The Book of Acts

Chapter 1

Narrative

• After His crucifixion, Jesus reappears to the disciples and teaches them for 40 days, then ascends to Heaven.
• As He ascends into Heaven, two “men in white” appear to the disciples and tell them that Jesus will return to Earth
• In a parenthetical, it’s noted that Judas died (note that this description of his death conflicts with the suicide described in Matthew 27:5)
• Matthias is chosen to replace Judas in the group, in accordance with the instructions of a Psalm

Impressions

The disciples continued on as a group after Jesus death.

The opening of the chapter when Jesus ascended to Heaven after teaching the disciples for 40 days became known as The Ascension.

The two “men in white” who spoke to the disciples after The Ascension are commonly assumed to be angels.

Notably, the disciples voted to replace Judas to preserve the integrity of the nascent church. They prayerfully considered the selection of Matthias and selected him by vote. This can be considered a model of church operations.

Notable Events

• 9: The Ascension
• 11: Jesus return to Earth is foretold

Chapter 2

Narrative

• A Holy wind and fire settles on the disciples and they begin to speak in a strange language. A crowd gathers around them.
• Peter speaks to the crowd, reciting a section of Joel which discusses how Jesus will in dwell in all believers, which is a foretelling of the Holy Spirit
• Peter explains that Jesus was resurrected and will return to Earth (he also makes the point that David did was not resurrected)
• Peter notes that Jesus was invited to sit at the right hand of God
• Three thousand people come to believe in God, do good works, and worship together

Impressions

The opening of the chapter with the wind, fire, and strange language became known as The Pentecost, and the act of speaking strange languages became known as “speaking in tongues.”

This chapter marks the beginning of the mainstream Christian church.

Notable Events

• 1-13: The Pentecost
• 38: Instruction on how to be saved
• 42-47: A description of goodness and devotion of the early church

Chapter 3

Narrative

• Peter heals a lame man who then began praising the Lord. The crowd was amazed at this miracle.
• Peter explains to the crowd that the man was able to walk through faith in Jesus. Peter explains that in His death, Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy from the Old Testament

Impressions

Peter further evangelizes to a crowd and demonstrates the power of Jesus. It’s assumed this miracle attracts more followers.

Notable Events

• 6: “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give you.” In saying this, Peter means that he has the power of Jesus, which he uses to heal the man.
• 8: The lame man is healed.

Chapter 4

Narrative

• The authorities put Peter and John in jail for preaching that Jesus rose from the dead.
• The elders question Peter and John, asking by whose power they preached the gospel.
• Peter proclaims the authority of Jesus
• The elders confer and admit that they cannot deny the miracle of the lame man who was healed, but they cannot let Peter and John continue preaching. They command Peter and John to stop, but they refuse. They are released.
• Peter and John return to the disciples and the church and pray together for protection so that they may continue teaching.
• The meeting place “was shaken” and the church was filled with the Holy Spirit.
• The apostles continue to preach, and believers sell their possessions and distribute the proceeds to the poor.

Impressions

The basic conflict between the established government and the emerging church is revealed.

Also, the power of the church in prayer is demonstrated, both by the direct response from God and by the willingness of believers to surrender their possessions to the needy.

Notable Events

• 12: Peter proclaims the message of salvation to the elders.
• 31: God responds to the prayers of the apostles.

Chapter 5

Narrative

• A man sells some land to give the money to the Lord, but he holds back some of the money
• Peter reveals the man’s deceit, and the man dies suddenly
• The man’s wife continues to lie about the money of money they received for the land. She also dies suddenly.
• The apostles continued to perform miracles and good works. The size of the church grew.
• The apostles are jailed by the high priest.
• An angel releases the apostles from jail and tells them to proclaim the gospel in the temple courts. The apostles do so.
• The apostles are brought before the elders (the Sanhedrin) and asked why they continue to preach the Gospel
• Peter responds that they must obey God before man and blames them for the killing of Jesus
• The elders want to put the apostles to death, but one member says that they should leave them alone. If their actions were “of human origin” then it will amount to nothing. However, if their actions are indeed “from God,” then the elders will lose.
• The elders have the apostles flogged and released, with a warning to stop preaching.
• The apostles continue preaching.

Impressions

The story of the man and his wife at the beginning is honestly a little disturbing. It brings to mind a vengeful God. (Note: the man’s name was Ananias; there are three separate people with them name in the Book of Acts).

The continued work of the apostles is one of great determination. It seems to be a process of being jailed, warned, and released.

I do have some questions at this point:

• How defined was the group of apostles? Was this the same group as the 12 disciples?
• What was the core source of anger between the elders and the apostles? Why did the elders want them to stop preaching?

Notable Events

• 14: The church grows
• 29: Peter proclaims that they must believe God over Man

Chapter 6

Narrative

• Seven of the disciples are designated to provide aid to Jewish widows
• The renown and size of the church increases
• Stephen became known for performed “great wonders and signs”
• The Jewish leaders concoct a lie about Stephen who was arrested and brought to court
• Stephen’s face is described as being like that of an angel

Impressions

Not a lot happens in this chapter – it’s very short. I know that Stephen becomes an important figure later in the book.

Notable Events

…none?

Chapter 7

Narrative

• Stephen is on trial before the Sanhedrin
• In his defense, Stephen recounts the events of the Old Testament
• Stephen accuses the Sanhedrin of disbelief and of murdering Jesus
• The Sanhedrin are enraged, drag Stephen out of court, and stone him
• Stephen asks God to forgive them before he dies
• While Stephen is being stoned, “witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

Impressions

Stephen is a model of Christian bravery and courage.

Also, this chapter is an extended callback to the Old Testament, recounting many of its events.

This is the first appearance of Saul, who will become an extremely important figure throughout the rest of the New Testament (as “Paul”). Wikipedia states:

Some time after having approved of the execution of Stephen…

So, laying their coats at Saul’s feet must have been a act of honor, meaning he was overseeing Stephen’s execution.

Notable Events

• 51-53: Stephen angrily accuses the Sanhedrin of ignoring God’s prophecy
• 60: Stephen asks for forgiveness for the Sanhedrin right before he dies

Chapter 8

Narrative

• After the trial of Stephen, the church is persecuted and the apostles are scattered
• The persecution of the church is led by Saul
• Philip preaches and performs miracles in Samaria
• Simon was a sorcerer who listen to Philip’s preaching and was baptized
• Peter and John also travel to Samaria and pray for the Samaritans
• Simon offers to pay money to receive the Holy Spirit, but is rebuked by Peter
• Peter and John return to Jerusalem
• An angel tells Philip to travel south to Gaza
• Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch reading the Book of Isaiah; Peter explains that the verse he was reading was the prophecy of Jesus
• Peter baptizes the Ethiopian
• Peter disappears suddenly, and re-appears at Azotus where he preaches further

Impressions

Saul was mentioned in the last chapter. There’s no telling what caused him to suddenly want to persecute the church.

I found it interesting that the Samaritans were baptized, but did not receive the Holy Spirit until they were prayed for by Peter and John.

The ruins of present-day Samaria are in the West Bank. Azotus is present-day Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv.

Notable Events

• 59: The first appearance of Saul

Chapter 9

Narrative

• Saul continues to persecute the church
• God confronts Saul on the road to Damascus; God blinds him and tells him to go into Damascus and wait for instructions
• God tells Ananias to visit Saul and bless him, and Saul regains his sight
• Saul begins preaching in Damascus that Jesus is the son of God
• The Jews plot to kill Saul by ambushing him at the city gates, but his followers lower him through the wall in a basket
• Saul tries to join the disciples in Jerusalem, but they fear him until Barnabus explains how Saul had preached in Damascus
• Saul begins preaching in Jerusalem
• Peter heals a lame man in Lydda
• Peter raises a woman from the dead in Joppa

Impressions

Saul’s conversion is where get we the idiom The Road To Damascus.

Notable Events

• 3-6: God confronts Saul over his persecution of the church

Chapter 10

Narrative

• God tells a Roman Centurion called Cornelius to send some men to Joppa and bring back Simon Peter
• Simon Peter has a vision that God tells him to eat impure animals
• God tells Simon Peter to go with the men that have come for him
• Simon Peter arrives at Cornelius’s home, and understands that his vision was so that God would allow him to associate with Jews
• Simon Peter tells the gathered people that the gift of Salvation is for everyone
• The Holy Spirit entered all who were gathered there

Impressions

Notable Events

Chapter 11

Narrative

• Peter is criticized for meeting with Jews
• He explains his vision (from chapter 10)
• The crowd agrees that God has granted salvation to Gentiles
• Barnabus goes to Antioch
• Barnabus and Saul preach together in Antioch
• The word “Christians” is used for the first time
• Agabus predicts a famine in Jerusalem

Impressions

The entire first half of this chapter is Peter relaying the events of chapter 10.

Notable Events

• 26: The word “Christian” is used for the first time.

Chapter 12

Narrative

• King Herod arrests some members of the church
• He executes James
• He arrests Peter
• An angel appeared to Peter and enables him to escape from prison
• Herod is struck down by God

Impressions

The core of this chapter is Peter’s escape from prison with the help of an angel.

Lots of death in this chapter. Herod executes Christians, as well as the guards that didn’t prevent Peter’s escape

Notable Events

Chapter 13

Narrative

• Barnabas and Saul are sent off to do the work of the Lord
• They traveled to Cyprus
• Saul blinded a sorcerer which caused the procounsel to believe
• Paul preaches the Good News in a synagogue at Antioch
• The entire city of Antioch gathers to here Paul and Barnabus preach
• Paul and Barnabus are persecuted by the Jewish leaders and expelled from the city

Impressions

There’s a long recitation of the basics of the Gospels by Paul in verses 16-41.

Notable Events

Chapter 14

Narrative

• Paul and Barnabas preach in Iconium; they flee when they discovered a plot to kill them
• In Lystra, Paul heals a man who cannot walk
• The crowd tries to worship them, but Paul explains his power comes from God
• Some Jews come up from Antioch and stone Paul; they think they have killed him, but Paul and Barnabas escape to Derbe
• Paul and Barnabus continue preaching all around the region

Impressions

This feels like a “road trip” chapter. A lot of the action is high-level. There’s a bit of dialog and scene-level description, but it’s largely a summary of Paul and Barnabus traveling around preaching the gospel.

Notable Events

Chapter 15

Narrative

• Paul and Barnabas debate circumcision in Antioch with “certain people”
• Peter explains that this is not key to salvation
• Peter explains that what is required by God
• Judas (not that one) and Silas join Paul and Barnabas in Antioch
• Paul and Barnabas have an argument about who to continue their mission with
• Barnabas and Mark sail for Cyprus
• Paul and Silas go to Syria

Impressions

I like the message of the first part: don’t major in the minors; salvation is not about details, it’s about the major stuff.

I did a little research on Antioch. It was in modern-day Turkey. The ruins still exist.

Notable Events