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The Book of Acts

The Book of Acts. John Oakes, PhD San Diego September, 2018. The Agora in Athens. Themes in Acts. 1. The work of the Holy Spirit in establishing the Church. Acts 1:2, 1:4-5, 1:7, 1:16 2. The Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3, 1:6 3. Growth and development of the Church. 1:8

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The Book of Acts

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  1. The Book of Acts John Oakes, PhD San Diego September, 2018 The Agora in Athens

  2. Themes in Acts 1. The work of the Holy Spirit in establishing the Church. Acts 1:2, 1:4-5, 1:7, 1:16 2. The Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3, 1:6 3. Growth and development of the Church. 1:8 4. Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy 1:20

  3. Acts Timeline AD 30 Pentecost Acts 2 32 Stephen martyred, Church Scattered. Acts 8:1-3 33 or 34 Conversion of Saul/Paul Acts 9:1-22 about 37 First Gentiles baptized. Acts 10-11:18 42 or 43 Barnabas, Paul in Antioch. Acts 11:22-24 45-47 Paul’s first missionary journey Acts 13-14 48 Council in Jerusalem. Acts 48-52 Paul’s 2nd missionary Journey Acts 16-18:22 52-57 Paul’s 3rd mission journey Acts 18:23-21:16 57 Paul arrested in Jerusalem

  4. Acts Timeline 57-59 Paul a prisoner in Caesarea 60-62 Paul a prisoner in Rome Acts ends. 62 Paul probably freed. Went to Spain? 65 (?) Martyrdom in Rome

  5. Luke/Acts Acts 1:1 Luke contains the things Jesus BEGAN to do…. Luke: Jesus goes to Jerusalem. Acts: Jesus goes out from Jerusalem (Acts 1:8)

  6. Jesus in Acts Works miracles Acts 3:6,10,30 Acts 9:34, 13:11, 14:3 Seen at God’s right hand Acts 7:55-56 Appears to Saul Acts 9:4-5 Speaks to Ananias Acts 9:10-16 Tells Peter to go to Cornelius’ house Acts 10:13-15 Comforts Paul and Silas in prison Acts 18:9-10 Sends Paul to preach Acts 22:17-21 Tells Paul he must go to Rome Acts 23:11 Q: What do we learn from all this about us?

  7. I. The Holy Spirit in Acts Acts 1:2 Instructions through the Holy Spirit. 1:4-5 Wait for the Holy Spirit. 1:7 Power from the Holy Spirit. 1:16 The Holy Spirit spoke the prophecies 2:1-4 The Holy Spirit falls on the apostles. 2:17-18 Pouring of the Holy Spirit prophesied in Joel. 4:8 Peter spoke, as he was filled by the Holy Spirit. 4:25 He spoke through David. 4:31 Filled with the Holy Spirit, the house was shaken. 5:32 The Holy Spirit witnesses to the resurrection. 6:3-6 Those known to be full of the Holy Spirit chosen to lead.

  8. The Holy Spirit in Acts 7:55 Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. 8:29 The Holy Spirit tells Philip to share with the Ethiopian Eunuch. 9:31 The Church strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit. 10:19 The Holy Spirit tells Peter to go with the three Gentile visitors. 10:44-47 The Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and his house. 11:28 The Holy Spirit tells Agabus about a famine. 13:2-4 The Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul for missionary work, and sends them off. 13:52 The disciples filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

  9. The Holy Spirit In Acts 15:28 The Holy Spirit influenced the decision of the Jerusalem Council. 16:7 The Spirit of Jesus prevents going to Bithyia. 20:22 Paul compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem. 20:23 The Holy Spirit warns Paul of danger. 20:28 The Holy Spirit makes and chooses elders. 21:11 The Holy Spirit tells Agabus how Paul will die. Q: What does all this tell you?

  10. II. Acts and the Kingdom of God Acts 1:3 Jesus talking about the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:6 The disciples were sure confused about this! Acts 2 The Kingdom comes, as prophesied (Acts 2:17-21 esp. v. 20 TDOTL) Acts 10 The Kingdom comes to the Gentiles. Acts 8:12 Philip proclaims the Kingdom 14:22 We are on our way into the kingdom of God 19:8 He persuaded them about the kingdom of God., 20:25 Paul preached everywhere about the Kingdom of God. 28:23,31 Paul preached the kingdom of God.

  11. III. Growth and Development of the Church Acts 1:8 “You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth” How did they do it? How can we do it? The Marketplace in Corinth

  12. Growth of the Church Acts 2:41 Three thousand added that day. Acts 4:4 The disciples grew to five thousand. Acts 5:14 More and more men and women. Acts 5:28 You have filled Jerusalem…. Acts 6:7 The number of disciples increased rapidly and a large number of priests were obedient. Acts 8:4 Those scattered preached the word wherever they went.

  13. Church Growth is “Normal” Acts 9:31 Grew throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria Acts 11:24 A great number… Acts 16:5 Grew daily in numbers… Acts 17:6 Caused trouble all over the world.

  14. IV. Use of Prophecies Context: The early church was entirely Jewish Acts 1:3 (and 8:26-34) Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Acts 2:17-21 Joel 2:27-32 (and Ezek 36:24-30 and Ezek 37:11-28) Acts 2:24-28 Psalm 16:8-11 Acts 2:34-35 Psalm 110:1-4

  15. A Typical Sermon in Acts I. Jesus worked miracles. Therefore he is Lord II. Jesus fulfilled prophecy. Therefore he is Messiah. III. Jesus was crucified and raised. Therefore he is Savior. IV. Repent and be Baptized.

  16. More Prophecy Use in Acts Acts 3:11-26 v. 18 Isaiah 59:1-12, Ps 22:12-18 v. 22-23 Deut 18:15-19 v. 25 Gen 12:3, 18:8, 22:18 Acts 4:8-12 Ps 118:22 Acts 4:25-26 Ps 2:1-1

  17. Acts Ch 1 Jesus prepares the disciples to carry on his work. a. By teaching about the kingdom. b. By sending the Holy Spirit to help and guide them. c. By giving them a mission and a vision. d. By getting them organized. Could we improve on that?

  18. Acts 1:8 A Scary Vision for Us Acts 1:8 “You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth” How did they do it? How can we do it? The Marketplace in Corinth

  19. Why Did They Change the World/How Can We Change the World?Acts 5:39 A. They knew Jesus. The personal effect of the man Jesus of Nazareth. B. Powerful truth-claims. Those two alone were not enough to sustain a movement

  20. Changing the World in Our Time C. Moral/Ethical superiority of the Christians. D. They could successfully answer the hard questions. Intellectual superiority. E. Christianity gave dignity to all people The church had compassion like no one else F. Because God was with them (Acts 5:39)

  21. A. The Life of Jesus: Knowing Jesus • Acts 4:1-21 Fear to Fearlessness. • Acts 4:13 They took note that they had been with Jesus. • Why was Paul transformed? Acts 9:1-16 • We need to meet Jesus on our road to Damascus (or Reno, or Las Vegas or….)

  22. B. Powerful Truth Claims • Acts 2:22-24 • Jesus fulfilled the OT prophecies • Jesus worked signs, wonders and miracles • Jesus was raised from the dead • Acts 3:11-16, 4:33, 5:29-32, 13:26-35 • Acts 26:24-32 True and Reasonable

  23. According to the Old Testament, the Messiah must: Be born in Bethlehem Be raised in Galilee near Nazareth Be despised and rejected by men Be meek and silent before his accusers Be “pierced” Be crucified Have his garments divided and gambled over Be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver Come to Jerusalem to make atonement for sin in about AD 33 And many more….

  24. C. Ethically and Morally They Were Very Different. We need to be as well!! • Acts 17:5-9 • Acts 19:17-20 Confronting the world and its ways. • Acts 19:23-41 They confronted idolatry • Us today? Marketplace, Corinth

  25. Being Different Just Might Get Us Into Trouble A Little Riot in Ephesus

  26. D. Engage the World Intellectually With the Christian World View • Acts 17:16-34 Paul in Athens We need to confront the enemy in the Areopagus and in the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus The Areopagus in Athens

  27. The Lecture Hall of Tyrannus

  28. Acts 17:16-34 Paul confronts Greek World Views • God is Creator. He exists outside creation. • Disproves pantheism/Stoicism. • God is close to us. • Disproves deism/Epicureanism. • God is personal and has given us an individual purpose. • God will bring all of us to judgment. Evil will be defeated • Disproves dualism/Gnosticism.

  29. Paul Confronts Greek World Views

  30. The Bible and Other World Views (cont.) • Acts 17:16-34 Paul shares the gospel by arguing for the Christian World View. • v. 22-23 Paul finds common ground. • v. 24-28 Paul argues for the superiority and the truth of the Christian world view as opposed to Epicureanism/pantheism and Stoicism/deism • v. 28 Paul quotes from Aretas a Stoic philosopher. “ For we are his offspring.” • v. 29-31 Having laid the groundwork, Paul points them to Jesus. • v. 32-34 Some, but not all were converted.

  31. A “Good” World View Defined A. It is true. It is consistent with reality. It works. B. It answers satisfactorily the questions people really want answered. What is prime reality/the ultimate cause/the nature of God?) What is my value as a human being? What happens to a person at death? How do we know what is right and wrong? What is my purpose? What is the nature of my relationship, with the "prime reality?" C. It causes those who hold to it to be better people than they would otherwise have been if they held to competing alternative world views.

  32. The Christian World View 1. The physical world is: a. real b. created out of nothing (ex nihilo) and c. essentially good. 2. There exists an unseen spiritual reality which is not limited to or defined by the physical reality. Human beings have a spiritual aspect to their nature. 3. The creator of both the physical and spiritual realm is the God who reveals himself in the Bible. 4. Human beings have both a physical and a spiritual nature, The spiritual nature is more essential as it is eternal. 5. God is not easily defined but he can be characterized by certain qualities. God is a person. God is love, God is just, God is holy, God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.

  33. Competing World Views for Us • Naturalism/Materialism • Postmodernism • Pantheism/Eastern Religions • Islamic Worldview

  34. The Christian World View (cont.) 6. Although all God’s creation, is good, evil does exist. Such evil is the result of freedom of will given to created beings and their subsequent decision to use that freedom to rebel--to “sin” 7. Because of God’s justice and his holiness, those who choose to rebel against him will ultimately be judged and separated from God for eternity. 8. The solution to evil, to sin and its eternal consequences is provided by God through the atoning substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

  35. Christianity Offers Solutions to the Big Problems of Human Beings • The Problem of Evil • The Problem of Suffering • The Problem of Death

  36. The Christian World View Has Given Us: Science Abolition of Slavery (Wilberforce) Civil Rights Women’s Rights Christian groups do a majority of all benevolent work in the world (James 1:27, Micah 6:8)

  37. How, then, should we interact with members of other religions? • Find common ground. • Give respect where respect is due. • Acknowledge the good and do not make personal attacks—especially toward revered people. • Highlight distinctions in world view/theology and introduce them to Jesus Christ. • This is EXACTLY what Paul did in Acts 17:22-34

  38. E. The Church Met Needs/We Need to Meet Needs • Acts 2:44-45 All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling… • Acts 3:6-10 Silver and gold we do not have, but what we have we will give. In the name of Jesus, get up and walk. What a testimony. We do not have much but what we have we will freely give. • Acts 4:32-35 All needs were met. • Acts 5:12-16 Meeting needs, healing.

  39. Julian “the apostate.” (332-363) “Atheism (i.e. Christian faith) has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.”

  40. F. If God is With Us…. • Acts 5:38-39 With God’s help, they did it. They conquered the world. With God’s help, so can we.

  41. Acts Ch 2 The Church Begins Acts 2:17 In these last days…. Thus begins the final episode of the story of God’s work. Peter has the keys (Matthew 16:19) A one-off event (except Acts 10:44-48)

  42. Acts and the Holy Spirit 1. The miraculous outpouring , as prophesied by John (Matthew 3:11), Joel (Joel 2:28-32) and Jesus (Acts 1:8) 2. The promised indwelling gift. Eph 1:13-14, Acts 2:36-41, Acts 5:32, Acts 19:1-7 3. The miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:4-7, 2 Tim 1:6, Hebrews 2:4 We must keep these separate and unconfused.

  43. Acts 2:42-47 A Model Church a. Great commitment to God. b. Great worship. c. Great fellowship/family. d. Great growth.

  44. Acts Ch 3-4 A Great Beginning Acts 4:32-27 Another picture of the idea church. Q: What area do we need to grow in to approach this ideal? Acts 5 Persecution begins. The charge: “You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching.” Q: Have you or has your church had any persecution lately?

  45. Acts 6 Dealing with Problems in the Church Greek-speaking foreigners vs. Aramaic-speaking local Jews. Solution: “The leader of the church should take care of this” Better solution: Choose men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Q: How would you know if someone was full of the Holy Spirit?

  46. Acts 7 Martyrdom of Stephen, Church Scattered Stephen’s point: You have always rejected those God sent to you. It is only natural that you also rejected the Messiah when he came. Acts 8:1-4 God gives them the boot! Q: Does God need to give us the boot to get out there and do his work?

  47. Acts 8 Samaritan and Proselyte Conversions Ethiopian Eunuch a Jewish convert? Two kinds of proselytes in Judaism: gertzedek“righteous proselytes” is a gentile who has converted to Judaism, is bound to all the doctrines and precepts of the Jewish religion, and is considered a full member of the Jewish people. gertoshav"gate proselyte"is a resident alien who lives in the Land of Israel and follows some of the customs. They are not required to be circumcised nor to comply with the whole of the Torah.

  48. Acts 9:1-19, Acts 22:3-21, Acts 26:12-18Conversion of Saul Paul: Hebrew of Hebrews Pharisee of Pharisees (Phil 3:5) Studied under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) The most zealous man of his day (Phil 3:6) Very persuasive speaker (Acts 9:22) Spoke Greek Q: Would you have shared with him? But God had prepared his heart….

  49. Another Outline of Acts I. Acts 1 Jesus prepares the apostles. II. Acts 2-12 The ministry of Peter III. Acts 13-28 The ministry of Paul. Acts 9:2 Christianity is a “Way”– a way of life, not just a religion.

  50. Acts 10 Conversion Of First Gentiles Cornelius a God-fearer (gertoshav) A centurion—a man of influence A God-fearer—attended synagogue Gave to the poor His family all feared God

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