Acts 1
We just saw the resurrected Jesus, and he told us that the Holy Spirit would come and make us
bear witness of him to the end of the earth. He was lifted up to heaven, and we two men told us
he would come back. We picked Matthias to replace Judas among the apostles.
Themes: Holy Spirit, ascension, witness
Acts 2
Jesus was right and the Holy Spirit came, filling all our tongues with fire and letting us
understand even those who spoke other languages. We were amazed, and Peter got up and
preached the crucified, risen and exalted Christ from the Scriptures. Like our tongues, the
sermon was fire, and about three thousand people believed the message, repented and were
baptized. The church is growing and learning how to praise God, fellowship with and love one
another.
Themes: Exalted Lord, Holy Spirit, fellowship, proclamation
Acts 3
While we were in Jerusalem Peter and John went up to the temple. By the gate there was a lame
beggar asking for money, but being a couple out of work fisherman they did not have anything,
so Peter told him to get up and walk. The people around were amazed, so Peter spoke to this
crowd too and told them that this man walks because of the power of the Author of life whom
they killed, and told them to repent.
Themes: Glorified Jesus, faith in Christ, blessing
Acts 4
When they finished speaking, I saw the Sadducees take them and arrest them, but not before a
few thousand more believed. The council with the high priest and his family questioned them,
and they told them the man was healed by the name of the risen Jesus, the cornerstone. They
spoke with boldness, and the council told them not to preach anymore, but they did and went
away praising God. When they got back to us, we prayed for boldness, and all of us who
believed had everything in common.
Themes: boldness, community
Acts 5
While others were selling what they had to care for the needy among them, Ananias and
Sapphira sold their land and kept back some of the money. They both fell dead. Aside from this,
many signs and wonders were being done, and the high priest and sadducees arrested us. An
angel let us out, but the council brought us back, told us to stop again, we did not, and they beat
us and let us go. We rejoiced, and continued to preach.
Themes: persecution, rejoicing
Acts 6
Some of the Greek-speaking Jews complained about the widows being neglected, so we thought
it was fitting to appoint seven wise, godly, Spirit-filled men to the service of waiting tables. The
word kept spreading and many were coming to the faith, but Stephen worked many signs and
was dragged to the Sanhedrin.
Themes: love, fellowship
Acts 7
The high priest asked Stephen if the accusations were true, and rather than give a straight answer
he goes on a great spiel where he recites most of Israel’s history of salvation, ending by calling
the council out for being just like the ones who killed the prophets. I saw them filled with fury
charge at Stephen, drive him out of the city, and stone him to death.
Themes: salvation history, faithful witness
Acts 8
We buried Stephen after that, and persecution rose against us, so we had to scatter. We preached
the word wherever we went. Many signs were being done and demons being cast out, especially
with Philip preaching and baptizing those who believed. Even a man who practiced magic turned
from what he did and went on with Philip. Philip even preached to an Ethiopian eunuch,
explained Isaiah 53 to him, the eunuch believed, and Philip was caught away.
Themes: elect exiles, word spreading
Acts 9
Saul was trying to find Christians to persecute, but a light came from heaven and Jesus called
him. Saul was left blind and went to the city, found Ananias, gained his sight, and went
preaching in the synagogues. It was a complete attitude shift. The Lord was using him to grow
the church. Peter then went to a girl named Tabitha who had died, prayed, and she came back to
life.
Themes: miracles, salvation, sovereignty in salvation
Acts 10
A man named Cornelius had a vision to send for Peter, which was weird because Cornelius was a
Gentile and Jews weren’t supposed to eat with Gentiles. Peter also got a vision from God telling
him not to call clean what he has made clean, and Peter went with the men Cornelius sent and
went to his house. He preached the gospel to them and they all received the Holy Spirit and were
baptized.
Themes: gentile inclusion, Holy Spirit
Acts 11
When Peter got back to Jerusalem, some didn’t like that he went to eat with Gentiles, but Peter
explained the vision he had to them. He told them of how Cornelius and his family receiving the
Spirit, and those who had taken issue glorified God for this. Those who were scattered preached
the word where they went to Jews only, but some began even preaching to the Greeks. Some of
us even made it to Antioch, and they started calling us “Christians.”
Themes: blessing to all nations
Acts 12
Things got hectic after this. Herod killed James and put Peter in prison, but we all kept praying
for Peter. Miraculously, an angel of God rescued him, and just let him outside of the prison. Peter
went to Mary’s house. A servant answered, told them it was Peter, and they didn’t believe her
until Peter kept knocking. He told them everything when he was let in. After this Herod came out
and the people called him a god, so an angel struck him and he was eaten by worms.
Themes: judgment, sovereignty
Acts 13
Saul and Barnabas were sent out. They went on to Cyprus preaching the word as they went.
Eventually they met a magician who sought to turn away the proconsul, but Paul rebuked him
and he went blind. The proconsul believed when he saw it. They kept on sailing and came to a
synagogue in Antioch, preaching the gospel from the Psalms, Samuel, Isaiah, and Habakkuk, the
people in the synagogue begging them to come back the next sabbath. There was a crowd the
next week and the Jews blasphemed but the gentiles rejoiced and believed. The Jews drove them
out so they shook the dust from their feet.
Themes: blessing, salvation, resurrection
Acts 14
They went into a synagogue at Iconium and both Jews and gentiles believed, but the ones who
didn’t drove them out to surrounding areas where they preached the gospel. Paul told a lame man
to walk, and he did, so the people started worshipping them like gods, so they begged them to
stop. The Jews who drove them out before showed up and got the crowds to stone Paul, who got
up and kept preaching. They went back into the cities to encourage the disciples, and then went
back to Antioch.
Themes: persecution and witness, encouragement
Acts 15
Some Judeans began teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation, Paul and Barnabas
debated them and then went to Jerusalem. There was a lot of debate, Peter got up and asked the
Pharisees why they were yoking the Gentiles. Eventually James got up and gave a verdict that
the gentiles should be told to abstain from idols and immorality, and not to burden them further.
This seemed good to all of them, so they sent a letter, and the response was rejoicing. Paul and
Barnabas split up over Mark, and Paul took Silas, strengthening churches along the way.
Themes: gentile salvation, church growth
Acts 16
They ended up at Lystra, and a disciple named Timothy joined them. Paul got a vision to go to
Macedonia, so they all decided to go. They made it to Philippi and a woman named Lydia was
converted and they stayed in her house. Then they went and a slave girl was proclaiming that
they were servants of God, so Paul commanded the spirit out of her. The spirit had brought the
girl’s masters much money before, so the disciples were beaten and tossed in prison. While there
the jailer was converted and his whole household was baptized. Then the magistrates let them out
and apologized after hearing they were Roman citizens.
Themes: Spirit-guiding, situations redeemed
Acts 17
They left and came to Thessalonica. Paul spent three weeks there in the synagogue, and some
joined them and some did not. The Jews dragged some of them before the authorities, and Paul
and Silas were sent away. They went to the synagogue as always, this time in Berea, were well
received and the Jews there received the word and examined the Scriptures. The Jews from
Thessalonica came and messed things up, so Paul was sent away but Silas and Timothy stayed
there. Paul ended up in Athens and reasoned with the Jews again, and ended up before the
Areopagus and proclaimed to them the unknown God who is not made nor served by human
hands, but commands all to repent, and some believed there.
Themes: receiving the word, salvation to the gentiles, the uncreated God
Acts 18
Paul went to Corinth and met some tent makers named Aquila and Priscilla and stayed with
them. He kept reasoning in the synagogue and Silas and Timothy made it back to him. Some of
the Jews opposed Paul again, so he decided to minister to the Gentiles. He ministered to Titius,
and Crispus the synagogue leader believed, and Paul stayed a year and a half teaching them.
Some of the Jews took Paul before the tribunal, but Gallio sent them away so they beat
Sosthenes. He left, went to Ephesus, was well received, and then left to Antioch. Apollos came to
Ephesus and was preaching well, but Aquila and Priscilla taught him better about baptism.
Themes: fellowship, blessing outside the elect line
Acts 19
Apollos ended up in Corinth and Paul came back to Ephesus, and those who believed were
baptized and received the Spirit. Paul kept reasoning in the synagogue and eventually out of the
synagogue, and God was doing miracles through him. Some sons of a high priest even tried
casting out demons by Jesus and Paul, but the man leapt on them and wounded them. The word
kept spreading and even a magician burned his books in repentance. Eventually there was some
problems in Ephesus with a silversmith who was losing business from the low-demand for idols,
and he stirred up the tradesman and they took Paul’s companions into the theater, and the whole
assembly was rioting. A man named Alexander calmed them down since they didn’t have a real
reason to riot.
Themes: radical repentance, growth in persecution
Acts 20
Paul encouraged them and left for Macedonia, came to Greece, and decided to go back through
Macedonia. Paul kept preaching and went until midnight, and a man named Eutychus fell asleep,
fell over and died. Paul took him up and he came back to life, and then they left and kept sailing.
Paul sent for the Ephesians elders, spoke to them and said that he would never see them again,
told them to care for the flock, be alert, and commended them. There was a heartfelt goodbye,
and they parted.
Themes: salvation, encouragement, brotherly love
Acts 21
We left and kept sailing, being warned not to go to Jerusalem but Paul was determined. We made
it to Ptolemais, left to Caesarea and met Philip, and he told Paul he would be bound in Jerusalem,
but he was ready to die there if it came to it. We left and went to Jerusalem, and when we got
there visited with James and told him what God had done. James told Paul to purify himself, so
he did and shaved his head and went into the temple, and he was arrested (under false charges),
and when the Roman soldiers came the Jews stopped beating him. Paul asked to be able to speak
to the people, and he did, speaking in Hebrew,
Themes: persecution and witness,
Acts 22
Making his defense, he told them he was a zealous Jew and gave them his brief history. They
listened to him and cried out against him. The tribune was about to flog him and ask questions,
but Paul told them he was a Roman citizen, so the centurion heard and asked what he was doing.
They withdrew and the tribune was afraid, because it wasn’t lawful to do that to a Roman. They
then set him before a council.
Themes: shrewd as serpents, innocent as doves
Acts 23
Paul was speaking before the council and the high priest ordered him to be struck, and Paul
called him a whitewashed wall. Paul realized that one party was the Sadducees and one was the
Pharisees, so he pitted them against each other by saying that he was on trial for the resurrection
of the dead. The assembly was divided at that point, violently so, so Paul was taken to the
barracks and later had a vision telling him he would also testify in Rome. The Jews then made a
plot to kill Paul, so Paul’s nephew told the barracks about it. They got seventy horseman and two
hundred spearman to protect Paul, and sent him to Felix.
Themes: respect for authority, witness under persecution
Acts 24
The high priest and their elder presented their case against Paul to Felix, along with some Jews
who confirmed. Paul replied with his defense, clarifying that none of their charges against him
were valid and that the only thing he said of issue among them was that he was on trial for the
resurrection of the dead. Felix had an accurate knowledge of the Way, and was not immediately
swayed by the Jews to make a decision, so he pushed it off until he was succeeded by Festus.
Themes: resurrection, sovereignty in persecution, defense
Acts 25
Festus went to Jerusalem and heard the case against Paul. He then went to Caesarea where Paul
was, heard Paul’s defense, and asked Paul if he wanted to go to Jerusalem for his trial, but Paul
appealed to Caesar. Agrippa made it to the province, and Festus explained the situation to him, so
Agrippa wanted to hear Paul for himself. They brought Paul before Agrippa.
Themes: defense, on trial
Acts 26
Agrippa asked Paul to speak, so Paul presents his case slowly beginning with his background as
a Pharisee, then with the story of his conversion, and then explains the problems he had with the
Jews. He told Agrippa he was teaching nothing more than what was said by Moses and the
Prophets. Festus told him he was crazy, Paul responded that he wasn’t but that these things have
been noticed by Agrippa and that he would like to persuade him and everyone else there to be a
Christian, and Agrippa says he might have let him go had he not appealed to Caesar.
Themes: salvation, OT fulfillment
Acts 27
They sent Paul sailing for Rome, with some difficulty sailing along the way. Paul told them the
voyage would be a dangerous one, but the centurion, pilot, and owner of the ship did not listen.
Eventually a strong northeastern wind came and took the ship, nearly running them aground in
an island and surrounding them in a tempest, so Paul told them to run aground because he had a
vision from an angel telling him that no one would die. Eventually, after much struggle, they ran
into a reef and all washed up on shore.
Themes: sovereign over the storm,
Acts 28
They all came safe to shore, on an island called Malta. A viper bit Paul’s hand and he didn’t die,
so the natives thought he was a god. He healed the father of Publias, the chief man, and then the
rest of the sick on the island, left the island and eventually came to Rome. While there he spoke
to the Jews in Rome, them coming to his lodging place, and he expounded to them the kingdom
of God. Some believed, some did not, and they left after Paul said Isaiah was right about them
and that the Gentiles will listen to him. He lived there two years and kept proclaiming Jesus
Christ boldly.
Themes: miracles, healing, Holy Spirit, kingdom of God
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