Acts

Acts

Brochure

Acts

I. Introduction

  1. Date
    1. Certainly, before AD 70.
    2. There is no mention of Paul’s death (AD 66-68).
    3. There is no mention of Neronian persecution or the great fire in Rome, which Christians were blamed for.
    4. Seems likely that was AD 60-62.
  2. Luke’s second volume
    1. The “we” sections of Acts give us the clue that Luke is the writer.

      “The key indicator of authorship is an interesting change of pronoun as the writer talks about Paul’s missionary journeys. Most of the time, the author describes the journeys in the third person plural, ‘they.’ In several places, however, it uses the first person plural, ‘we.’ When we compare other mentions of Paul’s traveling companions with these changes, it appears that the most likely author is Luke. This inference also correlates with early church tradition. Several sections in Acts (16:10–18; 20:5–21:19; 27:1–28:16) are usually referred to as the ‘we passages.’”[1]
  3. What Jesus began and what Jesus continues to do.
    1. Luke and Acts introduce the Kingdom of God that was inaugurated by King Jesus and the continuing work of Jesus through power in the Church.
  4. Outline
    1. Ch 1 Introduction
    2. Chs 2-7 Gospel to Jerusalem
      1. Ch 2 The beginning of the Church and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit
      2. Ch 3 Lame man healed at the Temple
      3. Ch 4 Persecution begins
      4. Ch 5 The growth of the Church
      5. Chs 6-7 First Christian martyr
    3. Chs 8-12 Gospel to Judea and Samaria
      1. Ch 8 Philip in Samaria
      2. Ch 9a Conversion of Saul
      3. Chs 9b-11a Gospel to the Gentiles
      4. Chs 11b-12 The planting of the Church at Antioch
    4. Chs 13-28 Gospel to the ends of the earth
      1. Chs 13-20 Three missionary journeys
        1. Chs 13-15 Asia Minor to Jerusalem
        2. Ch 15 Jerusalem council
        3. Chs 16-18a Asia Minor to Greece
        4. Chs 18b-20 Asia Minor and Greece again
      2. Chs 21-28 Gospel to Rome
        1. Chs 21-22 Paul arrested in Jerusalem
        2. Chs 23-26 Paul on trial
        3. Chs 27-28 Paul travels to Rome on his appeal to Caesar

II. Ch 1 Introduction

  1. vv. 2-3 Risen Jesus seen for forty days
  2. v. 8 Spirit will come according to Joel
    1. Be my witnesses
  3. vv. 9-11 Ascension

III. Chs 2-7 In Jerusalem

  1. Ch 2 Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit.
    1. Bringing a portion of the crops of their firstfruits.
    2. They would bring their crops as a wave offering.
    3. This was one of three mandatory feasts that all Jewish males were required to attend.

      “The Day of Pentecost was a Jewish feast held fifty days after Passover. It was a time to celebrate the firstfruits of the harvest.
      1. At Passover, the first sheaf reaped from the barley harvest was presented to God.  But at Pentecost, the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were given to God; therefore, Pentecost is called the day of firstfruits (Numbers 28:26).
      2. Also, Jewish tradition taught that Pentecost commemorated the day when the Law was given to Israel.  The Jews sometimes called Pentecost shimchath torah, or ‘Joy of the Law.’”[2]
    4. Jesus spoke much of the coming of the Holy Spirit, and this promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.
      1. John the Baptist spoke of this outpouring (Matthew 3:11).
        1. Jesus spoke of this ministry of the Holy Spirit.
      2. Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8
      3. Wind and fire are representative of the presence of the Lord.
      4. Let us read the account in Acts 2.
    5. Other outpourings were in Acts 8, 10:44-48, 19.
    6. Today, we need this power to complete the work that was begun in Acts 2.
  2. Chs 3-5 The growth of the Church
    1. Ch 3 A lame man is healed
    2. Ch 4 Arrested, released, forbidden, and filled again.
  3. Chs 6-7 First Christian martyr

IV. Chs 8-12 Judea and Samaria

  1. Ch 8 Philip in Samaria
  2. Ch 9a Conversion of Saul
  3. Chs 9b-11a Gospel to the Gentiles
  4. Chs 11b-12 The planting of the Church at Antioch
    1. Missionary Church
    2. Multiethnic Church

V. Chs 13-28 Ends of the Earth

  1. Chs 13-20 Missionary Journeys
    1. Chs 13-15 Asia minor to Jerusalem
      1. In Acts 13, we see the Church being clearly led by the Lord as they wait upon Him.

VI. Ch 15 Jerusalem Council

  1. No circumcision or Sabbath, and kosher laws are not necessary.
  2. The church is not to engage in pagan temple worship.
  3. God’s plan was always to include the nations.
  4. Faith in Christ alone.
  5. Acts 15:20, 29 forbid temple worship and the associated eating of the meal and immorality that takes place at a pagan temple.
    1. Some have sought to say this decree imposed some dietary restrictions from Leviticus 17-18 or a reemphasis of the Noahic covenant (Gen 9:3-4).
      1. The goal is not to offend Jewish believers.
      2. Yet, the idea of going back to a previous covenant is troublesome.
      3. This was seen as a concession for fellowship, not a command for salvation.
    2. A further challenge is that if this is a dietary issue, how do we reconcile Paul’s statement that it is okay to eat meat sacrificed to idols that you could purchase at the market (1 Cor 10)?
      1. Some have suggested that Paul did not buy into this decree and later moved on.
      2. Again, this is a troublesome solution.
    3. A better solution
      1. In v. 29, there are four prohibitions that very well may be referring to the single act of being a pagan temple.
        1. Avoid things sacrificed to idols, blood, strangulation, and immorality.
        2. As a sacrifice was being offered, it would be strangled. The worshipper believed that the life was transferred to the idol, blood would be tasted, and temple prostitution would be engaged in. All four activities were part of the rituals often associated with going to a pagan temple.
      2. Ben Witherington III makes the point that the decree was dealing with the “venue not the menu.”[3]
      3. Essentially, this is not a matter of food at home but the idolatrous practice of worshipping idols.

        “Vs 20 James says quite clearly that what should be avoided is ‘the pollution of idols.’ The term αλισγηματα refers as Bruce says to ‘pollutions resulting from contact with idol worship,’ not merely to some kind of uncleanness incurred from eating meat bought in the marketplace but originally sacrificed in the temple.”[4]

      4. This teaching is seen in other New Testament books.
        1. 1 Thess 1:9
          • Speaks of how the Thessalonians had turned from idols. Also, in 1 Thess 4:3, Paul exhorts them to abstain from sexual immorality.
        2. 1 Corinthians 10
          • Paul forbids having fellowship with demon worship, drinking the cup of demons. He does allow buying meat in the marketplace, and adamantly forbids sexual immorality.

            “For Paul, the issue is clearly one of venue rather than menu, as the advice in 1 Cor. 10:23–28 shows. It was okay to eat food sacrificed in a pagan temple at home. Paul specifically chooses a different term to refer to food that comes from the temple and is eaten elsewhere—ιεροθυτον (1 Cor. 10:28). In short, Paul, like James, insists that pagans flee idolatry and immorality and the temple context where such things are thought to be prevalent.”[5]
        3. Revelation 2:14, 22
          • John records the rebuke of Jesus for the 1) ειδωλοθυτον -things sacrificed to idols and 2) πορνεια -sexual immorality.

            “One must also take into account such texts as Rev. 2:14, 22, where ειδωλοθυτον and πορνεια are associated. These texts likely reflect a knowledge of the decree, and Rev. 2:13 probably alludes to the notable pagan temple in Pergamum built in 29 B.C. to Augustus.”[6]
    4. Conclusion
      1. Gentiles did not have to be circumcised, keep the dietary law, Sabbath, or feasts.
      2. They did need to fully come out of idolatry.
        1. Going to a pagan temple and the associated practices were firmly forbidden.
      3. v. 21 James did not want Jews to see Christians engaging in pagan temple worship.

VII. Chs 16-18a Asia Minor to Greece

  1. On these trips, Paul is often accused of rebellion against Caesar.

VIII. Chs 18b-20 Asia Minor and Greece Again

  1. Themes
    1. Continues to preach to Israel first
    2. Persecution

IX. Chs 21-28 Paul’s witness spreads to Rome

  1. Chs 21-22 Paul arrested in Jerusalem
  2. Chs 23-26 Paul on trial
    1. Ch 23 Sanhedrin
    2. Ch 24 Governor Felix
    3. Ch 25 Governor Festus
    4. Ch 26 King Agrippa
  3. Chs 27-28 Paul’s travels to Rome on his appeal to Caesar.
    1. Many of the Jews reject Jesus’ preaching as the Christ.
      1. v. 25 ff. Paul rebukes the Jews and quotes Isaiah.
      2. v. 28 Paul prophesies that the Gospel will go to the Gentiles, and they will receive the message.
  4. Paul’s imprisonment allows him to write letters to Colossae, Ephesus, Philippi, and Philemon.

X. Conclusion

  1. Luke and Acts introduce the Kingdom of God that was introduced by King Jesus and the continuing work of Jesus through the power of the Church.
  2. We are saved by the grace of God through faith.
    1. We are not saved by works.
    2. We are not saved by becoming Jewish.
    3. We are saved by putting our faith in the Lord’s finished work.
    4. Beware of those who want to go back into the law.
      1. Acts 15 makes it clear that the apostles did not believe any of this was necessary.
  3. We need this power of the Holy Spirit today.
    1. Do you walk in the power of the Spirit as promised by Joel, John, and Jesus?
    2. If not, why?
      1. Is there some sin grieving Him?
      2. Are you unaware, like Apollos and other disciples of John?
      3. Are you disinterested in doing the work of evangelism that Jesus empowers us for?

[1] Michael Harbin, The Promise and the Blessing: A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 433.

[2] David Guzik, “Acts 2 – The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit,” Enduring Word Bible Commentary, 2018, enduringword.com.

[3] Ben Witherington III, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1998), 461.

[4] Ibid., 462.

[5] Ibid., 466.

[6] Ibid.

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