Paul admitted that, prior to meeting the risen Savior, he was the most zealous of Israelites and was blameless “concerning righteousness based on the law” (Philippians 3:6), going so far as to persecute those who taught salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 is a dramatic example of the power of God unto salvation (see Romans 1:16) and the opening of spiritually blinded eyes. The indwelling Spirit is the gift of God to those who come to Him in faith. After the ascension of Jesus, the Spirit came to live in the very hearts of believers (Romans 8:9–11 1 Corinthians 3:16), guiding and empowering them from within. First, there was a change in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, whose primary function in the Old Testament was the external “anointing” of God’s people, among them Moses (Numbers 11:17), Othniel (Judges 3:8–10), Gideon (Judges 6:34), and Saul (1 Samuel 10:6–10). This transition is seen in several key events in Acts. The book of Acts serves as a transition from the Old Covenant to the New. Included in the last section are Paul’s three missionary journeys (13:1-21:16), his trials in Jerusalem and Caesarea (21:17-26:32) and his journey to Rome (27:1-28:31). The disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses in Jerusalem (Acts 1-8:3), in Judea and Samaria (8:4-12:25), and to the ends of the earth (13:1-28:31).
After his conversion he went to the opposite extreme of loving God and preaching His Word with power and fervency in the Spirit of the true and living God. Paul’s dramatic conversion on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1–31) is a highlight of the book of Acts. Before he was converted, Paul zealously persecuted Christians. Although many faithful servants were used to preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ, Saul, also called Paul, was the most influential. The book of Acts gives the history of the Christian church and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as the mounting opposition to it. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’”Īcts 16:31: “So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.’” ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’”Īcts 9:3–6: “As neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. The book of Acts covers the transitional time between the ascension of Christ and the completion of the New Testament canon, and the apostolic miracles were God’s means of authenticating His message through the men who penned the Bible.Īcts 1:8: “But 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.”Īcts 2:4: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”Īcts 4:12: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”Īcts 4:19–20: “But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. Many miracles were performed during this time by the apostles to validate their message. Reading the book of Acts, we are enlightened and encouraged by the power of the gospel as it spread throughout the world and transformed lives. The book of Acts sheds light on the gift of the Holy Spirit, who empowers, guides, teaches, and serves as our Counselor. Acts records the apostles being Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the surrounding world. The emphasis of the book is the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
The book of Acts was written to provide a history of the early church. The book of Acts was likely written between AD 61 and 64.
The tradition from the earliest days of the church has been that Luke, a companion of the apostle Paul, wrote the books of Luke and Acts (Colossians 4:14 2 Timothy 4:11). From Luke 1:1–4 and Acts 1:1–3, we know that the same author wrote both Luke and Acts. The book of Acts, also called Acts of the Apostles, does not specifically identify its author.
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