The Bible Brief’s Book of Acts Summary:
When:
Likely between A.D. 60-65.
Who:
Traditionally ascribed to Luke.
People & Places:
Jesus; Saul (Paul); Peter; Silas; John; Cornelius; Barnabas; Simeon; Herod; Agrippa; Festus
Jerusalem; Judea; Samaria; Athens; Corinth; Ephesus; Macedonia; Caesarea
Sound-Bites:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Ch.1:8)
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Ch.4:12)
They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Ch.16:31)
And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.” (Ch.26:29)
And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5. And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. (Ch.9:4-5)
The Messianic Link:
He is the Prince of Life in Acts 3:15
He is the Righteous One in Acts 7:52
The Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)
The Book:
The book of Acts gives us a history of the work of the early church and the Holy Spirit, within the theatre of the known world. From the empowering by the Holy Spirit in chapter 2, the early church made a great impact on all it encountered.
The Apostles Peter and John playing a major role in this early work. The great persecutor of the Christians, Saul, had a tremendous conversion on the road to Damascus (Ch.9) after which he was known as Paul.
Chapters 13 – 29 continue with the first of three missionary journeys as Paul and the Apostles/Church members spread the word in accordance with Acts 1:8; meeting the opposition of Jew and Gentile with stoicism and faith in God.
Notes & Thoughts:
The book of Acts is one of the most exciting and challenging of the New Testament, filled as it is with the works of the early church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, the ‘tongues of fire’ and rushing wind on the day of Pentecost (Ch.2), as well as ‘speaking in other tongues’, an outward sign and witness to the onlookers that The Lord was with them—a witnessed event that resulted in 3,000 conversions at a single meeting!
Could it be that a large part of the problem with empty pews today is that there is nothing to see or hear in some churches that warrants a second look?
Book of Acts In A Nutshell:
Written around 60-62 AD by Luke as a sequel to Lukes Gospel, Acts is a narrative history describing the work and formation of the early church, highlighting especially the works of Saul (Paul) and the apostle Peter as they travelled extensively spreading the Gospel message.