General Information

No author is identified specifically within the text, but it is without a doubt the same author as the Gospel of Luke. Internally, the author of Acts was a companion of Paul, who joined the Apostle at Troas (we know this because within the account, the pronouns change from “they” to “we” when Paul left Troas in Acts 16:10). Also, Acts begins with, “The former account I made, O Theophilus…” so we know that the author of Acts is the same as the author of Luke (and vice versa). Luke is almost certainly the author of the Gospel that bears his name (see the introduction for the Gospel of Luke). Externally, early Church Fathers like Irenaeus ascribed Acts to Luke.

For a variety of reasons, Acts is almost universally dated to the early 60’s A.D. Luke doesn’t mention the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 or the persecution of Christians in Rome under Nero in 64, and Acts ends with Paul imprisoned in Rome, which began in A.D. 60. Although it is possible Luke wrote Acts later, and simply omitted these important events, it is more likely that Acts was written between 60-64.

Luke intimated that Acts was the sequel to his spiritual-historical biography of Jesus. He wanted to make Theophilus aware of the events immediately following Jesus’ triumph over death. He begins with Jesus’ final appearance to the disciples, when he promises to send the Holy Spirit from which they would “receive power” to “witness to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Throughout the rest of Acts, we see this command carried out.

However, the book of Acts is much more than a simple history of the early church. Acts was meant to bolster the faith of Christians everywhere with accounts of God’s work all over the Roman Empire. Luke records several miracles, proving the Holy Spirit had indeed come to give the Apostles power to aid in preaching the Gospel. The rapid spread and wide acceptance of “the Way” is also nothing short of miraculous. First considered a Jewish sect, it was soon embraced by Jews and Gentiles alike who realized the powerful truth of the Gospel. Acts also serves as a powerful example of how early Christians obeyed Jesus’ command to spread the faith from Jerusalem to “all nations” (Luke 24:46-48). Luke’s historical narrative is intimately personalized by the biographies of several important figures in the history of the church, such as James, Stephen, Peter and Paul. In particular, the story of Paul’s conversion from a zealous Christian-persecuting Pharisee to an Apostle who spread the Gospel from Jerusalem to Asia and Greece and even to Rome itself.

Finally, Acts also includes important theological teaching, such as the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit’s availability to all Christians, the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus, salvation by grace through faith, the availability of grace to Gentiles, and the Faith being built on the foundation of the Old Testament.

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.” 

4:18-20 “So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

9:4-6 “Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ 
Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 
So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ 
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’

16:30-31 “And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’”

28:30 “Then 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.

Peter

Luke records Peter’s activities in the first half of Acts. Peter is shown as a key leader of the Church in Jerusalem, leading the Apostles (1:15-26; 5:1-11; 8:14-25; 15:6-29), boldly preaching and defending the Gospel (2:14-39; 3:11-4:31; 5:22-42), performing miracles (3:1-10; 5:12-16; 9:32-43), receiving revelation pertaining to God’s acceptance of Gentiles and defending their entrance into the Church (10:9-11:18), and being imprisoned and miraculously released (5:17-21; 12:3-18). These acts stand in stark contrast to the Peter shown in the Gospels, who denied Jesus and was often concerned about unimportant status issues.   

James the Just

James the Just is also known as James the Righteous, James of Jerusalem, James Adelphotheos (Brother of God). In Acts, he is an important leader of the Jerusalem believers, presiding over the first general council, known as the Council of Jerusalem, dealing with the place of Gentiles in the Church. The last time he is mentioned in Acts is when he meets Paul just before Paul’s imprisonment in Jerusalem.

James the Great

James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, was one of the original 12 Apostles and the brother of John. Together with John and Peter, he witnessed the raising of Jarius’ daughter (Lk 8:49-56), the transfiguration (Matt 17:1-13) and is privately addressed by Jesus concerning the Tribulation (Mark 13:3-37). In Acts we learn of his martyrdom, when Agrippa I executed him “with the sword” (13:2).

Stephen

In Acts 6, Stephen, a “man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,” is chosen (among others) by the Apostles to serve as a deacon in Jerusalem. He was tasked with making sure no widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food. Soon after, Luke tells us that some from the Synagogue of the Freemen were arguing with Stephen. When they are unable to “resist the wisdom and Spirit by which he spoke” the men hire a false witness to claim Stephen is blaspheming Moses, the Law, the temple and God. Interestingly they twist the truth and mix it with lies, claiming Stephen said Jesus would “destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered” (6:14). Of course, Jesus said the temple would be destroyed (but not by Him), and that the Pharisees were not following the teachings of Moses (not that He was going to change the Law). He is brought before the Sanhedrin, where he gives his famous address, reminding the religious leaders of their spiritual heritage and accusing them of failing to heed the Holy Spirit. He concludes by testifying to a vision of the Son standing at the right hand of the Father. The address infuriates the council and they sentence him to death by stoning. In an example of amazing forgiveness, Stephen’s last words are a plea that God not hold this sin of his murderers against them.

Philip

Philip, known as “the Evangelist” was another of the deacons chosen in Acts 6. Later, he goes to Samaria and preached the Gospel (8:5-13). He is then told by God to go “toward the south, along the road from Jerusalem to Gaza” (8:26). On this road he encounters a chariot driven by an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading aloud Isa 53:7-8. Philip asks the man if he understands the passage, which he does not, so Philip explains it to him, and “preached Jesus to him.” When the eunuch expresses faith that Jesus is the Son of God, Philip baptizes him. Immediately, the Spirit “caught Philip away” to Azotus. From there Philip preached the Gospel “in all the cities till he came to Caesarea” (8:40). The last we hear of Philip is in 21:8, where Paul’s companions come to Caesarea and stay at Philip’s house.

Paul

As Stephen is being stoned, a “young man named Saul” was standing near, watching over the coats of those killing Stephen and “consenting of his death” (8:1). Saul then “made havoc of the church” in Jerusalem, going from house to house arresting believers. He then obtains permission to go to Damascus and arrest followers of “the Way” there. On the way, Jesus appears to him, blinds him, and commands him to go to Ananias in Damascus. Saul stays with Ananias several days then “immediately” preached the Gospel in the synagogues of Damascus, “confounding the Jews.” From that point on, Paul would do this all over the Roman world. Acts records Paul’s first missionary journey (to Asia), his second missionary journey (to Greece), his third missionary journey (back to Asia and Greece), his arrest in Jerusalem, his journey to Rome, and his activities under house arrest in the city. Although he almost always first went to the synagogue when he came to a city, he ministered mostly to Gentiles.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Jesus told the disciples to wait until the coming of the Holy Spirit before leaving Jerusalem. He told them the Spirit would empower them to preach the Gospel to the “ends of the earth” – which they eventually fulfilled.

The Stoning of Stephen and Subsequent Persecution of the Church

Although the Church had experienced opposition until Stephen’s death, after this tragic event, opposition transformed into persecution. However, instead of snuffing out the new movement, the persecution served to spread the Gospel all over the Levant, first to Samaria, then to Damascus and even Syrian Antioch. Even in Jerusalem, their persecution only served to strengthen the resolve of the believers. Eventually, the religious establishment in Jerusalem realized the futility of trying to violently fight the Christians. Although Christians were forced to flee during the revolts of A.D. 70 and 135, after these events Jewish religious leaders were never again able to organize serious persecution of Christians in Jerusalem.

The Conversion of Paul

Jesus’ confronting Saul on the road to Damascus is a key turning point in Acts. Paul becomes a powerful witness of the Gospel, taking the message of Jesus all over the Roman Empire.

Paul’s Missionary Journeys

Much of Acts is devoted to Paul’s journeys to Asia and Greece, preaching the Gospel from Cyprus to Iconium to Thessalonica and Philipi to Corinth and Athens. As Paul would later recount, these journeys were filled with confrontations, dangers, arrests, and persecutions. But they were also filled with miracles, the making of friends, saved souls and the establishment of many communities of believers.

The Jerusalem Council

Christianity began as a sect of Judaism. Initially, many leaders of the Church were opposed to Gentiles being included. All that changed when Peter was directed to go to Cornelius the Centurion and preach the Gospel. Even after this, Peter is brought before “those of the circumcision” and questioned about eating with gentiles. After Peter tells them the miraculous vision, they accept that “God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (11:18). However, even after this there were many Jews who expected Gentile converts to adhere to the Law, including circumcision. This problem grew exponentially with Paul’s travels across the Roman Empire. The issue came to a head in Antioch where “certain men” came from Judea and taught that circumcision was required for salvation. Paul and Barnabas vehemently disagreed. They, along with representatives of the opposition traveled to Jerusalem to settle the argument. After much debate, it is decided not to “burden” Gentiles with anything beyond abstaining from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled and from sexual immorality. It is possible that this decision did much to change Christianity from being thought of as a sect of Judaism to a new religion, since Gentile Christians, at this time well on their way to becoming the majority in the Church, did not have to become Jewish to join the Church. 

Paul’s Arrest, Trial, and Journey to Rome

Paul’s arrest and trial is the final narrative in Acts. Paul is arrested in Jerusalem after being (falsely) accused of bringing a Gentile into the inner courts of the Temple. After learning he was a citizen of Rome, and of a plot against his life, the Roman commander in the city sends him to Caesarea. Paul languishes for two years in the Caesarean prison when the governor, Festus, decided to send Paul to Jerusalem to be judged. Paul claimed that the Jews had no accusation against him, so if he wasn’t going to be released, he appealed to Caesar. Paul’s journey to be judged by Caesar turns out to be a harrowing experience. During a storm, he is shipwrecked on Malta where he is bitten by a viper and survives. Eventually he makes it to Rome, and under house arrest, ministers there.

Prologue (1:1-3)
 

The Leaving of Jesus and the Coming of the Holy Spirit (1:4-2:3)

The Early Growth of the Church (2:4-6:7)

I.    Ministry in Jerusalem (2:4-6:7)

II.   Stephen’s Trial and Death (6:8-7:60)

III. The Church is Persecuted and Spreads (8:1-40)

The Conversion of Paul, Peter’s Journeys, Spread of the Church (9:1-11:18)

I.    Jesus Appears to Saul (9:1-9)

II.  Saul Baptized and Preaches in Damascus (9:10-22)

III. Saul Escapes Death, Returns to Jerusalem and Goes to Tarsus (9:23-30)

IV. The Church Prospers And Peter Heals (9:31-43)

V.  Peter’s Vision and Mission to Cornelius (10:1-48)

VI. Peter Recalled to Jerusalem And Defends Himself (11:1-18)

VII.Paul and Barnabas at Antioch (11:19-25)

VIII.Famine in Jerusalem and Relief from Antioch (11:26-30)

IX.  Persecution and Miracles (12:1-24)

X.   Paul and Barnabas Sent (12:25)

Paul’s First Missionary Journey (13:1-14:28)

I.    Paul and Barnabas Back at Antioch (13:1-3)

II.   Cyprus (13:4-12)

III.  Pisidia (13:13-52)

IV.  Iconium (14:1-7)

V.   Lystra, Derbe and Return to Antioch (14:8-28)

The Jerusalem Council (15:1-35)

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (15:36-18:22)

I.    Antioch to Troas (15:36-16:10)

II.   Troas to Athens (16:11-17:34)

III.  Corinth (18:1-22)

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey (18:23-21:16)

I.    Ephesus, Macedonia, Troas, Miletus (18:23-20:16)

II.   Paul and the Ephesian Elders (20:17-38)

III.  Miletus to Caesarea (21:1-14)

Paul’s Arrest, Trial, and Journey to Rome (21:15-28:16)

I.    Paul Goes to Jerusalem and Is Received by the Elders (1:1-2:23)

II.   Arrest at the Temple and Subsequent Uproar (2:24-23:22)

III.  Journey Back to Caesarea and Trials (23:23-26:32)

IV.  Journey to Rome (27:1-28:16)

Paul’s Ministry in Rome (28:17-31)