Acts of the Apostles

From the dawn of His resurrection to the day of His ascension, Jesus appeared to the disciples and taught them the kingdom of God for forty days. The number forty speaks of probation and a time of preparation, just like Moses, David and Elijah before they were commissioned by God to do His work.

During these forty days, the disciples saw and knew Jesus, no more in the flesh and appearance (2 Corinthians 5:16), but as One who is alive forevermore, all-present and imbued with the authority of heaven and earth by the Father. What He imparted to them became the thrust of their message from henceforth (8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). It's not an earthly or materialistic kingdom which can be seen and touched, yet one that is both spiritual and glorious which can be known and experienced.

The Church is the representation of this heavenly kingdom here on earth, to manifest its reality within the confines of a fallen and sinful world, and to point to the certainty of that day when God shall establish His everlasting rule in the Person of His Son. Just as John the baptist proclaimed:

I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I is coming... he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Luke 3:16)

The baptism of the Holy Spirit requires full immersion into a life that is totally surrendered to the will of God and dying to self, so that Christ can rule in our hearts and manifest Himself in our lives daily as we bear witness of Him. 

This is the essence and message of the book of Acts.

 

OUTLINE OF ACTS

1. Beginning from Jerusalem (1:1-8:4)
        a. Birth and Beginning of the Church  (1:1-2:47)
         Christ's Last Words | Pentecost
         Peter's First Sermon
        b. Progression and Persecution (3:1-8:4)
         Peter-John | The Sanhedrin Council
         Ananias-Sapphira | Apostles vs Jewish Council
         Deacons Appointed | Stephen Martyred
         Church Persecuted
2. Extending to Judea and Samaria (8:5-12:25)
        a. Philip the Evangelist  (8:5-40)
         Samaritans | Ethiopian Eunuch
        b. Saul the Persecutor (9:1-31)
         Conversion | Confrontation
        c. Peter the Bridge-Builder (9:32-11:18)
         Lydda | Joppa | Caesarea-Cornelius
        d. Herod the Blasphemer (11:19-12:25)
         Christians | James | Peter
3. Reaching to the Ends of the Earth (13:1-28:31)
        a. First Missionary Journey  (13:1-14:28)
         Cyprus | Antioch | Iconium | Lystra
        b. The Jerusalem Council (15:1-35)
         Debate | Defense | Decision
        c. Second Missionary Journey  (15:36-18:22)
         Derbe-Lystra | Troas | Philippi | Thessalonica
         Berea | Athens | Corinth
        d. Third Missionary Journey  (18:23-21:16)
         Galatia | Ephesus | Macedonia | Troas
         Miletus | Tyre | Caesarea
        e. Trip to Rome (21:17-28:31)
         Jerusalem | Caesarea | Rome