Our story starts off where the gospel of luke left offjesus is back now that hes resurrected, jesus decides to hang out and chat with his disciples whom luke calls apostles for forty days. But ye shall receive power, after that the holy ghost is come upon you. The book of acts clearly focuses on the beginnings of the church, and two people the apostle peter, and the one who actually possessed the courage to go to the farthest parts of the known world with the gospel of jesus christ, his name was paul the apostle. A simple outline of the book can be formulated on the basis of jesus statement at acts 1.
Like earlier volumes in the social science commentary series, this volume situates acts squarely in the cultural matrix of the first century mediterranean world, elaborating its codes of patron and client, mediatorship, honor and shame, healing and sickening, wizardry and witchcraft accusations, and the understanding of the spirit of god as well as deities and. The book of acts provides a bridge for the writings of the nt. In the book of acts, we discover how gods multiethnic, international church grew through persecution and missionary journeys throughout the world. In verse 8, luke tells us what the whole book is about. The emphasis of the book is the fulfillment of the great commission. Acts 8 in the picture study bible, with maps and background information on. The book of acts was likely written between ad 61 and 64. It records the burial of stephen, the beginnings of christian persecution, and the spread of the gospel of jesus christ to the people of samaria and ethiopia.
Luke records many examples of conversion in the book of acts e. Kjv the book of acts is the historical link between the. In the early days, it was called the acts, the gospel of the holy ghost, and the gospel of the resurrection. Acts is the only biblical book that chronicles the history of the church immediately after jesuss ascension. Acts was apparently written in rome, perhaps between ad 70 and 90. The book of acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of jesus christ. The book of acts was written to provide a history of the early church. Acts is designed to trace the spread of the gospel from jerusalem to antioch to rome.
This was the message of the gospel in the book of acts, and god confirmed his. The book of acts records the beginning of the church, the birth of the church. Socialscience commentary on the book of acts social. Kjv the book of acts is the historical link between the biographical records.
The verse did not occur in the earliest and best manuscripts of the new testament. Work and christian identity acts 812 bible commentary. The ethiopian eunuch is a figure in the new testament of the bible. We read of the evangelistic methods and message of the early apostles and preachers 3.
The abrupt ending of acts allows for an early date around the time of the events, but could. Luke uses the expression at the feet three times in the story of church members selling their. Acts 1 niv jesus taken up into heaven bible gateway. Acts and the gospel of luke make up a twopart work, l uke acts. Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers.
Stay connected amidst social distancing receive weekly bible studies to share with family and friends. Stephen is stoned to death and becomes the first christian martyr acts 6. The religious leaders were astounded and the people amazed at what had happened. Two days after her seventeenth birthday, laura welch had a friend in her car and the wind in her hair. The devils strategy in attacking gods people over the course of history has been to use division.
Acts 8 is the eighth chapter of the acts of the apostles in the new testament of the christian bible. Acts 8 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. In the last part, he describes how the gospel spread through the gentile. Timeline of the book of acts from the bible generation word. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early christian tradition uniformly affirmed that luke composed this book as well as the gospel of luke. Luke was a companion of paul on his missionary journeys, and in many parts of the book of acts it says we did this or that acts 16.
Luke wrote the book of acts and the gospel of luke and he dedicated his work to a man named theophilus as mentioned in the summary of the book of luke. Godly men buried stephen and mourned deeply for him. In this passage, luke is restating the great commission challenge jesus gave in luke 24. It contains no account of any of the apostles except peter and paul. While there are some areas of great detail of the acts of the apostles, many times you must use cross references to the gospels of matthew, mark, luke and john as well as some other epistles in the new testament to get the full picture of. Besides linking the gospel narratives on the one hand and the apostolic letters on. A history of the criticism of the acts of the apostles. Acts 8 king james version 1 and saul was consenting unto his death. The world was young in 1963 from lauras music, school, and friends, up to the young couple in the white house, john and jackie kennedy. The signs and preaching at samaria which resulted in the conversion of the samaritans. This man had gone to jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of isaiah the prophet.
Acts concerns the very vital period in christian history between the resurrection of jesus and the death of the apostle paul, the time when christian ideas and beliefs were. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at jerusalem. Acts 8, new international version niv the bible app. The genre of the book of acts is narrative history with several sermons.
In acts 8 we read about philip, one of the seven leaders called to assist the twelve see acts 6. In the first 7 chapters, he describes how the good news spread in jerusalem. May 02, 2020 the book of acts shows how god essentially took a group of fisherman and commoners and used them to turn the world upside down acts 17. The theme or key to the book of acts is found in 1. Up to this point, the book of acts recounts the churchs growth among jews in jerusalem and judea. Acts 1 new international version niv jesus taken up into heaven. The acts of the apostles is a unique and therefore crucial book of the new testament. The gospel spread from israel, northward to antioch. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout judea and samaria. The church must have felt that it could not afford to lose a man of stephens caliber. God took a christianhating murderer and transformed him into historys greatest christian evangelist, the author of almost half the books of the new testament. The acts of the apostles, the second volume of lukes twovolume work, continues lukes presentation of biblical history, describing how the salvation promised to israel in the old testament and accomplished by jesus has now under the guidance of the holy spirit been extended to the gentiles. The church expands into judea, galilee and samaria acts 8.
Acts 8 niv bible and saul approved of their killing him. The murder of stephen by a mob of jewish leaders was a great blow to the church. Study the bible online using commentary on acts 8 and more. It alone presents an extensive picture of early church life and history. This is the title now given to the biblical book about early church history. Feb 10, 20 the book of acts niv audio holy bible high quality and best speed book 44 duration.
This passage was apparently inserted by a scribe who wanted to explain why the ethiopian eunuch was baptized. The book of acts tells how the multiethnic, international. Paul, like peter, is presented as a miracle worker acts 14. Verses 2640 we have here the story of the conversion of an ethiopian eunuch to the. Cadbury author see all 7 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The life and teachings of jesus christ are established in the four gospel narratives, and the book of acts provides a coordinated account of the beginning and spread of the church as the result of the work of the risen lord and the holy spirit through the apostles. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply a s act s, or formall y the bo o k of acts, is th e fifth book of the new testament. The earliest date for the book of acts is the two year imprisonment which is recorded in acts 28. Acts 8 background information with maps and images.
Trusting god after the worst day of your life acts 8. This is the story of christianitys beginnings and how evangelism played. The acts of the apostles the gospel of luke and the acts of the apostles, though separated in the bible, were two parts of a single continuous work by the same author. In only three decades, a small group of frightened believers in jerusalem transformed.
While there are some areas of great detail of the acts of the apostles, many times you must use cross references to the gospels of matthew, mark, luke and john as well as some other epistles in the new testament to get the full picture of what was. For a comprehensive study of the history of criticism of the book of acts see w. Study guide for acts 8 by david guzik blue letter bible. It is titled acts to emphasize that this book records the acts of the apostles through the work of the holy spirit. The title as we know it comes from the second century and only partially discloses the theme of the document. Sssh the book of acts how can we learn to keep the reality, and promise, of the second coming always before us. Acts was apparently written in rome, perhaps between ad 70 and 90, though some think a slightly earlier. The book of acts course a, lesson 1 free bible study. Acts was written in greek, presumably by the evangelist luke, whose gospel concludes where acts begins, namely, with christs ascension into heaven.
David guzik commentary on acts 8 describes the persecution of the church. The book of acts is the record of that commission beingcarried out. We will learn that it is a baptism in water, and that its purpose was to give salvation through the death of jesus mark 16. Acts 8 niv bible and saul approved of their killing. Herod is struck dead by an angel of the lord and eaten by worms acts.
Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. It opens with a greeting to theophilus, who was also the intended recipient of lukes gospel. Saul has a dramatic encounter with christ on the road to damascus acts 9. It is clear from the rest of scripture the eunuch was not. You will be witnesses to me in jerusalem, in all judea and samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth 1. As a second volume to lukes gospel, it joins what jesus began to do and to teach 1. Steinbergs acts of god is a provocative history of natural disasters in the united states. Acts free bible commentary on the book of acts in easy english. Third, the revolutionary called the egyptian in acts 21. As such, it provides us with a valuable account of how the church was able to grow and spread out from jerusalem into the rest of the roman empire. In acts, luke has provided a broad survey of the churchs development from the resurrection of jesus to pauls first roman imprisonment, the point at which the book ends.
Sitting in his chariot reading the book of isaiah, he was reading isaiah 53. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. First, the emphasis on the holy spirit, which is key throughout the book of acts and. The acts of the apostles, abbreviation acts, fifth book of the new testament, a valuable history of the early christian church. Intro to acts biblica the international bible society. Luke, the author of the gospel of luke, was a doctor and gentile. In the beginning of the book of acts, jesus promised the apostles, you will receive power when the holy spirit has come upon you. It shows how the early church coped with pagan and jewish thought, the roman government and hellenistic society. The latest date for the book of acts is in the second century writings of the church fathers. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament.
Jun 12, 2017 lesson 1 investigates the author, historical setting, and the theological background of the book of acts. Jewish people are always impressed by miraculous signs as it is in their history. The book of genesis records the origin of the spiritual body which we designate as the church. This revised edition features a new chapter analyzing the failed response to hurricane katrina, a disaster steinberg warned could happen when the book first was published. Jan 14, 2019 the book of acts as history when we read the book of acts, it seems obvious luke intended to write some sort of history of the expansion of the early church from a small messianic sect of judaism in galilee and judea to an empirewide religion which included both jews and gentiles.
The book of acts is an important book for understanding the actions of the apostles, mostly paul and peter, after jesuss ascension into heaven. The book of acts in history paperback october 1, 2004 by henry j. T he book of acts in the bible, written around 6263 a. Acts records the apostles being christs witnesses in jerusalem, judea, samaria, and the surrounding world. It is an important book in understanding how we can be directed by the holy spirit and the role of jesus lessons in our lives. In the first book, theophilus, i wrote about all that jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day he was taken up to heaven. Saul is confronted by the risen jesus, who identifies himself with the very community paul is persecuting acts 9. The book of acts, which continues the narrative that luke began in his gospel, is especially important because it was the first written history of the christian church.
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