Part 2: Acts

Course Summary

The New Testament contains the story of the life ofJesus, the start of the Church and a glimpse into the end of the age. Understanding the storyline of the NT will help you grow immensely in your relationship with Jesus.

Breakdown:

Gospels - Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus [Post link - ]

Acts - History of the Early Church Jesus’ Movement

The Epistles (Letters) - “How to” of following Jesus Jesus’ Movement ‘Behind the Scenes’

Revelation (Apocalypse) - Jesus Return

Over the next (4) weeks we are going to be looking at each of these different “parts” of the New Testament.

Introduction

Why is understanding the NT important?

Can we know truth? Where is it found? Can we logically verify it? Is there an ultimate authority? Are there absolutes which can guide our lives, our world? Is there meaning to life? Why are we here? Where are we going? These questions—questions that all rational people contemplate—have haunted the human intellect since the beginning of time (Eccl. 1:13–18; 3:9–11).

As we grow into adulthood, questions about ourselves and our world also grows. Simple cultural and religious clichés did not bring meaning to the experiences we read about or encounter. It can be a time of confusion, searching, longing, and often a feeling of hopelessness in the face of the insensitive, hard world in which I lived.

Many claimed to have answers to these ultimate questions, but their answers are all based upon: (1) personal philosophies, (2) ancient myths, (3) personal experiences, or (4) psychological projections. We need some degree of verification, some evidence, some rationality on which to base our worldview, our integrating center, our reason to live.

These needs can be found through studying the Bible. The Bible is a trustworthy source to meet these needs because (1) the historical reliability of the Bible from archaeology, (2) the accuracy of the prophecies of the Old Testament, (3) the unity of the Bible message over the sixteen hundred years of its production, and (4) the personal testimonies of people whose lives had been permanently changed by contact with the Bible. Christianity, as a unified system of faith and belief, has the ability to deal with complex questions of human life. It provides not only a rational framework, but the experiential aspect of Biblical faith brought me emotional joy and stability. [1]

To find these truths from Scripture, one must continually be growing in their knowledge of the Bible. For this reason, one must have a basic understanding of the overview of the NT. Such a bird’s eye view will help each person learn not only what their response should be to the Gospel but to do so within the framework of those that have gone on before them.

[1]Paraphrased from Robert James Utley’s New Testament Survey: Matthew–Revelation (Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International, 2000), i.

General Basics

Author

Sequel to Luke’s Gospel

Obviously belong together - both written to the same person, ‘Theophiuls’ (cf. Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1)

Gospel - Tell the story of the life and teaching of Jesus

Acts - Continues the story to describe how the disciples had developed into a worldwide Christian movement

All evidence points to Luke, the Gentile doctor who accompanied Paul on some travels, as the author

Date

Written between A.D. 80 - 90, following the letter of Luke

Structure

Despite the Title, Acts of the Apostles, it does not in fact ell the story of all of the apostles

Only some of them are mentioned extensively

Book talks mostly about Peter and Paul

Together with a few incidents from the lives of other early Christian leaders such as Philip, John, James the brother of Jesus, and Stephen.

Luke structures Acts around two main characters (Peter and Paul)

Tells the story of Peter (Acts 1-12)

Focus is on events in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Palestine

Peter is the leading character

Tells the story of Paul (Acts 13-28)

Perhaps Luke was writing with the hopes of preventing two separate churches developing (one for Jews, the other for Gentiles).

Through the book of Acts, you’ll notice that both Apostles

Perform miracles through the power of the Spirit

See visions

Suffer

Preach powerfully

Imprisoned and later miraculously set free

Involved in casting out demons and raising the dead

Cross-over

Paul makes his first appearance at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58)

Peter is still a major player in Luke’s story of the Council of Jerusalem, which is essentially a part of the story of Paul (Acts 15:7–11).