12:6-10). Peter went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were praying. The girl Rhoda was so excited at hearing his voice that she forgot to open the door, and the praying believers told her, "Thou art mad" (12:12-15). God answered beyond their faith. Peter told them to inform James (the Lord's brother, now a leader in Jerusalem) and departed (12:17).

Herod later made a speech at Caesarea, and the people shouted, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost" (12:22-23). The Jewish historian Josephus also records Herod's sudden, painful death at Caesarea in AD 44 after being flattered as a god.

But the word of God grew and multiplied.

Acts 12:24

The persecutor died; the word lived on.

Section III: The Church to the Uttermost Part of the Earth (Chapters 13-28)

Chapter 13 — The First Missionary Journey Begins

In the church at Antioch were prophets and teachers, including Barnabas and Saul. "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away" (13:2-3). Missions began with a local church, led by the Spirit, through worship, fasting and prayer.

Cyprus (13:4-12). On Barnabas' home island, they preached in synagogues, with John Mark as their helper. At Paphos the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus wanted to hear the word, but the sorcerer Bar-jesus (Elymas) opposed them. "Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost," rebuked him and pronounced temporary blindness, and the proconsul believed (13:6-12). From here on Saul is called by his Roman name, Paul, and usually leads.

Antioch in Pisidia (13:13-52). At Perga, John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem (13:13). At Antioch in Pisidia, invited to speak in the synagogue, Paul preached his first recorded sermon (13:16-41). He traced God's dealings from the Exodus to David, then declared that from David's seed God had raised up "a Saviour, Jesus" (13:23). Though the rulers in Jerusalem condemned Him, fulfilling the prophets, God raised Him from the dead, as Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10 foretold (13:27-37).

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Acts 13:38-39

This is the first statement in Acts of justification by faith, the theme Paul would later develop in Romans and Galatians. He warned them not to be like the despisers of Habakkuk 1:5 (13:40-41).

The next Sabbath almost the whole city came. The Jewish leaders, filled with envy, opposed Paul. Paul and Barnabas answered boldly:

It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Acts 13:46-47

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (13:48). God's sovereign choice and human faith go together. Expelled from the region, the missionaries shook off the dust of their feet, "And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost" (13:50-52).

Chapter 14 — Lystra and the Return to Antioch

At Iconium many believed, but opponents stirred up the city and plotted to stone them, so they fled to Lystra and Derbe (14:1-7). At Lystra Paul healed a man lame from birth: "Stand upright on thy feet" (14:8-10). The crowd shouted in their local language, "The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men," calling Barnabas Jupiter and Paul Mercurius, and the priest of Jupiter brought oxen to sacrifice (14:11-13). Horrified, Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes and ran among them:

Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Acts 14:15-17

To pagans with no knowledge of Scripture, Paul began with God as Creator and His witness in creation and providence (Romans 1:20). Soon after, Jews from Antioch and Iconium turned the fickle crowd, who stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him dead. "Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city" (14:19-20). (Paul later refers to this, 2 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Timothy 3:11. Young Timothy, from Lystra, may have witnessed it.)

After Derbe, they bravely returned through the same cities, "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord" (14:22-23). They established organised local churches with their own leaders. Back at Antioch, they reported "all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (14:26-27).

Chapter 15 — The Jerusalem Council

Men from Judea came to Antioch teaching, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" (15:1). This struck at the heart of the gospel: is salvation by grace through faith alone, or by faith plus law-keeping? Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to settle the question with the apostles and elders (15:2-6). Some believing Pharisees insisted Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law (15:5).

Peter (15:7-11): God gave the Gentiles the Holy Ghost, "And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (15:9-11). Jew and Gentile alike are saved by grace through faith.

Barnabas and Paul (15:12) told of the miracles God had done among the Gentiles.

James (15:13-21), the Lord's brother and leader of the Jerusalem church, concluded that God was taking from the Gentiles "a people for his name," quoting Amos 9:11-12: "After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David... That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called" (15:14-17). "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God" (15:19). He proposed that Gentile believers be asked to abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled and from fornication (15:20, 29), not as conditions of salvation but to avoid offending Jewish believers and to keep fellowship, along with the moral standard of sexual purity.

The council sent a letter by Judas and Silas: "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things" (15:28). The Gentile churches "rejoiced for the consolation" (15:31). The gospel of grace was preserved.

Paul and Barnabas separate (15:36-41). When Paul proposed revisiting the churches, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark; Paul refused because Mark had deserted them. "And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other" (15:39). Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus; Paul chose Silas. God overruled: two missionary teams went out instead of one, and Mark was later restored to Paul's favour (2 Timothy 4:11).

Chapter 16 — Into Europe: Philippi

At Lystra Paul found Timothy, a young disciple with a Jewish mother and Greek father, "well reported of by the brethren," and took him along, circumcising him so that Jews would not be hindered from hearing the gospel (16:1-3). Timothy's circumcision was a matter of missionary strategy, not salvation (contrast Galatians 2:3). "And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily" (16:5).

The Holy Ghost forbade them to preach in Asia, and the Spirit did not allow them into Bithynia (16:6-7). At Troas, Paul saw a vision of a man of Macedonia: "Come over into Macedonia, and help us" (16:9). "And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia" (16:10): Luke joined the team, and the gospel crossed into Europe.

Lydia (16:11-15). At Philippi, a Roman colony, there was apparently no synagogue, so on the Sabbath they went to a riverside place of prayer and spoke to the women. Lydia, a seller of purple cloth from Thyatira who worshipped God, "whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household," she welcomed them into her home (16:14-15). God opens hearts; the gospel must be heard and received.

The slave girl (16:16-24). A girl possessed by a spirit of divination, who earned money for her masters by fortune-telling, followed them crying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." Grieved, Paul commanded the spirit to come out of her in the name of Jesus Christ (16:16-18). Her masters, seeing their profits gone, dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates, who had them beaten with many stripes and thrown into the inner prison with their feet in the stocks (16:19-24).

The jailer (16:25-40).

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Acts 16:25

An earthquake shook the prison, opened the doors and loosed everyone's bands. The jailer, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword to kill himself. "But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here" (16:26-28). Trembling, the jailer fell before them:

Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Acts 16:30-31

The answer to the most important question is simple: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. "And thy house" means that the same way of salvation was open to his household; "they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house" (16:32). He washed their wounds, "and was baptized, he and all his, straightway," and "rejoiced, believing in God with all his house" (16:33-34). All his household heard the word, believed and were baptized: the household baptisms in Acts are of believers, not infants (compare 18:8). The next day the magistrates, learning that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens whom they had beaten without trial, came and apologised (16:35-39).

Chapter 17 — Thessalonica, Berea and Athens

Thessalonica (17:1-9). For three Sabbaths Paul "reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ" (17:2-3). Some Jews and many God-fearing Greeks believed. Jealous opponents raised a mob, accusing them before the city rulers: "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also" (17:6).

Berea (17:10-14).

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Acts 17:11

The Bereans tested even an apostle's preaching by Scripture. "Therefore many of them believed" (17:12).

Athens (17:15-34). Waiting in Athens, the cultural capital of the ancient world, Paul's "spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry" (17:16). He reasoned in the synagogue and the marketplace daily, and Epicurean and Stoic philosophers called him a "babbler" who preached "strange gods... because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection" (17:17-18). They brought him to the Areopagus (Mars' hill).

Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

Acts 17:22-23

Paul started where they were and led them to the true God:

• The Creator: "God that made the world and all things therein... dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (17:24).
• The Sustainer: He needs nothing, "seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things" (17:25).
• The Ruler of nations: He "hath made of one blood all nations of men... and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (17:26). All humanity is one race.
• The near God: "That they should seek the Lord... though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring" (17:27-28). Paul quoted their own poets.
• The Judge: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (17:30-31).

At the mention of the resurrection, some mocked, some said, "We will hear thee again of this matter," and some believed, including Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus court, and a woman named Damaris (17:32-34).

Chapter 18 — Corinth and Ephesus

Corinth (18:1-17). Paul came to Corinth, a wealthy, immoral port city. He stayed with Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish believers recently expelled from Rome by the emperor Claudius (around AD 49, an event also recorded by the Roman historian Suetonius), and worked with them as a tentmaker (18:1-3). When Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul devoted himself to preaching that Jesus was the Christ (18:5). When the Jews opposed and blasphemed, he moved next door to the house of Justus. "And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (18:7-8): hearing, believing, then baptism. The Lord encouraged Paul in a vision:

Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

Acts 18:9-10

He stayed eighteen months (18:11). When the Jews brought him before Gallio, proconsul of Achaia, Gallio dismissed the case as a matter of Jewish religious disputes (18:12-17), effectively giving the Christian faith legal protection.

Ephesus and the end of the second journey (18:18-22). Paul sailed with Priscilla and Aquila to Ephesus, left them there, and returned via Caesarea and Jerusalem to Antioch (18:18-22).

The third journey begins; Apollos (18:23-28). Paul set out again through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples (18:23). Meanwhile at Ephesus, Apollos, "an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures," taught accurately about Jesus but knew "only the baptism of John" (18:24-25). Priscilla and Aquila took him aside "and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly" (18:26), a beautiful example of gentle, private correction. Apollos went on to Achaia, where he "helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews... shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ" (18:27-28).

Chapter 19 — Ephesus

John's disciples (19:1-7). At Ephesus Paul found about twelve disciples and asked, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" They had not even heard that the Holy Ghost had been given; they had been baptized only with John's baptism (19:2-3). Paul explained that John pointed people to Christ. "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (19:5-6). These men were disciples of John who had not yet heard the full gospel of the crucified and risen Christ; this was another unique transitional event, completing the four groups in Acts who received the Spirit in a visible way (Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles and John's disciples).

Two years of teaching (19:8-20). Paul spoke in the synagogue for three months, then, when opposition grew, taught daily in the school of Tyrannus for two years, "so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks" (19:8-10). The churches of Colossae, Laodicea and the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 may date from this period. God worked "special miracles by the hands of Paul" (19:11-12). Seven sons of a Jewish priest named Sceva tried to cast out demons "by Jesus whom Paul preacheth"; the evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" and attacked them (19:13-16). Fear fell on all, and many believers confessed their practices. Those who had practised magic burned their books publicly, worth fifty thousand pieces of silver (19:17-19).

So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Acts 19:20

The riot (19:21-41). Demetrius, a silversmith who made shrines of the goddess Diana (Artemis), whose temple at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, gathered the craftsmen: Paul had persuaded many "that they be no gods, which are made with hands," endangering both their trade and Diana's glory (19:24-27). The city filled with confusion, and for about two hours the crowd in the theatre shouted, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians" (19:28-34). The town clerk calmed them, pointing out that the Christians were neither temple robbers nor blasphemers, and that complaints should go to the courts (19:35-41). The gospel's impact was so great that it threatened the economy of idolatry.

Chapter 20 — Troas and the Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

After visiting Macedonia and Greece (where he wrote Romans), Paul travelled toward Jerusalem with representatives of the churches carrying a gift for the poor saints there (20:1-6; Romans 15:25-26).

Troas (20:7-12). "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them" (20:7). The church gathered on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, for the Lord's Supper and preaching (compare 1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul preached until midnight. A young man named Eutychus, overcome by sleep, fell from a third-storey window "and was taken up dead." Paul embraced him: "Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him" (20:9-10). They talked until daybreak and were greatly comforted (20:11-12).

The Ephesian elders (20:17-38). At Miletus, Paul called the elders of the church at Ephesus and gave his only recorded address to Christian leaders, a model for every pastor. He reminded them of his own example:

Ye know... after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations... And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:18-21

He was going to Jerusalem, knowing that bonds and afflictions awaited him:

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Acts 20:24

"I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (20:26-27). Then his charge:

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Acts 20:28

Elders (presbyters) are also overseers (bishops) and shepherds who must feed the flock; these are three descriptions of one office in the New Testament local church. The church belongs to God, who purchased it "with his own blood," a striking statement of Christ's deity. Paul warned that "grievous wolves" would come in, and that from among the elders themselves men would arise "speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (20:29-30). "Therefore watch" (20:31). "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (20:32). He reminded them that he had worked with his own hands to support himself and others, "and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (20:33-35), a saying of Jesus not recorded in the Gospels. They knelt, prayed, wept and kissed him, sorrowing most because they would see his face no more (20:36-38).

Chapter 21 — Journey to Jerusalem and Arrest

At Tyre, disciples told Paul "through the Spirit" not to go to Jerusalem (21:4); the Spirit revealed what awaited him, and they urged him to avoid it. At Caesarea, Paul stayed with Philip the evangelist, whose four unmarried daughters prophesied (21:8-9). The prophet Agabus took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles" (21:10-11). When all begged him not to go, Paul answered:

What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

Acts 21:13-14

In Jerusalem, James and the elders rejoiced at the report of God's work among the Gentiles, but told Paul that thousands of Jewish believers, "all zealous of the law," had heard that he taught Jews to abandon Moses. They advised him to pay the expenses of four men completing a vow, to show he respected the law (21:17-24). Paul agreed, becoming "unto the Jews... as a Jew" (1 Corinthians 9:20).

Near the end of the seven days, Jews from Asia saw him in the temple and falsely accused him of bringing Greeks into the inner courts (they had seen him in the city with Trophimus the Ephesian). The whole city was stirred; they dragged him out and tried to kill him (21:27-31). The Roman commander, Claudius Lysias, rescued him and bound him with two chains, fulfilling Agabus' prophecy (21:32-33). Paul asked to speak to the people; the commander was surprised that he spoke Greek, having taken him for an Egyptian rebel. "I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city" (21:37-39). Standing on the stairs of the fortress, he addressed the crowd in Hebrew (21:40).

Chapter 22 — Paul's Defence Before the Crowd

Paul told his story: born in Tarsus, "brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers," zealous toward God, persecuting "this way unto the death" (22:3-5). He described his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road (22:6-11) and Ananias' visit: "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (22:16). The washing away of sins comes through "calling on the name of the Lord" (Romans 10:13); baptism is the outward picture of that inward cleansing (1 Peter 3:21). Paul had already acknowledged Jesus as Lord three days earlier (9:5-6).

He told how the Lord appeared to him in the temple and said, "Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles" (22:17-21). At the word "Gentiles," the crowd erupted: "Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live" (22:22). The commander ordered him to be examined by scourging, but Paul asked, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" The commander had bought his citizenship at great price; Paul said, "But I was free born" (22:24-29).

Chapter 23 — Before the Council and the Plot

Before the Sanhedrin, Paul declared, "I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." The high priest Ananias ordered him struck on the mouth. Paul retorted, "God shall smite thee, thou whited wall." Told it was the high priest, Paul said, "I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people" (23:1-5; Exodus 22:28). Even when wronged, Paul respected God's Word about rulers.

Perceiving that the council was divided between Sadducees and Pharisees, Paul cried, "I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question" (23:6). The Sadducees deny resurrection, angels and spirits; the Pharisees believe them (23:8). The council split, and the commander rescued Paul again (23:7-10).

And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

Acts 23:11

The Lord personally encouraged His discouraged servant and promised that he would reach Rome. More than forty Jews bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul (23:12-15). But Paul's nephew heard of the ambush and told the commander (23:16-22), who sent Paul by night to Caesarea under an escort of 470 soldiers with a letter to the governor Felix (23:23-35). God used a young relative and a Roman army to keep His promise.

Chapter 24 — Before Felix

The high priest and an orator named Tertullus accused Paul: "we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews... and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" (24:5). Paul answered calmly:

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God... that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

Acts 24:14-16

Felix, who had "more perfect knowledge of that way," postponed the case (24:22). Later he and his wife Drusilla, a Jewish princess, sent for Paul to hear him concerning faith in Christ:

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Acts 24:25

Felix was convicted but put off the decision. There is no record that the "convenient season" ever came. He also hoped Paul would bribe him (24:26). After two years, Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus, and left Paul in prison to please the Jews (24:27).

Chapter 25 — Before Festus: "I Appeal unto Caesar"

The Jewish leaders asked Festus to bring Paul to Jerusalem, planning to ambush him on the way (25:1-3). At Caesarea, they laid many serious charges they could not prove (25:7). When Festus asked whether Paul would go to Jerusalem for trial, Paul, knowing he would never get justice there, used his right as a Roman citizen: "I appeal unto Caesar." Festus replied, "Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go" (25:9-12). Through this legal process, the Lord's promise that Paul would testify at Rome was being fulfilled.

King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice came to visit Festus. Festus explained that the dispute concerned "one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive" (25:19), the heart of the gospel stated by a puzzled pagan governor. Agrippa wanted to hear Paul, and the next day he and Bernice came "with great pomp" (25:22-23).

Chapter 26 — Before Agrippa

Paul said he was happy to answer before Agrippa, an expert in Jewish customs (26:2-3). He described his strict Pharisee upbringing and his hope in God's promise to the fathers (26:4-7). "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" (26:8). He told again of his persecution of the believers and his meeting with Jesus, who commissioned him:

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Acts 26:18

"Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision" (26:19). He had preached everywhere "that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (26:20), saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses foretold: "That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles" (26:22-23).

Festus interrupted loudly: "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad." Paul replied, "I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness... for this thing was not done in a corner" (26:24-26). The facts of the gospel were public and verifiable. Then he turned to the king:

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

Acts 26:27-29

"Almost" is not enough. Agrippa remarked that Paul could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar (26:32), but God's purpose was to send him to Rome.

Chapter 27 — The Voyage and the Shipwreck

Paul, with other prisoners, was handed to a centurion named Julius of the Augustan cohort, who treated him kindly. Luke and Aristarchus went with him (27:1-3). Sailing was dangerous after "the fast" (the Day of Atonement, in autumn) (27:9). At Fair Havens in Crete, Paul warned that the voyage would bring great loss, but the centurion trusted the master and owner of the ship, who wanted to reach a better winter harbour (27:9-12).

A violent north-east wind called Euroclydon struck, driving the ship helplessly (27:14-15). The crew undergirded the ship with ropes, lowered the gear, threw out cargo and tackle (27:16-19). For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, "all hope that we should be saved was then taken away" (27:20). Then Paul stood up:

And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

Acts 27:22-25

"Whose I am, and whom I serve": Paul belonged to God and served Him, and in the storm he was the calmest man aboard. On the fourteenth night, near land, the sailors tried to escape in the lifeboat. Paul told the centurion, "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved" (27:30-31). God had promised that all would be saved, yet the means (the sailors' skill) were part of His plan. The soldiers cut the boat loose. Paul urged everyone to eat, gave thanks to God publicly, and broke bread; they were encouraged and ate. There were 276 people on board (27:33-37). At dawn the ship ran aground and began to break up. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners, but the centurion, wanting to save Paul, prevented them. Some swam, others clung to planks, "And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land" (27:38-44). God kept His word to the last person.

Chapter 28 — Malta and Rome

Malta (28:1-10). The island was Melita (Malta). The islanders showed unusual kindness, lighting a fire in the rain and cold (28:1-2). When Paul gathered sticks, a viper fastened on his hand. The people said, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live." But he shook it into the fire and felt no harm, and they changed their minds and said he was a god (28:3-6; compare Mark 16:18). Paul healed the father of Publius, the chief man of the island, of fever and dysentery, and many others came and were healed (28:7-9). After three months they sailed for Italy (28:11).

Arrival in Rome (28:11-16). Believers from Rome came as far as the Appii forum and the Three Taverns to meet him, "whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage" (28:15). In Rome Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier guarding him (28:16).

The Jews in Rome (28:17-29). Paul called the Jewish leaders together and explained that he was bound "for the hope of Israel" (28:20). They had heard nothing against him personally, but of "this sect we know that every where it is spoken against" (28:22). On an appointed day many came, and "he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening" (28:23). Some believed and some did not (28:24). Paul quoted Isaiah 6:9-10, which describes those who hear but do not understand (28:25-27):

Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

Acts 28:28

Two years in Rome (28:30-31).

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.

Acts 28:30-31

Acts ends not with Paul's death but with the gospel being preached freely at the heart of the empire. The last word in the Greek text is "unhindered." The story is unfinished because the work continues: every church and every believer since has been writing the next chapter of Acts. During these two years Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon, and even members of Caesar's household believed (Philippians 1:12-13; 4:22).

Part Three: Christ in Acts

The Risen and Reigning Lord

Acts is the story of what Jesus "began both to do and teach" continuing from heaven (1:1). The risen Christ is active throughout: He gives commandments through the Spirit (1:2), pours out the Spirit (2:33), adds to the church (2:47), heals (3:16; 9:34), stands to receive Stephen (7:56), appears to Saul (9:5), directs His servants (16:7; 18:9-10; 23:11), and opens hearts (16:14).

Titles of Christ in Acts

Old Testament Prophecies Preached in Acts

The apostles preached Christ from the Old Testament:

Part Four: Fulfilled Prophecies and Promises

Part Five: Key Passages in Depth

Acts 1:8 — The Great Commission's Pattern

Power comes from the Holy Spirit; the task is witness; the subject is Christ; the scope is the whole world, beginning at home. Every church's mission still follows this pattern.

Acts 1:11 — The Promise of His Return

The same Jesus will come in the same way: personally, bodily and visibly. This hope motivates watchful, faithful service.

Acts 2:36-42 — The First Gospel Sermon and the First Church

Peter preached Christ crucified and risen as Lord and Christ. Convicted hearers repented, were baptized, and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the Lord's Supper and prayer. This is the pattern of a New Testament church.

Acts 4:12 — No Other Name

Salvation is found exclusively in Jesus Christ. There is no other way, name or saviour.

Acts 4:13, 29-31 — Boldness

Ordinary people became bold because they had been with Jesus and were filled with the Spirit. They prayed not for safety but for boldness.

Acts 5:29 — Obeying God Rather Than Men

When human authorities forbid what God commands, believers must obey God, accepting the consequences with joy.

Acts 7:54-60 — The Death of Stephen

Stephen saw Christ standing to receive him, committed his spirit to the Lord, prayed for his killers, and fell asleep. The blood of the first martyr became the seed of the church, and his witness began the work that would win Saul.

Acts 8:26-40 — The Ethiopian

God sent one man to one seeker on a desert road. Beginning at Isaiah 53, Philip preached Jesus. The Ethiopian believed, was baptized by immersion, and went on rejoicing. Personal evangelism from the Scriptures is God's method.

Acts 9:1-19 — The Conversion of Saul

No one is beyond the reach of God's grace. The chief persecutor became the chief apostle. His question, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?", is the right response of every converted heart.

Acts 10:34-48 — No Respecter of Persons

God accepts people of every nation through faith in Christ. Cornelius' household received the Spirit when they believed, before baptism, showing that salvation is by faith alone.

Acts 15:1-21 — Saved by Grace

The council rejected the teaching that Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law to be saved. "Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." This decision preserved the gospel of grace.

Acts 16:25-34 — "What Must I Do to Be Saved?"

The jailer's question receives the clearest answer in Scripture: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Saving faith produced immediate change: kindness, baptism and joy.

Acts 17:11 — The Noble Bereans

True nobility is receiving God's Word eagerly and testing all teaching by Scripture daily.

Acts 17:22-31 — Paul at Athens

Paul reached pagan philosophers by starting with God as Creator, Sustainer and Ruler, then calling all men everywhere to repent in view of the coming judgment guaranteed by Christ's resurrection.

Acts 20:17-38 — A Pastor's Charge

Faithful ministry means humility, tears, declaring the whole counsel of God publicly and from house to house, guarding the flock purchased with God's own blood, watching against false teachers, and generosity. "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Acts 24:25 — The Convenient Season

Felix trembled at the gospel but delayed. Conviction without decision is dangerous; "now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Acts 26:28-29 — Almost Persuaded

Agrippa was "almost" a Christian. Almost is not enough; the gospel calls for wholehearted commitment.

Acts 27:21-25 — Faith in the Storm

"I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." In the worst storm, the man who belonged to God and served Him was the source of hope for all aboard.

Acts 28:30-31 — The Unhindered Gospel

Acts ends with the gospel preached boldly at the centre of the world, "no man forbidding him." The story continues through every generation of faithful witnesses.

Part Six: The Major Teachings of Acts

1. The Holy Spirit

The Spirit empowers witness, fills believers with boldness, guides missionaries, appoints leaders and is God Himself (1:8; 2:4; 4:31; 5:3-4; 13:2; 16:6-7; 20:28).

2. The Resurrection of Christ

The resurrection is the centre of apostolic preaching and the proof of Christ's identity and coming judgment (2:24-32; 4:33; 17:31; 25:19; 26:23).

3. Salvation by Grace Through Faith

Forgiveness and justification come through faith in Christ, not by the law (10:43; 13:38-39; 15:11; 16:31; 26:18).

4. Repentance

Turning from sin to God accompanies saving faith (2:38; 3:19; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20).

5. Salvation Only in Christ

"Neither is there salvation in any other" (4:12).

6. Believer's Baptism

Those who believed were baptized, by immersion, as the first step of obedience (2:41; 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; 16:33; 18:8).

7. The Local Church

Congregations gathered for teaching, fellowship, the Lord's Supper and prayer, were led by elders (overseers) and served by deacons, met on the first day of the week, exercised discipline, and sent out missionaries (2:42; 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 20:7, 17, 28).

8. Bold Witness and Missions

Believers spread the gospel everywhere, often through persecution (4:20, 31; 8:4; 13-28).

9. The Gospel for All Nations

God shows no partiality; Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles are saved on the same terms (10:34-35; 11:18; 15:9).

10. Suffering for Christ

Persecution is normal; believers rejoice to suffer for His name (5:41; 9:16; 14:22; 20:24).

11. God's Sovereignty

God's purposes are fulfilled through human evil, legal processes, storms and serpents (2:23; 4:27-28; 13:48; 23:11; 27:24).

12. Prayer

The early church prayed constantly and saw God answer (1:14; 2:42; 4:24-31; 12:5; 13:3; 16:25).

13. The Word of God

The word grew, multiplied and prevailed; believers searched the Scriptures daily (6:7; 12:24; 17:11; 19:20; 20:32).

Part Seven: Connections — How Acts Links to the Rest of the Bible

Acts and the Old Testament

Acts and the New Testament

Themes That Run from Acts Through Scripture

Part Eight: Practical Lessons

• Wait on God for His power before you go (1:4, 8).
• Look for Christ's return, but don't stand gazing; get to work (1:11).
• Pray with other believers with one accord (1:14).
• Preach Christ crucified and risen (2:23-24, 36).
• Repent, believe and be baptized (2:38, 41).
• Continue stedfastly in doctrine, fellowship, the Lord's Supper and prayer (2:42).
• Give what you have, even if it is not silver and gold (3:6).
• Proclaim that salvation is in Christ alone (4:12).
• Spend time with Jesus; it shows (4:13).
• Pray for boldness, not ease (4:29).
• Never lie to God or play the hypocrite (5:3-4).
• Obey God rather than men (5:29).
• Rejoice to suffer for Christ's name (5:41).
• Give priority to prayer and the Word (6:4).
• Forgive those who hurt you, like Stephen (7:60).
• Let persecution scatter you as a witness (8:4).
• Guard against wanting spiritual power for selfish reasons (8:18-22).
• Start where people are, and preach Jesus from the Scriptures (8:35).
• Ask, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (9:6).
• Be a Barnabas: stand by new and struggling believers (9:27; 11:23-24).
• Don't call anyone God has cleansed common or unclean (10:15, 28).
• Pray without ceasing for those in trouble (12:5).
• Give God the glory; never take it yourself (12:23).
• Send out missionaries from your church (13:2-3).
• Expect tribulation on the way to the kingdom (14:22).
• Hold firmly to salvation by grace alone (15:11).
• Follow the Spirit's closed and open doors (16:6-10).
• Sing praises at midnight (16:25).
• Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (16:31).
• Search the Scriptures daily (17:11).
• Let idolatry stir your spirit to witness (17:16).
• Correct others privately and gently, like Priscilla and Aquila (18:26).
• Burn whatever belongs to your old life (19:19).
• Finish your course with joy (20:24).
• Declare the whole counsel of God (20:27).
• Remember: it is more blessed to give than to receive (20:35).
• Say, "The will of the Lord be done" (21:14).
• Don't wait for a "convenient season" (24:25).
• Don't be "almost" persuaded (26:28).
• Believe God in the storm (27:25).
• Keep preaching Christ with confidence (28:31).

Part Nine: Key Verses to Memorize

Conclusion

Acts tells how the risen Christ, through His Holy Spirit, took a small group of frightened disciples in an upper room and turned the world upside down. At Pentecost the Spirit came, Peter preached Christ crucified and risen, and three thousand believed and were baptized. The church devoted itself to the Word, fellowship, the Lord's Supper and prayer; it faced threats with prayer for boldness, guarded its purity, appointed servants, and gave its first martyr, Stephen, who saw the Son of man standing to receive him. Persecution scattered the believers, and the gospel crossed every barrier: to Samaritans, to an Ethiopian on a desert road, to a Roman centurion. The greatest persecutor became the greatest missionary. The church at Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas; the Jerusalem council affirmed salvation by grace alone; the gospel crossed into Europe, reached philosophers at Athens and sorcerers at Ephesus, and stood before governors and kings. Through riots, prisons, plots, storms and shipwreck, God kept His word, and Acts ends with Paul in Rome, preaching the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him. The story is unfinished, because Christ's witnesses are still carrying it to the uttermost part of the earth.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me

Acts 1:8