Acts 1:1

The former account I made, O

Theophilus, of all that Jesus

beganbegan both to do and teach …

Acts

Author

Date

Reader

Portrait

Purpose

Luke the doctor

AD 60s

Theophilus

Head of church

Four-fold objective

Luke the doctor

AD 60s

Theophilus

Head of church

Four-fold objective

Purposes of Acts

1. Historical As a master As a master

historian, Luke historian, Luke

set out to write an set out to write an

orderly and orderly and

authoritative authoritative

account of the account of the

early church.early church.

Purposes of Acts

1. Historical

2. Apologetic

Luke wants to Luke wants to

calm Roman calm Roman

persecution by persecution by

showing Chris-showing Chris-

tians as law-tians as law-

biding citizens.biding citizens.

Purposes of Acts

1. Historical

2. Apologetic

3. Theological

Luke uses history Luke uses history

to teach doctrine to teach doctrine

about Christ, the about Christ, the

church and the church and the

Spirit. Spirit.

Purposes of Acts

1. Historical

2. Apologetic

3. Theological

4. Missionary

Jesus carries out Jesus carries out

his mission to his mission to

redeem the world redeem the world

by the Holy Spirit by the Holy Spirit

working thru the working thru the

church.church.

Key Verse: Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power when

the Holy Spirit has come upon you;

and you shall be witnesses to Me in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea and

Samaria, and to the end of the

earth.

The FORM of Acts

PeterPeter PaulPaul1:1 13:1 28:31

Acts can be divided according to its

two main characharacterscters

The FORM of Acts

JerusalemJerusalem Ends of EarthEnds of EarthJudea & SamariaJudea & Samaria

1:1 7:1 10:1 28:31

Acts can be divided on the basis of its

three mission fields

The FORM of Acts

The best way to divide Acts is on the

basis of five summaries Luke includes:S

um

: 6:

7

Su

m:

9:31

Su

m:

12:2

4

Su

m:

16:5

Su

m 1

9:20

Acts 6:7

Then the word of God spread, and

the number of the disciples

multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,

and a great many of the priests

were obedient to the faith.

Acts 9:31

Then the churches throughout all

Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had

peace and were edified. And walking in

the fear of the Lord and in the comfort

of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Acts 12:24-25

But the word of God

continued to grow and to be

multiplied.

Acts 16:5

So the churches were

strengthened in the faith,

and increased in number

daily.

Acts 19:20

So the word of the

Lord grew mightily

and prevailed.

The FORM of ActsJe

ws

only

Jew

s on

lySa

mar

itans

Sam

arita

ns

Rom

e!

Rom

e!

Nat

ions

Nat

ions

Gen

tiles

Gen

tiles

God

-fear

ers

God

-fear

ers

Su

m:

6:7

Su

m:

9:31

Su

m:

12:2

4

Su

m:

16:5

Su

m 1

9:20

The FEATURES of Acts

1. The powerpower of the Holy Spirit

2. The persecutionpersecution of the church

3. The prayersprayers of the saints

4. The preachingpreaching of the gospel