The Book of Acts
Brief Overview of The Book of Acts
Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a follow-up to his Gospel account of the life of Christ. The Acts should be seen as a description of the ongoing work of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through His apostles and followers. Luke’s aim is to give an historical record of the early church from its birth in Jerusalem to how it reached around the world with the Gospel. Through this work Luke reveals that everything that was said previously about Jesus Christ was absolute truth. The book of Acts can be split into two main parts: 1. The birth of the Church 2. The missionary journeys of the apostles The book begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the waiting disciple (120) in the Upper Room. From this room the message of salvation would reach Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria, and the next the entire earth (1:8). The work begins with the birth of the church in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. The hundred and twenty followers of Christ are waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in obedience to His instructions. On the Day of Pentecost they are baptized in the Holy Spirit and are empowered to take the Good News to the world. From this single room the Gospel reached Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the furthest countries of the world (1:8). Almost all the Roman Empire was covered by those preaching the message of salvation in Christ. New churches all over Europe were founded (especially through the missionary activities of the apostle Paul and his companions). In the book of Acts we see not only the birth of the Church but also how it needed to be an organized and united Body. In it we see the beginnings of the fundamental doctrines of the Church, which should never be compromised. We see how the early Church dealt with persecution, false brethren, and hypocrisy. It teaches us that God uses ordinary men and women to get great things done in Christ’s name. The Acts of the Apostles would be better termed The Acts
Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a follow-up to his Gospel account of the life of Christ. The Acts should be seen as a description of the ongoing work of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through His apostles and followers. Luke’s aim is to give an historical record of the early church from its birth in Jerusalem to how it reached around the world with the Gospel. Through this work Luke reveals that everything that was said previously about Jesus Christ was absolute truth. The book of Acts can be split into two main parts: 1. The birth of the Church 2. The missionary journeys of the apostles The book begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the waiting disciple (120) in the Upper Room. From this room the message of salvation would reach Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria, and the next the entire earth (1:8). The work begins with the birth of the church in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. The hundred and twenty followers of Christ are waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in obedience to His instructions. On the Day of Pentecost they are baptized in the Holy Spirit and are empowered to take the Good News to the world. From this single room the Gospel reached Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the furthest countries of the world (1:8). Almost all the Roman Empire was covered by those preaching the message of salvation in Christ. New churches all over Europe were founded (especially through the missionary activities of the apostle Paul and his companions). In the book of Acts we see not only the birth of the Church but also how it needed to be an organized and united Body. In it we see the beginnings of the fundamental doctrines of the Church, which should never be compromised. We see how the early Church dealt with persecution, false brethren, and hypocrisy. It teaches us that God uses ordinary men and women to get great things done in Christ’s name. The Acts of the Apostles would be better termed The Acts