Acts of the Apostles Summary

Mary Magdalene witnessed Jesus' burial.
She had financially supported Jesus' ministry.
Luke's Gospel mentions that Jesus had cast out seven demons from her.
After the Sabbath, she and two other women went to anoint Jesus' body but found the tomb empty.
A young man (angel) told them Jesus had risen and instructed them to inform the disciples that Jesus was going to Galilee.
The women, out of fear, initially told no one.

It is the earliest record of the Christian church.
It covers the period from Jesus' resurrection to Paul's arrest in Rome.
Jesus appeared to his disciples over forty days, teaching about the kingdom of God.
After Jesus' ascension, the eleven disciples returned to Jerusalem and prayed with other followers and family members of Jesus.

According to Acts, Judas bought a field with the thirty pieces of silver he received for betraying Jesus.
He fell headlong, and his intestines spilled out, leading to the name "Field of Blood".
Matthew's Gospel presents a different account:
- Judas attempted to return the money but the priests refused.
- Judas threw the money into the Temple and hanged himself.
- The priests, considering it "blood money," used it to buy a burial ground for strangers.
- This land was also called the Field of Blood.

Jesus' followers were gathered when they heard a sound like a strong wind and saw tongues of fire.
They began speaking in different languages.
Jews from various regions, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Libya, Arabia, Crete, and Rome, were in Jerusalem for Pentecost.
They were amazed to hear Galileans speaking their native languages.
Peter explained that the Holy Spirit had descended upon the believers.

The Holy Spirit enabled the Twelve to perform miracles and spread the gospel.
Many Jews converted.
Stephen, a believer who distributed charity, was seized by the Jewish leadership and brought before the Sanhedrin.
Stephen claimed he saw the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand.
His accusers stoned him to death, making him the first Christian martyr.

Saul, with the High Priest's authorization, was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians.
A light from heaven flashed around him, and he fell to the ground.
A voice asked, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
Saul asked who was speaking, and the voice identified itself as Jesus.
Saul was instructed to go to Damascus and await further instructions.
Saul's companions heard the voice but saw no one.
Saul was blind and had to be led into Damascus.

Saul remained blind for three days.
In Damascus, a Christian named Ananias received a vision instructing him to find Saul.
Ananias was hesitant due to Saul's reputation as a persecutor of Christians.
The Lord told Ananias that Saul was chosen to bring God's name to the Gentiles.
Ananias laid his hands on Saul, and Saul regained his sight and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Saul of Tarsus is also known as Paul.
Saul's name was not changed upon becoming a follower of Jesus.
Saul was his Jewish name, and Paul was his Latin name as a Roman citizen.
Many Jews at that time had both Hebrew and Latin/Greek names.
Paul began spreading the gospel beyond Palestine to the Roman Empire, focusing on the Gentiles.

Paul claimed to have received the gospel directly from Jesus Christ.
He undertook three missionary journeys, establishing churches in what is now Turkey and Greece.
On Cyprus, he rebuked and allegedly blinded a magician.
After facing opposition from some Jews, Paul focused on ministering to the Gentiles.

Paul was challenged by Christians from Judea who insisted that Gentile men be circumcised for salvation.
This led to a major dispute.
Paul went to Jerusalem to discuss this with the other apostles.
The Council at Jerusalem concluded that circumcision was not necessary for Gentiles.
A letter explaining this decision was sent to the Gentile churches.
This marked the start of an administrative structure for the Christian Church.

In 57 C.E., Paul returned to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey.
He was warned that he was rumored to be teaching Jews to abandon Moses, including the practices of circumcision and Jewish customs.

After seven days in Jerusalem, Paul was accused of defiling the Temple by bringing Gentiles into it.
An angry mob seized him, and Roman centurions arrested him to prevent his death.
Following a plot to kill Paul, he was transported to Caesarea Maritima and held for two years.
Governor Porcius Festus reopened Paul's case in 59 C.E.
When Festus suggested sending Paul back to Jerusalem for trial, Paul, as a Roman citizen, appealed to Caesar.
Paul was sent to Rome for trial.

On the journey to Rome, Paul's ship was caught in a storm and eventually shipwrecked on Malta.
The storm was so severe that the crew threw cargo and tackle overboard.
After many days without sun or stars, all hope was lost.
On the fourteenth day, the ship ran aground on an unrecognized island.

After three months, Paul and his captors sailed to Rome, arriving in the spring of 60 C.E.
Paul spent two years under house arrest, preaching from his rented home while awaiting trial.
Paul's death is believed to have occurred after the Great Fire of Rome in 64 C.E.
He was beheaded by order of Emperor Nero before Nero's suicide in 68 C.E.