Life201 – Bible Survey
NT, Acts
(Lesson 7)
Acts
1. The “Acts” of who?
1.1. Written by physician-Luke [Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-5].
1.2. Acts of the apostles? The church? The Holy Spirit?
2. Jesus has risen, and the Holy Spirit works!
2.1. Post-Resurrection Appearances
2.1.1. At the tomb [Matthew 28:1-6a]
2.1.2. The Great Commission [Matthew 28:19]
2.1.3. Instruction to wait for “power from on high” [Luke 24:49b]
2.1.4. Ascension [Acts 1:51]
2.2. Things are changing from the gospels to Acts.
Gospels
Acts
Jesus modeled Christianity
Everyday people model Christianity
The original “seeds” of the church pare
planted: “I will build My church” [Mt.16:18]
Those seeds take root and begin to sprout,
grow, bud, blossom, and bear fruit.
Christ ministers, dies, and rises from the
dead
Christ ascends, is seated and exalted as
head of His Body, the church
The emphasis rests on Jesus, the second
person of the Trinity
The emphasis rests on the Holy Spirit, the
third person of the Trinity
The events occur between about A.D. 1 and
A.D. 33.
The events occur between about A.D. 33
and A.D. 60, from Christ’s last words to
Paul’s first imprisonment.
2.3 Once-skeptical Manford George Gutzke marveled:
“His few followers were insignificant and discredited people. They faced stubborn hostility. The Jewish
authorities opposed them. The Roman government opposed them and eventually came out in bitter
persecution against them…
“Even as a skeptic, I had to admit that this Christian Gospel had tremendous strength. It became a
movement and crossed every barrier. It crossed the oceans, the deserts, and the mountains. It leaped from
one country to another. It spread around the world, and today it is being preached in more than a thousand
different languages and dialects. From an historic point of view, Christianity is the most amazing
phenomenon the world has ever seen.”
3.
Outlining Acts
3.1. The Geographical Outline
3.1.1. This outline follows Jesus’s geographic instruction in Acts 1:8.
3.1.2. [1-7] The events in Jerusalem
3.1.3. [8-12] The gospel spreads to Judea and Samaria
3.1.4. [13-28] Christianity expands to “the remotest part of the earth”
Life201 – Bible Survey
NT, Acts
3.2. The Chronological Outline
3.2.1. [1] Ascension to Pentecost
3.2.2. [2-7] Pentecost to the stoning of Stephen
3.2.2.1. [4] Peter and John are imprisoned
3.2.2.2. [5] The apostles are beaten and forbidden to speak of Christ
3.2.2.3. [7] Stephen is stoned to death—the first Christian martyr
3.2.3. [8-9] Stephen’s death to Saul’s conversion (who becomes Apostle Paul)
3.2.4. [10-12] Saul’s conversion to his missionary calling, paired with Barnabas
3.2.5. [13-28] Paul’s missionary journeys to his imprisonment in Rome. This section is a
travelogue of Paul’s four trips: three missionary journeys and his voyage to Rome as a
prisoner to stand trail before Caesar. It is during this time that he wrote 13 letters which
have become a part of the New Testament. Paul’s journies:
3.2.5.1. FIRST: Antioch, Cyprus, Pamphylia, southern Galatia, and back to Antioch [13:1 14:28]
3.2.5.2. SECOND: return visits to Syria and Cilicia, Derbe and Lystra in Galatia; on through
Asia Minor to Troas; across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia, Athens, and Corinth; and
back to Antioch via Jerusalem [15:36 – 18:22]
3.2.5.3. THIRD: from Antioch to Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece, along the coast of Asia Minor,
and to Jerusalem [18:23 – 21:17]
3.2.5.4. To Rome: across the Mediterranean Sea to Crete, ship-wrecked on Malta, on to Sicily,
and finally, Rome [27:1 – 28:31]
3.3. The Biographical Outline
3.3.1. Another way to tour Acts is to focus on the book’s two most prominent figures: Peter
[chapters 1-12], and Paul [chapters 13-28]. Consider the fascinating contrasts between the
two:
Peter [1-12]
Paul [13-28]
Central location: Jerusalem
Central location: Antioch
Emphasis on Jews
Emphasis on Gentiles
Movement from Jerusalem to Samaria
Movement from Samaria to Rome
Five great persecutions
Four great journeys
Period of refinement
Period of fulfillment
4. Gaining from Acts
4.1. In many ways, Acts is to the New Testament what Genesis is to the Old Testament. Both are
foundational to several key biblical themes. There are many notable “firsts” in the book of Acts:
First permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of Christ’s universal church [2];
First formation of local assemblies of believers [2-4]; First act of church discipline [5]; First
organization of church government [6]; First martyr [7]; First missionary—Philip [8]; First time
the gospel is delivered to Gentiles—Peter and Cornelius [10]; First use of the name “Christian”
[11]; First organized approach to world evangelism [13-28].
4.2. Most of the events pertaining to the church are recorded in Acts. By knowing Acts, you gain a
greater understanding of what happened in other places mentioned in the New Testament. For
example, Philippians and Paul in Philippi [Acts 16].
4.3. Where in Acts do you find other New Testament characters besides Peter and Paul; like Mark,
Timothy, James, Stephen, Philip, Barnabas…? What about other N.T. places and events?