Non-religious explanations and history. Stories. Dimension of Life explained. Good read. An explanation of what it was about, how it came together, what ancient mystery is about.
Search results
Mar 14, 2024 · The book of Acts was written by Luke, the author of the Gospel that bears his name. While Acts serves as a historical document, its purpose goes beyond providing an impersonal church history.
But when we learn about the backgrounds of the writers of the Bible, their world, their lives and their purposes, our understanding and appreciation of the Scriptures become much deeper. This is the first lesson in our series The Book of Acts.
- 633KB
- 31
- Acts and Redemptive History
- Reversing The Curse of Babel
- To The End of The Earth
- Universal Themes in Acts
- The Global Message of Acts For Today
The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews, but ends in Rome, the capital city of the Gentiles. It begins with the ministry of Peter, apostle to the Jews, but ends with the ministry of Paul, apostle to the Gentiles (see Galatians 2:7–8; 1 Timothy 2:7). The direction of Acts is one of ever-expanding global reach. Acts 1:8 sum...
In Genesis 11 the pride of mankind led to the building of the tower of Babel. But God brought low mankind’s arrogance. He scattered the human race throughout the earth and gave different languages to different people groups, preventing a second attempt at a unified monument to human pride like Babel. In Acts 2, the curse of Babel is reversed. Inste...
The rest of Acts then describes the ongoing spread of the gospel outward from Jerusalem. This is in fulfillment of the ancient promises to Abraham (soon after Babel) that in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1–3). The first seven chapters of Acts show the gospel spreading in Jerusalem. Chapters 8–9 describe its spread to...
The Global Reach of the Gospel
In Acts God calls his people, led by the apostles, to be witnesses of Jesus “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In chapter 2, Luke makes a deliberate point of recording the various nations represented at Pentecost in Jerusalem—“Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Lybia belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians” (Acts 2:9–11). This...
The Welcome of All Kinds of People into the Family of God
Not only does the gospel reach to all the corners of the earth in Acts, it also reaches to all kinds of people—an Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26–40), a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1–48), lame men (Acts 3:1–10; 14:8–10), a merchant woman (Acts 16:11–15), a Philippian jailer (Acts 16:25–34), members of the religious elite in Athens (Acts 17:34), and magicians and sorcerers (Acts 19:18–19). In his great grace, God welcomes all kinds of people into his family.
The Sovereignty of God in All Things
As much as any book in the Bible, Acts lifts up the sovereign rule of God over everything in both life and salvation. This sovereignty extends to every square inch of the globe and is a deep comfort for Christians everywhere. Acts shows us God’s sovereignty in appointing men and women to eternal life (Acts 2:39, 41, 47; 5:14; 11:24; 13:48), in granting faith and repentance (Acts 3:16; 5:31; 11:18; 15:8–9; 16:14; 18:27), and even in the cruel cross of Christ (Acts 2:23–24; 3:18; 4:27–28). All...
Word and Deed
Throughout Acts, ministry involves both word and deed, both speaking and doing, both preaching and serving. Miraculous acts of healing, for example, were “signs and wonders” that pointed to the life-changing power of the gospel. In Acts 14:3, we are told that Paul and Barnabas were “speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.” Christians sometimes emphasize either word or deed to the neglect of the other. The N...
Christian Generosity with One Another
The church is called to be kind and generous to all those made in God’s image. Yet believers are to show special kindness to one another (Galatians 6:10). We see this beautifully in Acts, as believers share possessions in common with one another in a bold sacrifice of love (Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37). As Christ poured his life out in self-giving compassion for us when we were in need, so we give of ourselves to others who are in need.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
The worldwide mission of the church began only when the Holy Spirit came upon God’s people (Acts 1:8; compare Luke 24:49). In a day when the Spirit is often the most neglected person of the Trinity, especially in the Christian West, the global church must learn from Acts to treasure the Spirit and his presence and power. Acts declares to the church today that it is by the power of the Spirit that the gospel will go forth to the end of the earth. This is humbling to human pride, yet it is also...
Nov 17, 2023 · Most of the text of Acts is written in third-person narration. However, in several passages (16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16), the narrator suddenly shifts to the first-person perspective. In these sections, he describes the missionary journeys of Paul and his associates.
Discover how the small Jesus community grew into a multiethnic international movement in the book of Acts in the Bible. Explore the book’s design and key themes with videos, podcasts, and more from BibleProject™.
Mar 10, 2023 · Traditionally called, “The Acts of the Apostles,” all evidence points to Luke as being the author of the book of Acts - a fascinating account of life for those at the epicenter of one of the most pivotal times in history.
Acts Summary. by Jay Smith. The genre of the book of Acts is Narrative History with several Sermons. Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke, was a doctor and Gentile. He wrote this book circa 60-62 A.D. It is Luke’s sequel to the Gospel of Luke.
People also ask
Who wrote the Book of acts?
Who wrote the Acts of the Apostles?
What does the Book of Acts say about life?
Why is the Book of acts important?