Theology of Acts

I. God’s Divine Plan

A. The Fact of God’s Divine Design

Promise and fulfillment

Fulfillment is specifically mentioned

in the prologues Luke 1:1; Acts 1:1

Luke 1:1 NKJV

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,

Acts 1:1 NKJV

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

the Promise of the Father theme (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5), names “promise”

Luke 24:49 NKJV

“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Acts 1:4–5 NKJV

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

the Lukan Great Commission labels fulfillment (Luke 24:44, 46-47), notice the specific things fulfilled.

Luke 24:44 NKJV

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

Luke 24:46–47 NKJV

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

God Fulfills his Promises

In Luke (Luke 1:17; 1:31-33, 54-55, 68-74)

Luke 1:17 NKJV

He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Luke 1:31–33 NKJV

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Luke 1:54–55 NKJV

He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

Luke 1:68–74 NKJV

“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,

In Acts

Jesus is the Prophet like Moses Acts 3:22-23

Acts 3:22–23 NKJV

For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

Jesus is the promised Savior, descended from David Acts 13:22-23

Acts 13:22–23 NKJV

And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus—

Jesus fulfills promises about the Messiah Acts 17:2-3, 26:22-23

Acts 17:2–3 NKJV

Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”

Acts 26:22–23 NKJV

Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

The Gentiles will receive God’s salvation (Acts 13:46-47; 15:14-17)

Specific OT Promises fulfilled

John the Baptist is the forerunner (Luke 1:14-17; 3:4-6) Fulfillment of Mal 3:1; 4:5-6; Isa 40:3-5

Jesus is the promised Son of David who will reign forever over the Kingdom of God (Luke 1:31-35, 68-79; Acts 2:30

Christ must suffer, die, and rise again Acts 26:22-23

Christ will also be a savior

Salvation from God’s eschatological wrath is found in God (Joel 2:30-32)

Salvation from God’s wrath will not be limited to Israel Isa 49:6; Acts 13:47

Jesus will be a savior Luke 2:11; Acts 4:12;