Author: Luke

Cultural Context: The events described in Acts take place in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the surrounding occupied lands of the Greco-Roman empire as well as Asia minor during the 1st century between 30-60 CE. Acts was likely composed between 60 and 90 CE.

Book Structure:
Part 1 – Acts 1: Jesus’ commission
Part 2 – Acts 2-7: Pentecost and the birth of the Church
Part 3 – Acts 8-12: Life within the Jesus movement
Part 4 – Acts 13-20: Recount the mission of the ChurchPart 5 – Acts 31-28: Paul’s arrest
Part 5 – Acts 31-28: Paul’s arrest

Summary: The book of Acts is considered to be volume two of a two-part work known today as Luke-Acts. In the Bible, both the book of Luke and the book of Acts were written by Luke, an apostle of Jesus. Acts gives an account of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the early church, and how the message of Jesus began to spread around the world.

Acts begins with Jesus’ last 40 days on earth after His resurrection. His focus was to teach the disciples about the Kingdom of God on earth. He commissioned them to spread His message to Jerusalem, neighboring regions Judea and Samaria, and then to the rest of the nations. While Jesus’ time on earth was about to come to an end, He reminded them that the Holy Spirit would be with them soon.
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On the day of Pentecost, 10 days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples. Acts 2:2-4 says, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” After receiving the Holy Spirit, they were empowered to preach the message of Jesus with boldness and many people were saved. This marks the birth of the early church – the gathering of believers. Even today, when we choose to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s through the Holy Spirit that Jesus guides, empowers, and transforms us.

Through the rest of the book of Acts, Jesus’ disciples do exactly what Jesus instructed. They began preaching and teaching in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and then to the rest of the nations and the ends of the earth. The book of Acts recounts the disciples’ experiences and the persecution they faced, the characteristics and growth of the early church, and the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies. While church today looks different than the early church, there are key themes from the book of Acts that hold true for us in modern culture.