Summary of the Book of Acts

Author:
The book of Acts, also known as Acts of the Apostles, does not explicitly identify its author. Based on Luke 1:1–4 and Acts 1:1–3, we understand that the same person wrote both Luke and Acts. Since the early days of the church, it has been believed that Luke, a companion of the apostle Paul, authored the books of Luke and Acts (Colossians 4:14;2 Timothy 4:11). Full article: Who wrote the book of Acts? Who was the author of Acts?

Date of Writing:
The book of Acts was likely composed between AD 61 and 64.

Purpose of Writing:
The book of Acts was penned to present a historical account of the early church. The primary focus of the book is on the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Acts documents the apostles fulfilling their role as witnesses of Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and beyond. It also highlights the role of the Holy Spirit, who empowers, guides, teaches, and serves as our Counselor. Through the narrative of Acts, we gain insight and inspiration from the impact of the gospel as it spread globally and changed lives. Numerous miracles were performed by the apostles during this period to confirm the truth of their message. The book of Acts covers the transitional period between Christ’s ascension and the finalization of the New Testament canon, with the apostolic miracles serving as God’s way of validating His message through the authors of the Bible.

Key Verses:

Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 2:4: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

Acts 4:12: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:19–20: “But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whetherHere it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’”

Acts 9:3–6: “As [Saul] neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’”

Acts 16:31: “So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.’”

Brief Summary:
The book of Acts provides the history of the Christian church and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ, along with the increasing opposition to it. While many faithful servants were instrumental in preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, Saul, also known as Paul, stood out as the most influential. Prior to his conversion, Paul fervently persecuted Christians. Paul’s remarkable conversion on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1-31) is a key moment in the book of Acts. Following his conversion, he transitioned to passionately loving God and proclaiming His Word with power and fervor in the Spirit of the true and living God. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the disciples were appointed as His witnesses in Jerusalem (Acts 1—8:3), in Judea and Samaria (8:4—12:25), and to the ends of the earth (13:1—28:31). The final section includes Paul’s three missionary journeys (13:1—21:16), his trials in Jerusalem and Caesarea (21:17—26:32), and hiPaul’s journey to Rome (27:1—28:31).

Connections:
The book of Acts serves as a transition from the Old Covenant to the New. This transition is evident in several key events in Acts. Firstly, there was a shift in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose primary role in the Old Testament was the external “anointing” of God’s people, including Moses «And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. », (Numbers 11:17), Othniel (Judges 3:8-10), Gideon «But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was gathered after him. », (Judges 6:34), and Saul (1 Samuel 10:6-10). Following Jesus’ ascension, the Spirit began to dwell within the hearts of believers (Romans 8:9-11;1 Corinthians 3:16), guiding and empowering them internally. The indwelling Spirit is God’s gift to those who approach Him in faith.

Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 is a striking demonstration of God’s power unto salvation as seen in Romans 1:16 and the opening of spiritually blinded eyes. Paul acknowledged that, before encountering the risen Savior, he was the most fervent of Israelites and was faultless “regarding righteousness based on the law” «concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. », (Philip

Philippians 3:6), went as far as persecuting those who taught salvation by grace through faith in Christ. However, after his conversion, Paul realized that all his legalistic efforts were worthless. He considered them “rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith” (Philippians 3:8-9). Before meeting Christ, Paul had been blinded by a pharisaical misinterpretation of the law and an inflated opinion of his own righteousness. After meeting Christ, the “scales fell from Saul’s eyes,” as it were «And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. », (Acts 9:18). His boasting of his own goodness was replaced by his glorying in the cross of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:27;Galatians 6:14).

Peter’s vision of the sheet full of unclean animals in Acts 10:9–15 is another sign of the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant’s unity of Jew and Gentile in one universal Church. The “unclean” animals in Peter’s vision symbolized the Gentiles, who were declared “cleansed” by God through the sacrificial death of Christ. The Old Covenant law had served its purpose (see Galatians 3:23-29), and both Jews and Gentiles are united in the New Covenant of grace through their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Practical Application:
God can do amazing things through ordinary people when He empowers them through His Spirit. The book of Acts shows how God essentially took a group of fishermen and commoners and used them to tuTurn the world upside down «And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; », (Acts 17:6). God transformed a Christian-hating murderer into history’s greatest Christian evangelist, the author of almost half the books of the New Testament. Through the persecution endured by Christians, God stimulated the rapid expansion of the early church. God can and does work similarly through us—changing our hearts, empowering us by the Holy Spirit, and instilling in us a passion to spread the good news of salvation through Christ. If we attempt to carry out God’s work in the world in our own strength, we will fail. Like the disciples in Acts 2, we must faithfully proclaim the gospel, trust God for the outcomes, and dedicate ourselves “to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” «And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. », (Acts 2:42).