Introduction To
The Book
of Acts
The churches of Christ
Greet You (Romans
The Book of Acts is perhaps the most misunderstood book in the New
Testament. It is sadly neglected by religionists in our day. They find
few Divine examples to follow and they omit the revealed acts of
obedience in becoming a Christian. While most meet on Sunday, the
Lord's day, they forget the purpose of
meeting - to take the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7). If all Christendom
would study and practice New Testament Christianity as revealed in the
Book of Acts, then the divisions that plague the churches could be
eliminated.
The Book of Acts is the history of the early church - Luke’s history of
first century Christianity. Acts shows the early church in action. The
plan
of Salvation and the purpose and work of the church are all taught in
this
book. Jesus promised to build His church (Matt.
As you read the book of Acts, you will see the Holy Spirit at work. He
answers the question, “What must the sinner do to be saved?” He shows
us
how to become Christians. He shows us how and what to do to be
Christians.
He shows congregations established and working. He shows how the Gospel
spreads
and how persecution comes. He also shows Christians how to act under
persecution
and how to live in the world and yet remain Christians.
The departing Christ made the announcement of a great campaign of
world-wide missions, through human agency under the power of the Spirit
(Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 1:8). Thus, the
main theme of this book could be “The History of the Development of the
A better term for the Book of Acts would be "Acts," or "Some of the
Acts of Some of the Apostles," for it neither contains all the acts of
some of the apostles nor some of the acts of all the apostles. It
centers around the work of two great
apostles: (1) Peter to the Jews; (2) Paul to the Gentiles. History
supports the thought that Luke lived and wrote this book during the
years 63-64 A.D.
This eye-witness Holy Spirit inspired
history of the church covers a period of thirty-two years in
twenty-eight chapters. It evolves around four geographical centers: (1)
The period of Foreign Missions opens in
The Book of Acts bridges the gap between God's dealing with the Jews in
the Old Testament and God's welcoming of all nations in the New. The
difference in the old institution and the New Testament church is found
in Acts. The ending of the old law and the giving of the new is found
in Acts. Throughout the Old Testament God has promised a Messiah, a
Savior of men; Acts reveals who it is and how man can come to Him. So
the Book of Acts answers many questions concerning the salvation, life,
and worship of men as it relates to God. Man’s
sins have separated him from God, but Jesus has come to bring man back
to
God. He has come to show us the way (cf. John 14:6). When a sinner
realizes
his sin and lost condition, what must he do to be saved? The Book of
Acts
answers this question. Many cases of conversion are found in this book.
The Book of Acts has a permanent value. The particular problems in the
church which concerned Luke (the writer) have in some cases
disappeared.
No longer is the church concerned with the problem of Jews and Gentiles
and
all the subsidiary questions that arose out of this basic one. Yet, the
book
was written to encourage Christians (the church), and show us what God
has
designed as our task.
Little is said in Acts about the inner life of the church; however,
great emphasis is placed on the mission of the church, which is
evangelism. The Holy Spirit reveals in this book that there can be no
racial discrimination within the church. The church is called to
proclaim the Gospel to all people, and salvation is offered to all on
the same terms.
Go To:
Acts Part 1