The book of Acts was authored by Luke, a physician, researcher, and careful historian. Acts serves as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, making it essentially the “part two” of Christ’s ministry. For that reason, I recommend first reading Luke’s Gospel and then moving into Acts to see the full picture of the new covenant story.

Acts was written when the early church was spreading across the Mediterranean world. It was written for both Jews and Gentiles, and addressed to a man named Theophilus, the same recipient of Luke’s Gospel account. Acts is not simply a prelude to the epistles, but a historical framework into which most of the New Testament letters fit. For example, Paul wrote Romans while in Corinth during his second missionary journey, which corresponds with Acts 20.

Luke’s Gospel is deeply theological, beginning and ending in Jerusalem. The book of Acts, however, begins with a Jewish emphasis and transitions to a Gentile focus. It starts in Jerusalem and concludes in Rome, proclaiming the Gospel’s expansion to all nations.

Luke’s Gospel (part one) records old covenant prophecies being fulfilled and the historical record of the first followers of Jesus. Acts (part two) recounts the birth of the Church and demonstrates how salvation came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

The entire Bible, both Old and New Testament, was originally written by Jewish people, for the Jewish people, pointing us to the promised Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ. Born and raised in Israel, by His Jewish mother Mary, Jesus is the long-awaited Savior of Israel and the Savior of the entire world. To understand any book of the Bible, we must take into account our Savior’s Jewish roots, the story of the Jewish people, and the culture in which Scripture was written.

At the time of Acts 1, nearly everyone who knew the God of Israel and followed Christ was Jewish. They knew the Scriptures, culture, language, and traditions. What seems foreign to us was second nature to them.

This means that as modern readers, especially Gentiles, we often need to slow down and study the cultural and historical background. The Bible is an ancient Jewish text originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The Old Testament is made up of Jewish writings—Torah, Prophets, and more—while the New Testament was recorded by Jewish men and women.

It’s okay if we don’t understand everything the first or even the seventh time we read the Bible. As lifelong students of Scripture, we continue learning. My own grandmother read the Bible every year for seventy years, and she said the Holy Spirit showed her something new each time. That is the nature of studying God’s living Word.

Understanding the author, audience, language, and context of Acts helps us uncover the richness of the text. This is the first book of the Bible where we clearly see the transition from salvation for the Jewish people to salvation for the Gentiles.

In Acts we witness the first preaching of the Gospel by Christ’s followers, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the commissioning of missions to the ends of the earth. This is where we discover that God’s plan of salvation is not just for Israel but for all nations. Through Christ, we are invited to become one body, one Church, one family under one Savior.

Acts is a historical record of how the ministry of Christ in Israel became a global, multicultural movement. It shows us a Church that was multilingual, multiethnic, multinational, and composed of both men and women, slave and free—all united by the Holy Spirit.

Resources for Your Acts Bible Study

If you’re looking for a helpful visual overview, I recommend the Bible Project’s video on Acts. Their resources give excellent summaries of the themes and structure of the book.

This introduction is the first installment in our Acts Bible study series. In the coming posts, we’ll walk through Acts chapter by chapter, exploring how the Spirit moved in the early Church and how He continues to move today. Alongside Acts, we’ll also release studies on the Gospels, the Epistles, Revelation, and topics like the Trinity, spiritual gifts, hermeneutics, and women in ministry.

Keep reading:

The Most Popular Book in the New Testament! Acts 1 Commentary & Study

Happy Kingdom building,
Cosette

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Bible Study: Intro to the New Testament Book of Acts

Luke’s Gospel is deeply theological, beginning and ending in Jerusalem. The book of Acts, however, begins with a Jewish emphasis and transitions to a Gentile focus. It starts in Jerusalem and concludes in Rome, proclaiming the Gospel’s expansion to all nations.

Luke’s Gospel (part one) records old covenant prophecies being fulfilled and the historical record of the first followers of Jesus. Acts (part two) recounts the birth of the Church and demonstrates how salvation came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

At the time of Acts 1, nearly everyone who knew the God of Israel and followed Christ was Jewish. They knew the Scriptures, culture, language, and traditions. What seems foreign to us was second nature to them.

Understanding the author, audience, language, and context of Acts helps us uncover the richness of the text. This is the first book of the Bible where we clearly see the transition from salvation for the Jewish people to salvation for the Gentiles.

Acts is a historical record of how the ministry of Christ in Israel became a global, multicultural movement. It shows us a Church that was multilingual, multiethnic, multinational, and composed of both men and women, slave and free—all united by the Holy Spirit.

If you’re looking for a helpful visual overview, I recommend the Bible Project’s video on Acts. Their resources give excellent summaries of the themes and structure of the book.

Keep reading:

Bible Study: Intro to the New Testament Book of Acts

Luke’s Gospel is deeply theological, beginning and ending in Jerusalem. The book of Acts, however, begins with a Jewish emphasis and transitions to a Gentile focus. It starts in Jerusalem and concludes in Rome, proclaiming the Gospel’s expansion to all nations.

Luke’s Gospel (part one) records old covenant prophecies being fulfilled and the historical record of the first followers of Jesus. Acts (part two) recounts the birth of the Church and demonstrates how salvation came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

At the time of Acts 1, nearly everyone who knew the God of Israel and followed Christ was Jewish. They knew the Scriptures, culture, language, and traditions. What seems foreign to us was second nature to them.

Understanding the author, audience, language, and context of Acts helps us uncover the richness of the text. This is the first book of the Bible where we clearly see the transition from salvation for the Jewish people to salvation for the Gentiles.

Acts is a historical record of how the ministry of Christ in Israel became a global, multicultural movement. It shows us a Church that was multilingual, multiethnic, multinational, and composed of both men and women, slave and free—all united by the Holy Spirit.

If you’re looking for a helpful visual overview, I recommend the Bible Project’s video on Acts. Their resources give excellent summaries of the themes and structure of the book.

Keep reading: