Acts of Jesus Study Guide: Overview

Overview

Luke wrote this book as a “part 2” companion to his Gospel of Luke. From the start he explains that:

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,”

                                                                                                                                                               Acts 1:1

If Luke’s first book was about what Jesus began to do, then his part 2 (the book of Acts) is about how the work of Jesus continued throughout the early days of the Church and how it continues even to this day. While we see many notable figures throughout the book (Peter, Stephen, Paul, Timothy, etc.) this isn’t a story about people, it is a story about what Jesus is doing through them.

One key idea that threads through the entire 28 chapters of this amazing book is that the work of Jesus continues through people who are led by the Spirit. It was not blind luck or human effort that transformed a small and beleaguered group of disciples into a global community of faith. It was the work of Jesus. What He came to do He continues to do even today.

One of the key verses for the entire book also provides a basic outline for how the story unfolds:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

                                                                                                                                                               Acts 1:8

The story Luke tells begins with the early believers witnessing in Jerusalem (Acts 1-7), then in the surrounding regions of Judea and Samaria (Acts 8-12), and finally unto the ends of the earth (Acts 13-28).

How to use this guide

This guide is meant to help you understand and respond to God’s Word. Each chapter will give a basic overview, some key questions to ask, and prompts for how to apply it to your life. When you come to read God’s word, whether you are in a small group or on your own, take time to come before God in worship. Ask Him to lead and guide your time. Ask for grace to read, listen, and respond as He leads.