Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Discuss the authorship, date, genre, and historical reliability of the book of Acts

• Indicate the relationship between the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts

• Explain the importance of Acts and the best ways to interpret the book

• Outline the book of Acts and identify its major scenes

• Describe the characters of the book of Acts and how they are characterized by Luke

• Identify the literary parallels that exist in the book of Acts

• Recall how Luke uses the ancient cultural practice of hospitality to show how distinct groups are able to become socially incorporated into the one Christian movement

• Recognize the major themes and subjects in the book of Acts

• Express the relationships the early church has with the Jews and the Gentiles

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Background for the Study of Acts

• The Authorship of Acts

• The Date of Acts

• The Genre of Acts

• The Historical Reliability of Acts

• The Relationship of Acts to Luke

• The Importance of Acts

• Interpreting Acts

Unit 2: Spirit, Kingdom, and Commission (Acts 1:1–26)

• The Continuing Story of Jesus

• Enactment and Proclamation

• Narrating the Church’s Testimony

• Judas, Peter, and the Twelve

Unit 3: Pentecost and the Spirit (Acts 2:1–47)

• The Event of Pentecost: Part 1

• The Event of Pentecost: Part 2

• Peter’s Speech: Part 1

• Peter’s Speech: Part 2

Unit 4: The Power of the Resurrected Messiah (Acts 3:1–4:31)

• The Lame Man Healed

• Jesus’ Witnesses

• God’s Fulfillment and the People’s Response

• The Beginning of a Conflict

• The Conflict between the Apostles and the Jewish Leaders: Part 1

• The Conflict between the Apostles and the Jewish Leaders: Part 2

Unit 5: Threats to the Church and God’s Response (Acts 4:32–6:7)

• The Unity of the Church

• The Threat of Ananias and Sapphira

• The Threat to Israel’s Leaders

• The Threat of the Hellenists and Hebrews

Unit 6: Stephen, the Hellenists, and the Church’s Expansion (Acts 6:8–9:31)

• The Persecution of Stephen

• Stephen’s Speech: Israel’s History of Rejection

• Stephen’s Speech: God’s Unbound Glory

• Stephen’s Speech: The Temple Idolatry

• The Fulfillment of God’s Promises and Acts 1:8

• The Significance of Samaria

• The Samaritans and the Filling of the Spirit

• The Turf Battles

• The Ethiopian Eunuch: Part 1

• The Ethiopian Eunuch: Part 2

• The Conversion of Paul

Unit 7: Peter, Cornelius, and the Gentiles’ Inclusion (Acts 9:32–11:30)

• The Beginnings of Gentile Inclusion

• The Story of Cornelius and Peter: Part 1

• The Story of Cornelius and Peter: Part 2

• The Story of Cornelius and Peter: Part 3

Unit 8: The Jerusalem Church (Acts 12:1–25)

• From Upheaval to Growth

• The Epiphany of the Angel in Prison

• The Epiphany at Mary’s House

• The Epiphany of Herod and the Angel in Caesarea

Unit 9: Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:1–14:28)

• Witnesses to the End of the Earth

• Paul and Barnabas on the Island of Cyprus

• Paul’s Sermon in the Synagogue: Part 1

• Paul’s Sermon in the Synagogue: Part 2

• The Responses to Paul’s Sermon

• Paul and Barnabas in the City of Iconium

• Paul and Barnabas in Lystra

Unit 10: The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1–35)

• Gentile Salvation and Inclusion

• A New Community

Unit 11: Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36–18:22)

• Divine Initiative

• The Role of Gentile Hospitality

• Lydia’s Hospitality

• The Philippian Jailer’s Hospitality

• Gentile Hospitality in Thessalonica and Corinth

• Christianity and Conflict

• Paul’s Speech at the Areopagus: Part 1

• Paul’s Speech at the Areopagus: Part 2

Unit 12: Paul’s Third Missionary Journey (Acts 19:1–20:38)

• Christ’s Agent in Ephesus

• The Conflict with Artemis

• Paul’s Return to Jerusalem

• Paul’s Speech to the Ephesian Elders

Unit 13: Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:15–26:32)

• Introduction to the Final Chapters of Acts

• Paul’s Relationship to Judaism

• Paul in the Temple

• Paul’s Defense Speeches: The Teacher of Israel

• Paul’s Defense Speeches: Jesus, the Fulfillment of Scripture

Unit 14: Paul’s Journey to Rome (Acts 27:1–28:31)

• The Importance of a Narrative Ending

• The Voyage to Rome

• The Shipwreck on Malta: Theoxeny

• The Shipwreck on Malta: The Barbarians

• The Shipwreck on Malta: The Success of the Divine Visitation

• Paul, the Prophet to Israel

Conclusion

• Summary of the Course

Details

• Title: NT326 Book Study: The Acts of the Apostles

• Instructor: Joshua Jipp

• Publisher: Lexham Press

• Publication Date: 2017

• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education

• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources

• Courses: 1

• Video Hours: 8