Acts of the Apostles

AUTHOR:

Luke, a Gentile doctor

AUDIENCE:

Theophilus and other Gentiles

PURPOSE:

To give an account of the birth and growth of the Christian church.

The book of Acts is a story of ordinary men and women who discovered God’s extraordinary power and became courageous through the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The early Christians dismantled barriers while facing all forms of opposition: insults, false accusations, physical beatings, arrests, and imprisonments. Even in times of fear and exhaustion, they were convinced that the world had changed because of the powerful presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

Nothing could stop what God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And as the Old Testament bears witness, the Gentiles—who were deemed outcasts—were always a part of God’s plan. The theme of God’s all-inclusive plan runs through Acts, displaying the diverse nature of God’s Kingdom. From the Gentiles to people with disabilities, all people are part of this vision.

We can also be empowered by the Spirit—regardless of age, gender, experience, or ability—to share the ground-breaking Good News in every nation.

SUFFERING AND DISABILITY THEMES

  floral bullet  On mission with God. What happens when a good and powerful God decides to turn the world upside down? Acts documents how the good news of Jesus is spread by a small, insignificant band of believers. High drama and surprising escapades of grace follow as the early Christians experience the activity of God like never before.

  floral bullet  An inner revolution. Our ability to live as Christians and to face all forms of suffering and opposition lies inside us—it is the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. Being empowered by God is our common need regardless of who we are. In Acts, we see the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in and through his people.

  floral bullet  The advancing Kingdom. Everything gets bigger in Acts. The Kingdom of God advances geographically from Jerusalem to the center of the Roman Empire. It also grows numerically as new Christians are added daily to the emerging church (6:7; 9:31; 13:49; 19:20). Above all, people’s minds and hearts are expanded as the Spirit of God confronts prejudice, bigotry, and theological elitism.