THE BOOK OF ACTS

THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH HIS SPIRIT-FILLED CHURCH

THIS LESSON

• INTRODUCTION

• THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER

• A QUESTION OF THE KINGDOM

• THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST

INTRODUCTION TO ACTSACTS 1:1

• THE BOOK OF ACTS WAS PENNED BY LUKE AND IS THE SEQUEL TO HIS GOSPEL (LK. 1:1-4)

• SOME REGARD ACTS AS A LEGAL BRIEF TO BE USED IN DEFENSE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL BEFORE CAESAR

• ACTS, AS WAS LUKE, IS ADDRESSED TO THEOPHILUS—POSSIBLY A MAGISTRATE OR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL

• THE BOOK WAS PENNED AT LEAST TWO YEARS AFTER THE BEGINNING OF PAUL’S ROMAN IMPRISONMENT, AROUND AD 65

INTRODUCTION TO ACTScontinued

• ACTS IS A RECORD OF THE HISTORY OF THE APOSTLES AND EARLY CHURCH, COVERING ABOUT 30 YEARS

• ACTS RECORDS THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST, THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE FINAL OFFER OF THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL, THE FORMATION OF THE BODY CHURCH, THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH, THE CONVERSION OF PAUL, THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES, AND THE MISSIONARY ZEAL OF THE CHURCH TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

APPLICATION OF ACTS

• IT IS ESSENTIALY A HISTORY

• IT REPRESENTS A PERIOD OF TRANSITION

• WHILE PRINCIPLES CAN BE GLEANED FROM THE HISTORICAL RECORD, NOT ALL EVENTS RECORDED IN ACTS ARE NORMAL FOR BELIEVERS TODAY

• A STUDY IN ACTS WILL GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EARLY CHURCH AND ITS RELATION TO CHRIST’S MINISTRY IN THE GOSPELS

• THE SPIRIT-FILLED ZEAL OF THE EARLY BELIEVERS SHOULD INSPIRE US AS WE SEEK LIVE FOR THE LORD AND SPREAD THE GOSPEL

THE STORY CONTINUES…ACTS 1:2,3

• LUKE COVERED THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF CHRIST FROM HIS BIRTH TO ASCENSION V.2

• THE BOOK OF ACTS COVERS THE APOSTLES’ MINISTRY THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT V.2

• THE RESURECTION OF CHRIST WOULD BE THE GREAT THEME OF THE APOSTLES’ PREACHING V.3

• ACTS BEGINS WITH CHRIST’S TEACHING AFTER HIS RESURRECTION AND PRIOR TO HIS ASCENSION—A PERIOD OF FORTY DAYS V.3

PERTAINING TO THE KINGDOM…ACTS 1:3

• THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL PERIOD: THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND

• THE TOPIC JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES: THE KINGDOM

• THE EXPECTATION: THE KINGDOM WILL SOON APPEAR

• THE MINISTRY OF THE APOSTLES IN THE EARLY CHAPTERS OF ACTS: PRESENTING THE KING AND THE KINGDOM

• THE RESULT: PERSECUTION

• THE MIND OF GOD: SALVATION TO THE GENTILES

THE PROMISE OF THE FATHERACTS 1:4,5

• THE INCIDENT IS RECORDED IN LUKE 24:44-49

• THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER, THE COMING HOLY SPIRIT, WAS A THEME OF CHRIST’S LATTER TEACHING (JN. 14:16-26) V.4

• JOHN THE BAPTIST’S WATER BAPTISM STANDS IN CONTRAST TO THE PROMISED SPIRIT BAPTISM V.5

• THE PROMISE WOULD BE FULFILLED TEN DAYS HENCE, ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST V.5

THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER

• “ENDUED WITH POWER” LK. 24:49

• “BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST” ACTS 1:5

• “HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU” ACTS 1:8

• “FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST” ACTS 2:4

• THESE TERMS REFER TO THE SAME EVENT: THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BELIEVERS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST. THIS EVENT IS EXPLAINED IN I COR. 12:13

THE APOSTLES’ QUESTIONACTS 1:6-8

• DOES THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER INCLUDE THE IMMEDIATE RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM UNDER THE REIGN OF MESSIAH? V.6

• JESUS TELLS THEM THAT IT IS NOT FOR THEM TO KNOW WHEN THE KINGDOM WILL COME V.7

• IT IS THEIR JOB TO WITNESS CHRIST TO THE WORLD V.8

• THE PROGRESSION OF VERSE EIGHT OFFERS US AN OUTLINE OF THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL AS RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF ACTS

THE ASCENSIONACTS 1:9-11

• THIS EVENT IS ALSO RECORDED IN LUKE 24:50-53

• CLOUDS ARE SIGNIFICANT V. 9, 11 (CF. REV. 1:7)

• “TWO MEN”—TWO WITNESSES, MOSES AND ELIJAH V.10

• THE SECOND COMING PREDICTED V.11

• THUS, THE STAGE IS SET FOR THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

SUMMARY OF JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS

• WAIT AT JERUSALEM• NOT MANY DAYS HENCE• FOR THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT• BE ENDUED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH• BE MY WITNESSES• BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM• TO ALL THE EARTH

NEXT LESSON

• TARRYING IN JERUSALEM

• THE SELECTION OF MATTHIAS

• THE DAY OF PENTECOST