Survey of Acts

1
A SURVEY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS
AND
ESTABLISHMENT
EXPANSION
OF THE CHURCH
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus,
of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Until the day in which he was taken up, after
that he through the Holy Ghost had given
commandments unto the apostles whom he had
chosen To whom also he shewed himself alive
after his passion by many infallible proofs,
being seen of them forty days, and speaking of
the things pertaining to the kingdom of God And,
being assembled together with them, commanded
them that they should not depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father, which,
saith he, ye have heard of me. Acts 11-4
2
GENERAL OBSERVATION

• THE BOOK EXPLAINS ITSELF, IT IS THE ACTS OR
  ACTIVITY OF THE APOSTLES.
• THE BOOK IS REALLY THE ACTS OF JESUS CHRIST THE
  THE AGENT OF INSPIRED APOSTLES SPECIFICALLY TWO,
  PETER AND PAUL.
• THE AUTHOR IS LUKE, THE SAME PERSON WROTE THE
  GOSPEL OF LUKE (LK. 13 ACTS 11)
• THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK IS TO SHOW THE
  ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
  CHURCH.
• THE BOOK IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AROUND
  A.D. 63
• THE NATURE OF THE BOOK IS HISTORICAL
• THE BOOK CONTAINS 28 CHAPTERS, 1,007 VERSES
  24,250 WORDS
• IT WAS WRITTEN TO THEOPHILUS
• THE BOOK COVERS ABOUT 33 YEARS, FROM THE
  ASCENSION OF CHRIST TO PAULS JOURNEY TO ROME AS
  A PRISONER.
• A KEY CHAPTER OF THE BOOK IS CHAPTER TWO. IT
  REVEALS THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE
  GOSPEL FIRST PREACHED RESULTING IN THE CONVERSION
  OF ABOUT 3000.

3
GENERAL OBSERVATION 2
11. A KEY VERSE IS 18 12. IMPORTANT EVENTS IN
THE BOOK A. COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN
FULFILLMENT OF JOELS PROPHECY 21-21 B. THE
PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL AND SALVATION OFFERED
222-41 C. ACCEPTANCE OF THE GENTILES C.
10-11 D. GROWTH OF THE CHURCH 247, 44 514
67 E. JERUSALEM COUNCIL C. 15 F. MISSION WORK
OF THE CHURCH C. 13-28 13. A KEY THOUGHT WE ARE
TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN 529 14. A KEY WORD
IN THE BOOK IS THE WORD WITNESS 18
4
A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS

• THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH 1-2
• THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM 247-84
• THE CHURCH AS IT EXPANDS INTO PALESTINE AND SYRIA
  131-1225
• THE CHURCH GROWS AMONG THE GENTILES THROUGH
  MISSIONARY EFFORTS
• A. PAULS THREE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS
• 1. FIRST JOURNEY 131-1428 (About 1400 miles)
• 2. SECOND JOURNEY 1536-1822 (ABOUT 2800
  MILES)
• 3. THIRD JOURNEY 1833-2116 (ABOUT ANOTHER
  2800 MILES)
• V. PAULS CAPTIVITY AND JOURNEY TO ROME
  2117-2831
• A. IN PRISON IN JERUSALEM 2117-2335
• B. IN PRISON IN CAESAREA 241-2632
• C. ROME 271-2831

5
THE OLD TESTAMENT IN ACTS

• JUDAS BETRAYAL 116-19 / PSA. 419
• REPLACING JUDAS 120 / PSA. 1098
• THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 217 / JOEL 228
• CHRIST DEATH OF RESURRECTION 225-27 /PSA.
  169-10
• EXHALTATION OF CHRIST AFTER THE RESURRECTION
  234-35 /PSA. 1101
• CHRIST A PROPHET LIKE MOSES 322 / DEUT. 1815-19
• ABRAHAMS SEED BLESSED 325 / GEN. 2218
• THE REJECTED STONE 411 /PSA. 11822
• CHRISTS SUFFERING 832-33 / ISA. 537-8
• GOD NO RESPECTOR OF PERSON 1034 / DEUT. 1017
• GOSPEL FOR THE GENTILES 1347 / ISA. 496
• IN STEPHENS SERMON IN ACTS 68-760 STEPHEN
  REFERS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT ABOUT 50 TIMES.

6
CONVERSIONS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS

• SOME ON PENTECOST ACTS 211-41
• PEOPLE OF SAMARIA ACTS 812,13
• THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH ACTS 831-39
• SAUL OF TARSUS ACTS 911-18
• CORNELIUS (FIRST GENTILE CONVERT) ACTS 1024-48
• LYDIA ACTS 1613-16
• PHILIPPIAN JAILOR ACTS 1625-34
• CORINTHIANS ACTS 188

7
PAUL'S JOURNEY'S AND HIS EPISTLES
1ST. JOURNEY
2ND JOURNEY
3RD JOURNEY
IST IMP.
FIN. IMP.
131-1428
1536-1822
1823-2115
2116-2831
AROUND 65-68
51-54 A.D.
45-47 A.D.
54-58 A.D.
61-63 A.D.
1 THESS. 2 THESS.
ROMANS 1 COR. 2 COR. GAL.?
EPH. PHIL. COL. PHILE.
1 TIM. TIT. 2 TIM.
GAL. ?
8
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS

• THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS VERY IMPORTANT TO JESUS 13
  (EPH. 525)
• SOUND PREACHING MUST CONVICT THE HEART AND
  REVOLVE AROUND THE DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTION
  AND GLORIFICATION OF CHRIST 214-37 (1COR.
  118,23)
• A SCRIPTURAL RESPONSE MUST BE GIVEN TO LIFES
  MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION 237-41
• THE CONVERTED ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN STEADFAST
  242 (COL. 123)
• THE MOST UNUSAL CIRCUMSTANCES SOMETIME GIVE RISE
  TO GREAT TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES CHAPTER 3 (JOHN4)
• THE TRUTH WILL NOT GO UNCHALLENGED CHAPTER 4
  (MT. 511-12)
• PRAYER IS IMPORTANT IN THE FACE OF DIFFICULTY
  423-31 (HEB. 416)

9
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS 2
8. WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE FOR THE GOOD
OF THE BRETHREN 432-37 (244-45) 9. IT IS
POSSIBLE FOR A CHILD OF GOD TO SIN AND BE
ETERNALLY LOST 51-11 (1 COR. 1012) 10. GOD
SHOULD BE OBEYED RATHER THAN MEN 529
(418-20) 11. THE CHURCH IS TO BE AN EVANGELISTIC
BODY 247 44 514 67 (MK. 1615) 12. WHEN A
NEED EXISTS, RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE DELEGATED TO
QUALIFIED MEN WHO ASSUMES THE RESPONSIBILITY AND
SUPPLIES THE NEED 61-4 13. OPPOSITION COMES WHEN
THE PREACHING OR TEACHING IS NOT WHAT PEOPLE WANT
TO HEAR 754-60 (JOHN 1019-31) 14. A CHILD OF
GOD MUST REPENT WHEN ENSNARED BY SIN 819-24
10
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE BOOK OF ACTS 3
15. GOSPEL PREACHING IS TO REVOLVE AROUND CHRIST
737, ROOTED IN SCRIPTURE, WITH A CLEAR MESSAGE
AND APPLICATION 751-53 16. PROPER TEACHING
ENHANCES UNDERSTANDING AND CALLS FOR AN
APPROPIATE AND IMMEDIATE RESPONSE 835-39 (ACTS
1630-34) 17. WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER IT SHOULD
BE TO HEAR WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY 1033 (ACTS
831) 18. GOD IS NO RESPECTOR OF PERSON 1034-35
(ROM. 1012) 19. CHRIST WILL BE THE JUDGE OF ALL
MEN 1731 (2 COR. 510) 20. WHEN A PERSON IS
HONEST IN PREACHING AND TEACHING AND TEACHING
WRONGLY (HONESTLY) PATIENCE SHOULD BE EXERCISED
IN TEACHING HIM IN THE WAY OF THE LORD MORE
PERFECTLY 1825-28 21. THE EARLY CHURCH
WORSHIPPED REGULARILY UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE
WEEK 207 (ACTS 242) 22. ELDERS HAVE A GRAVE
RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FLOCK THEY OVERSEE 2028-30
(1 PETER 51-4)