UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF ACTS

Things to Remember

Remember to ask good questions while you read.

Examples: What does the text say? Who is the writer? Who is he writing to? Who are the people in the narrative? What is going on in this passage? When is this taking place? Where are the places being discussed? Are there any historical or cultural things that I need to investigate further to help me better understand this passage? Are there any comparisons or contrasts? Are there repeated words or ideas? Are there any words that I don’t know the meaning of? Are there particular things that I just don’t understand? What is the context of what is going on? Is this connected to the previous passage (look for words like therefore, but, and so)?

2. Investigate the Old Testament references.

Acts 2:15–16 “For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:”

See Acts 2:22-41… (Reference Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 110:1)

3. Figure out if the passage is descriptive or prescriptive.

Is the passage describing an event, or prescribing us teaching to obey? As a general rule, much of what occurs in the book of Acts is descriptive, while much of what is said in the New Testament Epistles is prescriptive. Acts is history, and the Epistles are instruction. There are exceptions, of course. The book of Acts sometimes prescribes, and the Epistles sometimes describe.

Case Study:

See Acts 2:1-13, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 10:34-48, Acts 19:1-7...

Romans 8:9 “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

See 1 Corinthians 12:27-30...

4. Remember that Acts was a time of transition.

Jesus had promised to send His Spirit (John 14:16-17) and to build His church (Acts 16:18). He had also taught that He was going to unite Jew and Gentile into one flock and one body (John 10:14-16, John 17:17-23, Galatians 3:7-9, Ephesians 2:11-22), and He prayed that His people would be united as one. Acts is the account of Jesus bringing that about.

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

1 Corinthians 14:21–22 “In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.” (See Isaiah 28:11)

5. Experience doesn’t determine truth. God’s Word determines truth.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

See Deuteronomy 13:1-4...

Isaiah 8:20 “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”

Acts 17:11 “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

6. Look to the teaching of Christ or the Epistles for clarification and to clear up confusion.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”