Overview of the Book of Acts

Moore's Corner Church

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So the overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Acts or the Acts of the

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Apostles. That's the full name. Luke is the author and this is basically part two since it picks up where the gospel of Luke leaves off.

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The theme of Acts has been described as the history of the early church or first century missions.

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It was written around 60 AD and this is the fifth book of the New Testament. Some have suggested that it be called the

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Acts of the Holy Spirit since it tells the story of the Christian Church now empowered by the

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Holy Ghost after the day of Pentecost and how the Christian message because of the

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Spirit's work started to spread throughout the Roman Empire. Now the thing to know about the book of Acts is that it is a transitional book.

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There is the transition from Old Covenant to New Covenant and there is the transition from Israel to now the church which is made up of mostly

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Gentiles and the book addresses this question of how the Jewish Messiah could have a church that's mostly made up of non -Jews and of course the answer to that is that the majority of the

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Jewish people and certainly their leaders rejected Jesus as their Messiah.

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In the book of Acts it's mainly the Jewish authorities and the mob that's persecuting the

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Apostles and because of that and because Peter and the rest of the Apostles remained in Jerusalem the

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Lord then called Saul of Tarsus also known as Paul to be his disciple to the

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Gentiles. Peter is the main figure in chapters 1 through 12 but Paul is the main figure after that chapters 13 through 28.

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Luke is basically acting as a historian of the early church and Acts serves as a bridge from the

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Gospels to the Epistles. So in conclusion the key verse of the book of Acts I would say is found in chapter 1 verse 8 where Jesus says to the disciples but you shall receive power when the

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Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all

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Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.