Acts midterms

stated purpose of Acts

"carefully investigated" and "orderly account"; Luke observed carefully and took detailed notes

main focus of Acts

- Peter (first 12 chapters) and Paul (chapter 13 to the end)

- additional events and people (Stephen and Philip in ch. 6-8)

- early challenges of believers

- spread of Early Church throughout the Mediterranean world

Acts 1:8 outline

- chapters 1-7; 9-11: Jerusalem / Judea

- chapter 8: Samaria

- chapter 12-28: the world

authorship of Luke

- Luke's authorship is almost universally accepted

- volume 1: Jesus' life and ministry (the gospel according to Luke)

- volume 2: a history of Christian origins (Acts)

- originally circulated together, but then Luke was separated with the gospels

date of Luke

ranges from early 60's to early 80's (60's preferred)

info about Luke

- not an eyewitness to Jesus' ministry

- gentile

- physician

- from Troas or Philippi

- met Paul at Troas (2nd ministry journey)

- "we" passages (Acts 16:10-17; Acts 20:6 - on)

- internal evidence from Acts provides evidence of someone who travels with Paul

first healing miracle

Acts 3 - Peter heals a cripple beggar (Peter and John went to pray...)

first martyr

Stephen (Acts 7 - Saul was a witness to the event)

first apostle martyr

James (John's brother) was killed with a sword by Herod (Acts 12)

first occasion the spirit falls in Jerusalem

first occasion the spirit falls in Samaria

first occasion the spirit falls in Gentiles

Sanhedrin

- made up of Sadducees and Pharisees

- typically numbered 71, but varied

- ruling body of Jews

- led by the High Priest

Peter and John arrested and before the Sanhedrin

- they weren't intimidated and stated that you can have salvation in no one else

- they were filled with the spirit... freed... believers prayed for courage

- the Sanhedrin realized they had been with Jesus

Paul's conversion

- Tarsus connected to the Roman military (less than 100 miles by land from Antioch)

- Damascus was home to a relatively large Jewish community

- conversion occurred on the road to Damascus... Jesus spoke to him audibly and he became blinded

- he fasted from everything for 3 days

- Ananias (disciple) - saw a vision to go to Saul, but reluctant

- Saul was a chosen instrument to the Gentiles

term to describe the early Christian movement

"the way"

who was Saul / Paul

- Roman citizen

- pharisee

- student of the Talmud of Galaliel the rabbi

- well-educated

- proficient in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek

- wealthy family

- hated Jesus and his followers

Acts 6 - main event

the 7 deacons are chosen

first cause of tension (deacons - Acts 6)

- church made up of Hebrew speaking and Greek speaking Jews

- when the Hellenistic Jews came back they formed prejudices against each other

- daily allocations for widows... allegations of unfair treatment

- the apostles realized they needed to delegate

- selected 7 well respected men full of the Spirit and wisdom

- chose 7 men, all Greek-speaking men

Acts 2 - main events

Pentecost and Peter preaching to the crowd

events of Pentecost

- believers gathered in the upperroom and the Holy Spirit comes

- they begin speaking in different languages... people think they are drunk

- Peter preaches to the crowd and explains what is happening and shares the gospel

- 3,000 believe and were baptized

believers form a community (Acts 2:42-47)

- devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and prayer

- miraculous signs

- sharing what they have

- each day the Lord added to their number

Acts 7 - main events

Stephen persecuted and killed

Acts 8 - main events

- Philip preaches in Samaria

- Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

Philip preaches in Samaria (Acts 8)

- believers were scattered, but still preached wherever they went

- Philip preached and evil spirits were cast out

- Simon the sorcerer - the people followed him; when Philip came, Simon believed and was baptized and was amazed by the signs

- sent Peter and John ... prayed for the Holy Spirit to come ... Simon offered to pay for the Holy Spirit

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

- he was led by the Holy Spirit to go down the road

- met the man and explained everything to him

- believed and was saved

- they pulled over and baptized the man

- Holy Spirit picked up Philip and took him away... preached there too

Acts 9 - main event

Saul's conversion

Cornelius calls for Peter (Acts 10)

- God-fearing Roman officer who received a vision from the Lord to send Peter

- Peter had a vision about not calling things unclean

- then the men came and Peter went with them to Cornelius' house

- he explained his vision and told them the good news

- Holy Spirit came and Peter stayed with them for a few days

Acts 10 - main events

- Cornelius calls for Peter

- Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit

Herod Agrippa I

- reigned over Judea during this period (from AD 41-44)

- bought the Jews support by building them a beautiful temple

- persecuted them

- had James killed and arrested Peter

- Peter escaped miraculously... Herod Agrippa executed all of the guards

- the people started exalting Herod as a god... he accepted it... the Lord struck him immediately with worms and he died later