The Book of ACTS

The Book of

ACTS

A History of the Early Church

Gene Taylor

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... 1 An Outline of the Book .......................................................................................................................... 2 Lesson One: Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 12 Lesson Two: The Ascension ................................................................................................................... 15 Lesson Three: The Beginning ................................................................................................................ 17 Lesson Four: Persecution from Without ................................................................................................ 19 Lesson Five: Ananias and Sapphira ........................................................................................................ 21 Lesson Six: The Martyr Stephen ............................................................................................................. 23 Lesson Seven: The Preaching of Philip .................................................................................................. 24 Lesson Eight: The Conversion of Saul ................................................................................................... 26 Lesson Nine: The Conversion of Cornelius ............................................................................................ 27 Lesson Ten: The Death of James ............................................................................................................ 29 Lesson Eleven: The First Journey of Paul .............................................................................................. 31 Lesson Twelve: The Jerusalem Council ................................................................................................. 33 Lesson Thirteen: The Second Journey of Paul ...................................................................................... 34 Lesson Fourteen: The Third Journey of Paul ......................................................................................... 37 Lesson Fifteen: Paul's Arrest in Jerusalem ............................................................................................ 38 Lesson Sixteen: Paul Before Felix .......................................................................................................... 41 Lesson Seventeen: Paul's Appeal to Caesar ........................................................................................... 42 Lesson Eighteen: Paul's Voyage to Rome ............................................................................................. 43 Review ..................................................................................................................................................... 44

? Gene Taylor, 2001. All Rights Reserved.

The Book of Acts: A History of the Early Church

Gene Taylor

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An Outline of the Book

I. Introduction (1:1-5) A. Wrote a former treatise. (1) B. That treatise ended on the day of ascension. (2) C. Jesus commissioned the twelve apostles. (2b) D. Jesus had shown Himself alive by many proofs for 40 days. He spoke to the apostles concerning the kingdom of God. (3) E. At one appearance, Jesus charged His apostles not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (4-5)

II. On Mt. Olivet (1:6-11) A. The inquiry of the apostles. (5-8) B. The ascension. (9-11)

III. In the Upper Room (1:12-26) A. The return of the disciples. (12) B. The prayer meeting. (13-14) C. The place of Judas filled by Matthias. (15-26)

IV. In an Apartment of the Temple (2:1-47) A. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. (1-4) B. The result of the baptism. (5-13) C. The sermon of Peter. (14-36) D. The results of the sermon. (37-42) E. The unity of the church. (43-47)

V. At the Gate Beautiful (3:1-10) ? The healing of the lame man. (1-10)

VI. On Solomon's Porch (3:11-26) ? Peter's second sermon. (11-26)

VII. In the Prison (4:1-4) A. The arrest of Peter and John. (1) B. The reason for the arrest. (2) C. Peter and John led away. (3) D. The result of the preached word. (4)

VIII. Before the Sanhedrin (4:5-22) A. The council gathered. (5-6) B. The examination of the council and the defense of Peter. (7-12) C. The decision of the council and the answer of the apostles. (13-22)

The Book of Acts: A History of the Early Church

Gene Taylor

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IX. In the Upper Room (4:23 - 5:11) A. The praise and prayer of the disciples. (4:23-31) B. The unity of the believers. (4:32-37) C. The first church discipline: Ananias and Sapphira. (5:1-11)

X. On Solomon's Porch (5:12-16) ? Signs and wonders and the increase of the word. (12-16)

XI. In the Prison (5:17-20) A. The imprisonment of the apostles. (17-18) B. The divine release. (19-20)

XII. On Solomon's Porch (5:21a) ! The apostles teach in the temple in the early morning. (21a)

XIII. Before the Sanhedrin (5:21b-41) A. The assembling of the council and the apostles' trial. (21b-28) B. Peter's defense. (29-32) C. The result of the defense. (33) D. The advice of Gamaliel and the apostles' release. (34-41)

XIV. The Spread of the Word (5:42)

XV. On Solomon's Porch (6:1-6) A. Murmuring of the Grecian Jews. (1) B. The action of the twelve and the church to alleviate the situation. (2-6)

XVI. The Increase of the Word of God (6:7)

XVII. At the Synagogue of the Libertines (6:8-12) A. The power of Stephen. (8) B. The oppression of the Grecian Jews. (9-12)

XVIII. Stephen Before the Sanhedrin (6:13 - 7:56) A. The testimony of the false witnesses. (6:13-15) B. Stephen's defense. (7:1-53) C. The results. (7:54-56)

XIX. Outside the City Wall (7:57-60) A. Stephen was cast out. (57-58) B. The act of stoning and Stephen's death. (59-60)

XX. The Dispersion and the Work of Philip, Peter and John (8:1-40) A. At Jerusalem. (8:1-4) 1. The persecution against the church. (1) 2. The dispersion. (1b)

The Book of Acts: A History of the Early Church

Gene Taylor

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3. The burial of Stephen. (2) 4. The persecution by Saul. (3) 5. The preaching of all who were scattered. (4) B. The work of Philip. (8:5-13, 26-40) 1. Leaving Jerusalem at the dispersion. (5a) 2. The signs and preaching at Samaria which resulted in the conversion of the Samaritans

and Simon. (5-13) 3. On the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. (26-39)

a. The directions of the angel. (26) b. The meeting of the eunuch and Philip. (26-30) c. Philip's sermon. (31-35) d. The baptism of the eunuch. (36-39) 4. Azotus. (40a) Directed here by the Holy Spirit. 5. Lydda. (40b) One of the cities in which Philip probably preached. 6. Joppa (40b). Same as Lydda. 7. Caesarea. (40b) The final place mentioned in Philip's preaching tour. (cf. 21:8) C. The work of Peter and John. (8:14-25) 1. At Jerusalem. (14) The news of Philip's work in Samaria reaches Jerusalem. They send Peter and John. 2. At Samaria. (15-25a) a. The imparting of spiritual gifts through the laying on of the apostles' hands. (15-17) b. The sin of Simon and the rebuke of Peter. (18-24) 3. Preaching to the villages of the Samaritans. (25b) 4. The return of Peter and John to Jerusalem. (25b)

XXI. The Conversion and Early Labors of Saul (9:1-30; cf. Gal. 1:17-24) A. At Jerusalem. (1-2) Saul seeks permission from the high priest to carry the persecution to Damascus. B. On the road to Damascus. (3-9) The appearance of Jesus to the persecutor Saul. C. In Damascus. (10-22) 1. The directions of the Lord to Ananias. (10-16) 2. The directions of Ananias to Saul and Saul's response. (17-19) 3. The preaching of Christ by Saul in Damascus. (20-22) D. In Arabia. (23; Gal. 1:17a) Saul's sojourn in Arabia. E. Back in Damascus. (23b-25; Gal. 1:17b) 1. The plot of the Jews to kill Saul. (23b) 2. Saul's knowledge of the plot and his escape over the wall of the city in a basket. (24-25) F. In Jerusalem. (26-29; Gal. 1:17b-19) 1. Saul's vain attempt to join himself to the disciples and the intervention of Barnabas. (2627) 2. Saul's visit with Peter and James, the Lord's brother. (Gal. 1:18-19) 3. Saul's preaching in the city and the opposition of the Grecian Jews. (28-29) G. At Caesarea. (30a) The point of embarkation from Jerusalem to Tarsus. H. In Tarsus. (30b; Gal. 1:21-24) Saul's preaching in the regions of Cilicia and Syria.

XXII. At Jerusalem (9:31) ? The increase of the church through the preaching of Peter and others. (cf. 32a)

The Book of Acts: A History of the Early Church

Gene Taylor

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