1. Apostles: Preaching, healing, and enduring persecution (3:1–
As the first work of church history ever penned, Acts records the initial response to the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19–20). It provides information on the first three decades of the church's existence—material found nowhere else in the NT. Though not primarily a doctrinal work, Acts nonetheless emphasizes that Jesus of Nazareth was Israel's long-awaited Messiah, shows that the gospel is offered to all men (not merely the Jewish people), and stresses the work of the Holy Spirit (mentioned more than 50 times). Acts also makes frequent use of the OT: e.g., Acts 2:17–21 (Joel 2:28–32); Acts 2:25–28 (Ps. 16:8–11); Acts 2:35 (Ps. 110:1); Acts 4:11 (Ps. 118:22); Acts 4:25–26 (Ps. 2:1–2); Acts 7:49–50 (Isa. 66:1–2); Acts 8:32–33 (Isa. 53:7–8); Acts 28:26–27 (Isa. 6:9–10).
Acts abounds with transitions: from the ministry of Jesus to that of the apostles; from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant; from Israel as God's witness nation to the church (composed of both Jews and Gentiles) as God's witness people. The book of Hebrews sets forth the theology of the transition from the Old Covenant to the New; Acts depicts the New Covenant's practical outworking in the life of the church.
Interpretive Challenges
Because Acts is primarily a historical narrative, not a theological treatise like Romans or Hebrews, it contains relatively few interpretive challenges. Those that exist mainly concern the book's transitional nature (see Historical and Theological Themes) and involve the role of signs and wonders. Those issues are addressed in the notes to the relevant passages (e.g., 2:1–47; 15:1–29).
Outline
I. Prologue (1:1–8) II. The Witness to Jerusalem (1:9–8:3)
A. The Anticipation of the Church (1:9–26)
B. The Founding of the Church (2:1–47) C. The Growth of the Church (3:1–8:3)
1. Apostles: Preaching, healing, and enduring persecution (3:1– 5:42) 2. Deacons: Praying, teaching, and enduring persecution (6:1– 8:3)