Acts
Audience
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
Key References
Explore the Structure
Explore the structure of each book.
| Section | Focus | Connection to the whole |
|---|---|---|
| The promised power and the Jerusalem church Acts 1:1–2:47 Interpretation | Witness begins | Jesus' promise, the coming of the Holy Ghost, Peter's preaching, and the hearers' response establish the beginning of the church's witness. |
| Witness and opposition in Jerusalem Acts 3:1–7:60 Interpretation | Boldness, order, and rejection | Public testimony and growth are accompanied by internal needs and increasing opposition, culminating in Stephen's death. |
| The witness moves outward Acts 8:1–12:25 Interpretation | Samaria, Saul, and Gentile hearers | Persecution scatters believers; new fields open, Saul is called, and the reception of Gentiles becomes a matter publicly explained to the church. |
| Mission and the Gentile question Acts 13:1–15:35 Interpretation | Churches established and the council | The first missionary journey and the Jerusalem deliberation address the place of Gentile believers without making circumcision the entrance requirement. |
| Further journeys and growing churches Acts 15:36–21:16 Interpretation | Strengthening and expanding witness | Paul and his companions travel through new regions and revisit churches, moving toward the journey to Jerusalem despite coming danger. |
| Arrest, hearings, and Rome Acts 21:17–28:31 Interpretation | Testimony through imprisonment | Paul's custody becomes a setting for witness before authorities and brings him to Rome, where the account closes with continued proclamation. |
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.