Overview Article
The book of Acts has a central role in the New Testament: It connects Jesus with the emerging Christian community, and the Gospels with the rest of the New Testament. It frames the proclamation of the Christian message in both Jewish and Gentile settings and underscores the key roles of Peter and Paul in the spread of the Good News throughout the Mediterranean. It is the story of a dynamic message with an outreach to all.
Key People, Places, and Terms
People 144
Places 108
Key Terms 184
Themes
The Growth of the Church 33 The book of Acts describes the church's growth after the day of Pentecost. Initially, the church increased in numbers. After Jesus' ascension to heaven, only 120 Christians attended the first prayer meeting to seek di... The Good News Message 31 The apostles shared the good news about Jesus (or "gospel") in a specific order, with these parts: The Old Testament promises came true through Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Persecution 25 Persecution refers to systematic mistreatment, harassment, or oppression of an individual or group because of their identity, beliefs, or practices. In religious contexts specifically, persecution involves the targeti... Baptism 24 Baptism has been a key part of Christianity since it began ( Acts 2:38 ). In Judaism, "baptism" and "baptize" referred to a religious cleansing ceremony. The law of Moses required water to cleanse people from ceremoni... The Holy Spirit’s Presence 22 The book of Acts emphasizes the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Before the Spirit came, Jesus spoke about the Spirit's influence on his followers ( 1:8 ; see John 14:15–17 , 26 ; 15:26 ; 16:7–15 ). The Spirit c... Visions 17 Visions are similar to other experiences of God's revelation, like dreams ( Genesis 37:5–10 ; 40:5–19 ). Classic examples include the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones and the prophet Isaiah’s vision... The Holy Spirit’s Work 16 Different New Testament writers emphasized various aspects of the Holy Spirit's work. The apostle John, for example, emphasized the Spirit's role as a teacher and revealer of God's thoughts and ways ( John 14:17 , 26... Angels 16 In the Bible, angels are God's messengers who carry out his plans and tell his will to humans ( Genesis 16:7–12 ; Numbers 22:22–34 ; Judges 13:3–21 ; 2 Kings 1:3 , 15 ; Zechariah 1:4–12 ). The Hebrew Old Testament and...
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Miracles 13 Miracles often happened in the Bible. They were especially common during the time of Moses and the ministries of Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, and his apostles. The Bible does not try to prove miracles. It just reports them.... The Resurrection of Jesus 13 The Bible clearly describes how Jesus physically rose from the dead through God's power. However, many other explanations have been suggested: Jesus did not actually die. He fainted and later woke up in a cold tomb. S... Following Jesus 13 The Gospels (books about Jesus's life) were written to help people understand and accept Jesus' invitation to follow him by "taking up their cross." This invitation is not just for Jesus' closest followers, called apo... The Gift of Prophecy 12 As the apostle Peter stated on the day of Pentecost, prophecy was a result of God's Holy Spirit poured out ( Acts 2:17–21 ; see Joel 2:28–32 ). The book of Acts mentions a few Christian prophets ( Acts 11:27–28 ; 13:1... Circumcision in the New Testament 11 Circumcision, which is the removal of the male foreskin, was common in the ancient Near East (see Jeremiah 9:25–26 ). For Jews, it held religious importance as a sign of the covenant (special agreement) God made with... Church Leaders 10 The first church gatherings were spontaneous and God's spirit gave gifts in a special way (see 1 Corinthians 14:26–33 ). The apostles generally led the Christian communities along with the elders in Jerusalem ( Acts 6... The Messiah 9 The Greek word christos has the same meaning as the Hebrew word mashiakh. It means "anointed one" (or "chosen one"). Both words translate as "Messiah" or "Christ." In the Bible, the Messiah is someone chosen by God fo... The Grace of God 9 Grace is an important word in the Bible. It shows God's kindness and favor. It is often related to how he saves those who do not deserve it. The New Testament emphasizes that grace came through Jesus Christ ( John 1:1... Jews and Gentiles (Non-Jews) 8 A key theme of the New Testament is that God has included non-Jewish people (called gentiles) in his people while keeping his promises to Israel. In Romans 11:11–32 , the apostle Paul explains God's plan to save all n... Paul’s Role as an Apostle 8 To understand Paul's role as an apostle of Jesus Christ, a good place to read is the description in the second letter to the Corinthians. In this letter, Paul shares the core of his ministry. Paul was God's special me... Miraculous Signs in the Gospel of John 8 The Gospels use three words to describe Jesus' miraculous works. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Greek word dunamis means "power." It describes an act of raw force that amazes people and makes them realize that God is... Praise and Rejoicing in Luke–Acts 8 In Luke's Gospel, those who receive God's grace praise him for his wonderful acts ( Luke 1:44 , 46 , 64 , 68 ; 2:13 , 38 ; 5:25–26 ; 7:16 ; 13:13 ; 17:15–18 ; 18:43 ; 19:37 ; 24:53 ). In the book of Acts, praise follo...
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Outline
Use of the Old Testament in Acts
60 quotations from 11 Old Testament books
Total quotations 60
Connected books 11
Most-connected book Psalms 16
All References
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