Introduction to Acts

1: Goal for the course: To hear what Holy Spirit has to say to us through what he has written

1. Why study the Bible if we have the Holy Spirit?
   • The Spirit speaks in a different kind of way through the Scriptures as compared with dreams, visions and prophecies
     • Final authority
     • Clarity
     • Not just applicable to individuals, but universal
     • but not as intimate or personal
   • Of course he can and does use the Scriptures to give us a personal word
2. Why study Acts in particular?
   • Luke gives us a “model” for the church
   • This model is not optional
   • If we are longing for the blessings and power of the early church, we need to study Acts seriously
3. Acts is an incredibly well crafted book
   • Luke has not just sat down and scribbled it out
   • His Gospel and Acts were his life’s work
   • The Spirit helped him choose every word
4. The need for Teaching and Response

2: How Acts hangs together

• Structure of the book [handout]
• The story of Acts
  • Acts is all about Missions, driven by the Holy Spirit

  Section 1:	They’ve just Begun	[1]
  Section 2:	They start to Do	[3]
  Section 3:	They’re forced to flee	[6:8]
  Section 4:	God Opens Doors	[9:32]
  Section 5:	A Missions drive	[13]
  Section 6:	Extended Trips	[16:6]
  Section 7:	To Rome, then heaven	[19:21]

• Assignments [handout]
• All course material will be available at loveintruth.com
  • Recommended book: The Acts of the Apostles, Ben Witherington (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998)