The Book of Acts
Acts tells the story of the early Church — the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome through Peter, Paul and the apostles.
- Testament
- New (28 chapters)
- Type
- History
- Author
- Luke, the same author as the Gospel of Luke (the two are a single two-volume work).
- Date
- Probably 75-85 AD, concluding with Paul under house arrest in Rome.
The Spirit's mission
Jesus' last words promise 'ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you' (1:8). The book then traces the church spreading exactly as he said — Jerusalem (1-7), Judea and Samaria (8-12), 'to the uttermost part of the earth' (13-28). The Spirit drives the whole story.
Across every barrier
Acts shows the gospel crossing barriers — Jewish to Samaritan (8), Samaritan to Ethiopian (8), to Gentile (10), to philosopher (17), to emperor (28). The Council of Jerusalem (15) settles the question: Gentiles do not have to become Jewish to follow Jesus. The church becomes universal.
Key verses (KJV)
“Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” — Acts 1:8 (KJV)
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” — Acts 2:38 (KJV)
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” — Acts 4:12 (KJV)
How to read Acts
Read straight through over a week. Chapters 1-2 (Pentecost), 8-10 (the gospel crosses ethnic lines), 13-14 (Paul's first journey), and 27-28 (Paul to Rome) are the spine. Pair with Paul's letters — Acts is the narrative; the epistles are the mail.
Read Acts on your iPhone
Read the full book of Acts in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
Read Acts free on iPhone.
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