In verse one, Luke states that he has formerly written of Jesus and His disciples’ lives in his other book, Luke, and in this book, the book of Acts, he would continue documenting them (Acts 1:1). (Matthew 16:18) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. When did Jesus build His church? It is more than just a story about some followers of Jesus. Instead, it repeatedly calls us to reflect upon the work of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, establishing the church by the power of the Holy Spirit.The gospel’s expansion is the cul… The book of Acts provides a bridge for the writings of the NT. The letters or epistles after Acts tells us of the supreme care and guidance that God has for His people – then, now, and in the future. c) “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” – Acts 2 through Revelation 22:21. Book of Acts . (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Again Acts ties all things together. In fact, if it were, the pattern would break in Acts 8 with Simon the sorcerer. Peter gave a great confession of faith in answering Christ, saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” and upon that confession Christ said that He would build His church. It is His story about revival in the Holy Spirit. Luke’s point is that the success of the Christian mission is not due to the efforts of charismatic men and women. It is more than just a book of any type. It tells of cities and dates and people that were affected by the Gospel. 2. (Acts 2:42-47) Are there any more beautiful words that could be penned concerning faithfulness than these, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” ? In the start of Acts 15, men that came down from Judea said “unless you are circumcised according to the circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved”. This assertion, however, overlooks a very important phrase in verse 16. There is nothing in this story, Acts, or the New Testament as a whole that indicates this is a pattern for how God acts. When do we see the establishment of it? He is the only head of that body and in Him we live and we die. (Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 10:7) The book of Acts gives an answer to the kingdom question. Verse 1 demonstrates clearly that the unnamed author of Acts is the same person as the unnamed author of the third gospel (Luke 1:3 with Acts 1:1-2). Sunny Slope Church of Christ Why is Acts chapter 2 so important? Admittedly in many books of the Bible the last word is not particularly significant. (Acts 2:42) We must continue steadfastly in the doctrine of Christ. Not in Matthew. Cornelius recounted to Peter and the Jews with him what the angel had told him concerning a man that would come from Joppa whose surname is Peter, “Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.” (Acts 11:14) These were words of salvation. The book of Acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of Jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. 1. The remainder of the Book of Acts gives the exciting account of all that was accomplished through them. It is more than just a history book. One whole testament for the rest of time. It is the history of the church. Not in Matthew. It is the very start of the things we know and teach and stake our very salvation in, the Church, the very body of Christ made up of believers that find eternal salvation in Christ. 'When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place,' we are told. Well that was in Matthew, 28:18-20, but when was it done? They were preaching and teaching God’s Word, the message that can and will save mankind if heeded and obeyed. As a second volume to Luke's Gospel, it joins what Jesus \"began to do and to teach\" (1:1; see note there) as told in the Gospels with what he continued to do and teach through the apostles' preaching and the establishment of the church. 3. The authorship of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, collectively known as Luke–Acts, is an important issue for biblical exegetes who are attempting to produce critical scholarship on the origins of the New Testament. In Acts we read of the fulfillment of the great commission. Acts has been called a transitional book because it serves as a bridge between the gospels and the epistles. provides us with a valuable account of how the church was able to grow and spread out from Jerusalem into the rest of the Roman Empire '” [3] R. P. C. Hanson, The Acts (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1967), p. … The book of Acts shows faith in action. It is the birth of the church. “The Holy Spirit appears prominently in Acts, so much so that the book has been called ‘the Gospel of the Holy Spirit. Why would there be a seeking of the kingdom if the kingdom never came? When writing his Gospel, Luke plays the part of a reporter, … this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) The apostles had already been told by Christ in the gospel accounts that He would go and prepare a place for Christians and that He would return, but in Acts there would be one last reminder for them before that great day which would start their work in the kingdom which they had been preparing for for so many years. Traditionally, the text is believed to have been written by Luke the companion of Paul (named in Colossians 4:14). It is further argued that even though the Samaritans had been baptized (Acts 8:12), they had not received the Holy Spirit (8:16), hence, there is no indwelling of the Spirit at the point of baptism. It is our reproof, to reprove or convict us of our sins. While the Old Testament was about the losses that the people of God took, Acts is about its victories. The Holy Spirit can scarcely be said to have been dismissed from the book of Acts at any point. One of the essential ways of receiving what the book of Acts has to offer, is by letting Jesus take control in our lives. The text states: The book of Acts does not primarily provide us with human patterns to emulate or avoid. Without the Book of Acts, we would be hard pressed to find an example of the apostolic preaching of the gospel. Why is the book of Acts so important? Paducah, KY 42003, Why Is The Book Of Acts Important? As we proceed through the book of Acts, we will notice that the Holy Spirit plays an important role in every advance of the gospel. 2. [Many New Testament epistles, for instance, end with the word amen.] It is for our instruction as a Christian to live out the rest of our days faithful to God. Why Is the Book “Acts of the Apostles” So Important? What would be the purpose of the Gospel accounts if Acts was never written? Part 1. ... commentaries to consider alternative views on difficult points. It is used for correction in bringing us to Christ. 2. But it’s so vital in studying the acts of the apostles and their Jewishness. Amazing! Why focus on the last word in the Book of Acts? The book of Acts is the place where the Spirit of Jesus intersects with the spiritual life of the Apostles. One was the resurrection of Jesus—that this Messiah they are following had been raised from the dead. 1. Editor’s Note: The following article is an excerpt from a commentary by Ron Merryman on the book of Galatians titled, “Galatians: God’s Antidote To Legalism.” Details on how to order this complete commentary are at the end of the article. In Matthew 16:20 the disciples of Christ were charged by Christ “…that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.” When were they given the charge or commission to tell others of Christ in the preaching and teaching of the Gospel? 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