In our Bible study this week, we looked at the structure (or framework) of Acts. There are 28 chapters in the book, in three main sections. Acts 1-12 focus on the origins of the church, with Peter one of the main characters and Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria the main geographical focus. Acts 13-20 focus on the missionary journeys of Paul (whose conversion is told in Acts 9) and the remaining chapters (Acts 21-28) focus on Paul’s defence after his arrest and his journey to Rome.
Throughout the book, we see Luke showing us how the key verse (‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)) is worked out from Jerusalem into the whole world. Both Peter and Paul, along with other disciples (John, Philip, Stephen, Barnabas, Silas and Timothy, for example), are shown to do miraculous signs and wonders (healings, exorcisms, raising of the dead) through the power of the Holy Spirit, but there is also a strong emphasis on the preaching of God’s word, showing how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah and is God’s means of salvation to the whole world (‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12))
The book is also important in showing us how persecution and growth often go hand in hand. Throughout Acts, we see that the disciples rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. (Acts 5:41) Despite the martyrdom of key believers (Stephen in Acts 7 and James in Acts 12) and persecution which forced believers to leave the comfort of their homes (Acts 8:4-8, Acts 11:19), the gospel spread, fulfilling Christ’s prophetic words to his disciples while he was still on earth (see Matt 5:10-11, John 15:18-20). The latter part of the book shows us something of the fulfilment of God’s word in the life of Paul (‘I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’ (Acts 9:16)) as he is imprisoned for his faith, yet we also see how he seized every opportunity to give his testimony before a variety of leaders (Festus, Herod Agrippa, Felix etc.) As Howard Marshall puts it, “Nothing that men do can stop the progress and ultimate victory of the gospel.” (Howard Marshall, Tyndale commentary on Acts, P427)